Santa Rosalia Cruising: 2023
After spending some time hiding from big winds in Puerto Don Juan, we headed south, cruising to Santa Rosalia in February 2023. We were still having serious issues with our Starlink satellite internet unit and I need connection for my work so we had to get this sorted out.
Stuck in Santa Rosalia for a week – Baja California Gem
We didn’t intend or want to be stuck in Santa Rosalia for a week. We had Scott, Brenden’s dad, along cruising with us and we wanted to get out into those lovely and remote Baja California anchorages.
But, on the scale of places to be ‘stuck’ for a bit, Santa Rosalia is actually not a bad spot at all.
We got a spot in Marina Fonatur, Santa Rosalia – and the marina rates in Santa Rosalia are very affordable. I think we were paying about $13 USD per day.
Best Fish and Shrimp Tacos in Mexico: El Inge Mariscos
A day or two after arriving in Santa Rosalia, we tried a small, local taco joint located just a few minutes’ walk from the marina. El Inge Mariscos shrimp tacos replaced our previous favorite shrimp tacos we’ve ever had in our lives (AR Tacos in Barra de Navidad).
We ate here THREE times in the week we were here.
Santa Rosalia on Foot
I had to spend most of the week working, trying to catch up since I was forced offline the previous week due to our Starlink issues. But, we still got out and about and explored the town much more than we’d gotten to when we visited last summer.
Fire at the Marina – Right Next to Mosaic
We also had a bit of excitement, and quite a scare, one day when the boat next to Mosaic caught fire.
I was supposed to be working but was struggling for internet inside the boat, so I had taken my computer up to work sitting outside the marina office. Just as I sat down, Evan came running up and said, “We’re casting off! The boat next to us is billowing smoke!”
I jumped up and threw my stuff back into my bag, and told Evan to go tell the marina office and then run back down to the boat. I had Kali with me so the three of us all ran back to the boat. Indeed, the boat beside Mosaic was billowing dark, toxic smoke from the cockpit.
Brenden was casting off the docklines already. Scott was on the boat. The smoke was so horrendous. Thankfully, by this time there were lots of marina staff hurrying in to help. The man on the sailboat next to us was trying to find the cause of the smoke.
In the chaos, and wanting the kids to be out of the way, safe, and also away from the smoke, Brenden told Evan and Kali to run to the top of the dock ramp and stay there. He put Evan in charge of watching Kali and both kids did an AMAZING job of following instructions, staying safe, and staying calm.
Brenden and I both scrambled aboard Mosaic and we reversed out of the slip to get clear. We felt bad leaving, but it was the best option all around. We wanted to clear the docks for the people helping and also get our home clear of the danger.
As we circled in the harbor for a few moments, we watched the fire department arrive. Truly, the marina staff response and the emergency services response was impressive and efficient. Huge kudos to everybody involved.
Thankfully, the fire was extinguished and the owner of the boat was checked out and cleared. We docked Mosaic at the fuel dock for a little while and then moved back to another open slip for the remainder of our stay.
Starlink issues, resolved
Finally, by the end of the week and after MUCH hard work and dedication on Brenden’s part, we had a new Starlink unit arrived to us and we were able to get it setup and working.
Finally, we had the internet connection that we needed to get back out cruising while still being able to work remotely for my job. Awesome! It was time to continue south – but more on that, soon! ~Rachel