Saturday, December 17. In a weather holding pattern in the Gulf of Tehuantepec.

Written by Jack van Ommen on December 17th, 2016

This was one my longest overnight sails, from Gig Harbor, Ixtapa to Hualtulco. I left Monday afternoon when the dredging of the Ixtapa marina entrance was opened from 1 to 2 p.m. As the crow flies about 350 nautical miles. I would have arrived here early Friday, but on Thursday afternoon I noticed that my barometer had fallen on “Storm” and thunder clouds were forming over the coast. I decided to play it safe. My biggest fear is lightning strikes when my mast is the tallest object around. I diverted into a small fishing village bay at Puerto Escondido. I had already seen from the Google Earth aerial photo that a good part of the bay is taken up by mooring buoys for the pangas. Not much was noticed of a storm until I was ready to leave at 3 a.m. The sky was exploding with lightning, just to the west off shore. But it appeared to dissipate and I pulled the anchor at 5 a.m. It was over 70 miles, (as the crow flies) and I was concerned that I’d have trouble finding the marina in Hualtulco in the dark. That meant that I needed to maintain a 5 knot average speed in the 14 hours from 5 a.m. I had wind but needed to add the motor to it for long stretches to stay at that average. This is not a pleasant way to travel. I had telephoned the marina from Pto. Escondido, when I was in cellphone reach, but I was unable to get good answers on just which bay to enter. The GPS coordinate did not help much. Fortunately I arrived just at dusk and Dave another sailor in the marina heard my call to the marina on Channel 16 and guided me in.

I was dying for a cold beer after that five day sail. I could not get off the boat in the Pto. Escondido bay because of the sorry state of my inflatable dinghy and up the creek with just one paddle. I may have found a replacement here. Enjoyed very much meeting Dave and his buddy Pat. They both re-enlisted after 9-11 and spent time in Iraq and Kuwait and both retired with the rank of Captain. Pat bought “Makoa Kai Hele” the 53 foot ferro-cement ketch in the Channel Islands marina. You can follow their adventure  at: https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=Makoa%20Kai%20Hele

I got the disappointing news that it may be a while before the window opens again to cross the dreaded Gulf of Tehuantepec. On Sunday evening the blow starts again. I will be watching www.Windytv.com. The crossing is about 240 miles, so, I need at least three calm days to make it to Chiapas, the last checkout port in Mexico, on the Guatemala border. I have a number of chores to do. It turned out that the Google Earth pictures installed from a software copy in La Cruz are for the most part worthless. I need to re-install and clean up the next part to the Panama Canal. Then if I get a chance I may take some short road trips. There is lots to see here in the state of Oaxaca.

I had some of the best sailing ever on this five day trip. A couple of times I could use the spinnaker again. Lots of Dolphin shows. Spectacular full moon rises and sets. There are not many boats here. Several must have just left before this Sundays new storm, with 60 knots of wind….I had hoped to be in the Panama Canal for Christmas. I promise I will tell you what the reason for this delay turns out to be.

I have taken a couple more videos but it takes for ever to upload them on You Tube, with the public internet here. There is one short new one of the Moonlight Sail at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlRApdLtmB4

 

Moonrise on the 12th

Moonrise on the 12th

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moon set on the 14th

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

moon set on the 14th

moon set on the 14th

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A friggen Frigate Bird trying to land on my windex

 

 

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