Back into the groove.
The smiling eyes of the cactus paddles – aka nopales- spine scraper and some habanera salsa expertly ground to perfection was all it took really. Without further ado the last whisps of the Belgian blues got evaporated by the Mexican sun and we were ready to hit the waves again.
The first 2 days back on the ocean were not without the engines. A good thing that Jonathan , the opportunistic flatfooted seabird, decided to keep us company. He was very busy preening his rather ruffled feathers, occasionally flying out for a quick fishing expedition to one of the many bait balls boiling on the surface. Then, he settled back down on his favorite spot on the bowsprit where he elegantly spurted his poop into the ocean below. He stayed on board for 139 nautical miles and completely ignored us.
Rather than going for a straight overnight crossing, we opted for the “one foot on the beach” approach. All the while, we could hear the thunder of the surf and see the white walls of water smashing as the Pacific swell crashed onto the shore. Thanks to these day hops we stayed connected to the radio towers. The wind chart updates allowed us to brace ourselves in time if needed. And while anchored at night two separate anchor alarms watched over our sleeping bodies like guardian angels.
On the third day, we finally caught the infamous mountain gap wind as predicted by the charts. It was blowing at a very reasonable 20 to 30 knots but it was current against wind which meant choppy seas. We rode O2 like a saddle free mustang across the Tehuantepec Gulf. She snorted, pitched and rolled, kicked up foam and got us all wet in the spray, with all of the usual suspects (dolphins!, turtles! frigate birds! Jonathan’s mates!) accompanying us along the way.
This time, the turtles weren’t bobbing peacefully on a flat ocean like they had been doing in April. At first, It looked like they were drowning, trying to keep afloat with their flippers frantically waving about in chaotic waves. Until we realized they were not drowning at all- at least the one on top wasn’t- they were copulating. Another “arribazón” (= when turtles arrive by the hundreds on the beaches to lay their fertilized eggs) is in the make!
And now after 1 exhilarating ride, 2 rather lame motor sailing days and 1 glorious broad reach cruising day, we have safely arrived in Huatulco, Marina Chahué. The Marina has seen better days. In June last year a small tsunami – the result of a 7.1 earthquake – caused the bottom to rise one meter. The Marina hasn’t been dredged out yet. Deep keeled boats cannot enter. But we still can and the people around are the best. Pedro will keep an eye on O2 and her many mooring lines while we will be exploring Oaxaca City and the Zapotec culture of the Sierra Norte.
Yes indeed ! This Thursday we will be venturing out on “tierra firma “again. However, there’s no denying it: we’ve been watching one Mexican drug cartel series too many (Zero zero zero , Somos) and now we are chickening out. Friendly local advice not to travel on long distance buses by night isn’t much helping either. Also let me quote a fellow sailor who is part of the Panama Posse group and in whom we trust: “Traveling inland from Huatulco is a bit of a pain, as the roads were laid out by a drunken burro with a bad leg. “
All of the above to justify our decision to spend some “plata”on an AeroTucan Cessna trip from Huatulco to Oaxaca City and beyond.We will keep you posted.