{"id":1896,"date":"2022-08-30T21:16:24","date_gmt":"2022-08-31T03:16:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/syfrenchkissinglife.com\/?p=1896"},"modified":"2023-09-21T21:20:14","modified_gmt":"2023-09-22T03:20:14","slug":"la-paz-and-isla-espiritu-santo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/syfrenchkissinglife.com\/?p=1896","title":{"rendered":"La Paz and Isla Espiritu Santo"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Spent three days in La Paz. A good chunk of that was again in search of the permiso de parque nacional (national park permit) that you\u2019re supposed to have to visit any of the islands (tried to get one in Ensenada as well as Cabo). Finally found a place that could get it for us ($195) but of course we had to stay an extra day. All I can say is, \u201csomebody better ask me for it!\u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n


La Paz has an interesting entrance. Only about 100 yards wide (the first mile) and 8 miles long but very well marked. Quite shallow at less than 28 feet throughout with most of it less than 20 feet. We anchored right in front of the Navy base which was interesting because they still use bo\u2019sun whistle\u2018s \u2013 a lot! Got to walk pretty much everything in town, checked out chandleries and grocery stores and a couple of restaurants. Tried to visit the bar in the Hotel La Paz where my grandparents wrote in their ship’s log 42 years ago about having Bohemia beer. Unfortunately, the hotel is undergoing major renovations but we did have a Bohemia beer or three elsewhere. This time of year La Paz is pretty quiet as most of the boats at anchor are clearly unattended (and more than a few are completely derelict) and the marinas are full. Lots of large motor yachts and fishing charter boats. The malec\u00f3n is very nice and several miles long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


The ornate wall in the photo below is the last remnant of one of the first very successful businesses in La Paz, early 1900s. Visited the cathedral on Sunday, thought it rather plain. The world\u2018s only outdoor statue without bird poo \u2013 is a statue of a pigeon!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Once we picked up the national park passes we planned to top off the fuel as we probably won\u2019t be back in a marina for several weeks. I asked around and found out that only two of the four fuel docks are operating currently and you need reservations! Apparently the super yachts take hours to refuel and sometimes block the other pumps. First place we tried could not get us in until the following day but the second place could take us if we could be there in 45 minutes as that was the only appointment left. So we might have revved the RPMs a little higher than we ever have before but it all worked out, though not without some drama in tying up to the dock on the port side of the boat – something we\u2019ve never done before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We caught our first fish as we left La Paz! A Skipjack tuna which we thought was a bit too small to keep, so we set him free. Bella was not nearly as happy as we were about catching a fish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After leaving La Paz we went to Isla Esp\u00edritu Santo and anchored in Bahia San Gabriel for one night. A huge open bay to the southeast but protected from the prevailing north and east winds. You know the winds are a problem when they have names\u2026 This time of year the really dreaded wind is called a Chubasco. It\u2019s a routine monsoonal thunderstorm that forms over mainland Mexico and moves across the Sea of Cortez where the ridiculously warm water supercharges the storm so that when it hits Baja it can be 50 to 70 kn plus lightning and torrential rain. And because they form in the late afternoon over the mainland they get here between the wee hours and oh dark 30. Fortunately, we have not had one yet though we have been careful to stay sheltered from the north and east. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, there\u2019s another wind here that has a name – the Corumuel. And you guessed it, it always comes from the southeast and is unique just to the greater La Paz area. We\u2019ve now been hit with them twice and had very little sleep each time. Winds not much over 25 but of course last night we were exposed only to the southeast!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bahia San Gabriel had remnants of a pearl nursery that was established in 1910. After dark we had fabulous fish watching in our underwater lights. A few turtles and our very first Mobula rays! Moved to the next island north today and are spending the night in El Cardonal Bay. This one had remnants of an oyster kraal from the same era. And we\u2019ve already seen some enormous turtles. Made water and polished some stainless, something we need to do a little more frequently apparently. Had our first bee and hornet invasion this evening. Knew they can be a problem but first we\u2019ve seen. Have the mosquito net covering the companionway and all the screens are closed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Great fish watching last night and, in a twist, had dozens of pelicans around us gobbling the fish. Couple baby mobula rays. Had another Corumuel wind last night so not much sleep. Hopefully we are out of range of those going forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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