Loreto Fest, May 4th (Fri)

By Lowell McCulley | May 5, 2007 | Category Baja 07

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Cruisin to Loreto Fest

Our arrival to Loreto Fest 4 PM yesterday was in light air and warm temps. We motored the east coast of Carmen checking out anchorages for future reference then crossed north of Isla Danzante into Puerto Escondido. The 07 Loreto Fest attendance is notably smaller (75 boats). The Hiden Port Yacht Club commodor indicated that the new facilities and increased prices to moor your boat in the Escondido bay is the main reason. Today, doing our check-in, the harbor master told us he tried hard to get prices reduced to but changes must go through Mexico City and I’m sure nothing can be done quickly. Current rate is 5 pesos(45c)ft/day. Gato Loco is 33 so about $17 per/day with tax. This is more than full time cruisers are willing to pay. The harbor master was trying get rates down to 3 pesos and is now offering deals: pay 4 day, get 7 and pay 14 day, get 30. With these rates us part time cruiser are very well represented, many down from San Carlos.

^^Moon rise over Puerta Escondido fleet… After mooring yesterday we joined activities straight away. Pot-luck dinner, cash bar and catch up with old friends. Our Seawind owner friends John and Pasty on their 1130 seawind Seaesta have been here 10 days and have been enjoying the pre-festival activities.

Today, after going to the dock swap-meet, we fueled up and filled water tanks to get our departure duties out of the way before we got caught up in the Loreto Fest activities. The new facilities are excellent with a friendly staff. Hopefully they find enough customers to stay in business.
<< dock with moorings in background.

Evening activities started with a chili cook-off and everybody bring deserts. Frankie and I volunteered to sell tickets for drinks and dinner. Our business was brisk meeting some interesting crews.

Entertainment this year was better with a great harmonica player that our friend Tom could have learned a few new licks from. Steve leaves tomorrow giving us an occasion to do a little extra calibration in honor of his departure. We all commented on our way to dinghy dock what a bargin all those drinks we had were thru the evening. His taxi arrives at 7 AM tomorrow and need to be up at 6:30. Could be painful !!

Interesting note. There’s a huge mega-yacht setting on the commercial dock. It’s registered to the Camen Islands and rumored to be owned by the owner of Telcel who’s on board. The building where the festival is held has been trying to get a phone for 2 years and apparently a phone call was made yesterday and two phones have been installed. Steve also commented that he expects friends Mark and Julie to entertain him on a boat like this when he visits them in the near future in the Camens.

I’m sending this update after riding in the back of a camper truck to Loreto. There 9 of us hitching a ride. Frankie has her shopping buddies and should be very happy. Will slip in some photos from the trip into the next Update…