good marina/anchorages between La Paz and Loreto?

[Captain Curran]

Hello cruisers,
My girlfriend and I are planning on taking our 1976 Newport 30 sailboat down to Baja Sur this December. I'll be leaving from San Diego and the plan is to get down to La Paz and leave the boat there for a few months. For the following year, we will be finding time in between working in San Diego, where we can drive down to Baja and jump on the boat to do some island hopping between La Paz and Loreto. I will most likely sell the boat for cheap down in Baja, once we are done with this adventure.
Does anyone have any suggestions on affordable marinas around the La Paz and Loreto area? I realize affordable is not the right word when discussing marinas around La Paz... We are also open to anchorages, as long as they are relatively secure. I have heard that Puerto Escondido in Baja Sur is a well protected area in the summer. Does anyone have experience with anchoring or marinas near Puerto Escondido.

If we leave the boat long term, we've heard a good option is to dry dock in Guaymas/San Carlos...

Thanks!

[goat]

Originally Posted by Captain Curran

Hello cruisers,
My girlfriend and I are planning on taking our 1976 Newport 30 sailboat down to Baja Sur this December. I'll be leaving from San Diego and the plan is to get down to La Paz and leave the boat there for a few months. For the following year, we will be finding time in between working in San Diego, where we can drive down to Baja and jump on the boat to do some island hopping between La Paz and Loreto. I will most likely sell the boat for cheap down in Baja, once we are done with this adventure.
Does anyone have any suggestions on affordable marinas around the La Paz and Loreto area? I realize affordable is not the right word when discussing marinas around La Paz... We are also open to anchorages, as long as they are relatively secure. I have heard that Puerto Escondido in Baja Sur is a well protected area in the summer. Does anyone have experience with anchoring or marinas near Puerto Escondido.

If we leave the boat long term, we've heard a good option is to dry dock in Guaymas/San Carlos...

Thanks!

Hello Captain Curran,
There are literally thousands of anchorages between La Paz and Loreto. Great if you are on the boat but if you are looking for places to leave your boat while you travel back to San Diego, you have less choices. In order of preference;

1) Marinas in La Paz, expensive but secure and easy access.

Costa Baja is nice with desalinated water available at the slips and least affected by weather, lots of bottom growth though. Long ride to town.

Marina Palmira is closer to town, also nice, close to Molinitos <--- my favourite restaurant. I couldn't reserve a slip at Marina La Paz as it was booked.

2) Mooring balls at Puerto Escondido, less expensive but quite secure and safe in weather. A bit of a pain getting to the bus depot or airport or even shopping in Loreto. Also you have to plan to get to the dock when you're leaving, yet still keep your dinghy on the boat. There is a VHF net in the morning and you can probably catch a ride if you ask, or else you could probably get a ride in if you ask at the marina. I kayaked my stuff to the dock, kayaked back, put the yak in the cabin and swam the half mile back to shore when I left the boat this June. There is a marina and haul out/dry dock facility at Escondido, the marina's prices are ridiculous but haul out/storage is just a bit more than San Carlos.

3) Anchoring off of La Paz; cheap as borscht, security consists of other cruisers watching your boat. Open to weather. One guy had his portabote stolen from shore. Mexicans generally have no use for our dinky little boats and motors so I'd guess it was a fellow cruiser.

As for San Carlos, I just got here yesterday afternoon so I don't have a lot of experience.

Another option is to keep exploring north from Loreto, you can leave your boat at the marina in Santa Rosalia; nice town, nice marina, not safe in a hurricane (some cruisers I met had to fight to save the dock when a large cat tried to break loose when TS Lydia came through, we were fine anchored in Puerto Don Juan during Lydia) then work your way up over the rest of the summer until you are at San Felipe. You'll be out of the hurricane belt for most of the way up the Baja and you could throw a dead cat from San Felipe and hit San Diego. You'll be all set for the cruising season north winds to run back down the Baja or the mainland.

Get a couple cruising guides for Baja, they're worth the money. I use the 'Mexico Boating Guide' written by the Rains'.

Best of luck,

goat

[Captain Curran]

Goat,

Wow, that is just what I was looking for... phenomenal information. I think I will leave the boat in La Paz area for a bit, but the mooring ball in Puerto Escondido sounds perfect...

Kevin

[zeehag]

you need a current copy of charlies charts., that guide book has it all.

[Captain Curran]

I hear ya Zeehag. I do have a recent copy of Charlies Charts. I figured I would throw this out to the group here as well, to get some local flavor from a few folks who have been through this area recently..

[zeehag]

there are so many anchorages and so many cool cruisers who will share with you where is their favorite one and there is so much area to cover you will be up there forever. it is gorgeous desert to water.
each place is favorite for some folks.
i did it by camper years ago.

[SV THIRD DAY]

The best cruising guide book for the area is The Sea Of Cortez a Cruisers Guidebooks

Blue Latitude Press - The most up-to-date and accurate Mexico Cruising Guides!