Isla Estanque

Staying Informed

Or not. reading the news – how do we get it and how much do we actually read? – bits of one liner news we can bring up via our IridiumGo. How do we feel about the news? How much do we want to know about? Filtering not possible but the one line headliners help.

Isla Estanque

We soaked up all we wanted to take in for this seven-day visit in Puerto Refugio. The weather was in our favor to sail down to Isla Estanque, with a forecast of 5-15 knots with gusts to 20 kts, we figured we could make it in nine hours.

We depart at 0640, motoring out of the Middle Bight and around the point. Then we stopped at 0700 to float so we are available to run the Amigo Net from our Single Side Band (SSB) radio. On Tuesday and Thursday, the crew on Dharma Girl co-run the net. Carrie takes all the boat check ins and Chris reports the weather. Since it is early in the cruising season and with about 4 boats checking in, the net runs for about 20 minutes. Currently there are three boats splitting the 7 day schedule. And yes, if you did the math, one boat does have three days.

Chilling on the foredeck takes all Carrie’s worries away.

With the net completed, we point Dharma Girl south and sail on. Downwind sailing with with light winds, so we only use the main, 3.5 hrs later, the winds pick up and we let out the jib. Not much longer we then reefed main and jib for an additional 5 hours of sailing. Along the way on two different occasions, we were greeted with a large pod of dolphins. Their curiosity and or playfulness is always welcomed. Sometimes they hang with us for 5-10 minutes and sometimes 20-30. We always love it. As we come up to Isla Estanque Point, we start the engine, drop the sails, and ease ourselves through the tidal currents. A quick starboard turn and we are in the anchorage. Again, to our surprise, there are five boats here. Perhaps we became a teensy bit spoiled last season with no one in anchorages because most cruisers left once the pandemic had begun. We tuck in behind the small island.

The rocky shoreline that leads west to a isthmus that disappears at high tide.

Being anchored closer to the point than we typically would, we were concerned for a rolly night. But to no avail and we woke up to calm waters and blue skies. Two of the five boats headed North to Puerto Penasco, to do what we just did last month. The second morning two more boats head East to San Carlos. We know of the cruisers destinations because we overheard their conversations over the VHF.

After a day, we are the only boat in this anchorage.

We have the anchorage to ourselves. The water is calm. Carrie takes off on the SUP and explores. Isla Estanque is an island connected to Punta La Vibora on the southeast end of Angel de la Guarda island. Its unique and very long reef connects this island to the Angel de la Guarda island. Another unique feature we heard about is the “The Pond” located just over the reef wall from where we were anchored. If you can get your boat inside the pond area, you have all around protection. Out of curiosity, Carrie scouted the pond from our side of the anchorage. It was very pretty and loaded with birds. But as you see in the photos, it’s hard to imagine a boat 36 feet or longer anchored.

There were so many birds here, it could be a santuary.

One of the many many treats cruisers have is the opportunity to view the sky at all hours of the day and night and often without obstructions and light pollution. You can be lucky and just happen to see what is going on in the sky. You can also do a little research or homework and get information on the timing of planets, the moon, constellations, and the sun rising and setting.