Punta Chivato-Caleta San Juanico

20221208 – We got up extremely early to make for an early entrance into Caleta San Juanico. We also know we don’t make great time normally and now we have a mainsail with several slides busted out of it so we keep the main double reefed. This makes for slower passages too.

We weighed the anchor and got under way around 0200 by the light of the full moon and motored out into the Sea then shut the engine off and sailed in good fair winds and following seas, past Punta Pulpito and into Caleta San Juanico by 1300.

Sailing past Punto Pulpito to San Juanico

There were five or six boats already at anchor there, including S/V Naida whom we met in Puerto Refugio last spring just before we went into Puerto Peñasco. We anchored outside of the group to the SW but still only in about 14 feet of water and in just a touch of swell. But the anchorage was pleasant enough that we did not bother moving even when several of the other boats cleared out.

The following day S/V Naida departed but came by and spoke us on her way out, which was very nice of them. They had also hauled out in Cabrales Boatyard but were on the opposite end of the yard from us so we never crossed paths while we were there.

We stayed four days in San Juanico, During that time we blew up the dinghy and went to shore for a walk, and we turned on our water maker for the first time. It made a little water but we discovered that the Cleaning/Relief Valve fitting was broken, allowing water to leak past it at the rate of about a quart an hour. This was very disappointing. Over the next couple of days we tried several fixes, none of which worked and ultimately left us with a completely broken Relief Valve and no water making ability.

I was able to get Tech support on the sat phone briefly but besides diagnosing the problem they referred us back to the supplier from whom I bought the water maker. The supplier only offers and 800 number which I cannot dial from Mexico so we were screwed.

So we just relaxed and enjoyed our time at anchor in San Juanico. We watched several other boats come into the anchorage before we ultimately weighed anchor for the short trip down to Isla Coronados.