Touch and Go



Approaching Isla San Francisco

During our stay in La Paz we made preparations to venture further north into the Sea of Cortez for undiscovered destinations and new adventures.  While Leonard readied the boat for departure, I flew to San Diego and returned the following day with a new VISA - the old one was about to expire and I didn’t want to be left behind in a Mexican jail!  After my return from stateside, we restocked the galley, took on fuel, and departed for Isla San Francisco.


Crescent Bay at Isla San Francisco

The Winds Begin to Blow

Shortly after leaving the harbor, we were intercepted by a panga.  Similar to our experience while cruising earlier in Mexico, a panga with four Marine Police boarded us and asked to see our papers.  Once the paperwork was checked and verified, we were under way once again and arrived at Isla San Francisco in the early evening.  As the sun began to set; a warm glow illuminated the red rock cliffs and the white crescent-shaped beach.  Later, the moon turned its full face to the night sky; it was a beautiful calm evening but short lived.  As we finished dinner and began to settle in, we noticed that the wind had picked up; soon we were experiencing a full-blown Coromuel.  Got d’ Fever along with other boats anchored in the bay were rocking and rolling like hobby horses.  Fortunately, we have a practice of always setting the anchor well, including the use of a bridle! 


A Beautiful Moonlit Night

A Coromuel is a weather phenomenon unique to the La Paz area of the Baja California peninsula.  It has a rapid onset and can be very strong especially in the Bay of La Paz.  They typically begin in the evening and blow throughout the night in a south to southwesterly direction, often reaching as far north as Isla San Francisco and up to twenty miles east of Isla Partida.  The winds are created when the cool marine air from the Pacific side of the peninsula are drawn over the relatively warmer side of the Gulf of California.  

Short-lived Calm Sea

It is unique to the La Paz area since there is not a mountain spine to block the air flow.  The wind indeed reached our anchorage at Isla San Francisco; it was a wild, wooly night but we endured the ride.  By morning we were glad to depart and continue our journey to the fascinating island of Isla Carmen.

Coromuel Air Flow