How far south down Mexico to safely sail in the summer?

[model 10]

We've been to the marina in Barra, nice, but how many boats would it hold? Acapulco would be safe from storms but that place is a little spooky off the main drag. The marina in El Salvador could be washed away if the river floods from a storm. The marina in Nicaragua is also on a river but the docks are nice but you are hell and gone from anywhere. There really is no reliable protection until you get to CR. You can always take your chances further north but once you get down to CR you could leave your boat for a while and not worry about it so much.

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by Ecos

We've been to the marina in Barra, nice, but how many boats would it hold? Acapulco would be safe from storms but that place is a little spooky off the main drag. The marina in El Salvador could be washed away if the river floods from a storm. The marina in Nicaragua is also on a river but the docks are nice but you are hell and gone from anywhere. There really is no reliable protection until you get to CR. You can always take your chances further north but once you get down to CR you could leave your boat for a while and not worry about it so much.

as i stated and which apparently you donot understand is that there are 2, only 2, SAFE places to go in mexico for canes. acapulco is not safe. south opening bays are unsafe. friends learned hard way there. but if you wish, by all means, do not listen to my knowledgeable words and go to alcaputo with its south facing bay.
you do not understand the dynamics of summer on pacific.
sorry.
i LIVE here, but that seems to make zero difference to snowbirds.
you know best. enjoy your losses.
barra has plenty of room for those who donot follow insurance mandates on latitudes they deem safe, but which are definitely not so.
barra has been proven safe for winds up to and including 250 mph, so far.
top that.
hahaha.
sorry, you can not. steady winds were 215. most enjoyable sailing breeze. hahaha.
do go to alcaputo and learn why smart folks do not.
shrimpers and atuneros also use barras marina in times of tropical storms and canes.

[model 10]

The Acapulco anchorage does not face south, but then you wouldn't know that either.

[zeehag]

Originally Posted by Ecos

The Acapulco anchorage does not face south, but then you wouldn't know that either.

then it sounds as if you are headed for the perfect place for you, stay there thru a storm and see how well it is hahahahaha protected. friends have lost boats. but you donot care if you lose yours, it is insured to the hilt, so is disposable.
oh yeah, your insurance will not cover losses in alcaputo nor anywhere else outside their limited lattitudes.
enjoy your time in alcaputo. you forget the anchorage, despite its position, is not a safe anchorage and isnot protected from surge plus 30- 50 ft seas. enjoy.

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by sarfata

Hello everyone,

My boat is currently in San Diego and I am planning on heading south in February or March. I know the sailing season closes from June to late October because of hurricanes in Mexico but I am not clear on where the "no go" zone ends.

Is Puerto Chiapas south enough? Or Costa Rica?

How long does it take the average sailor (not rushing but not visiting sea of cortez for 3 years either) to get out of the dangerous area and be able to sail in the summer months? My goal obviously is to get out fast so we can keep sailing in the summer.

Thanks for your insights!

thomas

Hi Thomas, We've lived aboard full time in Mexico since 2014, and previous to that for over a year as well before going longer distances cruising. We sail all year 'round, but less in summer due to the heat.

June through November are hurricane months in Mexico, more occur later in the season.

Sea of Cortez.
The places where I would feel relatively secure are Puerto Escondito and Mazatlán in the Sea of Cortez, or the ones in Cabo. Hurricanes can and do hit the sea every year including these places but most boats in the marinas or on the buoys in Pto. Escondito are OK. You can stay in other places but they are less sheltered and boats have been lost. Many boats stay in La Paz and San Carlos, but both locations have been hit hard in recent years. There is no safe latitude in the Sea of Cortez, hurricanes have gone all they way north to Puerto Penasco. If you are cruising in the Sea of Cortez in the summer you need to watch the weather and head to a hurricane hole if one threatens (there are some). You usually have a few days notice. We cruised all summer one year but we are usually back in La Cruz by July 1.

Mainland Mexico.
Banderas Bay has been hurricane free as long as records have been kept. The geography makes it hard for a hurricane to land there, but we have scares every year. I stay in La Cruz. Barra de Navidad has excellent protection and has recently weathered a direct hit with little damage to boats in the marina. Acapulco would be a problem due to the lack of available berths and the price in Club de Yates but it probably would be safe. Ixtapa is protected but has depth limitations. Farther south both Huatulco and Chiapas are generally safe from hurricanes. The hurricanes which form near there go away from the coast towards the north or north west. I spent a hurricane season in Chiapas and it was lovely.

Sailing Season:

You could sail in Mexico year 'round if you watch the weather and be prepared to move to one of the ports I mentioned when a hurricane forms. It is however, HOT, and the sailing south of Barra de Navidad is pretty dull. You will be motoring a lot. The best sailing is December to May.

[cyan]

Originally Posted by contrail

...
3) keep the boat ready to move (which many don't), 4) keep a very close eye on the weather, which is not hard to do, these days, and 5) don't hesitate to put your plan in place, should the need arise, which few do.
...

These are very good points, for a much different way of reacting to storms than 20 years ago because good information is now available... often days in advance.

In the late 90s, I was having a cold beer without a care in the world one sunny afternoon at the Solmar pool, lands end in Cabo San Lucas. We had returned early from a calm day of sportfishing, because the haul was more Dorado than we needed. (good problem to have) While watching the south-facing beach, I noticed a sudden bee line of pangas and sportfishers heading east to make it around the rocky point and back to the marina, hugging the coast. It looked like the attack scene in Water World with everyone throwing their best wake. Around the same time I noticed a huge black cloud wall stretching as far as I could see on the horizon, creeping toward us from SSE.

When the first gusts hit, there were a couple of pangas that immediately flipped over in a failed attempt to round the point. We scrambled down to the waves, but recovered only one boy washed up in the surf that was too wild for swimming even on a good day.

I believe it was the edge of Hurricane Flossie, which was a mere Cat 1. The thing is, we had NO real warning. We were lazily fishing earlier in the day, without a clue. I vaguely remember a previously CANCELED tropical storm warning, but nothing else but sunny skies. In the 1990s, such surprises were not unheard of there. Today, I'm happy to view much better graphical predictions on my laptop. There should be no reason for such a same-day surprise anymore, as we now rely on days-advanced forecasts that are not from local government sources.

[Training Wheels]

Originally Posted by wingssail

Hi Thomas, We've lived aboard full time in Mexico since 2014, and previous to that for over a year as well before going longer distances cruising. We sail all year 'round, but less in summer due to the heat.

June through November are hurricane months in Mexico, more occur later in the season.

Sea of Cortez.
The places where I would feel relatively secure are Puerto Escondito and Mazatlán in the Sea of Cortez, or the ones in Cabo. Hurricanes can and do hit the sea every year including these places but most boats in the marinas or on the buoys in Pto. Escondito are OK. You can stay in other places but they are less sheltered and boats have been lost. Many boats stay in La Paz and San Carlos, but both locations have been hit hard in recent years. There is no safe latitude in the Sea of Cortez, hurricanes have gone all they way north to Puerto Penasco. If you are cruising in the Sea of Cortez in the summer you need to watch the weather and head to a hurricane hole if one threatens (there are some). You usually have a few days notice. We cruised all summer one year but we are usually back in La Cruz by July 1.

Mainland Mexico.
Banderas Bay has been hurricane free as long as records have been kept. The geography makes it hard for a hurricane to land there, but we have scares every year. I stay in La Cruz. Barra de Navidad has excellent protection and has recently weathered a direct hit with little damage to boats in the marina. Acapulco would be a problem due to the lack of available berths and the price in Club de Yates but it probably would be safe. Ixtapa is protected but has depth limitations. Farther south both Huatulco and Chiapas are generally safe from hurricanes. The hurricanes which form near there go away from the coast towards the north or north west. I spent a hurricane season in Chiapas and it was lovely.

Sailing Season:

You could sail in Mexico year 'round if you watch the weather and be prepared to move to one of the ports I mentioned when a hurricane forms. It is however, HOT, and the sailing south of Barra de Navidad is pretty dull. You will be motoring a lot. The best sailing is December to May.

What he said![emoji1360]