Loreto Fest report, May 5-6 (Sat/Sun)

By Lowell McCulley | May 7, 2007 | Category Baja 07

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Saturday up at 6:30 to run Steve to the dinghy dock catching his taxi to the Loreto airport. Sun’s just rising to the east of the anchorage. No sign of life on any of the boats as we ghost on glass water past SeaEsta (photo left) moored next to us with the moon falling in the west sky. Steve reflects on a good week of sailing as we motor in. Thanks, Steve for your help and company as we headed south. Next crew arrives Monday night.

9 AM Saturday, we arranged a ride to Loreto 15 miles north. We’re tagging along with Phoenix friends for a sightseeing excursion. Our driver Doug, who has wintered here for the past 20 years, gives us full fill of local knowledge. First stop, farmers market where we pickup produce and check out everything at what is more like a swap meet.

Restaurant 1697, just off the central plaza, was under construction last year. Looks to be a cool place open for happy hour and dinner. Hope to try it sometime soon.

Frankie got some quality shopping while I hit the I-cafe and took photos near the mission. Heading back to Pt. Escondido, we stopped at the Loreto Bay resort heavily advertise in Phoenix. This is a condo project that stopped some years ago and has restarted over the past couple of years. Looks like a few sections have been delivered and lots about ready to be delivered. Nothing to the scale of in Puerto Penasco.

Saturday evening Loreto fest usually has culture Mexican dancers to start off the evening. For some reason they will miss this year giving us a reason to have happy hour on SeaEsta. 13 people on the 1160 catamaran and we lost Frankie somewhere on board. On to the Fest for the Spaghitte dinner and music. My lucky night wining 700 pesos in the 50/50 drawing. That will pay our mooring fees and my bar bill to the pirate to the left.

Today (Sunday) weather continues to be perfect. Our last festival activity will be the pancake breakfast where we say goodbye to our sailing friends that will be heading out to sea today. It’s amazing the attendance was less this year but it seems like we meet many more people than in past years. Paul & Tina from San Carlos based Sea Quill stop by to share plans on their north bound sail home. Gery, beach bum extraordinare, weatherman and poet, has his dume-buggie loaded for the drive home to Bahia Conception. Hidden Port Yacht Club has done another fantastic job.. Thank you..

Another great Loreto Fest behind us and it’s time to start thinking about heading out on our next leg of the journey. Our friend Kurt arrives today on SeaEsta with John and Patsy. He sells Seawind IMG 4918a catamarans and is stopping by to see if we are ready to move up to the new model 1160.. We all will sail up to Loreto tomorrow to pick up Gato Loco co-owners Bill Hensler, Rick Quant and Rick’s friend Marina. Frankie will fly out on Tuesday morning and we will sail back to Carmen’s north shore with SeaEsta for a Tuesday night anchor. NORTH bound tomorrow, time flies…