San Quintin (Dinghy)

The next day I put the big 15HP motor on the dinghy to take the 6nm or so trip across the bar and up to the old mill at San Quintin.


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The bar is located at the end of the narrow sand spit in the lower part of the map above where it meets the headland on the ocean side. Most of the pass is just a few feet deep and the sand bar is constantly shifting. All the charts and guides for this area do not recommend trying to cross it without surveying the area first and taking your own depth soundings. I crossed it at high tide and found the water depth to be enough that I could have taken the big boat thro with a little care.

After crossing the bar the water was completely flat calm and I made great time at 20+ knots with the bigger outboard.

Abandoned boat in the still waters of the estuary

A few abandoned boats were scattered about and a few small houses and fish camps on the shore. I finally made it up to the head of the bay after exploring the area.

Some recent development on the shore south of the Old Mill

San Quintin the village is actually a few more miles inland from where I eventually went but where I landed was the remains of an old water mill and a small settlement that was supposedly started by some English farmers way back yonder. 

2 boats anchored at the Old Mill

The Old Mill restaurant looked very clean and modern and next to it was an empty R/V park. A few stores and small hotels lay a few roads back from the water.

The Old Mill restaurant (Molino Viejo)

The Mill water turbine that was powered by the strong tides in the bay.