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Baja Cruising Guide

PAPERWORK

The Mexican government requires the following: A Crew List; Documentation showing the vessels ownership; Tourist Permits, obtained from the Mexican Consulate here in San Diego; Fishing Licenses for each person on board the boat. (Obtained from an tackle shop in San Diego. This applies even if you just have a fishing hook on board!); Mexican Insurance (that's our business!!)

When you arrive at your first port of entry, take 5 copies of the crew list and the tourist to immigration. They will sign/stamp them and keep one copy. You then take the crew list to the port captain. He will sign/stamp and give you back 3 copies. One of these copies you will take back to the immigration office. You will leave this office with 2 copies. Reverse this procedure for checking out. And be aware that these procedures change often. Try to avoid overtime charges, by arriving and departing Monday to Friday between 8 and 3 pm. Don't forget to clear in and out of each port to avoid a lot of heartache later on!

PORTS OF ENTRY

Ensendada, Cedros, San Carlos, Cabo, la Paz, Loreto, Santa Rosalia, Guaymas, Topolobampo, Matzatlan, San Blas, Chacala, Puerto Vallarta, Manzanillo, Zihuatanejo, Acapulco, Puerto Angel and Salina Cruz.

TRAVEL

Nomal cruising season is from mid October to April. By November you shouldn't have any problems with hurricanes or insurance coverage. The weather is getting cooler and the water temperature is dropping,

I would suggest that you go as far south as quickly as possible. My preference is non-stop from San Diego to Acapulco. From Point Loma (San Diego) go due south until 100 miles offshore, then turn southeast for Acapulco. This way you are outside of the shipping lanes and not trying to dodge the unlit native fishing boats found closer to shore. The sailing is great, much like being in the trades but with cooler temperatures. I like this route because winter in Baja is cooler than most people think, and the coast can be cold, foggy and windy and not that much fun from November to March. So save the west coast of Baja for the summer trip back home!

Once in Acapulco you'll find year round warm weather and a fun spot to recuperate from you 10 to 14 day passage. After relaxing here for awhile, it's time to work your way up north. You can almost day sail up the coast stopping at Punta De Papanoa, Zihuatanejo, Ixtapa and many other ports until you reach Manzanillo. In Manzanillo, it's time to decide- do you cross over to Cabo or do you continue north along the west coast of mainland Mexico to Guaymas and San Carlos. (This is my favorite route)

Between Manzanillo to PV are many sun kissed exotic spots only a day's sail away: places like Nativadad, Tentacatita, Chamela, Carreyes, Ipala and Yelapa. These remote pristine anchorages are what cruising is all about.

On the way to Mazatlan from PV is historic San Blas. North of Mazatlan there are few decent anchorages for over 350 miles.

After cruising the Sea of Cortez, it's time to return home. If you depart Cabo for San Diego around the end of June, you will once again miss the hurricane season. Now you can almost day's sail all the way North to home between all the great little anchorages mentioned in the rest of this guide.

NAVIGATION

Baja is rugged and isolated, with few navigation aids. It's GPS, Celestial or nothing! Good coastal navigation and dead reckoning procedures are a must. Night travel should be avoided unless well out to sea, as lights and aids are not dependable. If you are going all the way to Acapulco, have the following DMA charts on board: 502, 503, 21140, 21160, 21180, 21180, 21200, 21120, 21017, 21020, 21008, 21014.

ANCHORING

Most anchorages have good sand bottoms and are in depths of 3 to 6 fathoms, only a few are deeper than 12 fathoms. I suggest 3 sets of anchors and gear, as many times you will need a fore and aft and a storm anchor.

ENGINES AND FUEL

Always carry the spare parts you think you will need- filters, impellers and lubricants. Eliminate problems-buy a Baja Filter (West Marine, etc) with a water separator and never fill your fuel tanks without it.

BATTERIES

Good batteries are hard to come by in Mexico. Also make sure you have a digital volt meter and a hydrometer.

DINGHIES

Any good dinghy will do. I like the hard dinghy because it's easier to row and control. Better yet, a sailing dinghy so you don't have to row at all! Also the hard dinghy does not have to be patched every time you run up on a rocky shore.

FOOD AND WATER

To trade or barter with the fishermen, bring canned food, coffee, drill bits, vice grips, flashlights, batteries and t-shirts.

You can purchase canned and fresh items in all of the major ports. The smaller villages will only have tortillas, bread and beans. Don't forget to take some cheap , unscented, Chlorine. (Clorox) It can be used in many ways from water purification to disinfecting everything from laundry to fruits. When you soak fruits and vegetables in a solution of 1/8 cup per 1/2 gallon of water, they will keep twice as long and you won't bring any bugs on board. Buy several collapsible water containers as most of the time you will be filling your water tanks from these. And if you can afford it, buy a watermaker.

EXTRAS

Bring the following! Sun block, Avon's Skin So Soft (for the No See Ums), BBQ fuel, Lycra dive suit; suit, fins, snorkel and mask; kitchen timer; thermos; Mosquito coils; Joy dishwashing soap; extra oars; folding shopping cart; folding jugs; lots of shock cord; dingy anchor. Toilet paper and other paper products are sometimes hard to get in Mexico. Long pants and dresses for visits to Port Captains offices.

Do NOT take firearms or ammunition.

The Mexican flag should be flown from your starboard spreader and it should be the same size as your national flag. the Q- quarantine- flag is not normally used in Mexico.

FISHING

I have fished from both sail and power boats so my gear is adapted to both. I found the lip latch type of rig the most effective. The rig consist of two single hooks connected several inches apart by wire with each hook at an angle to the other with one hook near the head and the other trailing in the tail. When choosing a hook the general rule is that the distance of the "bite of the hook" should just fit over the head of the lure.

As for leaders I prefer the mono to wire because it trails better and is less likely to kink. Game fish can really chew up a leader so I lean to the heavy stuff.

TROLLING- SLOW SPEED

When I go cruising I always carry several primary color. I like catching the smaller game fish to the big marlin because of my limited refrigeration. For tuna, Wahoo and dorado, I take the smaller feathers like Mean Joe Green, purple/black, red/white, zucchini color and red/yellow/green. When I do get the urge to catch a big on (marlin), I use green/black, mackerel pattern, dorado pattern and a bright or neon pink/white/red combo, in addition to Doorknob lures. As a rule I run the darker colors in the early morning and late afternoon/early evening or in overcast conditions. When it's brighter out, I use the brighter colors. I use the same colors only with lighter (smaller) lures for my spinning gear when in the dingy or at anchor when we need dinner.

OUTBOARD FIRST AID

After your outboard gets dunked, begin by washing it down with large quantities of fresh water. Next, remove the cowling, the air filter and the plugs. Drain all the water out of the engine and carburetor. Use the pull cord to turn the engine over to make sure there is no water left in the cylinders. Now, squirt about 15 to 20 seconds of WD-40 into each cylinder and the carburetor. Hopefully, you have a solid state ignition and a quick dunking should not effect it.

If you have an older model with points and a condenser remove and replace them. Re-assemble the engine, using a new spark plug. Start the engine and run it for 30 minutes while squirting WD-40 in the carburetor intake every few minutes. This should coat the internal parts and prevent further damage. Then go for a ride around the harbor. This should flush out all the salts from the engine.

If you can not work on your engine immediately after the dunking, it's important to keep it immersed, in fresh water, until you can work on it or get it to a mechanic.