I open one eye to the light streaming into our cabin from the starboard portlight. I am ambivalent about getting up. I want to go and want to stay.

We've been in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle in Bahia de Banderas for about two weeks, longer than we intended but not long enough, never long enough. Over the last couple of years we have come to love our time in La Cruz; for it's charming village, for it's large and beautiful trees and tree dwelling iguana's, for it's friendly and inviting locals and it's never ending savory surprises. The list is much longer, but you get the picture.

The boat is almost ready, but not quite. I need to get up, down that first cup of French Roast, and do my security check. No I'm not worried about burglars, not here anyway, I'm literally concerned that we are secure. That the wood bowl on the table, full of shells needs to be put away in a cupboard with the shells safely in a ziplock, stowed between the kitchen towels. The books we've been reading and the books we've been referencing need to find shelves with bungies to hold them securely. The dog shampoos and medications seem to have found new homes around the boat and should be gathered to one place where they wont get loose and spill the expensive liquids.




All around the boat I'll make my secure checks, cleaning counter tops, bungi-ing (that's a word isn't it?) coffee maker and tool chest, storing laptops and storage drives, and generally stuffing the cabinets full.

We are provisioned with enough food for a week, although we have canned goods to last at least another week after that. Our plan is to travel north into the Sea of Cortez. And there is the crux of my ambivalence, the Sea. My paradise. My nirvana. I do love "the Sea" and all it's offerings. I can't wait to get there. I want to leave, but first I have to turn off the air conditioner.

Air conditioner? Yep, we now have two. We have a small one in the aft cabin, quite useful for those sweltering nights in marinas, helpful in so many ways. And we are the proud new owners of an 8000 BTU unit from the Mega Supermarket. We searched all of Banderas Bay for a smaller unit, and this was it. Since we are planning on spending a significant amount of time on the hard in Guaymas, Mexico this hurricane season, we felt it was the only way we would survive the awesome inside temps of a boat in August.

Dois, my partner in this marinized crime, has checked engine fluid levels, topped off our 180 gallon water tanks, and calculated our diesel requirements to make sure we are good for this leg of the journey. I made sure the ipad battery is topped off as we use this for a back up on navigation. At least Dois does, I use it primarily, iPad navigation rocks.




This is not the first time we left La Cruz this week. We actually packed up, secured and slipped our lines from the dock two days ago. But for all our checking of the weather, the forecasters can not predict nasty squalls that make up due to local conditions. As we neared Punta de Mita, the greyish clouds we had been watching got darker. Soon we were hearing thunder and seeing the convection over our heads. But as we got closer, the tree trunk spears of lightening started hitting the water just ahead of Ashika and we both agreed it didnt look safe. The wind had picked up to a brisk 20 knots and the wind waves were fierce at 3 to 4 seconds apart, so we chicken jibed. Both disappointed and rejoicing we out ran the storm. We've had our share of lightening meeting boat this year. The storm was fairly short lived and by the time we had re-tied at Marina La Cruz, it was all sun and sparkling seas, but too late to make any of our planned anchorages.

So this morning will be our next effort, and hopefully leave the worst of the tropical rainy season behind us for the arid landfalls of the Sea.






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