La Paz is a small city on the east coast of the Baja California peninsula, 100 miles or so into the Sea of Cortez. Sampaguita is here because it has a cruising community, and therefore boating infrastructure. This means we can provision, repair, water, receive packages, and actually purchase some boating supplies. (Though ordering might be better, if you have the time.) That said, this community seems to be dominated by white North Americans and Europeans. This is not to say there aren’t any Mexicans with yachts. I do believe I have seen some. But that’s not the bread and butter.

If you get off the Malecón, or waterfront for you gringos, it’s seems to be regular Mexico. This is not the west coast of Baja rural Mexico, which I prefer, but not touristy. I love walking around and just getting the feel. I don’t feel threatened and I like not being on camera all the time like I feel in the US. I have grown to detest that about America. It’s not that I want to do bad things. It’s just there are so many rules and regulations, you are constantly navigating them. Tiresome. And the “1-800 Turn Your Neighbor In” schtick always has you looking over your shoulder. I haven’t noticed any police activity off the Malecón either. Many intersections are 4-way stops, but I have many times seen people cruise straight on through. This is not the “no cop, no stop” thing. This is a “no cars or pedestrians, no worries” sort of vibe. As a pedestrian, I look out for myself. I have a good grasp of the laws of kinetic energy and keep situationally aware. Another thing I noticed as I put the miles on my sandals is there are many of those covers for the holes in the sidewalks missing. You know the ones where they access water, or gas, or electric? Not a couple, but many. I love that. Why, you say? That would never happen in America. Someone would be walking down the sidewalk in a typical American un-situationally aware sort of way, fall in, break a leg or ankle, and definitely sue someone. Obviously, that doesn’t happen here. The rest of the world is appalled at how sue-happy Americans are. There are a lot of missed kindnesses and opportunities in America because people are afraid of being sued. It’s part of our fear culture. Lame. Unless you’re a lawyer, then you too are taking it to the bank. English descendant countries are so bent on order, it is oppressive and tiresome. OK, Mexican cartels on the rise are a bummer. Apparently, they are branching out from narcotics into commodities. But I have felt freer in the last two months than I have in a long time. Much of the world laughs at Americans when we say we are free. Even if I eventually get a shakedown somehow before I leave Mexico, I have some give in the “bank.” There are some frustrations, but America is the land of people making people frustrated. In Mexico, frustration comes from things being broken. I tried to buy a National Park permit online because I have been to a lot of places where I am supposed to have one. A nice website, but when it comes down to the important function of selling someone a permit? Broken. I asked other cruisers about it and everyone had the same experience. But no enforcement, so no worries. The Mexican Navy is your biggest concern, but in the few times I have seen them, they seem to mind their own business. They are most keen on making sure your paperwork is in order by my understanding. But I can prove to them that I tried to set up an account and buy a permit. You can’t get blood from a stone. I finally had to give up. And it just didn’t feel like it was going to be a problem. Try that in America. I felt the biggest risk would be having to point out the dysfunctionality of their government.

Even Amazon is broken. I mistakenly thought Amazon was Amazon. Not true. Each country is an independent Amazon. Sort of. The thing with Amazon Mexico is there is no, zilch, nada customer support. So if you order something, you better want it. You can go to your order page and cancel the orders and they will disappear from that page and you’ll be told you have no orders. But you are still getting them and paying for them. Unless they decide to cancel them themselves. Then maybe they will actually be cancelled. Your order page will be empty, but depending on the point in the fulfillment, you still might be getting it and paying for it. This was a bit stressful as I foolishly had American-like expectations regarding Amazon. Silly me. After realizing I was only ever getting a circular path with my clicks on the website, I called Amazon US. Easy to talk to someone there. But they will inform you they cannot help with Amazon Mexico. It is separate, you will need to talk to them. They will even give you a phone number to call that connects you to a message in Español that hangs up when it finishes. Dead end. The US customer service guy I spoke to was Indian. He pointed out he had an Amazon US and an Amazon India account. He said, for example, in the US we have a 30-day return policy while India had no such thing.

From the beginning. I placed my first order, sort of a test order. My bank texted me to confirm it was real. I said yes. I also got validation charges and refunds from Amazon Mex and Google. OK, feels legit. The order is on the order page. I see it being processed just as expected. OK, I decided to make two bigger orders I needed. It looks like it will be shipped from the US (not connected? really?) and I want to get it within a certain number of days. (Amazon still guarantees times and import fees are also guaranteed as part of the costs. This system seems solid with less possibility of things being caught in customs and essentially one vendor for everything.) Well, these bigger orders tripped the security feature. The next morning, I had messages from Amazon in Español (but translatable) that they had cancelled my orders. I would need to reset my password with two-part verification and then remake my orders. OK, I can appreciate that, sort of. I reset my password, which, even though they are different, also reset my Amazon US password. (not connected? really?) I go to my order page and the test order is gone too. But then the charge went through on my credit card. WTF. These are being delivered to addresses in Mexico, which was likely part of the security issue. But the order is gone, so I can’t track it either. I pensively remake one of the new orders, but then decide I have lost confidence in Amazon Mexico, so I cancel it. I will order directly from Renogy. The next day, I see there is a new charge from them on my cc. The amount doesn’t jive either. WTF. This is when I started calling Amazon US with no positive result. Finally, I say to myself, lets remove that credit card from my account as it seems it is the only way to stop this craziness. I go into my payment page and find my credit cards. I click on the transaction tab and up comes all my orders! Not just the recent ones but even my past US transactions. (not connected? really?) Messed up. But the orders are there. The tracking numbers are there. The orders they cancelled were not there. Good. The strange amount was because they split up the order. (Just like they do in the US.) Though they aren’t connected, most of my items are being fulfilled by Amazon from the US. Really? So I decided to let it ride. If everything fails, I will order from Renogy and end up paying for them twice, but the expedition hinges on these solar panels. No panels, no expedition. It costs what it costs. The disruption of the expedition will cost much more. I can’t sell the boat here. I can’t leave it in La Paz. Bashing it back up the coast isn’t practical. It’s not that kind of boat. Taking it to dry storage at Punta Penasco at the head of the Sea of Cortez is an option, but not a good one. I decided I had to chill out and wait and see. Well, the test order arrived way early and was fine. Part of the next order is on the way. After a few days of struggle and suckiness, I think I have figured it out. It’s easier to buy the different things I need from one vendor, as long as it works. I know where my orders can be found and tracked. I know to only order if I am certain I want it, and I have no expectations of customer service. Sounds like Mexico.

The Sea of Cortez is abundant with marine life. When I was sailing at night, the water sparkled. There were random 2-foot diameter spots that would glow for a second or two and then disappear. I watched stingrays doing flips in the air. Schools of fish feed on the surface in a loud boiling type manner. One of the pangas that goes by the anchorage every morning and night does whale shark tours. Pretty cool. On the other hand, I will likely only spend a little bit of time in February exploring the closer islands. It’s not very small boat friendly in that the wind can blow quite seriously. At this time of the year, you get a northerly or a westerly. You need to choose your anchorages wisely. It’s a baby steps sort of sea because if the wind is raging, say from the north, you don’t want to be on there with an opposing current in a Flicka 20. Wrap around waves into anchorages can be a problem too. It’s like the strait of Juan de Fuca, but ten times bigger.

The Anchorage:
There are easily a hundred boats in the anchorage at any one time. They come and go to points on the mainland and the islands in the Sea of Cortez. It’s a staging ground because of its cruising resources. In general, the anchor depths are good at around 20 feet, but it’s kind of a crappy, uncomfortable anchorage. The current is strong here, so when the North wind of the Sea of Cortez bears down, it is choppy and lumpy. Plus, the local pangas zoom through at full speed kicking up a serious wake. There are no speed limits and it’s their country, so why would they care about the yatista gringos. I don’t blame them, they aren’t taking their pangas to Seattle.

Pitch or roll? Pitch, just make sure there is plenty of scope and spring to the anchor rode. Roll tends to throw things around more and the dishes in the sink make a lot of noise.

Group or no group? There is comradery in the group. (But don’t overestimate the fraternity. It’s each yatista for themself. Play by the rules and you’ll be OK. But don’t expect anything.) Someone might gift you fish. (A couple nights ago my anchor neighbor brought me fish. His daughter accidently turned off the freezer and the fish started to thaw. It had to go, so I got a fillet of Mahi and a huge chuck of tuna. Having no fridge, I had fish tacos that night and for brekky.) Your dinghy or paddleboard might need a tow. (This hasn’t happened to me yet, but I’ve seen it plenty.) Maybe someone lets you piggy back on their Starlink. (A super thanks to Mundial, and no thanks to that boat in Los Frailles that threw me to the wolves for my trip to De Los Muertos.)

An aside: In America we are coerced by fear to lock our internet, but I think the provider companies have the most to gain by that. I’m a firm believer in free internet access for all, everywhere. It doesn’t have to be secure to look up weather, or directions, and for people (and students) to have universal, equal, and free access to the internet.

Back to anchoring. In support of no group, here in Mexico, in case they are not using a holding tank, I like to keep my distance from the families of 4, 5, or 6. (In the US, the rules and the enforcement are clear, and pump out stations are abundant and free. In Mexico, not so much on any of that. I doubt there is much worry about it. Even in BC, Canada there are only a few No Discharge Zones.)

The Hurricane: La Paz was hit by a hurricane in October. It wreaked havoc. I have counted no fewer than 20 boats sunk or washed ashore and that’s just through casual observance. Sailboats and large motor yachts. At the channel entrance there is a 20-30 meter super yacht with its bow pointing out of the water. I think it was towed out there so it wasn’t an obstruction in the harbor. It doesn’t appear much is being done about these boats. I see no activity regarding them and it’s been a couple months. I wonder if people have walked away? I wouldn’t blame them, really. What a headache and expense. It might be worth never going back to Mexico again. Let it be stripped. (Whether looted or sanctioned.) Maybe a local could have a used marine merchandise store? Would the compulsory liability coverage cover breaking out the chainsaw on the hull? It sounds like a work opportunity for the right individuals in an underdeveloped and underregulated country. (Or if not underregulated, definitely underenforced, or a willingness to look the other way.) Maybe the cartels could get in on that?

Boring 2023 Stats:
Travel Days – 94
Nights at Anchor – 111
Nights on a dock or mooring that wasn’t Port Townsend – 13
Nautical Miles – 3784