I left Zihuatenejo on January 7th. I definitely stayed there way too long. Although I enjoyed Zihuatanejo, it doesn't really fit with my style of cruising. One of the things I really enjoy about travel is the challenge of showing up in a new area and having to figure out everything, including the simple day-to day tasks we take for granted. There are so many cruisers in Zihuatanejo that the experience has essentially been watered down and made easier — this could be why so many boats go there for such long periods of time. However, having so many other boats around does have some advantages.

Curt from Journey came over the morning I was pulling up anchor to give me a hand and see me off. As he pulled up to Tramonto, he noticed that the exhaust water flow seemed extremely limited. Sure enough, about 10 minutes later, Tramonto started to overheat. Initially, we suspected growth somewhere in the water intake. After a few hours of troubleshooting and a bit of advice from another boat who had the same engine, we narrowed it down to the thermostat. Four hours later Tramonto was underway en route for Puerto Escondido.

This three-day passage turned out to be one of my favorite passages ever. I caught up to Waterdragon and Jabberwoky late that night and we spent the next two and a half days having sailing and fishing competitions. Tramonto doesn't have refrigeration so the three Dorado I caught were handed off to Jabberwoky in a mid-sea transfer.

"And yet the sea is a horrible place" wrote Robert Louis Stevenson in 1888. Sailing the sea was "Stupefying to the mind and poisonous to the temper; the sea, the motion, the lack of space, the cruel publicity, the villainous tinned foods, the sailors, the captain, the passengers — but you are amply repaid when you sight an island, and drop anchor in a new world". I have to disagree with the first half of this. The exploration of new worlds is certainly my favorite part, but I have grown to appreciate the rhythm of the sea. For me the uninterrupted time to reflect, the self-reliance, and personal challenge far outweigh the hardships encountered.

I arrived in Puerto Escondido on January 10th. Puerto Escondido is a great town, but the anchorage is small and generally rolly so sailboats rarely stop. There are so few boats stopping here that the Port Captain was unsure of what to charge us and ended up only charging us half price. I could hardly wait to drop anchor here — Puerto Escondido is known for its world-class surf break and I all I could think about was paddling out.

The break here is a super steep beach break that walls up very fast. We all grabbed boards (including Lisa from SeaHorse who has never surfed) and head for the break. I chose to try and ride my 9'6" Nose King made by Rob Brown of Westport, WA. After getting worked several times I finally started to get the wave dialed. I also got barreled twice and didn't make it out of either one; but it doesn't matter, it was just nice to log some time on the inside.

Escondido definitely ranks as my second favorite spot in Mexico, Punta de Mita being the first. It is possible that this leg of the trip was so good due in part to the company. Sailing with WaterDragon, Jaberwoky, and SeaHorse has been a great experience. After a week in Escondido, it was time to move 55 miles to the south.

Huatulco is the town where all boats go to sit and wait for a weather window to cross the Gulf of Tehuantepec. The Tehuantepec is generally a challenging crossing. Throughout the year the wind averages 22 - 27 knots, and this time of year it's not uncommon to have winds ranging from 34 - 47 knots. The English guys who sailed with me from Barra Navidad to Zihuatanejo had jumped aboard Tondelayo and sailed to Huatulco. I decided to use this town as my last port of call in Mexico and check out of the country. This way two of the Brits could jump aboard Tramonto for the Tehuantepec crossing.

Unfortunately, I didn't get much time to explore the Huatulco area. As soon as I arrived, I heard that a weather window was opening up. I spent the next two days getting Tramonto ready and checking out of the country which took a whole day. Tuesday morning a half dozen of us weighed anchor headed for El Salvador.

Since leaving, we have spent the majority of the time motor sailing. Normally, I wouldn't mind sailing along at 3 knots but given that the weather window is expected to be a short one, I have decided to keep the speed above 4 knots until we are past 094 degrees longitude. This morning's weather shows the winds are building and by tomorrow evening it will be blowing 50 knots. Barring anything major we should be safely headed south well past 94 degrees. Overall the passage to El Salvador should take 5 days. Once there, WaterDragon, Jaberwoky, and myself will spend a bit of time exploring some remote parts of the coast searching for surf.

I have enjoyed traveling in Mexico; however, I am looking forward to the adventure of cruising in rarely visited waters. From a cruising perspective Mexico has been a great place to cut my teeth. There are lots of other cruising boats, many of whom are willing to help if you have any problem. I have found Mexico to be a safe, friendly, and extremely enjoyable place to travel. At some point I hope to have the opportunity to explore Mexico's interior.

From the latitude where I saw the Southern Cross for the first time, Hasta Luego

See a map of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec at MSN Encarta.