Photo: These fishermen appear to be simply walking along the beach but they've spread yards of pale green netting for mending. Someone rigged a gill net like this right in the way of the dinghy landing today.

With our Canadian friends from "Sol Mate" we dinghied ashore and trudged up the beach to Chico's for dinner. Next time I'll have fish, it was much better than the overcooked shrimp in diablo sauce. It was one of my wishes, to wander through Chacala at night, and I'm glad I did.

This morning "Sol Mate" and "Bliss" parted company, with a last-minute flurry of goodbyes, picture-taking and promises to stay in touch. They wanted to get to Punta Mita, closer to Puerto Vallarta, so their son Simon could catch a bus to the airport tomorrow afternoon. Maybe we'll meet again in the La Cruz anchorage or Nuevo Vallarta marina.

We decided we've moved fast enough and it's time to slow down. Chacala could be the perfect stop: we're tucked into the calmest part of the bay, near the panga dock and the dinghy landing in the northern corner. There's even wifi in the anchorage!

But no more trips ashore in the dinghy after dark. Early this morning a fisherman rigged a gill net in the approach to the dinghy landing, and his first catch was our dinghy. With both dogs aboard looking longingly back to shore, and me standing on the beach unable to help but reluctant to walk away--what if a dog jumped off and needed to be fished out?--the Capt hung off the side of the dinghy and pulled all the little nylon fibers off the propellor blades, one at a time. These nets are impossible to see in the water in daylight, all the more invisible at night.