Leg 7, Isla Coronados & San Juanico

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By Lowell | June 6, 2011 | Category Baja 2011

 

Having a car makes provisioning much easier. Dave, Kelley & Randy rented a car for $60/day and visited the area including Puerto Escondido. As we sailed north they were setting having lunch at Augies Bar & Bait Shop on the malecon. As we set the anchor just south of the breakwater marina they hopped in their car and joined us. A trip to El Pescadores for food and a couple of trips to deliver Frankie and the Rangel’s to La Damiona and we’re for for Isla Coronados. BTW: returning the car 2 hours late and no extra charge. Nice!

 

 

 

We’re anchored at Isla Coronados by 6 with time to swim and fish.. More bees in the anchorage this time but they’re not bothering us. Dave’s 1st catch a little puffer. Kelley enjoys the anchorage turquoise water. Only 4 other boats in the anchorage.

 

Monday morning and we’re off to check out the north shore of Coronados hoping to catch some fish (I’ve not been there..). Here’s a clear view of the Rabbit & Mouse formation we always see at a distance.

Not long and Dave has two fish which unfortunately we released and didn’t catch any more before heading north to San Juanico. The north shore is definitely worth visiting with lots of volcanic rock structures with erosion.

 

 

 

I guess mother nature wants to introduce my crews to big winds on their first day.. Heading to San Juanico started out as a nice sail with 15kts on our nose but manageable. Before long winds piped up to 20+ and going to weather started getting wet. I mean that literally as I (yes the Capitan) didn’t have my hatch latched down which makes for a very wet bed. Anyway, we survived a bumpy slog into San Juanico where we find 14 other boats hiding from the wind. I’m surprised to find one of the best anchor locations is open. Cool..

The overworked crew resting in San Juanico.

Some of the boats in our anchorage. Gato Loco is on the left.

 

Time to put together our offering to the cruiser tree to guarantee safe passage north. We enlisted Dave to put a craze cat on our stone. It’s hanging high on the east side of the tree and we will look for it next year. We saw our Leg 1  offering but didn’t see any other 2011 offerings. Did spot Leg 5 from last year with Bill, Lisa, CJ, Owen & Shirley  on it.

There’s about anything you can think of hanging, stuck in, laying under and carved on. 1981 is the oldest I saw.

 

 

 

 

Another big hook-up while at anchorage. A sports fishing boat in the anchorage announced that they had dorado for anybody that wanted it.  I quickly went over and caught 4 huge fillets which Kelley prepared and Dave cooked it to perfection.

Winds are calm as the sunsets. Our solar light is drawing small fish to the steer making swirls of phosphoresnis?   glowing in the water. Dave can’t resist putting a line in the water and catches this big one.

This is the same Dave Adams that won the Cholla Bay fishing tournament last weekend with these two big groupers. The biggest of his catch was 85 lbs.

So far Leg 5’s 35lb yellow tail has the 2011 record and it looks to hold the record this year and  the biggest ever landed on Gato Loco.

All is well on Gato Loco

Until the next update..

 

BTW: We’re sending this update from San Bebastian cove 30 miles south of Mulege. More on that later.