Land Macgregor spotted

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paula_ke
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Land Macgregor spotted

Post by paula_ke »

Jan 25 heading south on Mex 1 near Mulege Baja!
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mac n cheese
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Re: Land Macgregor spotted

Post by mac n cheese »

I would be ok if the road ended here and it was my Mac. 8)

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armadillo
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Re: Land Macgregor spotted

Post by armadillo »

Do you know the condition of the road? Im looking for a place to stay this February. I want to stay in airbnb's with WiFi (Working) Monday to Thursday and sail the rest of the week.
My first idea was driving from Dallas to Mulege, Loreto and La Paz. But my biggest concern is the condition of the road. My trailer has only one axle, so I dont want to stress it to much. The other option is driving to San Carlos and other cities in the south and sail some days to Mulege/Loreto. What do you think works better?
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dlandersson
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Re: Land Macgregor spotted

Post by dlandersson »

Looks warm :cry:
mac n cheese wrote:I would be ok if the road ended here and it was my Mac. 8)

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Chinook
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Re: Land Macgregor spotted

Post by Chinook »

No first hand familiarity with the Baja road down to Loreto and La Paz. I'm guessing that much of it is just 2 lane. It certainly is a much longer drive than trailering to San Carlos. The road to San Carlos is 4 lane divided highway for the entire distance, 250 to 300 miles from the Nogales border to San Carlos. Travel lanes were in good repair when we made the drive about 10 years ago. Only limitation was a lack of shoulders to pull off onto, in the event of vehicle or trailer trouble. At least it's a 4 lane highway. San Carlos has an excellent, well run marina, with good options for secure vehicle/trailer parking, and a strong American presence. Also, there are excellent gunkholing opportunities out of San Carlos, on the mainland side, if you head north up the mainland coast. Lots of attractive small bays to explore within 40 miles of San Carlos.
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paula_ke
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Re: Land Macgregor spotted

Post by paula_ke »

I brought my 26M down here to Mulege. Warm days, cool nights. Splashing for first time this year tomorrow morning. WInds and tides line up okay for a 3 day trip around Bahia Concepcion (see the above picture!)

Road conditions. I would not come to Baja with a single axle Mac. As soon as I got my Mac in 2017 I put a second axle on.
Mex 1 from boarder to Mulege is the best condition I have seen in many years. However, it is not a smooth road, A Lot is 'old spec' which means the road ends at a white line at its edge and falls off many feet (no shoulder) Quite the experience going 60mph with an old Mexican freightliner half in your lane heading at you.

Mulege to Loretto is same, maybe a few less bumps, mixed old spec and new spec roads

No monster pot holes except in Santa Roselia near the mines. Everyone crawls there

Mex 1 Loretto to the tip, same. Consitucion has some pot holes.

Only Marina's are in Loretto, La Paz and other heavy toristo locations. Not cheap.

Mulege has a boat ramp usable at medium to high tides. Not usable at low tides. Really nice camping near boat ram at Don Chano's.
Getting through town with a Mac in tow is a challenge but worth it.

This is my second winter with the Mac down here!

Paula
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armadillo
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Re: Land Macgregor spotted

Post by armadillo »

Thanks. I really appreciate your information and advice. I use to navigate in US using a Lowrance 4x HDI but I think that wont help me in Mexico. What do you use to navigate?
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BOAT
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Re: Land Macgregor spotted

Post by BOAT »

i thought i was better hidden rats
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paula_ke
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Re: Land Macgregor spotted

Post by paula_ke »

I have the Garmin chip for calimex and I also use transas sailor Both have accuracy issues.
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Chinook
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Re: Land Macgregor spotted

Post by Chinook »

Accuracy issues aren't surprising. When we went down there we had paper charts produced by Gerry Cunningham. He developed his charts, which offered very little detail, using GPS to map anchorages. He also recorded depth readings for popular anchorages. At that time the best (read that "only") charts for the Sea of Cortez were British Admiralty charts, done in the late 1800's. He discovered errors in the British charts of a mile or more. When we went there, some of the major reefs and sea mounts were noted on the charts, accompanied by an alarming disclaimer that one couldn't count on them all being charted. Daylight visibility was a must when cruising near shore. This was underscored for us when we spotted a derelict 30 foot sailboat hull, lying on the rocks near San Marte, with a large hole in her bow. She had been completely stripped by the time we examined her. She had a Seattle registration, current for the year we were there. Story we got was that a delivery captain was single handing her on a delivery contract. Apparently he dozed off just as he approached San Marte Reef, with unfortunate results. I assume he pursued a new career thereafter.
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