Gonzaga Area Fun

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By Lowell McCulley | May 19, 2015 | Category Baja 2015

May 18 Monday

Wind forecasts for Sunday night changed our plans for anchoring in Puertecitos. Strong winds and new moon with max tide is not a good formula for that anchorage so we did the 75nm passage San Felipe to Willard Bay making a very long day. South of San Felipe we found low tide shoals extending miles off shore forcing us to head further off shore.

 

 

 

Light winds in the morning make for confortable foredeck  lounging. Afternoon turned much rougher with stronger winds and of coarse right on our nose making it a very long afternoon. We finally had to pull sails down and power into the wind the last 5 miles to make it into Willard Bay with just enough light after sunset to get a good anchoring spot in the north channel of the bay. Soon after anchoring, the forecasted west winds arrived, as we set peacefully on our solid hook and had another awesome dinner. Willard Bay is just north of Bahia Gonzaga and is one of the best anchorages in the northern Sea reassuring the crew that we would have a peaceful night even with the 30kt winds. Below: a pano of our anchorage with the village on the left and the entrance on the right. We’re anchored in 7’ of water at low tide.

Going ashore in Willard turned out to be very interesting. Papa Fernanda’s is the legend here. His restaurant is still up and running serving good food. Photos in the restaurant cover the long history. Left you see Papa in a pencil drawing and him with John Wayne in 1972. Lynnie couldn’t resist a photo with John.

We meet some local Americans at the restaurant that gave us lots to info. Turns out they have attended Loreto Fest many times and have many experience on the Sea of Cortez as we have only with power boats. Very nice folks. I had to get a picture of the classic old truck for Mike. They have quit the collection in their vehicle bone yard.

Lots of interesting homes on the beach.

The plan today is to go play on Isla San Louis & Pomo. 11 AM and the west winds are still hooting as we head out of the bay making a nice sail only ride back north to the islands. Photo below is the east shore of San Louis with very interesting landscape of soft and ridged layers. The north  side is total volcanic.

We went right for my favorite anchorage on Pomo for lunch. I call this the most spiritual anchorage and you can see why from these photos. Our attempts to dinghy south to the sea cave were aborted with swells a little bigger than we could manage. Instead we Lynnie collected pumas rocks floating in the tidal drifts in the anchorage.

The volcanic pool waterfall was not running as the tide is so high today that the pool is totally flooded.

Heading to tonight’s home winds have switched to the east allowing a sail south heading to Gonzaga to anchor in front Alfonsia’s.

 

South of San Louis we picked up 3 fin whales and rays working a fish boil. Winds suddenly went flat and 25 knot winds hit us from the west out of Willard Bay and BOOM the foot blew out on the main sail creating quite a cluster.. Lucky for us the first reef lines held the mail from flailing out of control. We should be able to continue with the first reef and there is probably a McGuiver repair that can be made.

Alfonsina’s for dinner was a perfect stop. Dinner was great and our friends we meet at Papa Fernanda’s joined us for dinner. The motel has some other guest so the restaurant got busy after we arrived and we could here lots of activity as we retired for the night… The night looks to be light winds making for a comfortable night at anchor.

Until the next update.