David K
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Gonzaga Bay Island Shipwreck Details, anyone?
I am trying to gather any details for a friend on the shipwreck at the south tip of the island, out from Alfonsina's.
Gene Kira/ Neil Kelly show it on their fishing map (on the right edge):
When did it get there, what kind of boat, any other details or photos??
Thank you.
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del mar
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its been gone for years, I was fishing cactus point the day the scrap metal guys made off with the remains......same day they made off with the Dukes
studio truck over at the well.
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Tioloco
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Quote: Originally posted by del mar  | its been gone for years, I was fishing cactus point the day the scrap metal guys made off with the remains......same day they made off with the Dukes
studio truck over at the well.
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About what year are you talking?
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del mar
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| Quote: Originally posted by Tioloco | | Quote: Originally posted by del mar | its been gone for years, I was fishing cactus point the day the scrap metal guys made off with the remains......same day they made off with the Dukes
studio truck over at the well.
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About what year are you talking? |
must have been around 2015.....
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Tioloco
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I guess I must have not noticed the Dukes studio truck. At Papa’s?
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del mar
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yup....
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Tioloco
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pretty cool, too bad its gone
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David K
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This is great... If you (or anyone else) has more, please share! Baja history is the best!
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SDROB
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The shipwreck that you are referring too, is this the Erik?
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David K
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No. The Erik was out at sea a bit, sank from wind waves, terrible loss of life... That was in July 2011. The Gonzaga Island wreck was much older (25+
years).
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pascuale
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Hey David,
When I was a kid we fished a wreck off Cactus point. This was around 1995. It was about 60 yards off Cactus point the same direction as if the point
continued its direction into the water. He used to line up the cactus and a mountain top in the foreground. I believe it was in about 90 feet of water
and came up to 75 feet on the fish finder. We used to catch a ton of Leopard grouper off of it. I dont know the history of it but an old guy from
Calexico showed is it. Hope that helps.
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David K
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I appreciate your reply, pascuale.
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Pablito1
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My first trip to San Luis Gonzaga was in 1967 I think. I made several trips in the 1969-76 time frame and did not return until early 1981. when I
returned the wreck was there and was deteriorating rapidly. All through the 1980s I spent lots of time in the area fishing and mostly diving and
during this time I got to know the Fernandez well. It was one of Papa's grandsons that told me about the reef that Pasquale refers to.
The last time that I was in San Luis was 2009-10 and the boat was long gone then.
I can't add much about the truck but it appeared at about the same time that the Family was having all of the land title problems with the Servando's.
This is the guy who built the house over on the east side near Punta Willard. Anyway this was a very agitating and dangerous time in that area. Sorry
about not being able to give more info but during most of those years my Spanish wasn't very good so I really could not hold a very good conversation.
Regards
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David K
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That is helpful, Pablito1... I also was at Gonzaga a few times from 1965 to 1979 and don't recall any wreck out there... but I am just a beach camper
and not a boater. I did return in the mid-1980s a few times but didn't remember seeing the wreck, but I wasn't looking for it. I took this photo in
1986 or 87... From my 4x4 Subaru (see it down on the sand spit), I hiked up that narrow trail on the side of the island... So glad the photo came out
this well.
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Pablito1
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David, I was just now looking at your maps of the island. The Mexicans call the south end of the island Punta Cordon, not Willard Point. The name
comes from the now dead cactus plant on the south west side of the point.
Regards
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David K
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Yes, I know... and the Gringos call it 'Cactus Point', sort of the same name.
Punta Willard (as the Baja Catch map shows) is the point next to Papa Fernandez' Resort. The wreck was on the island... a reef extending out from
Punta Cardón.
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David K
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The Baja Catch map is grossly not to scale... it also uses the incorrect name "Willard Bay" made popular by U.S. HO charts and fishermen talk. The
north, smaller bay between Papa Fernandez' and Alfonsina's is the original Bahía San Luis Gonzaga, so named in 1746 by Padre Consag. The larger bay,
between Alfonsina's and Punta Final, is the Ensenada de San Francisquito. With a name like that, it is easy to see why everyone calls it "Gonzaga
Bay", too!
Here is my map...
A 1970s AAA map...
A 1962 guidebook map...
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del mar
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the hurricane around 2000 took the famous cactus out, now with the shipwreck gone they're gonna have to come up with a new name!
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freediverbrian
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In so cal off of Palo Verde a ship named the Dominator ran a ground in 1961 the wreck has been gone for twenty years. But everyone still calls it
Dominator point.
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