Voyage of s/v Cool Breez'n 2011-12: Puerto Escondido (Hidding Place) December 3rd

Puerto Escondido (inner harbor is on left)

We arrived at Puerto Escondido at 1:00 PM on December 3^rd and tied up to the dock. The wind had not started to blow yet. We had dinner at the marina restaurant: scallops and lobster fettuccini were the choice of the crew and no complaints were heard. We headed back to the boat and napped until 5:30 PM. Cindy and Alex woke up and went for a walk, returning with a fresh baked pizza. Craig slept until 7:00 PM. Alex enjoyed having access to the internet and connected with his friends in Woodinville, while Cindy and Craig read.

Inner Harbor at Puerto Escondido

Puerto Escondido, Spanish for “a hiding place”, was just what we were looking for… a place to hide from the coming norther. In the Sea of Cortez, when the winds blow from the north short choppy seas can develop in a few hours, with wave heights in excess of 8 to 10 feet. Experienced cruisers head for shelter, double up their mooring lines and batten down the hatches when a norther is forecast. It’s a time to relax and stay because northers can blow for days.

Las Ventanas (openings in the land surrounding the harbor are called the windows, north winds blow into the anchorage through these portals)

The next day we missed our opportunity to leave the dock and pickup a mooring ball before the winds began to blow. We were tied up to the dock with our port beam facing north. The north winds had caught us at leisure and now had us pinned hard to the dock. With every gust our boat was pushed against the dock and our fenders were squeezed between the hull and dock. We asked a Mexican fishing boat crewman who was operating a tender with a powerful motor if he would help us get away from the dock. He happily threw us a rope and pulled our bow into the wind as we turned to port and engaged our engine. With his help we were able to get away from the dock and motor into the wind toward the mooring buoys out in the middle of the bay. We looked for the mooring ball that we were assigned but when we found it I didn’t like the looks of it. I had to feel confident that a mooring would hold us safely during a blow or else I’d worry about it and not want to leave the boat unattended. So we searched around for a mooring ball that looked like it was in better shape. Cindy sometimes gets frustrated with me when I take time to find the right parking spot at the mall, you could easily imagine that it takes me longer still to find a mooring ball that I want to commit to for several days. After several turns around the bay and a few false starts we settled on a moorage that looked serviceable and tied up.

After securing the boat we rode the dinghy to shore to shower, eat and hang out in the restaurant. Cindy helped Alex work on his history studies while I looked over Alex’s 3^rd algebra test. After several hours we headed back to the boat. The dinghy ride back was straight into the wind and the waves in the bay threatened to swamp our little craft. By the time we got back to the boat we were all soaked. Next time out we remembered to take our foulies for the ride back to the boat. After changing into dry clothes, we watched two movies on the lap top computer: ‘Stepford Wives’ and ‘Charlie’s War’.

At 1:00 AM I woke up with a sudden case of Montezuma's Revenge …my body was revolting against something I forced it to eat and now it was exerting control. Luckily before we left home we thought to pack an orange Home Depot bucket on the boat. That bucket became my new best friend and for the next 24 hours I didn’t go anywhere without it. Not wanting to perish from dehydration I reached for the medical bag and hunted for the Arithromycin pills. The first 4 pills stayed down for about 2 minutes before I cast them into the orange bucket. I had better luck with the next four pills, I took them immediately after throwing up again. The pills stayed down this time and it wasn’t long before I was able to leave my orange bucket on deck and burrow myself under covers. Cindy assumed the role of nurse, tucking me in and bringing me tea and crackers while I rested in bed for the next 24 hours. During the night the wind howled, and Cindy reported the wind speed every time it gusted past 40 knots. We could only imagine how strong the wind was blowing outside of our protected harbor.

Central Plaza in Loreto

The next morning I was still weak from my bout with foreign bacteria and remained in bed while Cindy and Alex caught a taxi for Loreto. Loreto is a charming little city with a well preserved central plaza area fringed with many inviting restaurants, souvenir shops and historic buildings. We learned that it was the first capital of Baja California Sur until the seat of government was later moved to La Paz in 1830 after Loreto was partially destroyed by heavy rains. Cindy hoped to find presents for her co-workers in Loreto, while Alex wanted to see what cool stuff he could find to buy for himself with the his allowance that he had been saving: he was particularly interested in aviator sunglasses and pocket knives. Many hours later Cindy and Alex returned with shopping bags full of great finds and stories of their exploits in Loreto. I was feeling much better but was glad for the chance to regain my strength by sleeping the day away.

Catholic Church in Loreto

View of church from the central plaza

Tree canapy creates a shady street.

During the days that followed in Puerto Escondido that annoying bacteria that laid me low, struck first Cindy and then Alex, and this time it was my turn to play nurse. For a while it looked like I wouldn’t get to see Loreto, but happily the crew regained their health sooner than expected and all three of us were able to visit Loreto on our last day in port. I thoroughly enjoyed Loreto’s shady, tree lined streets, colorful shops, restaurants, and the historic look of new buildings that complements that of the older restored churches and government buildings in the central district.