May 17--October 23, 2022
Latitude 14* 41.64'N Longitude 092* 25.15W

Cyclone season is coming to the Pacific. We headed to the "hurricane hole" at Marina Chiapas located at Puerto Madero, in the "state" of Chiapas, Mexico. Marina Chiapas is truly at the end of a channel/creek far from open water. The land surrounding the marina is lined with mangroves and large open areas to absorb water. Lightning is a larger threat to vessels than tropical cyclones. Staff at the marina greeted us warmly and provided assistance with paperwork for the TIP (Temporary Import Permit) required for vessels in Mexican Waters. Somehow the 10-year lifespan of the TIP seems more than temporary!

The pool filled with cruisers and during weekly barbeques. We learned about shopping in Tapachula, a border town, about 30 minutes from the marina. The volume of business and profits at Walmart and Sam's Club are the largest in Mexico. It was incredible to see the trucks, cars, and busses from Guatemala load goods. Goods float across the river attached to pontoons. Everyone on both sides of the border is happy with this "duty free" arrangement. You know-- that stuff is "imported duty free."

Folks from all over the world with thousands of miles under the keels berthed at the marina. We heard about The Sea of Cortez and places to stop as we travel up the Pacific Coast of Mexico. We shared information about the Caribbean with those headed East. We had many laughs with Alma Ferroz (Jose and Alice). We learned shopping tricks from Beluga (Lyn and Tyrone). The Mira crew (Glenn and Pam) were always up for adventure. Sirius III (Craig, Renata, and toddler Amara) lived joyfully on the boat. Craig is a triple amputee, British veteran and former member of the British para-Olympic sailing team. The family has an amazing attitude, courage and an incredible sailing resume.

We toured Argovia, a coffee plantation, with Animal Cracker (Scott and Tami) and Ramble on Rose (Don and Roz). The finca follows organic farming techniques, interspersing the coffee plants with other plant species to deter pests and to replenish the soil. Beans are harvested by hand, washed, sorted by size in the same manner as we have seen on other tours. Mechanical drying machinery is frequently used. Argovia grinds its coffee before export because it is more profitable. This is different from our tours in Panama and Colombia. We tasted excellent medium ground coffee overlooking the mountains. The earthquake was only a minor tremor!

As October approached, cruisers eagerly resumed travel. On October 4, massive bolts of lightning lit the sky and waters of the marina for about 45 minutes. The lights on the marina grounds and docks flickered every time a bolt flashed in the most intense thunderstorm I have experienced. Six vessels along our dock were damaged. Dancing on the Edge suffered the greatest damage. On October 17, Greg and LizAnn Mulvany flew in with a suitcase full of parts. We are so very grateful for their support and help. Dan and Greg replaced the autopilot and managed to get the chart plotters to hold a course, sort of. We had radar, the generator to keep the batteries charged and cruising friends! The 975 NM journey between Chiapas and La Cruz (Puerto Vallarta/Banderas Bay) would have been brutal without an autopilot.