By Captain Pat Rains
SEA Magazine, August 2014
A circuit of the upper Sea of Cortez keeps summer exciting.
August is the time for Mexico boaters to make plans — and reservations — for safe summer quarters, because some dry storage yards and marinas in the upper Sea of Cortez start to fill up. With that in mind, we have a suggested itinerary that allows you to circulate among six different hurricane holes for safety and still take advantage of “all clear” periods to move north or explore the many other pristine cruising grounds that weren’t mentioned as winter cruising grounds. Each has services for yachts.
TOPOLOBAMPO
The first stop on this circuit is Topolobampo, which is about 100 miles north of La Paz and 244 miles northwest of Mazatlan. From the Topo sea buoy (about 25 degrees 30 minutes north, 109 degrees 12 minutes west), call the port captain on VHF Channel 16 to request permission to enter the commercial harbor, and he’ll give you directions in English to the secondary channel hidden behind fingers of land. At 8.5 miles in from the sea buoy, the sheltered slips, fuel dock, and boatyard of Marina Palmira Topolobampo welcome guests with boats to 80 feet. This marina has been hurricane safe since it opened in 2009.
Provisiong for fresh produce is excellent at Los Mochis farmer’s market. To prevent cabin fever, take the dinghy (or hire a panga guide) to fish and bird-watch around the vast Bahia Ohuira.