Thursday March 12
Most mornings, the French Baker sells pastries in his panga to boats in the marina. We purchased two little quiches and two little pie (for later).
Mid morning we took a water taxi into town, check in with port captain, bought produce and had lunch.
Pool time!
Wednesday March 11
100 days, 4400 miles to Seward, Alaska, that’s averaging 44 miles per day. I know we’re moving fast, we’ve been averaging 110-130 miles per day minimum on overnight passages. There have been long weather delays with too much wind, those Papagayo’s and Tehuantepec’s. Sometimes you have to “stop and smell the roses”, go sightseeing, food shopping and rest.
We arrived at Bara de Navidad marina around 4:30pm. The passage took us 34 hours averaging 6.2 knots. This place is beautiful resort, The Grand Isla Navidad Hotel.
Bara de Navivdad (Christmas sandbar) is a farming and fishing community has a sandbar that arches the beachfront bay.
Tomorrow we will take a water taxi into town to check in with Port Captain. There is also a farmers market every Thursday we hope to find.
Tuesday March 10th
The anchor was up by 7am and we’re off. We buddy boated with Saltair3 for 43 great days! During the summer they have a food truck in Vancouver BC https://www.facebook.com/TriosTruck/ Mac n cheese, you can find them at various events around town. If you’re ever up there in the summer check them out!
Longline fishing is a commercial fishing technique that uses a long line, called the main line, with baited hooks attached to it with smaller lines. We’ve seen several of these the past two months. The longlines are supported with several poles either with black flags or lighted poles for night visibility. It can be an obstacle course trying not to cross over these lines. This morning I noticed several plastic bottles in a row. Realizing it was a longline, then spotted the boat, we went off course to not run over the line. While rounding the little boat, we saw the fishermen were sound asleep.
It’s time to put on some miles and head north. One overnight passage then anchor, about 200 miles.
Monday March 9
The dinghy repair job seemed to hold for at least toady. We walked around Zihua, had lunch with Dan and Nancy Berkey from Tempe, Arizona, fellow Island Packet 420 owners. We anchored next to them when we arrived. It’s like a cult, Island Packet owners. Where ever you are with your boat, we always connect.
This week is an International Guitar Festival here. There is a stage on the beach with pay per seats in the sand. The music can be heard on our boat and across the bay.
Sunday March 8
Passage Day 6- Spring forward! We arrived around 10:30 am, very picturesque looking cove! Haven’t gone to shore yet, tomorrow. Did some needed interior boat cleaning.
Zihuatanejo is a resort city known for its beaches. It was a sleepy fishing town until the 70’s when the marina in Ixtapa, about 8 miles away, was built. You may also remember in the movie Shawshank Redemption where Andy and Red meet on the beach in Zihuatanejo. The scene however was actually shot at Sandy Point National Wildlife Refuge on the southwest point of St. Croix.
Saturday March 7
Passage Day 5 – there was conversation about a day trip into Acapulco. After further review of the gas dock we opted to just do a drive by, kind of like a “Sunday Drive”. We paraded close to the semi circular beach. Acapulco is a beach resort town, lots of hotels, resorts, water activities and expensive homes.
The moon is 94% waxing, cloudy, still have the bioluminescence in the water. Spring forward!
Friday March 6
Passage Day 4- Back at Puerto Angel, De Novo and Secret Water we were traveling with opted not to stop. So it’s us and Saltair3, hours after we pulled up anchor, Dan spoke with them on the radio, they are only 10 miles ahead of us. The other two boats, are sailing on to Zihuatanejo. That will be a destination for us also and maybe Acapulco too.
The water is very choppy today, waves with swells, wind on the nose maxed at 15 knots true. Once we round Punta Maldonoto, the wind will be at a favorable angle, predicted to lighten after dark.
We caught three small tuna today!
The moon is 88% waxing and won’t set till 4:17am, not a good star gazing night. Jupiter is bright in the night sky. More twinkles in the water from Bioluminescence.
Thursday March 5
We arrived at Puerto Angel just before sunrise. Waited till the sun was up for better visibility before entering the bay. The area was very small, full of fishing boats and mooring balls. Fishing is the economic base of this town, with tourism second. Papaya trees are abundant on the hillside with palm trees near the beach. It’s also not uncommon to see farm animals wandering around.
We walked around town a bit, bought roasted chicken that came with rice and salsa from a little store front for dinner, then had lunch at a place on the beach. Pulled up anchor early afternoon, continued north.
As we sail through the night, Bioluminescence can be seen in our wake, it is light emitted by living things through chemical reactions in their bodies. “Glittering water” can only be seen in oceans.
Wednesday March 3
Day 2, still running across the Tehunantepec Bay to escape the “dragon fire wind”. Expect to be at Puerto Angle by 7am, just in front of the gale.
Fishing poles were out, one bite but it took the lure.
We are traveling with Saltair3, Krista and Brad from Vancouver, De Novo, Naomi and Andre from Edmonton and Secret Water, Anne and Chris from California. The 5th boat turned around and went back to Marina Chiapas, they were having an issue with their engine prop. The three boats with us all have children on board, ages around 8-14.
For dinner I made deep dish Beer Pizza Crust pizza, baked it in a cast iron pan. Transferred it to a baking sheet to serve because it wasn’t so hot.
Tuesday March 2
5:15am the military and their dog showed up at our boat. They had Zarpe for the other 5 boats leaving today but not us! A call was made to the marina manager.
A second military inspection at 9:30am, finally received our Zarpe, we’re off!!!
There are 6 boats leaving this morning heading north, we’re traveling with 5 of them. We have a weather window to cross the Isthmus of Tehuantepec.
Tehuantepecers or Tehuanos are extreme winds produced in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, blowing south through Chivela Pass, the mountain gap across the isthmus, from the Gulf of Mexico into the Pacific Ocean.
Sailing Trance 