Acapulco
09 February 2020
by Terry Spencer
I loved Zihua, and would have stayed longer, but wind predictions drive the pace of this voyage. And there was an opportunity to catch a following breeze to Acapulco. This is the holy grail of sailing and cruising, to catch that perfect downwind sailing, enough wind, but not too much; with seas not too large. This passage was exactly that. The wind, in a manageable 10 – 14 knot range was perfect.
Once again the winds built during the day and we were able to sail comfortably. At one point something caught my attention to port. There was a splash and I could see a huge Dorado, bright yellow in color, swimming alongside the boat near the surface. He quickly disappeared, but it motivated me to drag fishing line the rest of the day. No fish seemed interested in my deliciously appealing lure.
A night watch in the tropics is an amazing experience. Far enough offshore that there is no ambient city light, stars are plentiful. The half moon this night offered just enough light. Still in shorts and a t-shirt, it was lovely to lie down in the cockpit and look up at the skies.
Arriving about 0300 off Acapulco, the wind was once again dying just at the end of the passage. We motored in the rest of the way slowly enough to arrive as the sky began to lighten in the east. Then it took on mauve hue that gradually became a brilliant coral, before the sun popped up and ended the light show.
Acapulco harbor was a disappointment. All of the best anchorage has been taken by mooring balls. I was not sure if they were for rent, but I was able to get an outside tie at Marina Acapulco. There was garbage in the water. I was beat and slept for several hours after checking in.
In the afternoon Eva and I walked part of the malecon. One would have been hard pressed to find a gringo in the Saturday afternoon crowd on the beach. It was packed with families enjoying the sun and splashing in the waves. We dined at a rare find, a natural food restaurant. We ate on their jetty out over the water of the bay.
I remember seeing video of cliff divers in Acapulco when I was younger. I think they played a role in an old Elvis Presley movie. We took in the early afternoon show at the Hotel Mirador. It was a tourist trap with mediocre food, but I would still recommend it to a first time visitor to Acapulco.
In order to have better communications in Central America, I went off in search of a compatible telephone. I purchased a chinese Android phone with two SIM card ports. I will be able to buy a card for a carrier in Central America . Also, I am going to try to connect with GoogleFi, which provides service nearly worldwide. For this, I am going to have to have someone bring me a SIM card as they are only available in the US.
Once all of the usual chores were done, provisioning, water, boat cleaning, etc., we went off in search of fast enough WiFi to allow us to look at wind predictions. Things were looking good for a passage to Huatulco. The weather models indicated we would have wind for about three quarters of the way.
Then my crew and I did some sightseeing the last afternoon. We visited Museo de la Máscara, dedicated to collecting and displaying examples of masks used in cultural, social, and religious ceremonies. Some were scary, others were whimsical, but all were very artistic. The museum docent said that many people chose masks with their spirit animal. I am still trying to decide what mine is. We also walked through the Fuerte de San Diego, a fort that protected Acapulco and her shipping from pirates from the 16th through the 19th centuries. It was also the Museo Historico de Acapulco, with exhibits covering life from pre- conquest and colonial times.
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