Tom,
Thanks for this first-hand report.
--Alan

Tom Dacon wrote:
I was last there in 1977, with a 41' sloop. There are two decent anchorages
on the inside of the main island. The southerly anchorage is narrow, sand
bottom, and would accommodate maybe a couple of cooperative boats. The one
just to the north, the ruins of a volcanic cone if I remember correctly, is
a nice deep anchorage with room for a number of boats.

You can anchor out a bit on one hook with good protection from the west, as
the fishermen do, or on bow and stern anchors in pretty close. Setting an
inside stern hook can be a bit of a problem because of the smooth rock
shelves on the bottom but there are sandy patches. The water is so clear
that you can easily snorkle over your anchors to see how well they're dug
in. On the north side of that bight, there's a small-boat passage to another
rocky bay from which you can get up onto the island.

If the wind is light, or from the west, the inside anchorages have
protection. In mild conditions the anchorage I described above is
delightful. If it's blowing from the south, it's like everywhere else on the
west coast. There are major sea mammal haulouts on the outside of the
island, and it would be practical to put down a hook out there during the
day, but I wouldn't think of staying on that side overnight. There might be
surfing - I kind of forget.

The seagulls nest up on the island, and they'll drive you crazy diving on
you if you land during nesting season. Take a stick or something to drive
them off. And the kelp flies can drive you nuts. Fortunately, they're slow
and stupid.

At the time we were there, there was an abandoned fishing camp on the
island, just a ramshackle hut. Who knows what it's like now, but the basic
form of the island can't have changed.

Tom Dacon
Yacht Bettina

"Alan Gomes" wrote in message
...
I'm planning a trip to Ensenada, mostly to have some bottom work done on
my Catalina 30 at Baja Naval, but also to get in a little bit of sailing
with a few of my buddies. I'm wondering if any of you can comment as to
whether the Islas de Todos Santos might be worth seeing. (These islands
are roughly 8 miles west of Ensenada Harbor.) I'm toying with the idea of
stopping by there on the return trip.

I've looked up some stuff on the web and would read even more on it if it
looks viable, but I'd like to hear from someone who has actually been
there. Anything much to see? Any decent anchorage there?

Thanks,
Alan Gomes