S/V Magic Carpet arrives in Mazatlan after 76 hour Passage
05 January 2016 | El Cid Marina, Mazatlan, Sin
Admiral Donna Lou
WOW, it feels great!
Were back at Sea heading south and very excited. It's true that once the sea has cast its spell on you it holds you in its nets of wonder forever. Sunrise's and sunset's the stars and the moon always fill us with wonder. The many faces of the constantly changing sea are always challenging us. Our first day back at sea was rough and confused, large waves close together from several directions. With strong winds we shortened sail & flew south. In the early hours of our second day at sea Mother Nature calmed down and showed us her friendly side. Sailing was the delight we always hope for, but that didn't last as long as we wished. Too soon we needed to motor sail to keep moving south bucking tides & currents heading north. One night watch was especially fascinating, a dark night with ¼ moon hidden by cloud cover. Each time the clouds floated away from the moon it cast sparkles on the sea like jewels in a pirates treasures chest. Other night watches we were able to study the night sky with our new glow in the dark guide to prominent stars & constellations. Water temperatures reached 79 degrees hosting jumping fish, a couple of gray whale sighting and one day hundreds of dolphins. The dolphins joined us on our journey south hanging around for quite a while. Little Z ( our first mate cat ) showed great interest in the dolphins activity. The first interest she had showed sense we left the docks of San Carlos Sonora Mexico. Little Z hates rough seas & the Yanmar, she is a hard core sailing cat! The sea gods offered little Z treats each day at sunrise she would find little squid, flying fish or sardines waiting for her on deck. I think Mother Nature was maybe saying sorry for the ruff sea Z had to endure. Magic Carpet's trustee Raymarine auto helm moaned & groaned through the rough seas and high winds. For a time we thought we might be hand steering Magic Carpet this season. The Admiral wasn't surprised when once again the Captain came to the rescue and fixed & readjusted the auto helm. It's now up and running perfectly with no more moans & groans. With the fuel gauge dropping we decided to head to Mazatlan to top off our tanks while we could, to insure an easy passage south. The harbor was still being dredged, thanks to the sand bar hurricane Patricia had helped created at the entrance to the harbor. Magic Carpet gently touched bottom for a few seconds, much to our sorrow. Our keel maybe shy a little paint, we will see next time we dive. The monster dredge only takes a break between 2pm & 3pm each day. The Captain is already plotting & planning an early morning departure at high tide. The escape from Mazatlan will be delayed because the Admiral always on the look out to make sure we don't miss anything we are interested in, discovered the time was perfect for Turtle release from the local sanctuary . Know one was surprised to find out we volunteered!