Settling Into a Routine In Tenacatita
05 January 2015 | Tenacatita Bay, Mexico
Mark
We’ve definitely settled into a comfortable rhythm here in Tenacatita Bay. As I look out the salon window, I can see ten other sailboats in this large bay with us - plus one 98’ Princess motor yacht. Although the motor yacht doesn’t fit into our daily routine, all of the sailboats here have become friends and we see most of them everyday.
Tenacatita is a pretty social place if you want it to be. Around 9am we announce “Speakeasy” on the VHF radio as we sign ourselves in to our morning cruisers net. New arrivals to our area chime in with who they are, where they are from, and where they are going. The net controller will then ask cruisers if any of them need any assistance, and then will go over any possible activities for the day. For example, a boat may be going to the nearby town of La Manzanilla, about 3 miles away across the bay. Other cruisers will often join them on their boat and it can become a real party.
Then, at 1:30pm sharp, the energetic ones will swim to the beach. Dee and I will either take the paddle board or the dinghy. Dee generally goes for a walk down the road with some of the other women. I always stay and play Bocci, which by the way, I am getting quite good at! Playing on a gently sloping sandy beach with some very soft bits is very challenging, and is now my 2pm appointment everyday. After bocci, it’s time to retire to the palapa on the beach and sip a few cold beers as the afternoon wears on. In the evening, we are generally socialized-out and look forward to dinner on our own on the boat. Of course, on friday nights there is always a dinghy raft-up with appetizer pot luck - no cooking needed that night! To make it especially interesting, the “Mayor” of Tenacatita, an authentic old-time hippy from one of the boats, always poses a question at the raft-up that each person is invited to answer. Last week’s task was to tell a short story about a time that you have lived in situation with a large group of people. With boaters from different countries, with different income levels, and very different lives, these stories can be extremely interesting and serve to create a stronger bond among us here in the anchorage.
I should also mention that these little routines at Tenacatita have been going on for many years. Nine years ago when we first anchored here, the swim was already at 1:30 and Bocci at 2pm. The raft up was on Friday night and the Mayor was the same person. It’s quite an interesting place and quite an anomaly among other places that we have visited.
Of course, if you don’t feel that social on any given day, or if you happen to be hung over like I am today, you can just relax on your boat and have a day to yourself.
It’s just about noon now. It’s overcast, getting hot, and quite humid. So far, we have just been relaxing on the boat and enjoying some good books. But, I do get the feeling that I am up for another game of bocci in less than 2 hours!