Where to Next?

Many friends have been asking this question. Well, we Mexico obviously, but when and exactly where we aren't sure. As many of you know, we aboard Reisender have trouble sticking to a schedule. "The plan" usually goes out the window (port) somewhere within a few days of making it. We do know that our first stop in Mexico will be Ensenada in Baja Norte. It's the first port we can check in and clear customs. It is also one of the most convenient as all 4 offices we need to check in are located in the same building as well as the Mexican version of Kinko's. Once checked in we will start watching the weather for opportunities to head further down the Baja coast. It will still be hurricane season and we can only go about 300 miles and still be out of the zone, but that's OK. "The Plan" is to just gunk down the coast (for my non-boating friends: gunking is the term for small day hops that lead from one anchorage to another in a relatively short time). There are many small anchorages to stop and explore along the way. Most are without internet and with watching the weather closely we'll need that. The first "major" all weather bay is Turtle Bay in English or Bahia San Bartolome in Spanish. It's not very big, about 3 miles across, but it has a small village, full, and internet. Friends who've stopped there before us all say they could have stayed a week. It's the perfect place to decompress from the fast passed lifestyle of the US and transition into the more sedate way most cruisers live. It's about 300 miles south of Ensenada at Longitude 114 53'W by Latitude 27 degrees 40 N.  I think I got that right.

It's weather watching time again, and once we have a clear trip we'll be gunking again down to Bahia Magdalena. It is again and excellent all weather anchorage. It can still get some of the weather from a hurricane, but mostly rain and wind. Mag Bay is about 260 miles from Turtle Bay with many small bays and coves in between. Then it's only 152 miles to Cabo San Lucas. Scott and I are still discussing weather we want to go in. You must realize that we will have just spent several weeks decompressing from the American pace, do we really want to jump right back in at Cabo? It's mostly a tourist area and we really aren't that interested in how the tourists live while on vacation. The reports of all night parties on the beach and music at any given time do not really sound appealing, but the next anchorage is only about 45 miles further on and if we aren't to tired that, as of now, will be our goal (see above about Reisender's crew and plans).

After Cabo, we are looking forward to La Paz. Everyone we've heard from on a boat says it is a cruiser's paradise. I hear it is convenient and they have most things we could need. The anchorage is good as long as the La Paz Waltz is allowed for (La Paz Waltz is when boats in the same anchorage swing in different directions due to current and wind. Sometimes the boats will gently "Kiss"). If we do have trouble there are a number of marina's and there is a lot within walking distance. It's a good location for us to recoup after our next 1000 miles or so.

From La Paz, we don't know exactly? We've got ideas, but there is an expression: a cruiser's plans are written in sand on the beach at low tide....