Legacy Sailing
 Photo Gallery 31  
May 2005
Loreto to San Carlos, Mexico
Heading north out of Puerto Escondido we stopped at one of our favorite anchorages, Puerto Ballandra.  From there we headed to San Juanico and then made the long run up to Santispac in Bahia Conception.  From there a quick hop to Punta Chivato and a bouncy, rough day up to the marina at Santa Rosalia. 

All the territory north of Punta Chivato is new to us.  Santa Rosalia in particular is very interesting.  It is the city in Baja where wood construction predominates.  The French mining company, Compagne Du Boleo, brought the disassembled wooden buildings from France with them.  The architecture is interesting in its difference from the usual here.  Ruins of mining and smelting operations dominate much of the area around the town.

We were the only boats in Santa Rosalia headed further north, all the others were headed direct for San Carlos.  For the week and a half we and Sunbreak spent north we only saw one other boat and only heard from one other cruiser in the islands.  The boats summering in the northern sea were still a couple of weeks away.  We headed for San Fransisquito with an over night stop in Colleta Lobera.  Here we enjoyed the best beach we've yet seen in Mexico.  From there on to Isla Salsipuedes and Isla Las Animas.  From there it was east across the tidal channels to Dog Bay on Isla Tiburon.  Then southbound again to Las Cocinas anchorage and then on to San Carlos for the summer haulout.
At San Juanico Leslie from Sunbreak rode with the four dogs to the beach since the anchorage was rough enough to require and anchor watch. San Juanico is also the home of the cruisers tree, where boaters leave momentos.  Heather made a fancy sign for this year.  (Last year's ribbon marker is visible in the upper right of the photo, too.)
Bahia Concepcion is surrounded by RVs and palapa style camps, and a few solid houses like this one on a point.  Note the staircase to the water. Santa Rosalia has a man-made harbor left over from the mining days.  Inside the protection is the marina and the ferry docks.  This small ferry makes the passage to the mainland three times per week.
The Boleo company built several small railroads to reach the mines.  The left-over engines and rolling stock decorate much of town. On the main square in Santa Rosalia is this wonderful wooden building left from the mining days.
Also left from the mining days is the 'French Bakery.'  Now a panadaria with a few special items. The company built administrative and housing for the foreign workers atop the nearby mesas.  The Hotel Frances is typical with its wide porches.
Inside the mine administrative building (now preserved as a museum) the high ceilings,(13') central atrium,  and large windows gave ventilation and light. The porches shaded the windows and gave great views down to the sea and the harbor below.  Here we are looking southeast towards Isla San Marcos.
One of the more interesting sights in Santa Rosalia is the all metal church designed by Eiffel.   This prefabricated iron walled church appeared at the 1889 World Exposition and was bought by the comany for Santa Rosalia. Although the outside profile of the roof is a standard peak, inside the ceiling is graceful profile providing niches for stained glass panels.  Overall the effect is quite nice and creates a pleasant sanctuary.
The best beach in Mexico!  Firm sand perfect for walking, clean, and devoid of people.  Bahia San Fransisquito.  The girlz test out the running! In addition to coyotes living in the dunes there were many small crabs and critters leaving tracks around the succulent ground cover.
Heading up the ridge on Salsipuedes I could look down to the northeast and see David walking on the flatter land toward the end of the island. From the summit I had a great view down into the anchorages we were using.  Legacy is in the foreground in South Slot and Sunbreak is behind in Colleta de Cuevas.
Only low ground cover and cactus survive on Salsipuedes.  The rocky dry ground has sparse soil and lots of bare rock. From the summit I was able to look over the rocky pass to the south and directly into Colleta Blanca on Isla Las Animas, our next day's stop.
Looking back into the anchorage at Colleta Blanca from up the arroyo cutting into the hills behind. Millions of birds were wheeling and fishing all around the anchorage.  Pelicans plunging with giant splashes and turns blasting straight down into the water.
On the passage to Isla Tiburon we saw hundreds of dolphin and rays and also many of these 8 inch blue jellyfish that reminded us of nerf balls. Sunbreak leaves Dog Bay in the early calm as we head the sixty miles south to Las Cocinas, about 35 miles north of San Carlos on the mainland.
Joan and Jason prepare Mildred Kane for her truck ride back to the San Francisco Bay area. Heading for the dry storage yard.  Legacy rides down the highway to Marina Seca on the hauler.
Backing into the last spot in the yard.  Chris watches as the boat is slipped between hurricane posts for storage. A quick powerwash leaves the bottom clean for the fall re-launch efforts to come in a few months.
 
Updated 11/14/2006