Time to return to mazatlan, slipped out of the marina in the early hours to accompany the good ship "Interabang" with Derrick and Tricia aboard. I'm back to single handing again. We make good progress and by daylight have exited Banderas Bay and made the turn north. There are a number of boats out, some going to San Blas and a few heading North. Candace and Norman on Kylami are also heading in our direction. We make further progress mixing sailing with motor sailing most of the day. The afternoon sees the breeze come up, on the nose of course and by 5.00pm it's time to take in a reef in the main and shorten the headsail. It's gotten lumpy and uncomfortable, every 3rd wave plummets my speed down to 3 knots. Normal routines take over, eat , drink, pee, check radar, check chart plotter, look around, call up Interabang. Darkness falls and the gap extends between us. Alex II is coping with the Seas a little better because of the 62HP engine !
By Dawn I am 12 miles ahead, Kylami is 6 miles ahead of me. Getting closer to Stone Island anchorage the fog sets in and I have to approach using the radar and chart plotter, can pick up lots of small targets on the radar and these turn out to be Panga fishermen , I pass close by and ask for directions to the entrance which should be close by now, they point over their shoulders and five minutes later I am in the anchorage. Interabang arrive a few hours later. Next day with bright sunlight I make the 1 hour motor up to Mazatlan Marina. I settle into the marina and start the normal clean up , repairs and projects. Taking a day off I met up with Derrick and Trisha and we walk up to the top of the lighthouse in the Old Harbor. Apparently it is the tallest manned lighthouse in the world. It was quite a walk but the views are fantastic. The other side of the Harbor you can see Stone island anchorage. A popular spot for boats going south and heading north. It saves having to go into Mazatlan marina ( which is about the worst marina on the mexican coast).
Have been in Mazatlan for a couple of weeks, the main reason for coming back early is the potential sale of Alex II. I accpeted an offer in La Cruz and the paperwork is easier to do when the buyer, broker and seller are in the same location. Getting close now to closing the deal.