March 9, 2007, Bahia Ayuta, Mexico
So far so good...
We left Huatulco at 0600 local time this morning and headed out into the pre-dawn light. The ocean was smooth with a long swell coming in towards the beach. On the far South horizon we could see a wall of cumulus. The sun was spectacular as it rose through the clouds.
In about another 3 hours we will reach the heart of the Tehuantepec and start to turn East along 16N. So the wind is very light with none of the notorious North wind at all. We'll take all we can of this nice weather!
Traveling by large trawler is very comfortable! On my boat I would be also be motoring along and slouching back in the cockpit. Here, I'm sitting in the shade in the pilothouse with a coffee cup in hand while I stand watch. If the going gets rough the trawler will be extremely comfortable!
March 9, 2007, Bahia Ayuta, Mexico
So far so good...
We left Huatulco at 0600 local time this morning and headed out into the pre-dawn light. The ocean was smooth with a long swell coming in towards the beach. On the far South horizon we could see a wall of cumulus. The sun was spectacular as it rose through the clouds.
In about another 3 hours we will reach the heart of the Tehuantepec and start to turn East along 16N. So the wind is very light with none of the notorious North wind at all. We'll take all we can of this nice weather!
Traveling by large trawler is very comfortable! On my boat I would be also be motoring along and slouching back in the cockpit. Here, I'm sitting in the shade in the pilothouse with a coffee cup in hand while I stand watch. If the going gets rough the trawler will be extremely comfortable!
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March 8, 2007, Huatulco, Mexico
Finally, we have an adequate weather window to head South! Tomorrow around dawn we'll leave the marina and head across the Tehuantepec. The winds will still peak around 30 knots off the shore so we'll "keep one foot on the beach" to stay out of the seas. We should arrive in Bahia Del Sol, El Salvador on Monday morning!
March 6, 2007, Still in Huatulco, Mexico
The days slowly tick by as we wait for the crossing to open. Right now wind is 45 knots and the waves are over 7 meters. hmm... Not going anywhere today again! Right now there is a slight chance of an opening on Thursday. But, since we´re buddy boating with a slower boat we may not be able to take advantage of it. The next opening could be as much as another eight days from now! I´m told that this is worse than usual.
But, we have to pass the time someway. Lucky for me the boats I am wish pass the time by cooking fantastic meals.
A couple of nights ago John on Maestra barbecued some amazing steaks. Yes, Jeff, even you would have been pleased. My steak, or should I call it a roast, was amazing. Of course all the fixings were included. Keep in mind that this was a dinner for seven!
Last night we were on the Lagoon 41 At Last where Mike and Nelia were barbecueing a pork loin. It was, of course, accompanied by five or six delicious courses.
This is definitely NOT the way we cooked when we were cruising. Just one look in our respective freezers will tell you why. We didn´t have a freezer and they each have HUGE freezers stuffed to the rim with top quality meat. It really is something to behold! I definitely won´t go hungry down here.
I may be eating well but I´m definitely itching to get going! Huatulco is a great vacation spot but I want to get moving to Central America. I am still hoping to travel around Guatemala a bit but if we are here too long then I may not have enough time. I´ve got Canucks tickets for Mar 31 so that is an ultimate deadline for me!
Well, enough typing and sweating for now. It´s going to be close to 100f today so I had better make my way back to the beach club with the pool and get me some of those cheap beers...
March 4, 2007, Huatulco, Mexico
It's hot, very hot but not to humid! I snooze a lot and have at least 2 naps a day. Hey, it's not that we're doing nothing. Like all cruisers we try to get one thing done a day. Two days ago my mission was to head to the Farmacia and get the necessary medicines to protect me from horrible jungle diseases, including Malaria. Today, we fuelled up the boat. Other than that it has been napping and eating.
What we're waiting for is for the wind to drop down in the notorious Tehuantepec. It's windy there right now and should increase to 60 knots by tomorrow. That's a totally no-go situation. The long range forecast is for the wind to drop down by Saturday. We need 24 hours to cross the bay so as soon as we get a solid forecast we're off!
It'll be a mass exodus from the marina. We're in the company of about 4-5 other boats who are all going to leave as soon as they can.
