Sea of Cortez Summers

[SeaAngel831]

We were planning to stay in the Sea of Cortez for the warm summer months, probably in and around San Carlos. We have read that San Carlos is beautiful in the summer with lots to do around the water to keep cool. Other reports say it is WAY too hot to be there unless you enjoy "extreme sports" so better head for cooler temps. Does anyone have any personal experience with staying for the summer? How did you keep cool? Is it a lonely existence since most people have left? Are we crazy to be even thinking about this!!!??? Thanks in advance.

[markpierce]

It was quite warm in the Gulf of California (so-called Sea of Cortez) as in La Paz and Loreto last month. Can't imagine spending time there in the summer.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, SeaAngel.

[SV THIRD DAY]

We spent 4 summers in the Sea of Cortez and San Carlos is the hottest spot.
Its not hotter than say the Bay of Los Angeles area...but the mainland side has humidity from hell that makes it feel a lot hoter. I would highly recommend the Baja side with more of a dry oven heat!

[zeehag]

if you love desert life, you will love the desert wherein lies san carlos.
i do not do desert.
mazatlan, some few hundred miles southof san carlos was only 110 f in summer. was most oppressive heat.
i cannot fathom the heat of san carlos--is much akin to phoenix.
not for me.
i summer in cooler temps and similar humidity along the costalegre, aka, southwest coast, where comprehensive ins is not allowing folks to summer,aqs storms form here.
it is 20 some degrees COOLER here.
love tropics.
allergic to desert.
many summer in guaymas and san carlos.
i am tempted to go only because price of haul is CHEAP there...BUT.....(if i can get my work done elsewhere, reasonably, i will)


buy air conditioner.

[montenido]

Hi, I was in the La Paz area in June and July last summer. June was warm, but the water was great and we had some wind. When I returned in July for two weeks, it was miserable. 24-hour body sweat for the entire time. Temps daily over 100, water was 89 degrees, almost impossible to cool off, with little to no breezes. It was probably more bearable further north. The mosquitoes were relentless at anchor.

Based on this experience, I am heading back to SoCal for the summer, to return after hurricane season. I don't want to discourage you from giving it a try, but I was miserable. Of course, YMMV

Cheers, Bill

[vivabob]

I have been in the Sea of Cortez three or four of the last fifteen summers. If you spend the summer in the Sea, you'll want to do it someplace in the north where hurricanes don't come. Your choices are Bahia Los Angeles on the Baja side (which is much less humid, hence more comfortable) or San Carlos on the mainland where it feels much hotter. You'll likely get some 100 degree days in either place. San Carlos is a fairly large town, all Ex Pats, with lots of bars and restaurants, and effectively is a suburb of Guaymas, a major Mexican city that has all the resources you'll need. BLA is a small town, a village really, with few resources. Another consideration for getting parts or needing a major airport is that BLA is at least ten hours by road from the USA; San Carlos is five. San Carlos/Guaymas is the only choice if you need a marina. Personally I prefer the BLA area - much more sea life, no humidity, etc.

[Hoodsail]

Spent 1 wk during the summer in Bahia de los angeles, camping - a few hundred yds from the bay, back when I was in college (so a quite a few yrs ago). Extremely hot w/ intense sun. inside boat will be very much like inside a tent - not much respite from the heat...the water is quite warm too, so our attempts to cool down, weren't too successful. Paid a local fisherman to take us out to island in the Sea, which was very pretty...oh, we were the only ones camping by the way and saw no signs of any boats for the entire wk.. small fishing village w/ tiny market for essentials after all our ice melted...bring hats, make sure your boat has at least a bimini, and don't forget your sunscreen...no bugs as I recall so that's a plus...good luck Dave

[BeaMewesed]

We hauled in Guaymas (cheap and deep) last summer and will do so again. We ask, and hear the northern Sea water is too hot to refresh. Previous comments refer to the difficulties. This year we hope to futz arounf Bahia Los Angeles etc. and get out August and September.

[SV THIRD DAY]

It's about 100 miles from the Refugio anchorage in the Northern BLA to Puerto Penasco (Rockey Point). You can plug into a marina, make a quick hop back to the states or enjoy the Mega and Super Ley shopping and restocking. After the Yellow store in BLA....it's nice to see all that fresh food.

But we were able to cool off fine in the BLA area...sure it was hot, but it's ever hotter in a Marina in La Paz.

[SeaAngel831]

Hey Rich. Thanks for your reply. My husband, Don Diel, put one of your watermakers and refrigeration units in our boat. They actually work!! TeeHeeHeeHee. He told me to say that :-)

[SeaAngel831]

Thanks for your post. Great info.

[SV THIRD DAY]

There are about 30-40 cruisers that make the BLA run each year and some stop off in the other various cruiser haunts along the way North. So you won't be cramped in anchorages or having people anchor on top of you like you will during the prime season. We spent 3 summers in the BLA area and one in La Paz and without a doubt, the summer we spent in La Paz out at anchor was the hottest. That was our 4th summer and quite honestly, we were accustomed to the heat and were better prepared mentally and physically for it, so we did fine and I would trade a summer in hot Mexico for my cold and foggy summers here in Morro Bay any Day!!! (damn kids anyway...making us come back to the States so they could go to "normal high school")

Over the years we have met people who loved the summers in the SOC and we have also met cruisers that said they survived until June and then had to put their boat in a marina and get the hell out before they died! Cruisers that didn't regularly spend a lot of time in the water suffered more than those that made swimming and snorkeling part of the daily routine. We literally lived in the water and when we look back at our time in Mexico, our many of our best memories and cruising experiences were the summers we spent in the Northern Sea. I would do it again in a heart beat.

It's also a bit of where you are. We spent a lot of time out at Sweet Pea Cove on Isla San Marcos just a hop away from Santa Rosilia and loved it. We would head into Santa Rosilia for more lard filled tortillas and see the cruisers sweltering to death in the Marina's there while we were quite comfortable out at anchor just off shore. So we were 15 miles apart but having a vastly different experience.

Of course with your great water maker you will have plenty of water for fresh water rinse downs. I was known for taking 3 or more showers a day in the heat. Then with your great refrigeration unit you will have plenty of cold beer...ha ha ha

[gwbuild]

First post...!
We live in San Carlos 7-8 months of the year. Summer does get hot, humid. Aug and Sept tend to be the most hot/humid months. The cure during daylight is to jump in the ocean and catch some relief in the 85* water.

You won't be "alone" these days. San Carlos may be full of Norteños in the Winter, but Summer is when it comes alive for the Mexicans. Depending on your anchorage, you might have some nice quiet nights. Park in front of Salsa Bar on Algodones beach, you'll be listening to BOOM BOOM until 2-3am half the nights of the week.

Its a magic place though. If you have any questions about San Carlos, feel free to fire away. We've been down there since 2005.

PS. My weather station, located at my house at Marina Real...
http://www.weatherlink.com/user/gwbuild/

[SeaAngel831]

Thank you gwbuild for your reply. It sounds like you must enjoy it quite a bit. Do you leave for August and September or stay put? How did the hurricanes so far this season affect the area, cruisers, etc? What do you like to do in the summer?
Thanks for your time.