Going North to go South

Bahia Santo Domingo, Bahia Concepcion, BCS, Mexico

It is Wednesday, the day we thought we might start heading south. As a matter of fact, we have made a start - by going north of course.

You see, the problem with going south from Bahia Concepcion is the fact that you first have to get out of Bahia Concepcion. This means going north until you have exited from the bay, then curving slowly around to the east and ultimately to the south, going around Point Concepcion. This adds 2 or 3 hours to the overall trip. For that reason, and the fact that the prevailing winds have moved around and are now forecast to come from the SE for today and tomorrow, we have elected to just move 8 or 9 miles north within Bahia Concepcion and are now anchored in Bahia Santo Domingo, spitting distance from the point. This anchorage is pretty open to all directions except the east. Fortunately for us the winds are currently coming directly from the east and they are very light (around 10 knots).

Most of the boats that we were sharing the anchorage in Santispac with have left already. Most are going across the sea to San Carlos and were just waiting for the strong NW winds to abate. Our intention is to hang around here in Santo Domingo for another day, waiting for the NW winds to re-assert themselves (10 to 15 knots would be nice), then use them to push us south. As usual, we seem to be the only ones following this plan and we find ourselves completely alone again. I can't decide if we are just smarter than everyone else or have missed some crucial detail about the weather. A couple of other sailboats that were also heading south left early this morning - they waited until the NW winds were gone and took off to challenge the SE winds - I really don't get the logic! Plus the fact that the next logical anchorage south of here is one that is best visited during a north wind - totally exposed from the south and east.

Meanwhile, this Santo Domingo anchorage is a beautiful spot to spend some time. Dramatic shell-covered beach and striking red rock formations. The water is a lovely turquoise color and we can see clearly to the bottom - we are anchored in only about 17 feet of water. The anchor is well set and we have about 100 feet of chain out - we should sleep very soundly tonight. We will just have to wait and see what tomorrow brings...

{GMST}26|52|N|111|50.8|W|Playa Santo Domingo, BCS, Mexico|Playa Santo Domingo, BCS, Mexico{GEND}