I left La Cruz Marina on Monday at 7.30 a.m. This time the wind was from a better direction. After I crossed the Banderas Bay into the Pacific the wind picked up. The water was still reasonably flat with an about 25 knot following wind. This was some of the fastest sails ever. I was steadily hitting sevens, and not dropping below five knots. I ended up reducing sail to a triple reefed main. I made a short video of it that I will post on the next blog. I just discovered it did not upload right and the file is on the boat. I am anchored out and lost one of my oars this morning. It slipped away from me and I was in no hurry to recover the floating oar, it filled with water and sunk. My dinghy problems need fixing.
I was very tired yesterday afternoon, lack of sleep on Monday night and the constant sail changes and course corrections. Friendships I had made when I was in the Dominican Republic in March 2009 with a group of sailors, of which Richard and Karen Van Appelen are here. They came through here in 2013 on their way from the Caribbean to Vancouver. They are crewing with Steve on his Catamaran to French Polynesia this Spring. Steve was also part of the cruisers I met with them.
I heard a very familiar voice and boat name on the local cruiser net this morning. Jeff Hartjoy on “Sailors Run”. Jeff is from my area, near Gig Harbor. I met him and his wife Debbie on Western Samoa in 2005. His son Richard works in Gig Harbor for the computer shop where I took my problems in the last two years. Jeff has solo sailed the three Capes and we had a lot to talk about on the VHF radio. He is anchored across the bay from me in the lagoon.
I shall be on my way to Z-town or Ixtapa, this late afternoon.