Boating from Cabo San Lucas to San Diego

[Drew D]

Hello Everyone! I am in the process of purchasing a 38-foot contender express. The boat is equipped with 3x 350 v6 engines and has a fuel capacity of 440 gallons. My goal is to bring the boat back to SD by May or June, but I am willing to consider altering the schedule to align with favorable weather conditions during the journey. I have not navigated this route before so I'm thinking it might be wise to hire a captain or skipper to help my dad and me on the journey. I have been actively gathering information from various online forums regarding fuel stops, fishing locations, and potential hazards, but my research has its limitations. If we do end up manning the trip ourselves we planned on doing it over a week to 10 days to enjoy the adventure and get some fishing in on the way up. I've gathered the information below so far while doing my initial research and hope I can get some feedback and insight from the community. Thanks in advance!!


Fishing

Mag Bay

• The Tetis
• 23

Cedros

• Must fish offshore the island since the boat is over 32 feet

Likely Stops and Distances

Cabo to Bahia Santa Maria (mag Bay)	180
Bahia Santa Maria to Turtle Bay:	240
Turtle Bay to San Diego	360

*Nautical Miles*

Other Possible Stops:
Cabo to Mag Bay 180
Mag Bay to Hipolito 166
Hipolito to Asuncion 20
Asuncion to Tortuga 50
Tortuga to Cedros 30
Cedros to San Martin 150
San Martin to Ensenada 87
Ensenada to SD 63


Fueling
Lee side of Cedros
Turtle Bay is great - Enrique, his phone number is (615)159-7620
Santa Maria near Mag bay - Marco (613)113-4529
Mag Bay from Gregorio (channel 14)

Hazards / Avoid
Sacramento Reef
Turtle bay - reef leaving the bay to the north comes up high

Items To Bring:
- Fuel barrels
- Spare parts

Questions:
Any captain/skipper recommendations?
Any suggestions on safe areas to anchor or dock for the night?
Spare parts to bring?
Paperwork needed to avoid problems with Mexican Navy / Police?

 

[SD2600]

Sub

 

[40Grit]

Avoid turtle
Ascension is a better fuel deal.
Turtle $12 a gallon

 

[40Grit]

Just went through all the stuff. Returning from the Cabo race. This week If you’re purchasing a boat in Mexico. It’s better to probably keep the import permit with the old owner. Especially if you’re returning to the USA you will need to cancel his import permit aka TIP once you clear your last port of call normally Ensenada. The folks at the Coral marina have a port captain’s offices on site.
Get some weather routing software.
And AIS transmitting.

 

[40Grit]

He will need to cancel his import permit

 

[Goldfishy]

Good luck on your adventure!

I envy you and hope you can video document the trip from dock to dock.

Post up here and make it into a YouTube thing.

 

[40Grit]

I’d bring another alternator, complete water pump, not just an impeller. And enough filters to endure a fungus issue. It’s 800 miles, and if you’re dealing with filters. Consuming, filters easily one every 24 hours is common. Bring a bag full.
Generally your motors will have a secondary filter. They will be 10 micron. The primary should be 30 microns.
Knowing the procedure for filter swapping and the air bleeding, before being at sea. Is huge. Remember it only happens at 1:30-2;00 am
Sometimes an electric inline fuel pump is great for priming
Some thoughts ?

 

[mike mitchell]

A buddy boat would be nice.

 

[tuna sniffer]

I assume you’re talking gas outboards here, correct? Is gas just as available as diesel at these locations? Obviously gas is much more dangerous to store on deck, so highest quality fuel storage is a must.

 

[clevel]

Look up Baja Ha Ha Rally and also CUBAR on the web. Both are organizations that sail RT from San Diego to Cabo. Perhaps you can join them on their leg home. Capt. Pat Rains leads the CUBAR and she could tell you everything you want to know about your trip. She even has a book you can buy from Amazon, which will tell you how to transit between Cabo and San Diego.

 

[Drew D]

Good luck on your adventure!

I envy you and hope you can video document the trip from dock to dock.

Post up here and make it into a YouTube thing.

I've got a friend that does video blogs and have asked him to come. I'm hoping he makes the trips so I can share the adventure with everyone! I'll keep you posted.

 

[fishboy93]

There is NO GASOLINE from Cabo to Ensenada. Your info is ok but it’s not a trip for a first time group of guys especially in a center console. Feel free to reach out I’ve done deliveries in anything from a 45 yellowfin to 90’ sportfishers. The west coast of Baja can be the most brutal coastline you’ll ever see and even with a town can be more remote than you ever planned.

 

[40Grit]

My guys made San Diego in six days. It’s remote. One fuel stop. Pulling into Long Beach today

 

[fishboy93]

My guys made San Diego in six days. It’s remote. One fuel stop. Pulling into Long Beach today

Saw a lot of boats stage to sail north just before this last storm. Looked like a big Baja bash for all involved.

 

[40Grit]

I just re read the post. I’ve assumed Diesel,
Gas outboards, ?
Three of them,
Obviously it’s a range equation.
It’s going to be jugs not drums of fuel.
800 miles of remoteness with one known fuel stop,
That only deals in diesel. The nearest Pmex is on hwy 1
Lopez Mateo just got gas last year.
I’ve heard of people doing it? Obviously in the 60-70s gas fishing boats did the trip,
If i were really itching to get up from the Cape, I’d turn left to San Felipe, and trailer out. lots more gas options?

 

[40Grit]

Saw a lot of boats stage to sail north just before this last storm. Looked like a big Baja bash for all involved.

The weather routing software is the kid. It enabled us to jump when needed. And wait in San Diego until last night.
It’s still a long way up. I’m counting scheckels, Gotta give those guys some bonus $

 

[fishboy93]

I just re read the post. I’ve assumed Diesel,
Gas outboards, ?
Three of them,
Obviously it’s a range equation.
It’s going to be jugs not drums of fuel.
800 miles of remoteness with one known fuel stop,
That only deals in diesel. The nearest Pmex is on hwy 1
Lopez Mateo just got gas last year.
I’ve heard of people doing it? Obviously in the 60-70s gas fishing boats did the trip,
If i were really itching to get up from the Cape, I’d turn left to San Felipe, and trailer out. lots more gas options?

You’d have la Paz and loreto for gas but you’d also have more wind to worry about and reefs/islands in your way. Nothing like spring northerlies in the Cortez to keep you stuck on anchor for weeks.

Can’t really do the jug game on a boat that burns 25+gph at an efficient speed. And there’s no way you’ll carry a handful of barrels or bladders either. Just gotta start with a deck full of fuel bladders and have some local knowledge of who can help ya fuel on the way up. The real bonus points would be for anyone that knows the co ops and can fuel with them.

 

[PaDDy Killer']

Gas is going to be a pain in the ass down there. Getting good diesel is bad enough. I would consider a friend or two with a pickup truck to shadow you guys in Baja with a large fuel bladder and dingy in the bed of their truck and meet you in ports along the way up north. Less danger on the boat having a big fuel bladder sloshing around on deck. Cheaper too as your fuel tanks magically grow south of the border. In SD we could barely get 193 gallons in our 200-gallon bladder. Down south we were getting over 220 gallons lol. And some free algae to go along with it.

 

[jigstrike]

You may consider going up thw cortez and them having it trucked from San Felipe or rocky point on the mainland. Or just trucked up the whole way. Your broker should know

 

[starbright55]

Didn't Shad Burke do the southbound trip on a 26' Edgewater?

 

[Drew D]

My guys made San Diego in six days. It’s remote. One fuel stop. Pulling into Long Beach today

Where was the one stop they made?

 

[Drew D]

There is NO GASOLINE from Cabo to Ensenada. Your info is ok but it’s not a trip for a first time group of guys especially in a center console. Feel free to reach out I’ve done deliveries in anything from a 45 yellowfin to 90’ sportfishers. The west coast of Baja can be the most brutal coastline you’ll ever see and even with a town can be more remote than you ever planned.

It's an express not a center console

 

[Drew D]

Just went through all the stuff. Returning from the Cabo race. This week If you’re purchasing a boat in Mexico. It’s better to probably keep the import permit with the old owner. Especially if you’re returning to the USA you will need to cancel his import permit aka TIP once you clear your last port of call normally Ensenada. The folks at the Coral marina have a port captain’s offices on site.
Get some weather routing software.
And AIS transmitting.

Could I grab your number and give you a call to get some more information on the trip? DM me if its ok

 

[jiggermyster]

Avoid turtle
Ascension is a better fuel deal.
Turtle $12 a gallon

Also need to mention the unmarked reef (it's on all the charts!) leaving Turtle bay heading north. Big side business banging props back into usable shape after a inattentive skipper bends them up on the rocks.

We made the trip several times back in the '70's-80's. One year we buddy boated down with a 50' sportfisher heading down to do the Bisbee. Made the mistake of letting the old people fly down to bring the sportfisher back after the tournament.
That's how we learned about the prop repair business.

 

[acefuture]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Mag Bay is Magdalena Bay, Not Bahia Santa Maria. Bahia Santa Maria is a small bay between Cabo San Lucas and San Jose Del Cabo.

I just flew back from Cabo on Sunday and the plane flew up the entire west coast. Was really cool to see it from above the entire way. It is DESOLATE from Cabo San Lucas all the way to Ensenada.