My wife and I spent 9 days in the Sea of Cortez aboard SV Escape (44 ft. Fountain Pajot Helia Catamaran) over Christmas 2020. We were there to gain more training and get the ASA endorsements for 104 and 114. We got that and soooo much more.
Naturally, the Sea of Cortez is beautiful, Baja California Sur is always spectacular, and the marina Puerto Escondito near Loreto is well kept, well stocked, and helpful.
Whether you believe in Divine Guidance, or dumb luck, we could not have had more of either. We were assigned Captain John Aros and chef Macrina Mitchel.
John's 20+ years of sailing, seamanship, and boat handling experience are staggering, and he put it all to great use, seeing that we not only met the requirements for the ASA endorsements but also received as much knowledge about boating as could possibly be shoved into a weeklong stay.
If you are looking for a mentor to prepare you for boat ownership and/or long- distance cruising, you will not find a better one than Captain John. His desire to see you succeed comes through in every word and action he takes. He is a truly dedicated professional instructor and worth every penny and more.
Macrina is a local chef and brings years of experience at preparing magnificent meals from the local traditions. She gave us an impromptu class on the 24 (or more) local peppers she uses to flavor her divine creations. Since it was Christmas, she and John even made us roast turkey and apple/pear pie. What an amazing treat after a long day of tacking, jibing, and "oh crap what did I do that time"?
Whether you are looking for sailing instruction or just a relaxing charter, we highly recommend West Coast Multihulls out of Loreto Mexico. www.charter-catamaran.com
Fair winds,
Michael & Beth W. read more