Some time ago I took a trip to Baja and rowed a small boat south from San Felipe to Puerticitos.
The boat was something I designed and built myself. It measured 9.5 feet in length, and had a 3 foot beam. If you are familiar with small boat design you'll notice the semi-dory design and overly-high sides.
The trip was just over 50 miles and took about a week.
At night I slept in the boat itself. The seat removed so I had room. I had a small sail rigged up, but most times the wind was absent or it blew too hard during the northers they get down there.
Because the tides are so extreme in upper Baja, I had to time my rowing to fit the outgoing tide. I'd row as the tide went out, and lay up when the tide came in. It was the only way to do it; rowing against the tide was like walking on a treadmill.
During idle time I fished. I caught something on every cast, usually small bass.
Once I reached Puerticitos I gave away the boat and most of my gear, and hitch-hiked back to San Felipe. A bus brought me to Tijuana, and from there I crossed the border back home.
Someday I want to do a longer trip. If I do, I'll try to remember some of the things I learned from this one:
1) The sun in Baja is brutal. The ability to rig up a sun-shade is crucial.
2) Sleeping on-board is a good idea. On the beach the sand fleas can eat you alive. If the water wasn't rough I slept in the boat a few yards off shore.
3) Have papers. That means a proper Mexican fishing license, a boat import permit, a passport.
4) For safety reasons, I probably wouldn't go alone anymore. And to have someone watching the equipment in case you need to get more supplies is nice.
5) A bigger boat. My 9.5 footer was too small. A larger rowing boat tracks and keeps its way better. It can get choppy in the gulf. I'd probably want at least a 12 or 14 footer.
6) Two sets of oars; a long pair for rowing when the water was like glass in the early morning, and a short pair for rougher conditions in the afternoon.
7) A better sail set, maybe one adapted from sailing kayaks. Easy and quick to set up and strike, and easy to store.
8 A rudder that flips up. Since the boat will be grounded often, and dragged across rocks, a skeg is out of the question. A rudder is necessary for sailing; and locked in, it serves as a skeg that really helps while rowing when it's rougher.
9) Extra keel protection. Notice I put a wide flat keel on my row boat. This really helped protect the bottom.
