Located on Isla Carmen, Bahia Salinas is best known for its salt mining operation, which probably started in the 1600’s and ended in the 1980’s. There are several decaying buildings on the site (note the old panga on the right).
There is also some equipment left behind, including this forklift that has been turned into a planter.
And this truck (which is clearly newer than the 1990’s).
It is noteworthy that there are several newer building on the site that are well-kept-up and occupied by care keepers and some fishermen. This is their chapel.
Isla Carmen is also known for a site where the government has reintroduced bighorn sheep.
I’ll note the bay also has a 120′ tuna boat that is sunk in 35′ of water. I dove on the boat and was amazed how many fish I saw, more than I have ever seen in my 50 years of SCUBA diving.
I’ve been trying to catch a yellowfin tuna since I arrived in Mexico, and was finally successful today, while sailing near Isla Coronado. I cleaned it on the spot.
A few hours later, I arrived at Bahia Salinas and prepared a meal: pan seared tune in sesame oil with black sesame seeds. Fusion salad with rice, red onion, and cilantro. Served with say sauce and ginger.
It was served with a pseudo-Paloma (Penafiel and tequila).
On April 8, there will be a solar eclipse. There is an interactive map that you can use to view the path for total eclipse. The path follows open ocean south of Baja and intersects Mexico’s mainland around Mazatlan.
Many of my boating buddies are head to Mazatlan to view the eclipse, but it is likely to be a zoo there, so I have decided to pick a random point in the ocean to view the eclipse. I am currently naming my way down the east coast of Baja. When I make it the Puerto Los Cabos (23.0550o N, 109.6705o W), I am going to head for 22.1211 No N, 107.1240o W (about 150 miles). At that location, the following is expected:
After a near-perfect passage from San Carlos on February 29, Aegir-Ran has been in a slip in Santa Rosalia. On March 5th, I will start heading south. This is the plan for perhaps the next ten days (the waypoint in parentheses is from Breeding and Banister’s book “A Cruiser’s Guide to the Sea of Cortez“.
Santa Rosalia to Santo Domingo (BCS470), 38 Santa Domingo to San Juanico (BCS444), 47 San Juanico to Isla Coronados (BCS420), 20 Isla Coronados to Bahia Salinas (BCS404), 26 Bahia Salinas to Puerto Escondido (BCS351), 20 Puerto Escondido to San Marte (BCS277), 31 San Marte to Puerto Las Gatos (BCS251), 14 Puerto Las Gatos to San Everisto (BCS222), 29 San Everisto to Isla San Francisco (BCS201), 9 San Francisco to Playa Bonanza (BCS110), 29 Playa Bonanza to Ensenada de los Muertos (BCS030), 43 Ensenada de los Muertos to Bahia Los Frailes (BSC020), 46 Bahia Los Frailes to Puerto Los Cabos (BCS010), 28
March 7 – Caleta San Juanico: I anchored here about 5:30 last night. This photo was taken the next morning, the calm after the storm … it blew 30 knots most of the night.
We’re currently experiencing a strong El Niño that’s been creating some wild weather for the past few months. One of reasons I have been concerned is the first leg of my planned circumnavigation, across the South Pacific, may be impacted. The Humboldt Current off the west coast of South America can change direction, the Trade Winds become less reliable. and the ITCZ can shift during El Niño. However, it’s looking increasingly likely that the climate cycle will transition back over to a La Niña in the next six months. In any case, I am hedging my bets and will make my way to Costa Rica in December, where I will make a decision to head west to the Marquessa or South to Easter Island.
Sea-surface temperature anomalies are shown in the area of the eastern Pacific Ocean where a very strong El Niño is present on Wednesday, February 7, 2024. Darker oranges represent warmer than normal conditions while blues represent cooler than normal conditions. These ocean temperatures help determine the strength of El Niño. Source.
For the past three night, I have been waken at 3-4 AM by the sound of fish running into the hull. I went on deck and saw schools of small fish being chased by dolphins. The dolphins had learned to chase the fish into the boat to render them stunned. Last night one of the fish jumped into the dinghy so I could identify it.
The species is Longfin Halfbeak (Hemiramphus saltator), which is characterized by its red-colored beak.
I took a hike above Playa el Burro in Bahia de Concepcioñ. The bay is massive and includes many islands.
I am currently anchored off of Playa el Burro. Aegir-Ran is the furthest boat in this frame.
The hike was vigorous and although it is January, was nonetheless hot. The trail, if you want to call it that, initially follows a dry creek bed that is lined with ancient Amerindian petroglyphs.
On the last day of 2023, I crossed the Sea of Cortez from San Carlos to Santa Rosalia. Since then, I have made my way slowly to Bahia Concepcioñ, where I am currently anchored in front of Playa El Burro. This was my view this morning. Isla Coyote and Isla Guapa are in the background. My plan is to stay in Bahia Comcepcioñ until weather permits crossing back over to San Carlos. There have been week-long violent storms for since I have been here, sometimes with steady 20 knot winds and seas to 5′. Since I need to be back in the United States by the first of February, I will not procrastinate and instead take the next opportunity to cross. Right now, it looks like the 19th may be a good day.
Aegir-Ran was going to splash last Monday. After the trailer was in the water, I checked the seacocks and learned one of them was leaking, so it was back to the hard to replace it. After grinding off the through-hull, I found it was mounted with what looked like plummer’s putty. Furthermore, the backing plate had to be replaced as the caulking that had been used to mount it had decayed. A new backing plate was fabricated out of Starboard and it was mounted with carbosil. The hole in the hull was glassed over, a new hole was drilled, and the new through-hull was seated with 5200 caulking. As the seacock was an inlet for the head, a cover was mounted over the through-hull.
As I had to wait a couple of days for the caulking to cure, I provisioned the boat and had 85 gallons of water with a plan to splash (again) on Thursday. However, when the water was siphoned into the two tanks, I found both were leaking. This was the first time the tanks had been filled to capacity since they were fiberglassed last summer. The leaking stopped after about 25% of the water had drained from the forward tank and about 5% had drained from the aft tank. This indicated the holes were near the top of the tanks. The water was drained from the two tanks, the baffles were cut out, and the tanks were examined. Both tanks exhibited areas that were not properly finished.
The person who originally did the fiberglassing acknowledged the work was sub-standard and he will fix the tanks starting tomorrow. I should be able to splash later this week.
While it is disappointing to not be in the water, it is fortunate the problems were identified when they could be addressed, and not for example 2000 miles offshore.
