On July 6, 2022, Kosmos set off on a Sea of Cortez adventure! We stopped in Ensenada to check into Mexico. From there, we did an 828 nautical mile (nm), 5-day non-stop passage to the La Paz area. We spent almost 8-months in the Sea of Cortez. We broke up the trip back to Ensenada into three legs, each 2 days.
People usually ask us the same questions in the same order, so we’ll answer them in order:
Q: What was the scariest thing that happened? A: We were in a hurricane (though it was downgraded to a tropical storm as it was literally over us).
Q: What was the roughest passage? A: Bahia Tortuga to Ensenada, though Magdalena Bay to Bahia Tortuga was a close second. In the Sea of Cortez, we usually had mild sea conditions.
Q: What was the best thing you did? A: Christi and Eric said it was petting a whale. Keith didn’t agree. Keith’s favorite activity was being pulled on the hot dog, though being pulled on a tube was a close second.
At this point, most people lose interest. Here is more information for those who are still interested:
More Statistics:
From San Diego to San Diego, we did 3,115 nautical miles, ran the engine 542.5 hours and the generator 693 hours. In October, Kosmos rolled up to 40,000 nautical miles!
Our northernmost point in the Sea of Cortez was Puerto Refugio, located on the Isla Angel de la Guarda.
We visited 30 different anchorages (see list below; we visited several anchorages more than once). We spent a total of 128 nights at anchor.
We visited four marinas: Puerto Escondido, Santa Rosalia, Costa Baja in La Paz, and Marina Coral in Ensenada. Kosmos spent a total of 90 nights in a marina (though we had flown to San Diego for three of those weeks, so we were only onboard 70 of those nights).
We spent 14 nights at sea on passages, mostly coming and going to the Sea of Cortez. Once in the sea it was mostly day trips since to the destinations.
Highlights:
Favorite city/town: Santa Rosalia, which we visited twice. Keith agreed.
Favorite anchorage: We had three: 1. V Cove on Isla Carmen (near Loreto) 2. Ensenada del Candelero on Isla Espiritu Santo (near La Paz). We visited Ensenada del Candelero three times. Second time, third time. 3. Puerto Don Juan near Bahia de Los Angeles. We also visited Puerto Don Juan three times. Second time, third time.
Funnest ride: Eric and Christi say the float at La Gringa in Bahia de Los Angeles because it was a mellow and super cool natural phenomenon. Keith says the La Gringa float was boring; his favorite was being pulled on the hot dog.
Fun Cultural Events: Dia de Los Muertos and Carnival
Rarest sea species seen: A whale shark. More video/photos of the whale shark.
Most Awe Inspiring Natural Phenomenon: the moon was closer than normal to the earth, making the full moons spectacular. We got the best photos in October and December, but they were all incredible.
Most beautiful rainbow: Santa Rosalia
Eric’s favorite hike was in Isla Coronados. Christi’s favorit hike was in Agua Verde. Keith’s favorite hike was in Ensenada del Candelero
Favorite new toy: Sea Scooters
Favorite restaurant: El Rey Sol in Ensenada is hands-down our favorite. But honorable mentions go to: El Muelle in Santa Rosalia, Tres Virgenes in La Paz, Claro Fish, Jr in La Paz, and Lupie Sierra & Maggy Mae in San Evaristo.
Best American restaurant: The Melt in La Paz
Best cheese: Goat cheese from a farm in Agua Verde
Diving/Snorkeling: Some nice snorkeling spots were: V Cove on Isla Carmen, San Francisquito, Agua Verde and Caleta San Juanico. Eric went diving in Ensenada del Candelero and near Ballandra Cove on Isla Carmen. Both sites were nice. But nice is relative; they can’t be compared to the amazing diving/snorkeling in the South Pacific, Australia, Indonesia, or the Middle East.
Most interesting history: Santa Rosalia
Lowlights
Boat problems: Issues with the inverter, dive compressor, AC water maker, fresh water pump and refrigerator. We found a fresh water leak.
Least favorite anchorage: San Francisquito. It was miserably rolly and had bees/wasps. Keith concurred.
Of the 90 nights in marinas, only 25 of them were “full service” with both usable power and water. Puerto Escondido’s water pump was broken for two of the three weeks we were there, and we wouldn’t put Santa Rosalia’s or Marina Coral’s water in our tanks. The salt content was 1000-1500+ppm. And for a few days, Santa Rosalia limited dock water usage to only two hours per day! In Costa Baja, we didn’t have shore power for 33 of the days since we were berthed at the edge of the fuel dock. Space was really tight in La Paz marinas.
Anchorages we visited:
La Paz Area: Bahia Falsa, La Paz, Isla San Francisco, San Evaristo, Ensenada del Candelero, Playa Pichilingue, Playa Bonanza, Ensenada Grande, Caleta Partida, Ensenada El Gallo, Punta Salinas
Loreto Area: Bahia Candeleros, V Cove, Isla Coronados, Ballandra Cove, Agua Verde
Bahia Concepcion/Mulaje area: San Francisquito, Playa Santispac, Playa Coyote, Caleta San Juanico
Bahia de Los Angeles Area: Puerto Don Juan, La Mona, La Gringa, Ensenada El Quemado, Ensenada El Pescador, The Village in Bahia de Los Angeles, Puerto Refugio, Bahia de Las Rocas
Pacific: Bahia de Magdalena, Bahia de Tortugas.