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Thursday-Friday February 4-5, 2010

No clouds or rain, just bright sunshine and gentle winds. What a difference, waiting an extra day is absolutely the right thing to do. Bella Donna is fueling up as we prepare BD for the worst. Anything that may move about in rough seas is secured. We are ready at the time appointed by Captain John, 11 AM. Many other boats that have been waiting for days want our space at the fuel dock, Some real nice guys crewing a very large power boat, Last Chance, give us a hand with our dock lines so another large power boat can take our spot. You almost fell like you are being run out of town.

We negotiate the narrow channel as it threads its way by the hotel emptying us back into the sea. There is no Willie Nelson "On the Road Again" as this is just another leg of our 4,000 to 5,000 nautical mile passage to the British Virgin Islands. This leg is another short one, 215 miles, to a marina in IXTAPA (x-tah-pah) (we will just call it X marks the spot) which is right next to, 6 miles away from, ZIHUATANEJO (zee-whaht-ahn-eh-oh) call it Z. X is the big resort and hotel district and Z is where the real authentic Mexican town is. None of us have ever been to either place so it will be a complete adventure. This passage leg should take us about 25 to 26 hours, so we will be in tomorrow at noon or 1 PM, God willing.

A few hours into our journey and you can drop your guard; the seas are surprisingly flat and the wind is good (14 knots on starboard (right) beam), 3 more knots and it would be perfect. We decide to fly the Genoa only and leave the main in the bag as our speed is fast enough, over 8 knots, and we expect a change soon. Soon we change course a little and the wind swings around to our port (left) side; our apparent wind is 30 to 40 degrees off the nose so we try first the stay sail and then the Genoa in a cutter like arrangement without the main which needs at least 50 degrees to do much good. Some people, her name starts with an N, like us to put the main up to look good, but today we do not need to look good just go faster with less work; although, we should raise the main at some point to dump the accumulated rain water out of it, lessen the weight BD is carrying and dry out the main sail. Maybe tomorrow.

Darkness has fallen and once again we feel lonely racing on the wind in total blackness on a slightly rolling sea. Suddenly our SAT (satellite) antena dome on the port side makes a crashing sound and the antenna starts "wrapping", a high speed swinging, frantically looking for its signal. John and Deborah like a well practiced team of surgeons rushed over the fly bridge rail and removed the dome cover. The LNB had fallen off and the poor antenna so it has been executing a blind search. In minutes the antenna is happy again.

During the day the inland mountains get hotter than the sea and hot air rises creating a low pressure and the heaver higher pressure sea air rushes inland, thus the sea breeze. At night the sea is warmer than the mountains and the wind rushes to the sea but much less strongly. Our plan is to sail just off the coast using these winds and it works well.

We arrive on time at the GPS position near X. It takes some time and maps to find another very narrow channel into the marina which was once a swamp full of crocodiles. A sign in the marina warns you please do not go into the water; the locals have not been able to completely evict the crocodiles. A couple of years ago a sailor went overboard to clean his hull; he is finally able to walk somewhat following his 15^th operation. Once we dock and get information we learn that internet is not available so we sort through the various weak signals emanating from the hotels and condos surrounding the marina. I guess there is no pictures transmitted today, sorry.

Following our sun-downer/crocodile search party the boys exit the marina grab a bus and head for …, oh we do not know where we are going. Quickly we sort through the locals to find someone to talk to. Just in time we are told that unless we exit now at the last X spot we are going all the way to Z and will be dumped out in a neighborhood you do not want to be in at night. We find ourselves walking back to X stopping at the many restaurants and shops where locals and tourists alike are having a city square like Latin festival. Live bands are everywhere. People are Latin dancing. We are hungry and settle on Frank's Place a restaurant and bar that spills out to a little courtyard surrounded by shops. Frank is a young good looking Canadian? Why would a Canadian start a restaurant in X. He drops by our table with his good looking Mexican wife; here is the answer. Frank does a great job smoozing the guests while plugging his Super Bowl Party on Sunday.

After a couple of hours we return to the marina looking for a bus all the way; there are none. We rescue Deborah from her girls night in. We make plans for tomorrow's daytime excursion.

God Bless Bella Donna