The night was just breathtaking. Clear skies with stars from horizon to horizon. The seas were still calm and still no wind. Just as I should have predicted. Off on the horizon to the West came the flashes of lightning from that Squall line I saw on the infrared picture at the fuel dock in Cabo. No worries the Northwesterlies will kick in and blow it all away. That was my prediction. As the hours melted away the wonderful stars began to disappear behind a layer of clouds coming from the West. Uhh. I started to pay attention to the increased lightning show in the West. Deja Vu?

On the horizon a red light appeared and so I monitored that because it meant that a boat was in the vicinity. As I divided my attention between the red light and the spreading lightning show I realized the red light was above the horizon and was indeed Mars rising. It was so clear and calm it cast a red reflection on the mirror like water. Just amazing what Nature has to show. She was also putting on one of the best lightning shows I have ever seen. In one of the large clouds there was nonstop lightning for several hours. As it spread I got nervous. It was following exactly the same course I was on and it certainly was moving faster. The shows came from 5 or 6 different places. Each was a thunderstorm that I did not want to encounter. They are capable of hurricane winds that change rapidly, lightning everywhere and downpours of rain.

Of all of those the tremendous amout of lightning I was witnessing scared the hell out of me. I even changed course for an hour to steer out of the way.
All through the night I watched the squalls follow me. I tried to sleep but was not able to. A first for me not to be able to sleep any time, any where.

In the morning came the wind. Not my expected Northwest but a Southwest! This was great because at it slowly rose to 20 knots Bold Lady kinked up her heels and took off like a bat out of Hell. 6.6 and 7 knots. This was bad because it also was blowing the squall line right toward me.

As daylight broke an awesome sunrise greeted me for my birhtday. A great way to celebrate, good sailing, good sunrise and a great place to be. I did miss some of the perks of a birthday but I had no regrets for being here at this moment.

The daylight also exposed to me the squall line that was skirting by me only a quarter of a mile away. Lightning strikes were hitting the water everywhere to the left of me but I stayed out of the way and never got a drop of rain or wind from them. Bearing down on me on the right was a line of 6 squalls. You could identify them by the dark downpour of rain under them and as they approached you could see the lighning strikes. I kept the peddle to the metal and one by one they passed behind me. I had slayed the mighty Squall dragon.

As soon as they all passed the wind died. I may not be able to predict weather but I know when the wind dies after a steady blow from one direction that a change in direction is coming. It also got cloudy. Oh no. The northwesterly was about to blow and that meant it would blow the squalls I had just slain right back on top of me! Wrong again. The wind blew but no rain or lightning. I however, had the sense to listen to my little voice that said reef down to the second reef, the one you did not use last time when the voice spoke. It paid off as the NW came in hard 25-29 knots in a sloppy sea.
But the boat was self steering and I was ready to sleep.

I approached Mazatlan in the dark and not being able to enter the harbor in the dark I anchored just off shore behind some islands. The sun rose as I anchored and after a nap of 1 1/2 hours I motored into Mazatlan Marina. Finally, laundry, fresh water, showers and more of what a man wants.

Pat and I had crossed paths during the night and he ended up in the Commercial Port for two nights then joined me in Marina Mazatlan.

It was a great trip. Squall lines, sailing, sunrises and a fabulous birthday. All in all a great trip. finally the tropics. Or so I thought.