Bahia Santo Domingo-Sweet Pea Cove

8 May 2022 – We got up early after a calm night in Bahia Santo Domingo. I texted my Mother a Mother’s Day message and left a voicemail message after I could not reach her on the phone. We hauled up anchor and got under way shortly after 0700 headed either to Sweet Pea Cove on Isla San Marcos or to Santa Rosalia.

Bahia Santo Domingo astern in the early morning

Leaving Santo Domingo we saw several great pods of dolphins feeding off the northern point of the bay, a sign of good luck.

We did not have any reservation for the marina in Santa Rosalia because no one answered any of the numbers or emails which Jimena tried. There were strong northerly winds forecast in a few days so we decided to press on past Punta Chivato for either Sweet Pea Cove on San Marcos Island or the marina in Sant Rosalia, getting as near as we could and being ready when they had room for us.

As we came up on the south end of San Marcos Island, we heard a boat hailing the marina at Santa Rosalia on VHF 16, so when they switched, we switched with them to hear what the marina said. The marina could not hear the other boat (which I was sure was a boat we saw behind us) so we relayed for them and they got a slip for the next day. But then when I tried calling on our behalf the marina did not answer.

It turned out the other boat for whome we relayed was S/V “Kopai” with Kevin and Wendi and their dog aboard, whom we had met on the beach at Santispac, and they were actually in front of us. “Kopai” went to Sweet Pea Cove as well so we talked with them and they gave us another number for the marina, which Jimena called and got a slip for us for the morrow as well, greatly relieving our anxiety over where to shelter during the coming blow.

We motored all the way to Sweet Pea Cove except for a brief moment when the wind came up and then died off. By 1330 we were anchored in Sweet Pea Cove with “Kopai”. Kevin from “Kopai” dinghied over and visited us in the cockpit, while Wendi took their dog ashore on their paddle board.

“No soy marinero…” The Michin zonked out after a hard day

The anchorage was lovely, the wind died off to calm at night, we slept like angels and made ready to go into the marina.