We anchored in Ensenada Grande on the west shore of Isla Partida. Northerlies began blowing that afternoon and continued overnight. The heavy trawlers rolled in the wind, and both boats moved the next morning to better shelter in the same harbor.

The opportunity, however, was not wsted. We snorkeled, swam, and sailed a 14-foot Laser that Ursa Major carries aboard. I learned how to drive a WaveRunner, among Ocean Quest's collection of boat toys. I was conservative, managing straight lines and gentle turns, and was amazed at how others made the lively little water jet dance and spin.

Early one evening, Josh, Emily, and I ventured out aboard the yacht's inflatable tender to look for blue-footed boobies in La Cueve, a small neighboring harbor. Frankly, I ws skeptical such a bird existed. Was Josh just taking us for a ride?

But he's a straight shooter.  We approached a vertical rock cliff rising from the water and spotted half a dozen seabirds perched on ledges. As we closed on their perch, several flew away, and, yes, they had blue feet.

Leaving the birds, we beached the dinghy and climbed to the top of the ridge separating La Cueva from our anchorage in Ensenada Grands. The hill was a mixture of black volcanic rock and to pinkish sedimentary rock containing a blend of small stones, sand, grit, fossilized shells, and other sharp debris. It offered a sure grip for any hiking shoes, but I cringed thinking about the damage to knees or rear if I took a spill. 

The anchorage was serene, but the open sea was white with breakign waves all the way to the horizon. The dinghy bounced through some rough stuff on the way back to the trawler, making me wonder if we would spend yet another day in this beautiful anchorage. We sayed three nights with winds of 30 knots blowing across the open channel and seas of 5-6 feet pounding tight together ahead of the wind.

also at anchor in Ensenada Grande was Om Shanti, a 32-foot cutter-rigged Westsail. Her owners, Shawn Breeding and Heather Bansmer, have been cruising the Sea of Cortez since late 2003 and are friends of the owners and crew of the two big trawlers. They also are the authors, photographers, artists, and editors of the newest Baja cruising guide, Sea of Cortez: A Cruiser's Guidebook. They did everything for the guid but run the printing press. 

Knowing official charts are not reliable, Shawn and Heater took countless depth and GPS readings at major points of land and in all anchorages in the Sea of Cortez, prepared tables of waypoints, and drafted chartlets of those anchorages.

Other guidebooks offer similar small charts, and The Moorings, which has a bareboat charter

business in La Paz, produces charts for its clients. Aboard Ursa, Josh showed me pencil charts he has made of the anchorages he visits with charter clients. Douglass, Hemingway & Co. publishes a useful map that covers the east and west coasts of Baja. It can't be used for navigation, but it's an excellent source of information for planning cruises. 

Another guidbook I like is Mexico Boating Guide by Capt. Pat Rains. She and her husband, John, are veteran Mexico cruising hands. Baja California & Los Cabos by Danny Palmerlee is not a cruising guide, but it provides an excellent review of facilities available in Baja communities and recommends places to visit, fish and dine.

Shawn and Heather, who live and work in Blaine, Washington, during the off season to rebuid their cruising kitty, joined the crews of the two big boats for a dinner of fried dorado one evening. Many stories were told, and I learned a lot about boating in the Sea of Cortez. After dark, Bill provided entertainment by switching on Ocean Quest's underwater lights. Hundreds of small fish soon appeared and shimmied in the glow. In a while, larger fish arrived to dine, and they were followed by manta rays and sea lions - all hungry, too.

A FINE TRIP, ANYWAY

Saturday morning, our enxt-to-last day, we decided to go for it: to turn north to Isla San Francisco. Ursa Major moved out while Ocean Quest hoisted her anchor. I joined the Romsdal crew for my first cruise aboard her.

The Malahide was about a half mile ahead and, as she cleared the protected anchorage, we could see her bow begin to rise and fall. She continued to punch northward, and the hobbyhorse motion worsened. Bill and I watched; he instructed John Love, who was at the wheel, to turn south. Seconds later, Ursa Major reversed her course.


Cruising became much calmer with the wind and seas behind us. Relaxing, I began to make notes about the powerboats we had seen, and the list seemed to show that size and nameplate are less important than the condition of the craft and the skills of the crew.

While there were some huge power yachts in La Paz's Marina CostaBaja - a luxurious new marine resort - I found regular boats, as well. Among them in my memory are a Willard 40 pilothouse; a 54 Krogen and a 53 Selene; a pair of CHB-type yachts, both 40 feet or less; a Santa Barbara; a 46-foot wood boat my friend Ron Miller cruised in from Friday Harbor, Washington; and a new 42 Nordic Tug. There were many others, often seen at a distance, and plenty of sailing craft. But the anchorages never were crowded.