BajaNomad

Kayaking BOLA to La Paz

AndyP - 7-10-2014 at 05:58 PM

Beginning in mid-march this year my wife and I paddled our tandem kayak alone from Bahia de los Angeles to La Paz. We did a smaller trip a few years ago and had an incredible experience, and this trip was just as good. We went around Islas San Marcos, Coronados, Danzante, Monserrate, San Jose, San Francisco and Espiritu Santo, spent 59 days on the water and paddled about 500 miles... I'm still there in spirit.

Sea turtles, whales and rays were around us constantly, we saw several whale sharks and snorkeled with one of them, saw lots of fin and humpback whales (plus one grey), and I ate fish for dinner almost every night. I think these long kayak trips on the Cortez are just about the best thing to do in the world- the paddling is spectacular, camping is great, and throw in all the snorkeling, hiking and fishing and I am truly in heaven. Here are some photos of the BOLA to Mulege leg.











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Whale bone table:























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freediverbrian - 7-10-2014 at 06:13 PM

Great pics , love the whale bone camp table

AndyP - 7-10-2014 at 06:16 PM

And photos Mulege to La Paz:
























[img]https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-***58_NP7jQ/U78gtUY57yI/AAAAAAAAAbU/W8YOj5CydjE/w640-h427-no/IMG_8868.JPG[/img]



























willardguy - 7-10-2014 at 06:18 PM

great trip report! so what did you end up dragging behind the yak? (lure wise)

AndyP - 7-10-2014 at 06:25 PM

I brought some floating rapalas but kept losing them or pulling them in fouled with weeds, so I ended up only catching a few fish with the hand line. But I did bring a pole in the end and quickly got pretty good with it fishing from shore, and it was a lot of fun- I caught lots of triggers, hogfish, hawkfish, cabrilla, yellow snapper, that kind of thing. I used lures or whatever I could scrounge off the beach like squid or snail or crab. That and the pole spear kept me in all the fish I could want.

encanto - 7-10-2014 at 06:40 PM

What a treat to see these out of the way pristine places. You are wonderful photographers. Thanks!

shari - 7-10-2014 at 07:03 PM

thanks for taking us along on your adventure...your photos are wonderful. I loved the one of the kayak at the dock...very ironic...what's next for you two?

ehall - 7-10-2014 at 07:10 PM

wow, awesome experience

cocoscabana - 7-10-2014 at 08:35 PM

Thanks for the pictures and adventure report. The first photo in the second set is taken about 20 ft from our winter campsite!!! So great to be surprised by a very familiar view of Playa Los Cocos...the best "campground" in Baja.

David K - 7-10-2014 at 08:49 PM

WOW!!! :cool:

Good On YOU !!

captkw - 7-10-2014 at 08:53 PM

WOW !! great trip and awesome photos !! Thanks for shareing....pregunta ? what made you run with a double/tamdom kayak VS two singles ??? would not two singles provide more space,,safety factor and recon ops ??? :?: K&T

N2Baja - 7-10-2014 at 09:14 PM

Thank you for sharing! Awesome pictures! I'm putting this on my bucket list right now!

AndyP - 7-10-2014 at 09:46 PM

Shari- I'm in grad school now, probably won't make it back to Baja for at least a couple years:no:

Cocos- good eye! We like playa Cocos, stayed there several times.

Capt- the tandem is actually safer if one person gets hurt, the other can paddle. Also it's a folding kayak so it gets more compact, and I have a lot more paddling experience than my wife; if the seas get rough I have more control of the situation with the double. But yes plenty of times I wished for a single also.

motoged - 7-10-2014 at 10:36 PM

Andy,
Thank you :saint:

It just doesn't get much better than that !!!


My first trip to Baja in 1989 was 10 days in two double Nautiraids off the west coast of Espiritu Santu....life-changing, for sure :cool:

So cool....words can't explain the power of such tripping.

BajaRat - 7-10-2014 at 10:37 PM

Fantastic Andy, Thank you ! What make and model is that kayak ?

monoloco - 7-11-2014 at 12:09 AM

Awesome trip, beautiful fotos! Thanx for sharing.

Timinator - 7-11-2014 at 05:46 AM

Loved the pictures and trip report, thanks for posting.

AndyP - 7-11-2014 at 05:56 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by BajaRat
Fantastic Andy, Thank you ! What make and model is that kayak ?


It's a Feathercraft K2 folding kayak, made in Canada. Great boat, I had to look a long time to find a used one I could afford.

shari - 7-11-2014 at 07:45 AM

thank you Andy for your answers to the folks questions...very informative. Now about those 2 years of grad school...a mere blink of an eye for most of us old farts around here. They will go by in no time and you can take that time to plan your next baja adventure which we will all be anxiously awaiting!

Ateo - 7-11-2014 at 08:03 AM

Epic. Trip of a lifetime.

Did you bring your own desal equipment?

AndyP - 7-11-2014 at 08:40 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Ateo
Epic. Trip of a lifetime.

Did you bring your own desal equipment?


No, I'd like to have one in case we got stuck somewhere or just wanted to extend a stay, but they're expensive- I spent my extra money on a PLB for this trip. We carried about 19 gallons of water in 10liter MSR Dromedary bags and some random bottles. There are places to resupply water all down the coast and I tried to never get below a 5 gallon reserve, which we mostly stuck to.

By the way anyone interested in Baja kayaking, even day trips, should get this book:

http://paddlepublishing.com/

Mexitron - 7-11-2014 at 08:53 AM

Beautiful pics and an awesome trip!

wessongroup - 7-11-2014 at 09:00 AM

Outstanding ... and you have something in the memory bank for years :):)

Genecag - 7-11-2014 at 09:10 AM

Most excellent adventure and thanks for sharing! For sure gonna be on my bucket list... I am looking forward to our 7 day trip to La Paz on Motos end of this year. I will need time to work up paddling to La Paz or should i say need some years back in my life to do it.

TMW - 7-11-2014 at 10:04 AM

Beautiful pictures. What a trip with sights most people will never see. Thanks

WOW!

El Vergel - 7-11-2014 at 02:34 PM

Thank you for this most excellent Trip Report!

Kgryfon - 7-11-2014 at 02:56 PM

I second all the Wows!! Great report and photos! Very inspiring :)

Pappy Jon - 7-11-2014 at 06:35 PM

Speechless photographs. A trip of a lifetime that I've always wanted to do. Gotta do this somehow before I get much older.

bacquito - 7-12-2014 at 10:08 AM

Great report!, did you have problems with wind?

[Edited on 7-12-2014 by bacquito]

bajajudy - 7-12-2014 at 02:02 PM

THANK YOU!
What a magnificent photo report.

BTW tandem kayaks are known as divorce kayaks....
Glad you made it.

We sell that kayak book too. Have sold many over the last few years.

bajagrouper - 7-12-2014 at 02:18 PM

Great pics, I love it when some Mexico tourists insist the only crystal clear water is on the Caribbean side of Mexico........

Pacifico - 7-12-2014 at 07:04 PM

What a cool trip! Well done!

How many miles a day did you guys do? Shortest day...longest day?

Neal Johns - 7-13-2014 at 12:50 PM

Great trip report - except I hate water. :lol:
Neal - Old Navy Chief

Bubba - 7-13-2014 at 04:43 PM

Wowzer! That's a trip of a life time. Thank you for the report and pics!

AndyP - 7-14-2014 at 07:26 AM

baquito- we had wind layover periods several times, twice for three-day stretches. We try to be conservative and get/stay off the water as it gets bad, but it's not always easy to know where that line is between windy-but-manageable and dangerous.

Pacifico- we prefer to paddle easy 10-15 mile days, but frequently did 15-20 and occasionally 25 or a little more. That's a long day unless there was some sailing involved. For me it's definitely not about racking up the miles; in most stretches paddling a lot of miles just means you missed more great camping opportunities and places to explore.

shari - 7-14-2014 at 07:41 AM

yesireee bob...life in the slow lane is rich!

I learned that sailing...I really like the world going by at 5 knots or less.

Horseback riding also was great for taking in the surroundings fully and of course walking...the universe has so much beauty to reveal if we would only slow down and savour it.

Sweetwater - 7-14-2014 at 01:47 PM

Wonderful set of photos and definitely an envious adventure. I own an expedition kayak from a decade ago and you've given me some inspiration for an alternative if my disc problems don't resolve. Motorbikes may not be the only Baja adventure to take....

Thanks for the ideas......:light:

lizard lips - 7-14-2014 at 03:39 PM

EXCELLENT! It is so nice to have your wife with you.

Where will your next trip take you?

bacquito - 7-15-2014 at 11:43 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by AndyP
baquito- we had wind layover periods several times, twice for three-day stretches. We try to be conservative and get/stay off the water as it gets bad, but it's not always easy to know where that line is between windy-but-manageable and dangerous.

Pacifico- we prefer to paddle easy 10-15 mile days, but frequently did 15-20 and occasionally 25 or a little more. That's a long day unless there was some sailing involved. For me it's definitely not about racking up the miles; in most stretches paddling a lot of miles just means you missed more great camping opportunities and places to explore.


Thanks for the information-great report.

Pacifico - 7-15-2014 at 11:52 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by bacquito
Quote:
Originally posted by AndyP
baquito- we had wind layover periods several times, twice for three-day stretches. We try to be conservative and get/stay off the water as it gets bad, but it's not always easy to know where that line is between windy-but-manageable and dangerous.

Pacifico- we prefer to paddle easy 10-15 mile days, but frequently did 15-20 and occasionally 25 or a little more. That's a long day unless there was some sailing involved. For me it's definitely not about racking up the miles; in most stretches paddling a lot of miles just means you missed more great camping opportunities and places to explore.



Thanks for the information-great report.


Yes! Thank you for the info!

I was curious what a typical day was. For a 10-15 mile day, is that about 3-5 hours of paddling? I would love to do a trip like yours!

AndyP - 7-15-2014 at 03:55 PM

Quote:


Yes! Thank you for the info!

I was curious what a typical day was. For a 10-15 mile day, is that about 3-5 hours of paddling? I would love to do a trip like yours!


I think we paddle about 4mph as long as we aren't too tired, but you have to keep in mind there aren't many hour long periods without any rests or stops to see wildlife or whatever. It's not like on a sailboat where you sustain 6mph or whatever hour after hour. So yes, 3-5 hours is probably about right. On long crossings, like the 9 miles out to Isla Montserrat, we try to paddle hard and maintain that 4mph or better the whole way to minimize exposure.

I didn't have time to write out a long trip report this time, but if anyone is curious about logistics I wrote much more for my 2011 trip reports-

Mulege to La Paz:
http://potterfs.wordpress.com/category/mexico/kayak-mulege-t...

Isla Carmen:
http://potterfs.wordpress.com/category/mexico/kayak-islas-ca...

Isla Espiritu Santo:
http://potterfs.wordpress.com/category/mexico/kayak-isla-esp...

Mark_BC - 7-15-2014 at 06:24 PM

Wow great trip! I love these kinds of adventures. Last spring I packrafted only 12 km (with my gear and bike) in the wilderness north of Bay of LA. It is very beautiful out on the water next to the desert wilderness and I liked seeing all the birds in the cliffs and wildlife. I'm surprised that you didn't bring a desalinator though, that's risky, but I guess you had it all planned out. Next time I want to bring spearfishing gear, there are tons of fish down there, you just have to be able to get them.

In case you missed it, it is here, and I am still adding photos... I am so behind. What camera gear did you use?

http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=70746&pag...

AndyP - 7-15-2014 at 10:08 PM

Mark, looks like an amazing trip you had. Every time I've gone for a hike out in the Baja boonies I've been struck by how damn hard it is; kayaking is easy in comparison- way to go. As for spearfishing, I carry a three piece pole spear that breaks down nice and small, it's a lot of fun and definitely gets fish, although on this last trip I found myself using a regular fishing pole more and more... maybe I'm getting lazy. Camera gear was a cheap Canon DSLR and kit lenses, and a point and shoot. I think I posted a couple cell phone pics too- it's easy to seem like a good photographer when you spend a decent bit of time in such a beautiful place.

As for the desalinator, I think I mentioned earlier that I tried to stick to at least a 5 gallon (three day) buffer of water reserves, and there are lots of places to refill especially as you head south. I know people that have been pinned down for five days at a time though, so there you go. I've thought through how I would try to distill seawater with driftwood and what I have with me, but have never tried it- hopefully never will have to.

Marc - 7-16-2014 at 11:04 PM

Wonderful! I love those Feathercraft boats. I've paddled many a mile in them and Kleppers all over the world.

Martyman - 7-18-2014 at 10:50 AM

My wife is a recent Baja convert. I loved your trip report and showed her the photos from your trip. At the end of viewing she says "OK I'll go". We weren't even talking about such a trip but now...I guess we are. Yipee! Life is all about adventures.
Thanks for a great travelogue.

tarugus - 7-19-2014 at 09:07 AM

what a fantastic adventure and trip report! i'm so envious! thanks for sharing your adventure.

Ribbonslinger - 8-17-2014 at 11:56 AM

Last year was my first time in baja. Loved it. We bought a used Windrider 17 trimaran. Looking forward to travelling to some of the places yo went. Did you stop at the beach just north of San Cosome? It is a sweet spot. They have a desalinating facility in San Cosome now, so you can get water there.

Thanks for your post!

AndyP - 8-17-2014 at 12:49 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Ribbonslinger
Last year was my first time in baja. Loved it. We bought a used Windrider 17 trimaran. Looking forward to travelling to some of the places yo went. Did you stop at the beach just north of San Cosome? It is a sweet spot. They have a desalinating facility in San Cosome now, so you can get water there.

Thanks for your post!


San Cosome doesn't ring any bells for me, I googled it and San Cosme seems to be a name for the hot spring area near Agua Verde, which I did check out, but I doubt it's what you're talking about.

I've actually sailed a windrider 17 a bit, fun boat! What I love most about a kayak in comparison is the ease of beaching it and getting the boat out of the water.

Ribbonslinger - 8-17-2014 at 04:14 PM

That's the place. The beach with the Hotsprings. Great snorkelling on the reef just north of the hot springs. Believe it or not we drove our truck and camper along that crappy road to the beach. Great spot! Going back there this winter for sure.

Ribbonslinger - 8-17-2014 at 04:17 PM

Feeling guilty. I have not posted about my trip down there. I better get on it.

Lee - 8-17-2014 at 04:25 PM

What a fantasy adventure. Yeah that was epic. I want to do that now.

Cliffy - 8-17-2014 at 08:57 PM

I wish I was 40 years younger Thanks!