BajaNomad - Bye-Bye Puertecitos

Bye-Bye Puertecitos

bajaguy - 6-7-2017 at 07:01 AM

http://www.elvigia.net/general/2017/6/7/anuncian-megaproyect...

BigBearRider - 6-7-2017 at 07:23 AM

What an odd place to put a development.

shari - 6-7-2017 at 08:22 AM

It was only a matter of time....I always wondered why there wasnt a resort there. I think we will see much more development along that stretch with the completion of the new highway.

aguachico - 6-7-2017 at 08:33 AM

Good for them. 20 years of doing Baja and the furthest north I have been on the Cortez is Calamajue guey. Hope they do well and keep the tourist on their side.

ncampion - 6-7-2017 at 09:15 AM

Next they need a motel/restaurant/gas station at the junction of Hwy 1 and the new highway to San Felipe.

willardguy - 6-7-2017 at 09:22 AM

I like the idea of the golf course....cover up some of that puertecitos dirt! :coolup:

yumawill - 6-7-2017 at 09:40 AM

I love Baja. And the Fresh water will come from the "rock" that Abraham will strike with the front bumper of his '57 Chevy. Just as soon as he can find some petrol and a jumper wire to start it with. 500 million Pesos into politicians pockets equals a nice weekend in Vegas for the "Investigative Delegation".
The fish are already gone. Even the "Pirates" have moved on (although I'm going to miss them). Yes build it and they won't come. Another Baja Dream. Gone to dust.
So many Baja Dreams by the side of the road I should start a commercial tour bussiness. I could hire the roadside Pirates right here on Nomad. Hmmmmmmm............................

Hook - 6-7-2017 at 10:55 AM

"It consists of 5 thousand 598 residential units, 3 thousand 995 hotel units, equestrian center, 27-hole golf course, shopping area, restaurants."

Can the aquifer really support that much need for water?

woody with a view - 6-7-2017 at 11:12 AM

Desal.

chuckie - 6-7-2017 at 12:29 PM

Hold your breath.....

bajaguy - 6-7-2017 at 12:45 PM

Gonna need a heap of electricity/power

Quote: Originally posted by woody with a view

Desal.

AKgringo - 6-7-2017 at 01:55 PM

It is hard to imagine Cow Patty's with an Oxxo next door, and another one across the street!

I envision dirt road subdivisions, lots being sold, and deposits disappearing along with the start up money.

I love exploring around that area, but for me, it would never come close as a choice for a destination resort, second home, or retirement community.

BajaUtah - 6-7-2017 at 02:16 PM

A lovely gate and entry way will be built.

A shinny, multi-page brochure will be produced.

Deposits will be taken from starry eyed foreigners.

and........poof.

The cacti will remain undisturbed.

Rinse and repeat.

DENNIS - 6-7-2017 at 02:47 PM

Digitize your fotos, and cherish your memories. We from the old school have had the best of all of it.

chuckie - 6-7-2017 at 03:03 PM

What he said (Dennis)

jbcoug - 6-7-2017 at 04:11 PM

BajaUtah summed it up perfectley!

Cliffy - 6-7-2017 at 04:27 PM

Come back in 2 years and see where things stand
I'll bet $10 it has a lovely gate and desert behind.

PPDBJA - 6-7-2017 at 04:51 PM

Well, sooner or later, like it or Not Like it, the whole Coast of Baja California will be Hotels, Marinas, and Who knows!, special Marinas for Cruisers maybe?, Baja California & Baja California Sur is moving forward, little by little. The good part its that We wont see it! :lol:

bajabuddha - 6-7-2017 at 05:05 PM

Memories of Puertecitos

I camped there in '91 (mas o meno) by myself in my old '84 GMC Vandura camper van. Stayed at 'David's Camp' (my own name, hence WTFN)... just north of the lil' town in a cool cove bordered by volcanic rock and a great spot, just far enough off the road for reclusion and quiet. David was a Mexican National, spoke very good English with dual citizenship and a Caucasian wife, both about my age. He had a 'helper' with him from the mainland who spoke as good of English as I did Spanish at the time, so we hit it off really well conversing and sharing. I was taking a conversational Spanish language course at the time just for fun, to bone up on my skills. We three bantered a lot.

I loved the place. Magical. Always a hot springs addict, it was highest priority, the reason I was there. We went daytime for a soak at high tide, and was wonderful. Got a tour of the pueblita, a short course in who-was-who at the time, the plusses and foibles of the area, met a few local 'Old Timer' gringos with hateful attitudes towards the locals, and vice versa. Second night David and his wife and family took me to the hotsprings after hours; not a good scene. There were some sharp words bantered between he and the local folk who were enjoying the tubs, seems during the day time gringos are ok, but after dark it's the local's turn, and they didn't want to have their families in the water with us ''dirty'' folk.... David got in between them and I, and all became calm, after a few short and terse conversations. Once things calmed down I was accepted and all was joyful, with li'l ones climbing my shoulders. Wonderful soaks had by all, especially me.

The next few days were magical. With Picacho Del Diablo in the background and an ocean I wasn't familiar with yet in front of me, I was entranced, and knew Baja would be a future adventure (plural) on my agenda, as it indeed became. I only shore-casted off the rocks, caught my first wrasse and was spellbound by the color of it (released because it was so darned beautiful). I played guitar, napped, ate, hit the local eatery, talked, listened, loved the spot. Much like La Joya at Puerto Peñasco, the 'old timers' were an entrenched lot protecting 'their turf' as usual in a gringolandia community of ex-pats on a budget feuding with those who own the place to begin with.

All was well until one day in the afternoon when Jefe came in with his boat (I usually went down to see what his catch was... ocean stuff was new to this Utah boy). Normally he'd show me his haul; this time they were very furtive and in a hurry, so I shined it on and went back to my camp. Later that evening after supper they came over and invited me down to their shanty, and showed me in a shed covered with tarp a couple of sea turtles they'd smuggled in that afternoon. I was heartbroken to see, but I knew they had a half-year $ for their efforts, and the next morning at daybreak I left without saying goodbye.

T'was the last time I stayed at Puertecitos, and every time I drive by now, I remember that gorgeous cove, the wonderful saline hot water, and the dichotomous feelings I had when I left there. The place always reminds me of a tug-of-war for some reason.

David K - 6-7-2017 at 05:12 PM

A marina harbor, golfing resort, and more was supposed to go into the salt flat and lagoon between Shell Island and Bahía Santa María. Nothing yet, years later.

Don't worry too hard about things happening fast in Baja. The hot springs and natural bay are in Puertecitos' favor, but still... it will be a while, I think?

Cliffy - 6-7-2017 at 05:44 PM

Had a friend, long passed, that in the 70s had a shack there and flew down in his Cessna 182

mtgoat666 - 6-7-2017 at 06:37 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Hook

"It consists of 5 thousand 598 residential units, 3 thousand 995 hotel units, equestrian center, 27-hole golf course, shopping area, restaurants."

Can the aquifer really support that much need for water?

Why wild anyone buy there? Long to drive to. Too hot for 5 months the year. Windy. Turbid sea water. Bleh! :no:

Equestrian center? Ha, ha! They are talking about $5 "horse" rides on those sorry-looking horses from Ensenada-Rosarito area beach vendors. Sad!
Suckers from Arizona need to be warned to not put any money down until 100% complete!
RE market for gringo homes is in the tank, won't come back until Mexico fixes border-xing mess and crime image.

willardguy - 6-7-2017 at 07:03 PM

I would think if you're a south campo resident you would be stoked to have a nice golf course, restaurants and cantina's in puertecitos, and yes even an OXXO next to the Cow Patty! :yes:

but I don't know about all the hotel/condo business.......
[Edited on 6-8-2017 by willardguy]

[Edited on 6-8-2017 by willardguy]

beercan - 6-7-2017 at 07:27 PM

Aint gonna happen and the "real location" is North of Vergel and South of Percbue.

The last major feign at Puertecitos was rejected by Clara.

mtgoat666 - 6-7-2017 at 07:54 PM

Quote: Originally posted by beercan

Aint gonna happen and the "real location" is North of Vergel and South of Percbue.

Dirt island may be threatened!

I never thought puertocitos a scenic town. Not sure the resort guests will be impressed by the malecon and architecture, not high spot on my list for an evening stroll through the town square and along the bay :lol:

I suppose they could bulldoze the town, and put up a faux old-timey town ala las Vega, eh?

David K - 6-7-2017 at 08:09 PM

Oh, so this is the same fairyland project as I mentioned... and over 30 miles north of Puertecitos. If they dredge a marina, it will fill with sand faster than you would believe.

The Rose-Colored View

MrBillM - 6-7-2017 at 09:00 PM

Living in Indio, I first stopped in Puertecitos in '72 on the way to Alfonsina's in Gonzaga Bay to drop off a letter from my next door neighbor whose sister lived out beyond the boat ramp.

I thought at the time that it was a cluttered, ramshackle dump.

Which is not to say it wasn't attractive in its own third-world "Baja" way. OK to visit, but not a place to live.

Many visits over the years through 2012 didn't change that thinking.

My two most indelible memories were from that '72 visit. The first was visiting the cantina's facilities.

While usually an unattractive event in most Baja locations, THAT was truly disgusting.

The second was asking one of the residents about the food at the cantina.

"GREAT", she said. "Just don't watch it being prepared".

Good enough for me. I stuck with the Coronas.

Cliffy - 6-8-2017 at 12:39 AM

I agree with the above about P city.
But where would we be without old stories about Baja?
H&*l, we ate in one place 30 years ago and actually shot c-ckroaches off the wall with rubber bands as we waited for the food! :-)

pacificobob - 6-8-2017 at 06:21 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Cliffy

Come back in 2 years and see where things stand
I'll bet $10 it has a lovely gate and desert behind.

don't forget a few dried up palms alongside the gate

mtgoat666 - 6-8-2017 at 06:25 AM

Quote: Originally posted by pacificobob

Quote: Originally posted by Cliffy

Come back in 2 years and see where things stand
I'll bet $10 it has a lovely gate and desert behind.

don't forget a few dried up palms alongside the gate

And they will scrape the native vegetation, what little there is, so what comes back is just a few sparse weeds. Throw in a bit of litter, and some piles of construction debris, and it will be real baja experience.
Nothing prettier than a bare dirt lot and rebar stubs!

chuckie - 6-8-2017 at 06:29 AM

Don't forget the painted white rocks............

mexicali-kid - 6-8-2017 at 07:41 AM

The Spanish group, "Inveravante" is behind the development. This isn't their first rodeo.

willardguy - 6-8-2017 at 08:57 AM

Quote: Originally posted by mexicali-kid

The Spanish group, "Inveravante" is behind the development. This isn't their first rodeo.

maybe....but they're certainly no match for this group of antique nomads that swear they were there when rodeo was invented! :rolleyes:

Cliffy - 6-8-2017 at 01:59 PM

Hey, its hard to lasso a triceratops!!!

JZ - 6-8-2017 at 10:39 PM

The whole stretch of the East side of Baja north of Gonzaga is ugly. SF is super ugly. Baja starts at Gonzaga to me.

redhilltown - 6-8-2017 at 11:42 PM

Quote: Originally posted by JZ

The whole stretch of the East side of Baja north of Gonzaga is ugly. SF is super ugly. Baja starts at Gonzaga to me.

Could not disagree more. If you think the Enchanted Islands are "ugly"...if you think Black Mountain is "ugly"...if you've stood on a rock and north of Huerfanito and cast out into the Cortez for corvina and sierra while turtles swam near you and finbacks in the distance...that is not "ugly"...it can be heaven and it is beautiful.

chuckie - 6-9-2017 at 05:03 AM

In thinking about this thread, its almost like saying goodbye to a town that never was...

Lobsterman - 6-9-2017 at 06:03 AM

Picture taken May 2017

Why would anyone want to have a pleasant drive through many different landscapes, towns, villages, fish camps and wildlife areas along the river? Who else would want a 40' whale shark swimming under your boat or a pod of +50' jet-black backfin whales feeding 50' from you while manta rays leap out of the water around you? Who would want to wrestle with a 20 lb cabrilla fighting to get back to its home or catching all the triggerfish you need for dinner in one drop?

Who would want to go through all that trouble to see this part of Baja when you could just be at home and watch it all on TV while laying on the sofa with a beer in one hand and popcorn in the other? Who would?

chuckie - 6-9-2017 at 06:29 AM

Same folks who insist on A/C, Wifi, Cell phone reception, Satellite TV and Starbucks?

Marc - 6-9-2017 at 06:50 AM

Thankfully, at my age I will not live to see it.

beachbum1A - 6-9-2017 at 07:25 AM

I wonder if anyone bothered checking with the Black Widow first? I mean doesn't she run everything there in Puertecitos! LOL

JZ - 6-9-2017 at 08:12 AM

Quote: Originally posted by redhilltown

Sorry you've been stuck hanging in that ugly stretch. Ugliest in Baja and it's not close. Go South.

Don Jorge - 6-9-2017 at 10:19 AM

Quote: Originally posted by redhilltown

Thanks for reminding us what is "ugly" and what is not who is and who is not. That stretch of coast used to be hard earned. The reward then was the stark contrast of desert landscaped by wind and events juxtaposition with a bountiful, vibrant Sea.

Your words beautifully describe that feeling and experience. Thanks!

chuckie - 6-9-2017 at 11:43 AM

It was a great piece of road, hard earned, as you say. Grinding over the sisters, emerging from the brushy wash to find Papa Fernandez waiting with a cold beer already open for you...

JZ - 6-9-2017 at 01:00 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Don Jorge

Low lying flat land by the ocean and a tide that goes out for miles. No nice bays. Ugly from land and utterly horrendous by boat.

SF is one of the crappiest cities. Puertecitos is a barren dust bowl with no redeeming qualities. I took a ton of pics and video from there on one trip and put them in the trash because they tarnished the beauty from the rest of it.

Look around Loreto or San Carlos on the mainland if you want to see what a beautiful coast line looks like. Where the mountains butt up against the coast, nice bays to hang out in during the day, beautiful beaches, and islands.

And there are many places all along the East coast of Baja from Gonzaga on down just like that.

That Northern stretch is god awful ugly and if you say different you haven't seen Baja or much of the mainland. The only reason ppl go there if truth be told is it's proximity to the border.

[Edited on 6-9-2017 by JZ]

chuckie - 6-9-2017 at 01:13 PM

Jizzy, you have your head so far up your burro, that you are looking out your belly button...You wouldn't know Baja if it bit you...

JZ - 6-9-2017 at 01:23 PM

Quote: Originally posted by chuckie

Jizzy, you have your head so far up your burro, that you are looking out your belly button...You wouldn't know Baja if it bit you...

You don't even go to Baja anymore. You just sit on this board all day and dream about the couple trips you took many moons ago and b-tch about how it sucks now.

I'll be taking my boat from Sonora across the SoC down the coast of Baja for the 10th time soon, enjoy Kansas bub.

mtgoat666 - 6-9-2017 at 01:29 PM

Quote: Originally posted by JZ

Quote: Originally posted by Don Jorge

Low lying flat land by the ocean and a tide that goes out for miles. No nice bays. Ugly from land and utterly horrendous by boat.

SF is one of the crappiest cities. Puertecitos is a barren dust bowl with no redeeming qualities. I took a ton of pics and video from there on one trip and put them in the trash because they tarnished the beauty from the rest of it.

Look at around Loreto or San Carlos on the mainland if you want to see what a beautiful coast line looks like. Where the mountains butt up against the coast, nice bays to hang out in during the day, beautiful beaches, and islands.

And there are many places all along the East coast of Baja from Gonzaga on down just like that.

That Northern stretch is god awful ugly and if you say different you haven't seen Baja or much of the mainland. The only reason ppl go there if truth be told is it's proximity to the border.

[Edited on 6-9-2017 by JZ]

while you are correct that san felipe to puertocitos area is not particularly appealing, and has crappy beaches, your hyperbole is a bit over the top for your chosen audience that includes many pensioners that are very happily spending their sunset years along that coast. your excessive impolite hyperbole is perhaps not unexpected of someone that chose jizz as their screen name :lol:

chuckie - 6-9-2017 at 01:31 PM

Jizzy is a fool....

bajabuddha - 6-9-2017 at 01:31 PM

JZ, have you ever heard the saying "Cada loco con su tema"? It means, "be as crazy as you like it"... another way of saying 'different strokes'. Apparently the area is not your cup of tea, fine. Back in The Day when I was your age I didn't live an hour from the border; was a 14 hour drive just to get to La Frontera. Puerto Peñasco and Puertecitos served my purpose just fine with only a week off total to play SOB.

Then you fill the thread with your opinion, which is all it really is, full of negativity and malice. Then you have the audacity to criticize others for doing the same.... kinda hypocritical, no? Beauty is in the mouth of the beholder, and you should maybe shut yours. . As usual you post your statement (singular) a half dozen times on the same thread stating the same argument over and over as if nobody got it the first time; you made your point, maybe you should listen to others. Your posts demean others' likes and enjoyments by your condescending attitude.

Forty going on fourteen methinks. Sad.

[Edited on 6-10-2017 by bajabuddha]

JZ - 6-9-2017 at 01:39 PM

Quote: Originally posted by bajabuddha

JZ, have you ever heard the idioma "Cada loco con su tema"? It means, "be as crazy as you like it"... another way of saying 'different strokes'. Apparently the area is not your cup of tea, fine. Back in The Day when I was your age I didn't live an hour from the border; was a 14 hour drive just to get to La Frontera. Puerto Peñasco and Puertecitos served my purpose just fine with only a week off total to play SOB.

Then you fill the thread with your opinion, which is all it really is, full of negativity and malice. Then you have the audacity to criticize others for doing the same.... kinda hypocritical, no? Beauty is in the mouth of the beholder, and you should maybe shut yours. . As usual you post your statement (singular) a half dozen times on the same thread stating the same argument over and over as if nobody got it the first time; you made your point, maybe you should listen to others. Your posts demean others' likes and enjoyments by your condescending attitude.

Forty going on fourteen methinks. Sad.

Puerto Peñasco is an armpit. It's similar to SF.

And if you read my post I did provide more explanation (low lying flat land, no bays, crappy beaches, no cool islands, etc.).

And if you analyze Chuckie's posts, thats what they are all about. Talking chit on Baja, saying it's too dangerous, chiting on DK's posts, telling us all how it was better back in the day. So, yeah he gets mocked and laffed at, etc. If you wanna roll with him, so be it.

[Edited on 6-9-2017 by JZ]

chuckie - 6-9-2017 at 02:26 PM

Jizzy is a fool...And it WAS better back in the day, before children like you, with a few bucks (damn few) decided to treat it like a playground...Jizzy is a fool

chippy - 6-9-2017 at 02:28 PM

Strange and kind of sad that you (jz) don´t see any beauty in that desert scape. Even stranger to be so adamant about it´s "ugliness".

[Edited on 6-9-2017 by chippy]

woody with a view - 6-9-2017 at 02:36 PM

Funny how a message board used by all kinda different levels of blowhards get off on criticizing each others viewpoint. A guy doesn't like a certain spot - so ***in what? That just means more space for you and your chit if and when you ever go there again. Everything was better 100 years ago except internet, telephones, vehicles, microbrews, fishing equipment AD NAUSEUM.

Get a grip and quit griping at every ***in thing! Add some pictures or stories or, novel concept coming up, start your own thread with something interesting. Or is that why so many here like to talk chit, cuz they got nothing interesting to say?

chippy - 6-9-2017 at 02:44 PM

That was pretty interesting :rolleyes:

woody with a view - 6-9-2017 at 02:53 PM

Thanks for noticing!

chuckie - 6-9-2017 at 02:56 PM

At the risk of sounding trite, ALL of Baja was/is amazing! To me there is NO part of it that doesn't have something that makes you shake your head and say "WOW!" .....

David K - 6-9-2017 at 03:09 PM

Quote: Originally posted by chuckie

At the risk of sounding trite, ALL of Baja was/is amazing! To me there is NO part of it that doesn't have something that makes you shake your head and say "WOW!" .....

I agree... the wow factor is really amazing! Take the fork in the road (either one)... it goes someplace really cool in most cases!

Cliffy - 6-9-2017 at 03:14 PM

40+ years ago Papa told me that they were going to pave the road any day now but the best thing about Baja is the people. The ones born and raised there. Some of the nicest people in the world (and I've been around the world a couple of times). They live in all types of terrain from the flats of SF to tops of the mountains at Mike's. Obviously they all don't agree on where to live. Some like one area some like another.
Just the way life is and its too short to worry about this chit You don't like it? Don't go there.

Don Jorge - 6-9-2017 at 04:26 PM

Quote: Originally posted by JZ

That Northern stretch is god awful ugly and if you say different you haven't seen Baja or much of the mainland. The only reason ppl go there if truth be told is it's proximity to the border.

In 1972 some high school buds father owned Camborac Camper, Fullerton, CA, and they built some pretty tough shells in the day. They also went on to build fiberglass boats under the Cabo brand until that fell apart.

Their dad loved Baja and was one of those real old timers you met back in the day who really paid their dues, paved the way and lit your stoke on Baja. If they needed something to enhance their Baja experience they built it.

They had a very simple place in Puertecitos on the bay. The fishing was good and the town seemed like an oasis. Puertecitos was actually quite vibrant and enjoyable in a laid back fisherman-drinking man kinda of way.

Nowadays when I take that route, which is not often, Puertecitos reminds me of the small towns in middle America. Weathered skeletons stand starkly in contrast to their glory days. The time frames are similar too, heydays in the 70s and early 80s going downhill fast from there. I do not find it ugly but interesting and educational.

So yes, we see it differently, which is ok. One can only hope to know Baja and Mexico as well as you do JZ. Maybe someday?

BajaBreak - 6-9-2017 at 07:07 PM

To each their own. One of the draws of going to Baja for me is to escape the pretentiousness of Southern California. Everything is relative. Even in the wasteland-esque area around puertecitos there is inherent beauty in the sea of Cortez. Unfortunately the fishing will never be what it was.

wilderone - 6-9-2017 at 08:28 PM

These people are delusional. And we've had this discussion before. And it did not come to be. Nothing has changed. There's still no way to get there except to drive yourself on bad roads. Fishing is poor. Hot in the summer. No water. And they will encounter the same problems that plagued Loreto Bay - no ready labor - no place to house the labor. Import all construction materials - that one Home Depot in Mexicali is not going to do it. They'll build an arch entrance, a wall, take a lot of money from the government and then ... We'll see another headline in 7 years.

In order to consolidate a tourism development in the Puertecitos delegation, where in its first stage it contemplates an investment of 1,500 million pesos that includes the construction of 2 thousand rooms, municipal and state authorities are coordinated to accelerate procedures before the federal government.
After holding a meeting with the investors, the municipal president indicated that they maintain close coordination with the governor Francisco Vega de Lamadrid, to support the project called "Marina Azul", planned to locate it in the coasts of the Gulf of California
Marco Antonio Novelo Osuna reported that an investment of 1.5 billion pesos is calculated only in headwater works - desalination plant, treatment plant and photovoltaic energy.
He estimated that during the first stage will generate more than 5 thousand jobs, between direct and indirect.
Accompanied by the Secretary of Tourism of the State, Óscar Escobedo Carignan, the mayor emphasized the importance of launching this development that has great potential and would be the largest in Baja California's history.
He recalled that investors, of Spanish origin, started negotiations since 2010, however, for various reasons, including the slowness in some procedures, the start of the project has been slowed, so it is being supported by various agencies.
"I want the investors of Marina Azul and the business sector in general to know that in Ensenada we are facilitators, that we look for the way that new companies settle in our municipality, generate employment and help us improve the quality of life of our population" , Concluded.
According to data from the state government, the delegation of Puertecitos is projected a world-class tourism development, promoted by the Inveravante Group.
This is the Marinazul Golf & Resort, will be located south of San Felipe within the territory of the municipality of Ensenada.
The plan contemplates the construction of a tourist residential development in an area of 1,200 hectares. It consists of 5 thousand 598 residential units, 3 thousand 995 hotel units, equestrian center, 27-hole golf course, shopping area, restaurants. As part of the entertainment equipment, there is a nautical club, islands with spa services, among other areas.

bajabuddha - 6-9-2017 at 08:42 PM

True, wilderone. However, they did it in San Carlos, a planned gringolandia for the affluent 'slummers' to live and play. They did it at Puerto Peñasco, complete with fairways and greens in the sand dunes with huge condo high-rises along a former pristine 6-mile long beach. They seem to be doing all a-ok so far, even though the shrimping the area was sustained by for years is tanked. Commercial fishing guides take people out for miles charging big bucks just to catch triggers where yuuuge sea bass used to be the norm.

Maybe they can hire Tom Hanks as a spokesman: "If you build it, they will come". However I doubt very seriously he'd take the job. Time marches on; we can pound our hands in the sand and howl at the moon, just like we did for Glen Canyon Dam(n); ain't if, but when.... people like ol' Slim will make their bucks. We have a developer running the not-so-free world right now, so stand by for the fecal material striking the rotary oscillator at an accelerated force. 'Tis the way of the wind.

One of my favorite campfire toasts is, "Here's to the good-old-days, because today is the good-old-days. So here's to the good-old-days".

It has come to pass more than once.

Cliffy - 6-9-2017 at 09:27 PM

I don't understand something-
Just how much pristine, undisturbed, locked up wilderness do we really need?
I' not saying to lay waste to the land but come on, where does it stop?

BajaBreak - 6-9-2017 at 10:35 PM

Today is tomorrow's 'Good-Old-Day', so enjoy it while you can...

JZ - 6-10-2017 at 01:30 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Don Jorge

Quote: Originally posted by JZ

That Northern stretch is god awful ugly and if you say different you haven't seen Baja or much of the mainland. The only reason ppl go there if truth be told is it's proximity to the border.

Good post.

chuckie - 6-10-2017 at 03:50 AM

NOW! That is really FUNNY! :biggrin:

Don Please Provide Historical Info on Camborac Camper and Cabo Boats

Lobsterman - 6-10-2017 at 07:23 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Don Jorge

Quote: Originally posted by JZ

That Northern stretch is god awful ugly and if you say different you haven't seen Baja or much of the mainland. The only reason ppl go there if truth be told is it's proximity to the border.

The rest of you please bear with me for hijacking this thread for just a bit.

I'm a owner of a 1987 Cabo216 and am very interested in its history from conception to end. It appears you grew up paling with the son of the owner of Camborac Campers, John Winterling. What do you know about John producing the Cabo boat and his marine architect friend who designed it? Did they both fish together out of Puertocitos? Is this where the design of the Cabo was formulated to meet the fishing conditions of the area, i.e. the diversity of critical systems due to its remote location, range, wide walk-around deck, 2-bait tanks, thick hull, etc.?

I first saw this boat at the 1987 Boat Show in Del Mar and talked for a long time with the owner John Winterling. He told me about his buddy a marine architect who designed the original Cabo216/226/256 and built it in John's camper business. And that he died shortly before the Boat Show. I visited John a few years later at his factory. He said he was not doing well and closed shortly after that due to lawsuits against his company. I finally bought one in 2003. With me it has over 3000 hours on two motors with multiple trips to Baja.

http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=86683#pid1081...
My recent trip to Gonzaga Bay was an exploratory fishing trip to see if it was worth the effort and $ to drag my Cabo216 down there. This is the only part of Baja I had not fished yet. I currently do not have a trailer for the boat. My verdict is I'm now looking for a trailer with Fall plans to head there again. With a 300 mile range there are few places this boat could not get to in this area of Baja, i.e. Golden Reef is on my Bucket List.

Wouldn't it be cool if this boat was designed specifically to fish the area around Puertocitos.

My 1987 Cabo216 with F150

[Edited on 6-10-2017 by Lobsterman]

mtgoat666 - 6-10-2017 at 08:18 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Lobsterman

I'm a owner of a 1987 Cabo216

Wouldn't it be cool if this boat was designed specifically to fish the area around Puertocitos.

Would seem to be a foolish business decision to design a boat specifically for puertocitos. Just saying...

boats like yours are common. your boat has similar design to a dozens of similar brands/makes. There is no mystical design/features in your boat, it looks like common design, common fishing boat.

Now, about those puke-green seats,... the designer should be keel hauled! Perhaps the color choice came from puertocitos - jizz would probably agree!

BajaBreak - 6-10-2017 at 09:15 AM

That's a beautiful boat Lobsterman. The teal or turquoise seats probably look amazing out in the bay.

Puertecitos seems pretty specific, but you never know where boat builders get their inspiration. It definitely seems geared toward fishing the Sea of Cortez.

Cliffy - 6-10-2017 at 09:22 AM

Some of us could dream from our arm chairs better if we could google earth where "golden reef" is?

willardguy - 6-10-2017 at 09:27 AM

about 20 miles straight out to sea.....that boats gonna feel really small!

[Edited on 6-10-2017 by willardguy]

woody with a view - 6-10-2017 at 09:39 AM

i always stress out on my boat when we're out in the deep blue Sea of Cortez. when i'm in someone's boat i don't have a care in the world beside sunburn and fish count! weird or what?

maybe it's because i'm responsible for others lives on my boat? and i expect the same form others on their boat? weird!

[Edited on 6-10-2017 by woody with a view]

Cliffy - 6-10-2017 at 10:10 AM

I've been 10 miles out in my 15 ft tin boat with a 20 HP tiller motor at BOLA. Boy, was that a small boat out there. Said i'd never do that again.
Never did. Too old now to even think of it.
Does old age make you smarter of cowardly?

I wish I had had a boat like that, then.

Don Jorge - 6-10-2017 at 12:33 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Lobsterman

I first saw this boat at the 1987 Boat Show in Del Mar and talked for a long time with the owner John Winterling. He told me about his buddy a marine architect who designed the original Cabo216/226/256 and built it in John's camper business. And that he died shortly before the Boat Show. I visited John a few years later at his factory. He said he was not doing well and closed shortly after that due to lawsuits against his company. I finally bought one in 2003. With me it has over 3000 hours on two motors with multiple trips to Baja.

Wouldn't it be cool if this boat was designed specifically to fish the area around Puertocitos.

By the time Papa John started building the Cabo boats I was long gone from the area. I did visit a few times and saw the molds and watched them hand lay a hull. At that time the boat building scene was happening throughout the area. Skipjack was close by before they moved to Costa Mesa and Pacific Seacraft was nearby also.

Cabos were tough trailer boats and if not specifically built for Puertecitos they were 100% designed with the Sea of Cortez fishing experience in mind. John built tough campers, like Callen's did later. And he built a tough little boat, just enough vee to cut the short chop of the Cortez and flat enough on the bottom to beach it for lunch also. Like pangas but more beam, freeboard, creature comforts and much more glass mat.

He owned a plane and the family flew often to Baja back in the time when av gas was cheap, airstrips on both sides of the border were many and customs and immigration regulations were simple to follow. It was the golden age of Baja and John was doing it.

Then came the age of chop shop blown glass in both campers and boats and price points along with weight were the the enemy. Camborac Camper failed as the market for hand built, framed and skinned shells was blown away by cheaper and lighter fiberglass models which were also mated better to the imports of smaller trucks from Toyota and Nissan.

Cabo boats failed because of a common design error on many smaller boats. The earlier versions of the 216 had this flaw. They used a notched transom to mount the outboard, did not build a splash well to to stop the ingress of seawater into the boat and they mounted the batteries aft.

Potentially this created a scenario where ingressing seawater could come over the transom, flood the boat simultaneously shorting the batteries causing loss of power to all systems. No propulsion, no pumps, bad combo. Throw in any kid of wind, current and seas and you have a problem

Over the years I have owned an El Sauzal, Rosendo Ramos built panga, a Potter built SeaCraft and a Kencraft, all 20ft center consoles, outboard powered boats and they all possessed the same design flaw. Quick fix was to bring the batteries foward and build a splash guard from starboard to keep the water from ever coming on board. Why John never noticed the potential problem from that flaw I will never understand. First time out on a boat like those fishing dead in the water in wind and current and you will see the problem and fix it!

For whatever the reasons they did not recognize the flaw or offer to fix it on the susceptible hulls and one day it proved fatal. A boat sank and 3 lives were lost. The subsequent lawsuit was the end of Cabo boats.

BD has a discussion on Cabo boats. https://www.bdoutdoors.com/forums/threads/cabo-boat-owners.6...

Puertecitos was a great spot for short jaunts from OC and SD back in the day. Fishing was good enough and the Baja experience was real.

In the end it was a combination of events which took the shine away from Puertecitos. When the Colorado River was damned up that stopped the seasonal water flows into the delta and the entire ecosystem was forever altered. The upper Sea of Cortez changed and is still morphing.

Regarding the original post good bye Puertecitos, a lot of us already said that long ago. The fishing is slow and the catching even slower.

If this proposed mega project can put a new veneer on Puertecitos I hope it succeeds. They are not making sea shore anymore.

Another thread hijacked, oops.

BajaBreak - 6-10-2017 at 01:44 PM

I enjoyed reading every word. Thank you for posting that DonJorge!

It is interesting how much boat building changed over time. The saying 'they don't build them like they used to' really applies to old boats.

Viva Puertecitos!

Lobsterman - 6-10-2017 at 02:31 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Don Jorge

Quote: Originally posted by Lobsterman

Wouldn't it be cool if this boat was designed specifically to fish the area around Puertocitos.

Cabos were tough trailer boats and if not specifically built for Puertecitos they were 100% designed with the Sea of Cortez fishing experience in mind. John built tough campers,....

Cabo boats failed because of a common design error on many smaller boats. The earlier versions of the 216 had this flaw. They used a notched transom to mount the outboard, did not build a splash well to to stop the ingress of seawater into the boat and they mounted the batteries aft.

Don thanks for your version of history both on Cambora campers and Cabo Cuddycons. When I purchased my Cabo216 in 2003 I soon after moved the batteries into the cuddly, replaced all the non-marine wiring, installed a splash well and abandoned the two, 20gal bait tanks and replaced it with a 30 gal above deck bait tank. I only reason I can suspect that he failed to make these changes is because his business was failing and his buddy, the marine architect, was not there to monitor and modify his beta design. Now these boats are becoming more popular as an inexpensive and efficient boat if the said initial shortcomings are corrected. While putting over 3000 hours on this boat in the ocean, I've encountered seas I should not have been in but go home in one piece each time.

So the Cabo216 was probably designed for the waters in and like around Puertocitos.

Moved WHERE ?

MrBillM - 6-10-2017 at 02:53 PM

" ............. into the cuddly .........."

??????????