Ensenada de los Muertos to Puerto Balandra

The Honcho arrived at Ensenada de los Muertos in the middle of the night, anchoring well out in the bay. The next morning we moved in closer to the beach and, thrilled with the clear and warm water as well as the lovely view from the cockpit, we quickly donned mask and fins and cruised among the reefs and shoals along the edges of the bay. Later we took the dinghy ashore and explored the pristine beach as far south as the Bahia de los Suenos Hotel. We wandered up to the hotel which is perched on a rise a quarter mile back from the beach. We explored the grounds and bought a beer in the lounge. The place was exquisite, but empty so I asked the bartender if we could take a dip in the pool. He said, "Sure, certainly, go right ahead." So we spent a couple of hours sipping beers and swimming in the pool, vowing that wed come back to this place again.

Dirt road from the beach to the hotel

View from the pool

Overlooking the bar is a vast model railroad with multiple levels and various gauges of track. Very cool.

We spent a couple of days in Ensenada de los Muertos, then headed north toward Puerto Balandra, about 45 miles away. To get there, our course took us north past Punta Arena de la Ventana, where we entered the famous, or notorious, Canal Cerralvo (Cerralvo Channel), leaving Isla Cerralvo to starboard. Sailing on a NNW course we passed Punta Coyote and entered the Canal de San Lorenzo, which passes between Isla Espiritu Santo and the mainland of Baja California. This channel runs in an east-west direction, and opens into the broad Bahia de La Paz. Passing through the channel, the view of the bay was fabulous. We bore off around Punta Tecolote and entered the picturesque bay called Puerto Balandra. We are now in the region where the Coromuel winds blow, so we came to anchor in the lee of the hills in a cove on the southwest side of the bay. Coromuels are winds that blow out of the southwest at night. In this bay they begin around 1900 in the evening, and blow throughout the night and into the morning, averaging 18 to 25 knots. Tucked in fairly close to the land, we experienced plenty of wind, but flat water, so in spite of the wind, nights have been comfortable here.

The water here is crystal clear and reasonably warm, 70 to 72 degrees. Snorkeling around the underwater rock ledges was an awesome experience, with clouds of brightly colored tropical fish all around. Well stay here for a couple of days, then head into the city of La Paz.

Isla Espiritu Santo

The Honcho remained in La Paz three days longer than planned due to strong northerlies that blew 25 to 35 knots down the Sea of Cortez May 2-4. On Tuesday, May 5^th we cleared Punta Prieta and headed toward Puerto Balandra, planning to anchor there for the night, before heading north to Isla Espiritu Santo. There was still a large swell left over from the northerly blow which made Balandra an uncomfortable anchorage.  So we continued north across the San Lorenzo Channel and up the west side of the island. We looked in at Bahia San Gabriel on the southeast corner of the island, but being open to the south and west, it is not a good place to be when the Coromuel winds blow, so we continued north another four miles over a lumpy sea to a small inlet called Ensenada de la Raza, which is well protected from the north swell. 
The Honcho coasted into the cove and prepared to anchor in about 18 feet of water. As we rounded the boat into the wind and came to a stop I pressed the switch on the anchor windlass and nothing happened.  As it would soon be dark, I quickly got out the spare chain and rode and within a few minutes we were safely anchored in the cove and sitting in the cockpit with a glass of wine and watching the sunset while I pondered the windlass malfunction. We were planning to spend the next six weeks anchoring in at least a dozen places and I did not relish the idea of using our backup ground tackle without a windlass instead of the high strength chain in a bunch of remote places.  So, reluctantly, I decided we’d have to return to La Paz to get it repaired.

After a peaceful night on the backup ground tackle, early the next morning we headed back to La Paz, taking a berth in the Marina de La Paz, which is right near downtown, where all the stores and chandleries are located. I tore into the windlass and quickly discovered that the wiring had corroded and used the rest of the day to find some heavy gauge marine wire and rewired the system. We spent the night in the Marina and departed the next day, anchoring for the night in Puerto Balandra.

The next morning we got under sail around 1100, bound for Caleta Partida, which is a beautiful anchorage nestled between the northern tip of Isla Espriritu Santo and the southern tip of Isla Partida. It was a beautiful sail under light winds and a perfectly flat sea.  We came to anchor in three fathoms in the southeast reach of the bay, where there is good protection from the Coromuel wind, which amounted to about 20 knots that night.

We spent the next couple of days exploring the bay and a couple of nearby coves. I took a lot of photos but the camera can’t really capture the stark majesty of the scenery here. The landscape is desert, with a variety of cactus and other flora. The sea is filled with a variety of tropical fish and other sea life, which makes snorkeling a fascinating voyage of discovery every time we don mask and fins.  With temperatures on the boat in the eighties, and warmer ashore, our routine is to go ashore in the early part of the day, take a swim and siesta during the hotter midday, and, as often as not, socialize with the other yatistas who happen to be in the anchorage around sunset.  

On Sunday, May 8^th, the Honcho cleared the mouth of Caleta de Partida, short tacking in a light westerly breeze, on a course toward the small Isla San Francisco, about 21 miles away.  As the day wore on the wind shifted first to the northeast, then south, and eventually died and we motored the last seven miles, anchoring at the Hook at 1445.  Along the way we caught two small skipjacks, which we released, and narrowly avoided hitting a Blue whale that, seemingly oblivious to the Honcho, crossed our bow about 40 feet away.  The Blue whales, of which we’ve seen a few since entering the Sea, are different from the exuberant Humpbacks that we experienced earlier in the year.  Reportedly the largest animal ever to live on this planet, the northern hemisphere Blue can reach a length of about 100 feet and weigh up to 400,000 pounds. It feeds by taking a massive gulp of seawater then using its tongue to force it out through its baleen which acts as a strainer, thus capturing tons of krill and other small sea life.  While capable of high speeds, they usually travel at speeds of four knots or less, so the Honcho, which moves faster than that, must take care not to overrun one of these animals. 

It was a pleasant passage to Isla San Francisco, where we remained a few days enjoying the hiking, swimming and company of friends.  

Isla San Francisco

The Isthmus on Isla San Francisco. The island in the background is Isla San Jose, about 5 miles away.

Isla San Francisco is like a jewel in the sea. Only about two miles long and less than a mile wide, it encompasses a beautiful cove on the south side and, across a small isthmus, another picturesque bay on its eastern shore. The isthmus, which is only a couple hundred yards wide, divides the high northern end of the island from the craggy cliffs to the south. It lies at 24 degrees, 50 minutes north and 110 degrees, 34.50 minutes west. If you Google it, you’ll enjoy the aerial views of this place.

Boats anchored in the "Hook".

The Honcho anchored a couple hundred yards off the beach in the southern cove, known as the Hook, in crystal clear water. As soon as we secured the boat, we jumped in for a refreshing swim before joining friends on another boat for cocktails. The following day a group of eight or ten of us climbed to the ridge on the southern edge of the island and were rewarded with splendid views of the boats at anchor below and the dramatically striped cliffs across the channel on the mainland to the west and on Isla San Jose to the north.

Ridge trail on the south side of the island. Isla San Jose in the background.

After a couple of days of sun, swimming and relaxing, we’re now ready to get underway tomorrow morning, bound for the village of San Evaristo, on the coast of mainland Baja. There we’ll pick up some fresh fruits and vegetables, if any are available, then leave the following morning for points north. 

J 130

Over the last several months I have had the opportunity to see a wide variety of boats that people are  cruising aboard and one of the nicest, to my eye is the J/130. I like it because it is a very good looking boat with excellent performance and pretty good accommodations. It also is well built, using technology that you would find in many racing yachts. Of course this type of boat is not every cruisers dreamboat since it is rare to see a J/130 actually on a long distance cruise. There are a lot more Island Packets and boats of that type out cruising than truly high performance yachts like the J/130. I recommend you visit the J-Boats web site at http://www.jboats.com/j130/html/j130photo.htm  or Yachtworld.com for more detailed information, but here are some basic dimensions and ratios:

Length overall: 42.7
Beam: 12.8
Draft: 8.5 or 6.9
Displacement: 15,000 pounds
Sail area: 955 sq ft
Disp/Length: 120
Sail area/disp: 25

Notice the two ratios, Disp/Length and Sail area/disp. The first indicates the displacement of the boat relative to its length and is useful for comparing different boats. The higher the number, the heavier the boat is relative to its length. The typical cruising boat we see here in Mexico has a D/L well over 200. By comparison, a D/L of 120 is a borderline Ultralight, or ULDB, and boats with this number are invariably high performance boats. The SA/D is an indicator of the size of the sailplan relative to the boats displacement. The typical cruising boat has a SA/D in the range of 12 to 18. Racing yachts generally have an SA/D of 20 and up. So, clearly, the J/130 could be described as a lightweight sportscar with a big engine. That translates into good light air performance and high speeds in heavy air. The question is whether that makes it a good cruising boat.

The J/130s hull is clearly designed for speed. Thats a good thing because nearly everyone wants to make fast passages. But cruisers also want comfort and heavier boats have a more comfortable motion than lighter weight boats both at anchor and under way. The rather low freeboard of this hull certainly looks sleek, and makes boarding a bit easier, but the trade-off is less room below and a bit more water on deck, especially headed upwind. The boats deep keel will keep it on its feet, but will also limit access to areas where shallower draft boats can go. I think six to seven feet of draft is about the maximum that is convenient. Im not saying that 8.5 is unacceptable, youll just have to be more selective about where you go in a boat with that much draft.

I like boats with good light air performance and the J/130s rig has all the horsepower needed to make the boat go in the light stuff. Conditions here in Mexico are often light, and its a nice feeling to be able to sail when the other cruising boats are wallowing.  Of course there is a downside to the Js powerful rig. The mainsail is quite big and would be a handful for a shorthanded crew. Also, youll be shifting gears more with a light boat, reefing the main and changing jibs more frequently. People say you can partially roll up the jib if its on a furler, but partially furled jibs dont set well. If I were cruising aboard this boat Id set it up with a 110% jib on the furler and accept the compromise in light air performance.

Cruising is really about living aboard and while there are many 42 footers that have a lot more living space below, I think the J/130s accommodations are pretty good, if relatively Spartan, for a couple with an occasional one or two guests aboard. Notice in the accommodations plan that the area forward of the main bulkhead is devoted to a large owners stateroom with plenty of storage space and a semi-private head. The head is accessible from the main cabin, but that access looks iffy to me, as you have to work your way around the large dropleaf table to get to it. The galley is smallish but adequate. Id prefer not to have the stove up against the bulkhead as it makes cooking a bit more difficult. Aft of the galley is a small cabin which would be converted to a storage room by most who would cruise this boat. Opposite the galley is a nav station. The drawings show it with the seat facing forward but the photos I found on Yachtworld show it facing outboard. Id prefer the forward facing arrangement but it looks like lack of space could have played a part in the decision to make the change. Aft of the nav station is a private quarter cabin with what looks like a good sized double berth.

Tankage and stowage space are issues that long term cruisers would have to come to terms with. A watermaker and an extra fuel bladder would make life aboard more pleasant. But I like that trade-off in exchange for better performance and the clean good looks of the boat.

Spartan but adequate accommodations.  This and the deckplan below were taken from the J-Boats website.

I think the deck layout of the J/130 is nearly ideal for a performance cruising boat. Side decks are wide, the cabin trunk is low and unobtrusive, and the cockpit is big enough for spending a lot of time in, which is what cruisers do. The lack of an anchor locker in the bow would be problematic and Id put one in if I owned this boat. Another essential item is a swim platform aft. I like step-thru transoms but the arrangement here offers lots of space on the transom and still provides a good sized lazarette.




Overall, this boat has a lot to offer the cruising yachtsman who places high priority on performance. It would make a great boat for shorter term cruises, but I know of at least one J/130 whose owners  have been cruising aboard for quite a long time and are very happy with their boat.

J/130 anchored in Bahia de los Muertos

Mazatlan to Ensenada de los Muertos

The Honcho was in the Mazatlan area for about three weeks, and while it is a beautiful city, we were ready to leave. I really enjoyed the old town and the crisp weather there, but the marina had a different atmosphere from La Cruz. It is older and quieter, with less to do that is within walking distance than Marina La Cruz. The murky, slimy water in this marina was by far the worst we’ve experienced and we were certainly ready for someplace new, preferably a place with warm, clear water, beach palapas, and a view.  So at 1800 on Saturday afternoon, April 16^th, we checked out of the marina and, motoring against a three knot current, headed out of the harbor toward a little place called Ensenada de los Muertos, on the southeastern coast of Baja California.

Mazatlan Cruising Yacht

Unfinished waterfront mansion near the marina. It was eerie to wander around this place that was once someones dream home but is now becoming a ruins.

Looking back toward the pretty Mazatlan skyline, it was a bittersweet feeling to know that our time on mainland Mexico is over.  With scant wind, we motored westward into the setting sun, looking forward to an easy 190 mile passage to the Bay of the Dead. Just after sunset, a full moon rose over the eastern horizon, giving us a glorious night of sailing. Our course took us slightly north of west, and at 2230 we crossed 23 degrees, 26.25 minutes north latitude, which is the Tropic of Cancer, taking us out of the tropics and into the sub tropic zone.  

Mazatlans Gold Coast

When the sun rose the following morning we were forty miles offshore and the sea had turned from a murky green to a deep clear blue.  By 0900, a warm southerly breeze came up and we spent the rest of the day on a beautiful beam reach in 10-15 knots of wind.  We started trolling with a Mexican lure on 40 pound test line around 1000 in hopes of finally catching a dorado, but after three hours without a bite, I had forgotten that it was there.  Suddenly the reel lit up and I could tell by the way the line was zinging off the reel, we’d hooked something big.  I grabbed the rod and tried to reel it in, but got nothing. Then I saw why as a 5-6 foot marlin launched out of the water on our starboard beam.  There is no way we could handle a fish like that on the Honcho so I reached for the pliers to cut the line. By this time the fish had reversed course and once again launched out of the water a hundred feet off our transom. I managed to cut the line before he took all of it off the reel. The entire episode happened in the span of about ninety seconds. We were thrilled by the sight of such a fish, but glad to let the big fella go.

By nightfall, we were about forty miles from Bahia de los Muertos, still with a fine southerly breeze. We were greeted by another full moon in a cloudless sky just after the sun sank below the horizon. We had Polaris and the Big Dipper on our starboard beam, but the Southern Cross was no longer visible, being now well below the southern horizon.  It was interesting to see that the sea temperature rose from around 62 to 71 degrees as we sailed out of the Pacific Ocean and into the Sea of Cortez.

Around 2200, the wind dropped to almost nothing and we began motoring the last twenty miles toward Bahia de los Muertos.  At 0300 we slowly crept into the anchorage and dropped the hook.  The white sand beach and low hills surrounding the north and west sides of the bay were beautiful in the moonlight. We’re finally in the Sea of Cortez.