Bienvenidos a El Salvador

Transit from Chiapas was an uneventful 39 hours long with dolphins and birds. We were pleasantly surprised to spend about half of that time with mostly favourable winds.  A brown boobie hitched a sunset ride on our radar mount and kept a close eye on Alice during her night watches.  With the morning came another nearby flying boobie and our bird (nicknamed Gordon) departed his perch with a sunrise squawk.

Arrival at Bahia del Sol involves crossing an estuarial bar where great big breakers crash into the beach and only an experienced local knows what path over the bar avoids the disaster of a grounding.  Trying to find your own track into the estuary, especially in a deep draft boat like ours would be the height of stupidity – so upon our 4am arrival we dropped anchor in 35 feet to wait (and sleep a little) for an 8am high tide and the arrival of a guide to tell us exactly where to go.

Morning brought an overnight increase in the surf and from our roadstead anchorage the unbroken view of breaking seas over the bar was daunting indeed.  Choosing faith in a local guide’s experience over one’s natural boating caution feels a little like praying.  “Follow us in at full throttle” said the guide and so through the foaming sea we went.  Moses did not appear, but we might have missed him as our attentions were otherwise occupied with steering the boat and watching the depth sounder, which bottomed out at 12 feet – not bad.

Riding in the guide-boat to welcome us was our good friend Pamela Bendall who, with her partner Henry, is a frequent boating denizen of the estuary here.  As we landed on the dock of the hotel we were greeted with a crowd of welcoming cruisers, handed a cold rum-fruit punch and introduced to the waiting Immigration Officer and Capitania de Puerto.  With a few short steps to an office above the docks the paperwork to complete our entry into El Salvador was a friendly breeze.

We chose to first spend two days enjoying the comforts of a dockside tie-up proximate to the hotel bar with pool before heading off to swing in the nearby mooring field.  Cruisers arriving at Bahia del Sol are greeted by the extraordinarily friendly Bill and Jean Strain, retired US expatriates who have established themselves on a lovely estuarial island estate that overlooks a mooring field they manage.  Bill and Jean function as enthusiastic greeters and also as fonts of local knowledge – no matter the obscurity of the desired service, with a radio call on channel 16 the answer will be at hand. It bears mentioning that this amazing service is also frequently offered in discussion at nightfall on their private dock with cold Margaritas in hand. If in your imagination all this sounds a little like paradise you would not be misled.

A four mile dinghy ride daytrip brings you to the charming restaurants and tiendas of Herradura (yes, like the tequila and also the Spanish word for horseshoe).  The journey feels a little like Conrad’s description of a trip up the river Congo, but instead of heads on sticks to greet your arrival you are served cervesas and comidas.

The cruisers here, spearheaded by Bill and Jean, have carried out all sorts of local development work with the local island dwelling people.  Among B&J’s many fundraising and development initiatives: water cisterns to store seasonal water, safe outhouses, energy efficient cook-stoves, and encouraging schooling for the local children.  Pamela B has also been instrumental in working with the Rotary Club, organizing and fundraising to assist the local community in cleaning up their beaches.  Like developing nations all over the world, one of the great blights of progress are plastics that have polluted their communities, roads, rivers, lakes, estuaries and seas. 

A week soon disappeared as we worked on things to do (boat maintenance of course), visiting with other cruisers and lounging in the estuary and learning about places to visit in El Salvador.  Next up: an El Salvadoran road trip.

Greg & Alice

"Gordon" hitching a 12 hour ride through Guatemalan waters.

A pretty sunset before night watches begin.

Waiting to cross the bar into Bahia del Sol.

Guiding us over the bar.   Hi, Pamela!

Two comfy days at the Bahia del Sol Resort.

Our arrival was a good excuse for the cruisers and expats to get together for pool time and dinner.

Our view of Isla Cordoncillo from the La Palma Mooring field.

180 liters of water delivered to our boat.

Appies and drinks with Bill and Jean and cruisers on Isla Cordoncillo.

A school competition to raise litter awareness.

In all fairness to Greg, he did not order the turtle egg dish. He was offered one from a local's plate and guiltily admitted it was delicious.  Do not eat turtle eggs!  It is illegal and turtles are protected.

A bus trip into Zacatecaluca to get Sim cards and a Claro data plan.

A dingy ride to Herradura.   

Tie up at the restaurant and enjoy the Suprema cerveza and whole grilled garlic fish.

Beach walks with Pamela and Henry.

One of the beaches cleaned up by the Rotary Club beach trash project.  Thanks to Pamela for initiating the project.  We like to fill a few bags every time we beach walk.    There is still trash but not like before.

Hanging out at the beach shacks with the VHF Radio.   1 boat leaving and 3 entering today.   Unfortunately, the window closed and the final boat had to sit another 24 hours at anchor before crossing the bar.

Over the bar!!!

Panga taxi ride with disco speakers blaring music at 25 knots.  Woo hoo!

Calm night on the mooring ball.

Late, Way Too Much Late

Twelve hot, hard-working days in on our return to southern Mexico and the light of tunnel’s end shines large.  In a few hours we will depart for El Salvador. The boat worker’s adage “take your work hours estimate and double it” has proven true this year or worse. Nine months of storage in tropical heat has done its inevitable damage to everything rubber or plastic on board. We won’t bore you with the particulars, but we can tell you that remedy has involved an insufficiency of technical Spanish during numerous trips to at least five local Tapachula Ferreterias (hardware stores). And a whole lot of sweaty effort too. Imagine yourself scrunched up, nearly upside down, in an aft compartment (sized for a ten year old) working wrenches at impossible angles in 40C heat, sweat dipping in your eyes, all the while your knuckles are bleeding because the wrench keeps slipping explosively off the nut – bang and ouch!

Yet bruises remind us of being alive.  This year we are especially mindful of those who are now gone, ranging from close to distant, each passing life sounding as a gong on the heart of us still living. The list of loss over the past nine months includes 6 lovely people who deserve naming: Gordon Henderson (84, mentor sailor figure), Corey Dean (63, golfing buddy), Maya Whitehead (29, life cut too short), Art Harms (90, farewell father), Carol Abernethy (68, sister how we now miss you), and John Harms (63, cousin gone).  We mention not those whose health this year has brought us close to fear of further losses.  Were we religious we would make thankful signs of cross.  Being not religious, we breathe and are thankful all the same.

Tapachula is very near the Guatemalan border and the entry point into Mexico for the indigent and desperate migrants from Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua that have been caravanning northward to the USA, thus posturing themselves as fodder in the current cultural-political wars of so called America.  There are refugee camps and migrant centres here, with lots of military and police presence on all the roadways.  As with all that passes as normal hereabouts, we gringos are largely ignored.  Safety has never been a concern for us in Mexico, but considering how far south we have travelled we are definitely out of the protective aura of the tourist zone.  With the boat both seaworthy and provisioned  we are waiting for the inspection dog before we clear port and head for Bahia Del Sol, El Salvador, a +/- 40 hour passage.

Clearing out is a 24 hour process, more or less, with some patience required.   We presented ourselves yesterday at the dock office at 9am the day before departure, various documents in hand.  The marina manager then drove us to the Officina de el Capitan del Puerto, the Officina de Customs, and the Officina de Immigrationne where we scheduled the mandatory pre-departure inspection (at our appointed hour of departure - with sniffer dog) and finally back to the port captain.  At each location there were formalities and paperwork issued - with stamps! At the port captain’s office, after an hour of work on their part making various enquiries as to whether we had been of good behaviour while in Mexico, the stamped Zarpe exit papers were issued. Two hours from now the Marinas will come wearing camouflage uniforms and with their sniffer dog to declare us contraband free. We will then have 15 minutes to depart.  Apparently, if we take too long the whole process starts over.  Last year the sniffer dog seemed friendly though. May said dogs never become angry (or whatever sniffer dogs do to unlucky or stupid tourists).

So that’s it for now.  When we head for sea we will look out for bow surfing dolphins or other sea creatures.  Each will be named in turn and anointed by small libation as the passing spirit of one of life’s loves lost.

Greg & Alice

We found the boat intact after 9 months sitting in the yard.

Finally, in the water again, after Greg replaced the rudder gaitor.     The leak is fixed!

We never pass a Ferreteria without totally scoping it out.

All the tools all over the cabin.

My phone is not working!&*%$##@

Yeah!   Fridge and Freezer working again.    Cool beverages.

The worst, fiberglass itchy, dirty, crampy spot on the boat.    Dropping the rudder to replace the gaitor.

Tapachula modes of transport.

Beach restaurants at Puerto Madero include pools for the kids.    

Mexican Moms enjoy a cerveza while kids play freely.

Fresh salsa custom made at your table at the Baos restaurant.

Huevos Rancheros with salsa prepared at our table.

Rays swimming near our boat at Puerto Chiapas.

Third stop on our country checkout process.

Visit to the Port Captain's office.

Goodbye happy hour on Anduril.

15 minutes to departure - sniffer dogs and marines at the boat.

Miles and Miles and Adios

Miles and Miles and Adios

The coast from Acapulco to the southern border of Mexico & Guatemala involves a longish bit of sea trekking. Having become lazy sailors, the southern part of Mexico has made us feel the annoyance a teenager might feel after being woken by his parents to get the hell up and go to morning soccer practice.  Please, just let me sleep!

If we are on a one or two night crossing, Alice and I like to do relatively short 2 hour watches at night.  This schedule means that on each off shift, once the conditions debrief and transition is complete, the life jacket and extra clothes are doused, the visit to the head is done, the log is updated and the eyes are attempted to be closed, there is at maximum 1-1/2 hrs of sleep to be obtained, usually less.  No sooner have you achieved REM than you are shaken awake – time for your shift, teenager! Thus can be the blur of sailing.  Luckily, after a passage there are destinations to enjoy.

First stop after 212 miles was Puerto Angel, where once again we forgot to reel in the fishing line and it wrapped the prop while we were anchoring.  This problem involves an annoying snorkel over the side armed with a knife to cut away the mess.  But at least you can do it at anchor after a morning coffee, not while underway. Arriving evening, leaving morning we didn’t even bother to go ashore.

The next day was only 25 miles to Marina Chahue, located among the lovely bays of Huatulco. But the sea as we were arriving was remembering a recent “Tehuantepecker” (strong northerly wind coming from the Gulf of Mexico over land) and there were confused waves coming from all directions, also known as a “washing machine sea.” Here we rendezvoused with our good friends, the “Henderwalds”, Paul and Gaylene.

Marina Chahue is on the outskirts of the town of La Crucecita and much to our surprise this small FONATUR marina has several terrific restaurants dockside.  Paul and Xene came expecting to eat only Mexican cuisine, but it is hard to resist a meal of gourmet Italian pasta when it is that proximate to a group of hungry sailors.  Mornings gave access to excellent coffee and breakfast fixings followed by exploration of a nearby snorkeling spot and trips into La Crucecita for meals and provisions.  With Easter celebrations in full swing the town square was bustling and lots of fun.

After fun there comes duty.  The Gulf of Tehuantepec is a 250 mile crossing which is notorious for strong winds.  Sailors like to pick periods of calm weather lest they have to deal with gale force winds and steep waves wanting to flush them out to sea.  Paul & Xene joined us as cross-watch for this 36 hour crossing, and the Tehuantepec behaved like a pet lamb, with a few hours of nice reaching and the rest of the trip motor sailing.  How to describe? Hot. Did we say it was sweaty below? Turtles and night-glowing bow riding dolphins under a 2/3rds moon. A lucky dorado catch. A fishing panga with 3 hungry men begging for food (they got 3 cold beers, a cooked chicken, crackers and cookies, Gatorade and a few bananas and Xene and Paul slept through the whole event). A fresh Dorado dinner, yum. Lots and lots of turtles, drift nets to avoid, flying fish and other jumping pescadores, and also whales.

Arriving at 11pm at Puerto Madero the port Captain kindly advised by radio that we could proceed directly to the docks and tie up. After a celebration margarita it was time for sleep.  Holy smokes, did we say it was hot? Three crew somehow reconciled themselves to close-aired bunkage below, but Greg made a bed up on the bow.  Misty bits of rain falling in the night failed to drive me below and I opened my tired eyes of first morning light to the sight of camouflage uniformed soldiers on the docks, wanting to board us. 

The drug sniffing dog was a jumpy young thing, nervous but friendly.  Luckily he missed our drug stash.  Yeah right.  We older folks are a law-abiding bunch and the truth is the poor dog seemed very eager to get off the boat and away from the cabin stink. But the searching, questions, and paperwork did manage to wake everyone up earlier than teenagers like to arise.

After some hours of boat packing and sail bricking (thanks Paul) we arrange a rental of the marina manager’s spare car and headed into the town of Tapachula for dinner and to see if we could escape the heat of the boat for a night in an air-conditioned room.  The town was busy for Easter, but stopping there for dinner, the owner of the lovely Casona Maya Mexicana found us a nearby room with escape from of the heat of oppression.

A long sea trip and a season of sailing done, we wanted to help deliver P&X back towards whence we came and onwards to their destination in Oaxaca, so in the morning we headed in road-trip mode to the south-western border of Chiapas and the towns of Puerto Arista and Tonala.  It turns out that the sleepy beach town of P. Arista turns into an Easter weekend vacation and beach concert hot spot.  Whoa, four great big stages with musicians, Tecate Beer sponsored beauty contests, hoards of people stretching outwards to the beach horizons and the general atmosphere of a zoo.  Cool.  Walk the beach for a bit to see the sights, drink a beer and bolt, back-stepping to much quieter Tonala.

Xene and Alice nearly share their birthdays, on the 30^th and 31^st, so we tried to find a suitable restaurant to celebrate and after quite a bit of walking around on Easter Friday looking for open venues came up with: a Taco Stand. But the tacos were excellent and at a nearby Oxo store a few beers were found to wash them down.  That night it was a sorry-to-see-them-go goodbye and Paul & Xene boarded a night bus for Oaxaca.  G&A road-tripped back the following morning, returning to the boat and 3 more days of boat layup preparations to ready the boat for a summer on the hard. 

Boat layup this year was a tedious business of shutting systems down, stowing items and protecting against 6 months of beating sun and torrential rain. Luckily, with Easter ending we were able to find a room and stay during the last two nights of boat prep at the exquisite boutique hotel, La Casona Maya Mexicana. 

Haul out was scheduled for 10am and not unpredictably actually occurred on Mexican time, with the lift finally completed at 5pm. This was followed by a flurry of work to finalize engine layup and tarping, all so we could say goodbye to the boat.  Adios Anduril, we’ll see you next year when we carry on with our visit of Central America.

Marina Chahue - our favourite marina in Mexico.

Cuatro cervezas muy frias con nuestros amigos a Rick's bar, La Crucecita .

An afternoon snorkeling in Huatulco National Park.

Our new scrabble players are beating the pants (oh, shorts) off us.

Calm seas and cockpit sundowners during the dreaded Tehuantepec Passage.

Fresh caught Dorado (Mahi Mahi) grilled on the BBQ for dinner.

 

A welcome sight at Marina Chiapas after the 36 hour Tehuantepec Passage.

Yah!   Enjoying the comforts of an Air Con Room at La Casa Rosada, Tapachula.

Semana Santa - The most important holiday in Mexico.   Crowds at Puerto Arista beach.

Two nights at the Boutique Hotel Casona Maya Mexicana while we prepped the boat.

We wrap with tin foil and cloth anything that might become sun damaged.

Then we bug, bird, and animal proof the boat.    

Nest building commenced immediately inside the boom and on the bow anchor.

Hauling out!

Updating the Blog before heading to the airport.   Time to get home!