As we left the Marina La Cruz tonight at 830 pm (2030) the sounds of "Pink Floyd Night" at Ana Bananna's came waifting across marina as out exit papers were signed...figuratively speaking of course...Dad says, "kinda fitting for our departure don't you think?" We slipped out of the marina unnoticed other than the security guard who retrieved our dock keys only after my calling on ch. 09 on the VHF, "Securitidad para La Cruz Marina....Securitidad para La Cruz Marina....esta Wades Aweigh...numero thres-be-sietel (slip 3B7)...again my expert Spanish gets us out of a near miss breaking a rule and leaving the keys unattended in a dock box! We are now under way, it is 0345 in the morning and here I am holding the short stick again with no sleep and up all night...how does it always end up this way?!??...we should make San Blas around 0800 and I'll be woken up (if I even get to sleep in this rolling mess) only to anchor then probably grab a couple hours shut eye before exploring ashore.
It is a star filled night with only one smear of a cloud airbrushed across a nearly full moon. I love these nights. The moon washes just enough lumens against the inky black sea in order to make out that you are actually floating on water, and the shoreline is a perfect silhouette against small city lights as we glide by at 5 knots. Just me, the chartplotter, my book and this laptop. I check the engine room every hour or so, the instruments for temp, oil and RPM...the course..look for boats and make sure we change to the next programmed waypoints as they appear in front of us.
The autopilot is working much better now since Bruce fine tuned it on our sea trials the other day. It doesn't yaw back and forth as much...this is important not only for wear and tear, but precious amps aren't wasted oversteering the boat anymore...THANKS BUDDY!!
Today was a blast! Bruce picked us up in Lupe's beautiful new Ford pickup and shuttled us out to her complex for the weekly Sunday pool party. We had some incredible pasta made by her staff and were made welcome to hang out as long as we wanted. The only difference was we were allowed to chill out at her casa above on the plush outside furniture and have a little siesta unlike the others! Later, Bruce took us to the Mega for some shopping in order to beef up the ships stores for the last little leg of our journey. If feels different...heading back. This little romp through the Mexican Gold Coast is almost at its end. We said goodbye to all our friends: April at Huanacaxle restaurant, Russell and Lori, Bruce, Lupe, various others around the marina in the past couple days.
Yesterday was another story in itself. Back with the usual suspects, Bruce, Lori, Russ, Dad and I all went to the highest hill in town to a guy we call "Symbole" for a party. I made my "famous" salsa/quesadilla black bean thing (thanks Baby...love your recipe!) and brought the usual butter and flour tortillas. They allowed me to cook up a round of these babies on their 6 burner gas VIKING stove! (can you say HEAVEN?!??) let's just say that they were a hit and vanished in short order. We stayed till the wee hours, looking at the killer views from every window. Desert was served upstairs on level 4 under the massive palapa which was their master bedroom that included a huge deck, BBQ, fridge and sink...with enough seating for all 9 of us and all the others who never showed up....good thing for me as I digged eating THREE pieces of Lori's famous banana bread!!!
That's our night! We came home, Dad jammed up to the showers, I had a coldie with Bruce before he left the boat and then we left for San Blas....and here we are!!!
This place looks like a tropical paradise with palms lining the beach and palapas as far as you can see!
Tomorrow we are tagging along with some fellow cruisers we met tonight for the jungle tour, and lunch at the end, much like Tenacatita used to be. We will keep trudging north from here, finally landing at Mazatlan where the boats bunk will be for the next handful of months.
Sorry for no pics as my camera was dropped and the loaner Sunny gave me is now dead and I have no charger for it!
Promise an update tomorrow night.
Capm Homesick.
P.S....Babes, I'm heading home!!!!