1912 EAST CAPE: A taste about the sea of Cortez

Alcyone is downwind from CANADA, but things ll change now as we have to sail back north and the  sea of Cortez is dominated in winter by ...northern. 
There is not many choices if we don't want to use an overnight sailing to reach a protected anchorage from LOS CABOS and with an early start the first landfall is "LOS FRAILES" , 50+ miles away with a good chance to tack for the last 15 miles. We ll approach LA PAZ with another classical anchorage ENSENADA DE LOS MUERTOS and one third stage a bit more out of the beaten path during N wind: The Sandspit west of CERRALVO ISLAND.

LOS FRAILES is the  gate of the sea of Cortez: "Cactus Sun n Clearwater", that what we expect here !

Folowing this local guy, the 4 next pictures are a panoramic from S to W

This  safe anchorage is pretty busy:  anybody wait for the right conditions to sail to mexican mainland or LA PAZ...

LOS FRAILES offer also a lot of space for locals visiting  from the land...

...A bit of exercise to climb this small hill among the agressive bush but the result is rewarding...

with a view on Sierra LA TRINIDAD on the west side.

down to the sea level again, on the shore of the drying rio, 

This is what you can find, but back to sailing, other creatures wait for us

To reach this second stage ENSENADA DE LOS MUERTOS choice is often tacking in a northern...or motorsailing. 

Not glorious...As 35 years ago, easiest shots of these guys are done in local garbage dumps...

North of Ensenada of los Muertos are 24h/24h guarded private properties...

More that 150 solar panels (= around 40 000 watts ! we live with Helena- including the watermaker with 800 watts.)

We have a christmas celebration with Kate and Ed...new cruisers but...

...around 30 years ago, Ed spent 83 days to join USA and Hawai , alone...on a kayak  !

East cape skies...

...sometimes not as clear as we imagine 

3rd n last stop of ALCYONE before LA PAZ: CERRALVO island sandspit,  a bit limit by northern about confort...

The North windward side of the sandspit is like an open air waiting room...

...for families of local scavengers..

Imagine such a fantastic soaring bird with another head !

Pure wood natural (?) carving

The leeward side is also exposed to the fierce north wind and this create strange geologic formations...

...kind of "Cheminee de fee"at a very small scale as this is a few cm high !

These flowers love this living cactus...

This strange local guy love dead cactus...

a pity that an investor closed all the area with a fence...with numerous adds

hoping that an hotel buy this land, but...we are in a pure desert...

...water is more than scarce and we can hope this beautiful place will remain open for pangas n cruisers  for long !

1912 BAJA SOUTH PACIFIC COAST: Magic Magda

Less than 20 miles separate SANTA MARIA from the entrance of the MAGDALENA laguna...Or first anchorage is not far, befhind the PUNTA ENTRADA....Rocky botom n tidal stream but a wonderfl view of the laguna especially after a hike onshore.

  We ll not move our cat to PUERTO SAN CARLOS, to far too much motor n our fuel tanks are still full, but make a short day stop to PUERTO MAGDALENA: too many flies, the village show nothing  special and  the only restaurant is closed; as soon as the thermic start, we sail to the south, pass at dawn with 2k of positive current the canal of GAVIOTA n anchor in ALCATRAZ for a few hours. Next morning, ALCYONE stop in the middle of BAHIA ALMEJA for a long dinghy trip in the north mangrove channel to the intriguing sand hill.

  We get the time with help of Yanmar to anchor 3 miles of punta Redonda, the south side of the laguna entrance, not far from a fish farm. 

  The beach here is very remote and shows at the same places lot of bone (Turtles, Dolphin, Sea lions)  and... empty cartridges...
  We did nt resist to have a look to the south opening of the laguna, the canal of REHUSA; a nice and wild spot that few cruisers visit but the local pangas cross on a daily base. 

Then an overnight sail push ALCYONE to CABO SAN LUCAS...an ultimate contrast !

  

The entrance of laguna Magdalena is only a few miles away...

ALCYONE can anchor in  noticable tidal stream east of Punta Entrada

This give the first opportunity to walk on shore... 

As usual, the desert emphase his smallest details...

Full moon tonight...ALCYONE is alone in this majestic landscape and our feeling to be free is total !

We had to motor to anchor in MAN OF WAR,  a deceptive stop...

Yes, but this opportunistic place is closed, even with 6 boats in front...

We left same day with the thermic n decide to anchor in the south...

...in the middle of Baja Al MEIJA,...ALCATRAZ wake up in the fog...

...our "anchorage"almost 2 miles from any shore in a depth of 30 feet...

...the sunrise was magic with the last fog we ll see this 2019 year... 

We love pelicans:  the way they flap noiseless the wings a dozen times before soaring together as perfect teams...

We leave ALCYONE early this morning for a very long dinghy ride...

...to explore the inlet between ESTERO SALINA and isla MANGROVE

vigilencia ?

The tide give us 3 hours minimum; enough to reach the top, 8 miles in the NW...

...to these majestic sand hills...visible from very far they operate as magnet with us

Numerous paws on the sand,  but not from human so far...

...Noisy howling when we approach the sand hill, probably a coyotes family...

Let's have a look...

...Behind the sand, the south part of MAGDALENA laguna.

 How this mushroom can leave here ?

Probably a member of the local coyote family...

So simple so perfect...nature drawing as anywhere in the world...

...n a bit more up comes the reward with this spendid north view of the North side of MAGDALENA

Why this circle ?

All the paws converge to a bush at the inside base of the sand hill...

But the tide is  down n Helena must pick me up after a refill of the main gas tank...out of the range of the no see ums..

Still time to explore mangrove channels of the tortuga lagoon...

with unexpected encounters...

...but human presence is not far from here... in laguna ALCRAN...

Adaptation is on the move onshore...

...as offshore as this boat carry a lot of birds...

Tidal stream near ALCATRAZ is more than 2k

Last anchorage in laguna, closed to the fish farm 

Last walk onshore...with following strange discovery on the gravel beach...

 
 

ALCYONE sail out of the MAGDALENA now, but we want to have a look to the supposed locked south entrance...

No swell today outside the laguna ..luckily !

Hello !

PUNTA TOSCA , we have to stop here...

With this weather easy to anchor ...

welcome show for the dinghy,  in the water with sea lions...

n  in the air with the kings of soaring...

...including the first colony of fregate birds.

Nobody anymore in this place, with a 360 degres view... 

...From NW to E through S,  here is one of the best in the world for whale watching, but you must store water n food !

NE view is on the canal of REHUSA, south access to MAGDALENA LAGUNA...

We see a panga in the channel: With little swell n  around high tide, it seems any shallow draft vessel can do the same

A paradox of MEXICO with often a much better respect for god than nature 

Time to leave and to make n overnight sail south to CABO SAN LUCAS...another world !

CABO was a fishing village...a long time ago...

...Noisy traffic jam around the famous arch...

2 mega cruise ships at anchor today...

...All inclusive resort in a raw in front of our anchorage...

...frenetic activity in harbour where nobody say "hello"... 

Fortunatly if you want to stay around CABO, you have a super choice of medicine !

16 december...tomorrow we leave, CABO SAN LUCAS is not our cup of tea, and the sea of CORTEZ wait for us !