Pause in La Paz

Or rather, cruising slowly and not trying to get anywhere

My time in La Paz involved fewer miles sailing and more time enjoying local anchorages. Kristen and I had discussed crossing the Sea of Cortez to Mazatlan on the mainland of Mexico, but as the days wore on and we settled into a cruising rhythm, that idea was nixed in favor of a deeper dive (pun intended) into Isla Espiritu Santo and Isla San Francisco. We also had some friends visit La Paz from San Francisco during the same time window, and we made time to celebrate the holidays and birthday with them on land and aboard Wind River.

Bahia La Paz is quite a bit larger than San Francisco Bay. From the municipal anchorage at its southernmost point near the Malecón (boardwalk) to Isla San Francisco at its north is roughly 42nm, and the Bay is approximately 17nm at its widest. Given the larger unprotected body of water, winds from the north build up the seas, and coupled with strong currents (I measured 3kts at one point) the sailing can be slow and uncomfortable. Alternately, there might be no wind and a lot of motoring. There did not seem to be any “in-between” moments, and La Paz weather was a case study in extremes.

Our route looked like this:

1. Pichilingue Cove to Candelera Cove on Isla Espiritu Santo - we took the dinghy around the anchorage, paddle boarded, and Kristen swam a lot. We went ashore and the small beach and had the place to ourselves.

   

   It’s a special feeling to have a whole beach to oneself...

   

   …and even more special when the colors of both earth and sky are so vivid

2. Candelera Cove to El Empachado Cove (on Espiritu) - here we met up with S/Y Flora and swam around the anchorage in crystal clear water.

   

   My first time in the water since leaving San Francisco. It was refreshing. Ralf from S/Y Flora (background) swam to us and is resting at the front of the board.

   

   Wind River and Flora at El Empachado Cove (courtesy S/Y Flora)

3. La Paz municipal anchorage - we had dinner with Kristen’s friend Monica (and her family) at a small Italian restaurant inside a man’s home, and separately celebrated another friend Susan’s birthday. We did daily walks and several provisioning runs.

4. Back to El Empachado Cove - just a quick overnight rest stop before heading up to Isla San Francisco.

5. North to Isla San Francisco to celebrate the New Year. a bumpy ride with 25-30kts of wind. Here we met Steve and Liz aboard S/V Aloha, a wonderfully kept 1992 Amel Super Maramu they have sailed around the world for the past 10 years (they’re looking to sell it in the next 12 months). The world’s largest ketch, 85-meter long sailing yacht Aquijo, also visited the anchorage during our stay, as did the National Geographic small cruise ship Venture and 15 other private sailboats and catamarans. It was remarkably quiet despite the number of people and the special occasion of New Year’s Eve.

   

   S/V Aloha, a well-maintained1992 Amel Super Maramu in the background of this shot. Her owners Steve and Liz are wrapping up 10 years of sailing around the world and will be selling her in the next 12 months.

   

   Aquijo at Isla San Francisco for 2023-24 New Year’s Eve.

6. South to Isla Partida - an overnight rest stop before Pichilingue.

7. Back to Pichilingue Cove - last day before Kristen’s departure :-(

As usual there were maintenance items to address, and on this occasion, it was the dinghy’s outboard motor that stopped producing power at higher RPM’s. After isolating the problem over several days, and with phone help from the master mechanic Bill Lochbaum of Sausalito, I disassembled and cleaned the carburetor. The motor has purred since, and it starts on the first pull. Thank you Bill!

I close with a big note of thanks to my partner in crime, Kristen. She kept the boat organized, served as social director (not my strong suit), and -importantly- made time for us to play on the water. Come back soon, darling. I miss you already.