# Sailing around Mexico



## lostatsi (Jan 17, 2010)

Being new to the coastal cruising(7 months) of Mexico from the Banderas bay and Sea of Cortez and the Baja coast I would like to have some HANDS ON (only please) insight on the following.
1 It seems that I get two distinct opinions about being below the 27th parallel after May 15. One is it will result in instant death and destruction! The second is go about your business( enjoy the southerly wind) but watch your forecast a little closer and keep your hurricane holdups within a day or two.
2 At current we are in La Cruz and are thinking of staying here till mid August then going way north in Sea of Cortez or stopping at Cabo then up to San Diego.
I would like to hear from those who have ACTUALLY done one or more of the options or maybe you have other words of advice or tips we could use.
Insurance or time is of no issue. 
With all due respect, please disregard this post if your information is second hand. Thank you. BTW Mexico is AWESOME!!!


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## zeehag (Nov 16, 2008)

i am in la cruz de huanacaxtle in marina riviera nayarit--whare are yoo???? solitary bird here....tonight is a party in huanacaxtle cafe for a departing young boater-- he be sailing out to elsewhere. very helpful fella. 1800...i will be there. i am on dock 5--where are you? i bet you will hear some great stories of this region from these cruisers at this party.
yes, mexico is awesome. i spent last summer in marina mazatlan...


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## CarolynShearlock (Dec 3, 2010)

Be sure to sign up for the Southbound Yahoo Group -- southbound_group : The Southbound Group
You'll get lots of great info from people who are there now.

We cruised that area for 6 years and I gave the hurricane prep talks at the La Paz Bay Fest a couple of times. If you look at the historical hurricane tracks, month by month, it's pretty easy to see where you should be and when.

In the Sea of Cortez, the heart of the hurricane season is August 15 to October 15; in Banderas Bay, it starts sooner and ends later.

The typical summer pattern for boats in the Sea is to head out from La Paz at the end of April, make their way slowly up to Puerto Escondido/Loreto for several months. Get to Concepcion Bay for the 4th of July, spend a bit of time there, do the last big provisioning (and get cash -- last ATM stop) in Santa Rosalia and leave Santa Rosalia the first week of August. Head north to the BLA area, staying within a day of Puerto Don Juan (great hurricane hole, plus by the time storms reach that far north, they're usually trop storms, not hurricanes). Stay in the BLA area until mid-October (in Oct you may see whale sharks there!) (depends on weather patterns that particular year) when you'll start getting some northerly winds. Then start meandering south, getting to Loreto/Puerto Escondido by Halloween and on down to La Paz just ahead of the Ha-ha'ers.

Some of the marinas in La Paz are good hurricane holes, and Puerto Escondido and Puerto Don Juan also are. If you opt to stay in the Puerto Escondido area for the summer instead of heading further north, definitely dive on your mooring yourself -- some are well maintained, some haven't been checked in a while. PE is likely to be hit by a hurricane most years but it's a very good hurricane hole (we rode out Marty in 2003 there).

If you stay in Cabo or go up the outside, you'll have to watch the weather very carefully. Boats do it every year, it's not impossible, just watch it and have a plan.

In that whole area, it's rare that a trop storm or hurricane will hit you by surprise -- they form off Central America or the very southern part of Mexico. So while the exact path won't be known, the fact that there's "something" out there is known well in advance.

I have a bunch of info both about how we prepared for hurricanes, got weather info and more on my blog if you want more:

Hurrican Prep Info

Have fun -- the Sea is fantastic in the summer. Very clear waters for snorkeling, great fishing, etc. Yeah, it's hot -- but a few wind scoops and fans will help . . . as will going for a swim!

Carolyn


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## zeehag (Nov 16, 2008)

southbound group in yahoo kicked me out long ago--i was too knowledgeable or something and they didnt have the answers. 
typical patterns no longer work to advise of what is happening NOW. or for summer, even. life and weather is changing. be aware of that and go from there.
check weather DAILY and see what is happening. do NOT count on old tracking patterns. look at jova ....is all common sense--- meet m in huanacaxtle cafe and lets talk. 1800 tonite.


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## zeehag (Nov 16, 2008)

i will be wearing beige and tan, if you attend tonight's party for a cruiser sailing mexico. there are many still here who have cruised mexico for some time, and some yet who are still learning ...come listen to the stories you say you wish to hear. you are in la cruz, so is the cafe and so am i...come on out.


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## zeehag (Nov 16, 2008)

we had a great time in huanacaxtle cafe--should have gone. there were many cruisers there who have spent time around in summer. hurrycame season really gets its head on in july. tormentas happen in other months--but the worst weather is from end july to oct. 
keep an eye on the weather forecasts and keep on living. mazatlan marina was ok for some summer--air conditioner was necessary to have. the surge here in la cruz is enough to make one wonder what kind of safety is contained within these breakwalls.
with weather patterns constantly changing, there is no way to set any rules into stone.
i am in slip 6 dock 5, if you wish to come talk. same marina as you, or , if you are at anchor, i am in la cruz marina


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## lostatsi (Jan 17, 2010)

Thanks both for the reply. We are in anchored off mita now, and will look into those links and check out your blog. Hearing more and more stories like yours. Glad to hear as we like it here and didn't want to rush off.


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## zeehag (Nov 16, 2008)

will you be coming back into banderas bay for a lil longer?? what is your boat name and how long you going to remain here?/ we could meet over something on shore or on dock....


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## zeehag (Nov 16, 2008)

lostatsi--has been a few days since last posting--you going to return to inside banderas bay or did you meet someone who has cruised and has info for you??
some folks sail north some sail south and some stay in banderas bay. hasnt been directly hit by hurrycame in a while---same as mazatlan.


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## lostatsi (Jan 17, 2010)

We have been in the bay (anchored off Mita). Have gotten a lot of info from here and other cruisers. Don't feel the need to rush off any more, which is a relief as this place is our favorite so far. No real plans as of yet. Thanks for your input, we will probably see you around when we go to La Cruz in a few days.


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## vitalspark (Sep 27, 2017)

If planning this trip, just look at the historical pattern of hurricanes to see it can be life threatening. Most insurance companies will not insure you above 12.someodd degrees latitude during the summer months. We stopped in Huatulco, MX this year to wait out the hurricane season. If you are OK with the risk of running smack dab into a wailer - cool, otherwise proceed with extreme caution and luck.


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## zeehag (Nov 16, 2008)

2012. wow long time, i guess this is a zombie thread now.. hopefully lostatsi is no longer lost and has survived the canes we have had since then. as i have not seen them, perhaps they meandered onward or are no longer cruising.


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