Mazatlan to Candeleros Chico

April 5 – 28, 2024

We competed the trip from Chacala to Mazatlan in just under 26 hours. The winds were light so we ended up motor sailing most of the way. Leaving Chacala we encountered many fishing long lines that we were able to easily glide over thanks to the design of the Island Packet hull. Arriving in the busy city of Mazatlan, we dodged the heavy shipping traffic, entered the narrow channel and got to our slip in Marina Mazatlan. We took time to see the city, hike to the El Faro lighthouse, and re-provision with supplies. But the real reason to be here was the total solar eclipse on April 8th. Mazatlan was directly in the path of the eclipse and we had over four minutes where the sun was entirely blocked out by the moon. As the light dimmed to a late dusk intensity, the temperature dropped and we took it all in.

Leaving Mazatlan after the eclipse we crossed the Sea of Cortez back to the Baja peninsula, arriving in the anchorage of Bahia de los Muertos. We did this same trip last year with near perfect winds and calm seas. Not so this year as we experienced strong winds coming from the direction we were headed, uncomfortable seas, and a broken fitting on the rigging that holds our mast up which required us to motor the entire way. We also encountered aggressive fisherman who made it clear they weren’t happy with us near their fishing nets. In the middle of the night we had to divert around the research vessel Atlantis that was recovering its submersible from the sea floor. Finally, after about 28 hours, we arrived in Los Muertos and enjoyed the peaceful anchorage, pristine beaches, and good restaurants. As we were very low on fuel after unexpectedly having to motor the whole way, we went in search of fuel. We met Benjamin and his family on the beach where they were camping. He was a great guy and offered to drive us to town (about 20 min) to get fuel. It was great talking to him and his family and so nice to meet such wonderful people. Finally fueled up, we headed up to Isla Espiritu Santo for a few days where we explored the area surrounding Caleta Partida including the nearby sea caves with the crews of Starr E and One World.

Our next stop was La Paz where we filled up our fuel tanks and picked up the parts we needed to repair our rigging. Thanks to Tom and Theresa on Rio Salado for getting us the parts and Gordon on Starr E for helping me install them. All in all a happy ending to a frustrating situation. After stocking up on some more supplies, we left La Paz for Isla San Francisco. This anchorage is truly amazing and a great stop for swimming and hiking.

After Isla San Francisco we headed to Los Gatos anchorage which is known for its unique red rock formations. It got its name from a puma that reportedly used to live in the hills surrounding the anchorage. From there we were on to Agua Verde and San Marte anchorages where we enjoyed the crystal clear waters and good hiking with friends on Tino Pai, Rio Salado, Solitude, and Stray Cat. We also sadly parted ways with Starr E and One World who had to head north to haul out their boats for the summer. We look forward to seeing them again next season.

Then we were off to the secluded anchorage of Candeleros Chico which is a small anchorage with room for two boats. We had never been able to get in to this anchorage in the past but lucked out this time. We spent a few days enjoying this secluded paradise with our friend on Tino Pai.

April was a crazy month with great experiences and even greater friends. We can’t wait to see what May has in store.