Mexico to El Salvador

We left Huatuco at about 1pm, next stop is www.bahiadelsolelsalvador.com. Should take about 5 days or so. We had mild winds but a strong current so we made good time this afternoon. Speed over ground was about 6kts in 7kts of wind. Timo had his engine on, I sailed the whole day. Tonight we approach the Tehuantepec. This bay is known for its winds. Weather forecasts can change and just when you think you’ll have a nice night, it can blow 50kts. We left Mexico with about 6 other boats today. Whenever a weather window opens, a mass exodus occurs. Many boats will cut straight across the bay. Advantage: A little shorter but a lot more exposed. Sailing with “one foot on the beach” gives a lot better protection from swells and any storms that may crop up but it is quite a bit longer.

We decided to error on the side of caution and stick close to the beach. It’s about an 8hr difference in the trip but I think it’s the right decision.

Last night, I had a few beers at a bar and downloaded the movie “The Bucket List” from www.watchtvsitcoms.com. You can get it free and I highly recommend it. There was a line in there when the two of them were looking at the stars and he said “Stars, now that was one of God’s good ones”. Sitting out here tonight with a full moon, gazing at the stars (yes, they’re bright even w/ the moon) makes me tend to agree. I was listening to my Kenny Chesney and just truly enjoying the sunset. I doubt the novelty of watching a sunset under sail or gazing at the stars while at sea will ever get old. Kenny Chesney’s songs sum it up pretty well.

Anyway, it’s about 8:30 so I’m going down below to see what I’ll cook up for dinner. The seas are mellowing out so perhaps I’ll cook something up. We’re motoring along now as the winds died but I have a great seat up on the bow, out of earshot (and smell) of the engine!

Well, we made it to El Salvador! 5 days at sea and about 480 miles. I used about 40 gallons of diesel the entire trip, actually had 30 left over. This is big as diesel is $4.50/gallon down here. Beers are $1 so if I drink enough, I can actually break even on the fuel. Bahia del Sol is nice and the people are very nice. They claim it’s a 5-star resort but I think that’s by El Salvador’s standards. In the States, I’d put this around a 2 to 3 star. The people make it a 4 star though.

Spent 2 nights in a slip but I’m moving to a mooring ball this afternoon. The current rips in here and since I’ll be here for 2-3 weeks, I don’t want to worry too much about anchors dragging when I’m not on board. More updates later, check out the pic of the 3 ½ foot Dorado (mahi mahi) I caught on the way down, fed me for 3 days!