Traveling the Song Line

Getting settled in and taking a few deep breaths. I have been working hard at letting go, and relearning to just sit without preoccupations. Call it mañana time, call it no hurry, call it I'm just fine with the here and now. No worries, mate. I could get used to this.

Somehow, Mexico has not been on my radar as a retirement location, despite the fact it was the number one retirement spot for gringos this year. Whatever I may feel personally about Trump, he is probably responsible for the best exchange rate, dollars to pesos, in years. I may have found a comfortable temporary home.

Mexico seems like sticky flypaper for cruisers. At least half the sailors I talk to were just passing through and got stuck, often for years. It's an easy transition and there are no major hurdles. I am not immune to the lure. It doesn't hurt that I speak Spanish, but it doesn't seem to be a requirement. It has made me do some serious reflection on how I want to spend the next few years.

I started off with two possible plans. First, sail down the coast to the Panama Canal, pass through, then work my way up the coast, with a bit of time in places like Roatan, Belize, and the Yucatán. Likely up to Florida from there, some time on the East Coast, then down to the Caribbean. Not too bad. The second option is the Coconut Milk Run, or the long Tradewinds passage to the Marquesas and Tahiti. Eventually from there down to Australia or New Zealand. There is no lure quite like that of the South Pacific. Tough choices.

I am seriously considering a year on Mexico along the way. The prices are good, the sailing is easy, the people are friendly, and I am very happy here. Mazatlan, Cabo, La Paz, and the Sea of Cortez are all within easy reach to the north, and there are some equally attractive destinations to the south. I am on Banderas Bay, considered some of the best sailing in Pacific Mexico, and next week I'll take the bus into Puerto Vallarta to start exploring the city. Flypaper, perhaps, but very nice flypaper.

Not a bad choice in the lot, as far as I can tell.

I recall being taught in grad school about the concept of zero base budgeting. We usually do budgets based on last year, tweaking and adjusting. In zero base, you start with a clean slate and build based on your current goals. Maybe you fund the same stuff as last year, maybe not. I'm in the midst of this process. Starting here and now, what do I want to be doing? Clean slate, no assumptions. Having retired with sufficient, if not luxurious income, there are some quite attractive possibilities. I think I'll be staying with the boat, in the tropics. I'm working on the rest, but don't need to make any major moves for a while. I think I'll just sit and think on this for a while.

As an aside, looking at the boats here is an experience akin to Disneyland. There are some high end sailboats and power boats in the marina. I walk by a 62 foot power boat, I think a Nordhaven, that has to come up at least 30 feet above the water. I can walk under the anchor along the dock. I think I could touch it if I stretched on tippy-toe. Many very luxurious sailing vessels here, as well, beyond my dreams. They are all immaculate. There is a very active industry here in boat maintenance, and crews of locals are busy washing, cleaning, and scrubbing away. No shortage of jobs here, as far as I can tell. I have seen several help wanted signs about the area on my walks.

I am posting a picture of one of the more colorful sailing vessels. I kept a rotating list of possible boat names for years, and she is Cadenza, which was a leading contender for me that was narrowly overcome by Song Line. I would say she makes me think of palm trees and tropical breezes, but that's where I am at the moment. I guess somebody has to do it.