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Baja Report 10/2/03
Archive: Current Baja Report,
2/4/05,1/21/05,
1/6/05,
12/19/04,
12/1/04,
11/18/04,
10/11/04,
3/10/04,
2/16/04,
2/2/04,
1/20/04,
1/07/04,
12/17/03,
12/1/03,
11/14/03,
11/2/03,
10/16/03,
10/02/03,
3/4/03,
2/25/03,
2/11/03,
2/4/03,
1/28/03,
1/21/03,
1/14/03, 1/6/03,
12/30/02, 12/22/02,
12/10/02
This winter our man Gary Morris from Windance will be keep you
informed of the sailing conditions in La Ventana Baja.
| Baja Update -
October 2, 2003 |
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From Hood River to Hurricanes
 There are advantages and disadvantages
of heading to Baja for the early season.
The advantages are good fishing, super warm water for
snorkeling and swimming, and few people.
The disadvantages are the heat (100+ and no air
conditioning) and humidity of the end of the tropical
summer, and as we found out on September 21...it's still
hurricane season! Baja
had already been brushed by a small hurricane the end of
August, which did little damage and brought much needed rain
to the arid peninsula.
Five fellow winter windseekers had already set up
when we arrived at the RV Park in La Ventana on the 15th.
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By the end of the week we had our camp set up with
only the satellite dish to aim and tune in.
The Weather Channel is our favorite channel this time
of the season, since they give an hourly Tropical Update
report on the eastern Pacific. On Friday they were
"watching with interest" a tropical depression
several hundreds of miles south of Cabo...it quickly became
our interest too. By
Saturday the system had become a tropical storm and was
expected to become a hurricane by Sunday.
It was now 250 miles south of Cabo and projected to
head up the west side of the Baja Peninsula and stay in the
Pacific Ocean. Sunday morning the storm was now
Hurricane Marty and the projected path had shifted to the
east, which was centered on La Paz and La Ventana.
There was no question that it was time to move, since
the Sea of Cortez is less than 100' from our door and our
elevation above sea level is 4 feet.
Everyone spent the day re-packing trailers, vans,
campers, and trucks. A
warm rain and gentle breeze persisted throughout the day and
into the evening. We
left the campground by 6pm and parked in a tight group on
high ground just off the road north of Yo Yo's.
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After catching the final Tropical Update at Joe and Angie's
(Baja Joe's Resort) at 8pm, things rapidly started to get
exciting. The
serious rain which people in the Northwest would describe
with adjectives like dogs, cats and buckets, began about 10
and continued for another seven hours.
The darkness disguised the ragging torrents rushing
down the arroyos just a short distance from us.
But nothing disguised the increasing winds of the
approaching hurricane.
The last report said that the hurricane should come
ashore in Cabo in the early morning hours, but by 5 am we
were being pummeled by horizontal rain and winds which were
much stronger than anything any of us had ever experienced.
By 5:30 the winds began to get "off the
scale" serious. The
RV's were rocking violently in the increasing gusts, making
strange noises which made everyone wonder if they would hold
together. Everyone
spend a tense 90 minutes wondering if the storm had arrived
early, or if the worst was still coming.
Fortunately by 7 am the winds began to back down and
the morning light began to illuminate the violent waters of
La Ventana Bay and the destruction left by winds of 120 -
140 mph.
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Hurricane Marty turned out to be a
major hurricane that caused major damage to the La Ventana
and La Paz area. There
were 5 deaths reported in La Paz, and most areas were
without water for a week, and power is just now beginning to
be restored. People
who have arrived this week report that the road is in good
shape, with just a few areas where repairs are being made.
Workers have been cleaning and repairing the damage
to the campground. The
south restrooms can't be used until the septic system is
repaired, but we now have water. It looks like the rent will
be going from $3 to 4$/day. We've had a few days of light
wind for big sails and kites, but it's early and any wind is
a bonus.
There are a few dorado around which is a good sign
for the fishing enthusiasts. Look for more updates as we get into the season, good
sailing, Gary & Nancy
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Gary and Nancy run the Windance Rental
& Demo Center in the summer, and spend the winter in
Baja on the beach in La Ventana
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