SANTA CATALINA ISLAND has 2 tricky mooring posibilities by Northwind; tricky because the bottom is a stone field without sandpatch to burry anchor; on the west coast, by settled weather, there is the beautiful tiny bay of PALO PARADO (25 40 953N-110 47 884W) wich gives a tiny but nice sandbottoms anchorage.
The day we spend in YELLOWSTONE BEACH- with an unusual light southwind- , north of MONTSERRAT island is one of the best before discovering the now "hotel" PUERTO ESCONDIDO.
This natural harbour is now 100% private... The marina is well maintained but with a 100% monopol on the area ! you can't anchor free anymore, even in the waiting room n must pay unsane fees (per foot) for moorings...this operation means the end of the crusing life: How a private interest can manage n control such a huge natural anchoring area ?
Many cruisers don't look the luxury facilities onshore but just a safe n nice place to drop the anchor... Fortunatly you still can stop outside 1 mile south along the beach (25 47 968N-111 18 454W) with a good west n north protection n dinghy ride inside but nothing is easy if you want to escape this very pretty but scandaleous hotel monopoly.
50 boats on moorings...Let's hope that the pro n nice managment, looking the empty restaurant n pricy boutique ll understand that the best way to fill the marina facilities is maybe also to welcome the transiant cruisers, happy to spend money for a super cocktail, an alternative dinner, some food in the shop etc etc etc Why not establishing a kind of "first week promotion"dividing by 3 the present weekly mooring prices, or offering a 1000 pesos maxi for anyboat spending this first week at a mooring or...with his own anchor ?
Visiting 2 days later the huge touristic complex of NOPOLO next door ll open our mind to the situation: thousands of canadian n US "snowbirds" spend the winter near LORETO in this luxury condominium...an obvious target for the marina wich is renting a few modern cruising catamarans for a week between 5959 US$ (LEOPARD 43) n 10995 US$ (SABA 50) or for 3 hours (1300 to 2100 US$)...why should the staff been concerned by live on board cruisers ?
With all this money, let's hope beautiful LORETO - at least for the live on board cruisers, because this gives some jobs to mexican- not follow the sad way of CABO SAN LUCAS !
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| ALCYONE anchored in 12m of a stone field the middle of the bay...this is wild here: time to walk ashore... |
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| The arroyos can be followed in the sand for a nice distance... |
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| There should be rattle snake ...without rattle here...Let's have a look... |
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| Huge baril cactus, many odorant elefant trees... |
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| ...some proud lizards... |
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| also impressive cardons... |
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| even some of these guys, but no rattle snakes... |
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| Wind increase...time to come back on board... |
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| ...Already 35 gusting 40k+...ALCYONE is slowly drifting...reason is mostly due to the stone's bottom... |
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| No risk, no danger behind: we re anchor with 55m chain; noisy but no problem anymore |
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| ...in fact this bay is on the venturi of the west of the island...no wave but strong wind, we ll get 45k during the night! |
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| ...fortunatly a local sphinx watch ALCYONE... |
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| we could have prefered a good sand bottom... |
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| but ALCYONE did nt drag anymore during all days... |
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| ...and during all nights...this is the last of our 4 nights in this anchorage...wind is now below 20k... |
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| "Palo Parado" on the west coast: sand in the bottom with garden eels... |
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| difficult to resist to follow the arroyo...i learned 3 days later you should not walk in SANTA CATARINA... |
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| My nuisance anyway was limited to foot prints n a few pictures... |
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| ...cardon cactus...they die too... |
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| More north, a dolphin's welcome in Yellowstone beach on top of MONTSERRAT ISLAND |
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| Shortly after a strong northern, the place is for us alone ...at least for the morning |
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| ...with a light south wind, no better spot in all the area ! A tiny cruise ship arrive in the afternoon n we leave... |
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| ...to anchor in front of the hotel of Bahia de los Candeleros: good with W wind... |
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| Tomorrow, we plan to anchor in famous Puerto Escondido...but situation is not the same as before for cruisers... |
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| Wahou ! A luxury hotel got the concession, and not only of a part of the shore... |
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| ...but on the whole area including 100% of the huge lagoon... |
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| ...Nice...but where is going the cruising life if natural harbour like this one... |
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| ...are monopolized by private sector establishing very high price ? |
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What is normal about de dock is not about the compulsory moorings !
 
 
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| Back in the valley in NOPOLO: walking through the huge expat condominium... |