January 30, 2012

I dated this because I am not sure when Mike will go on the SSB radio and post it.

Right now I am just north of Acapulco, going two knots when the wind is only at .8 knots. I guess there is a current. It has been a good ride so far. Yesterday we had great winds and made great time and actually went the right way the whole time. (We didn't fish because we have to eat up the stuff in the kaput freezer before anything else. So far nothing has turned. We had steak for breakfast. At sunset, the winds started to drop, and we didn't do much over 2.5 knots until about 3:30 am, at which time I got it up to 3.5 to 4, and then went on for a couple of hours. (I have the 2 am to 8 am watch.) It then dropped again, and here we are. We did run the engine for awhile as we had to change course avoid a big ship that was headed our way, so we took advantage of that to put some miles down.

I am really having a good time on this trip. I feel very calm and peaceful. I am full of ideas for all sorts of things (the only problem is I forget them quickly or just never follow through). Last night the water had more bioluminescence than I have ever seen before. The wake from the boat was like a glowing fountain on the water's surface, and the tiny breaking waves all had glowing, sparkling tips on them. It was like sailing through a field strewn with tiny diamonds. Then when the dolphins came through, they looked like huge thick twisty snakes or some sort of sea monsters because of the long glowing wake attached to them as they zoomed through the water like torpedos. They hung around the boat, swimming all around and under it, sometimes jumping out and making big glowing splashes. And speaking of dolphins, when we left Zihuatanejo and were headed out of the bay, a really large dolphin swam up and in front of the boat and proceeded to do three, count them three, full back flips before swimming back off into the bay. It was like he was saying good bye. What a great sendoff from a really great place!

Right now I am getting ready to take a nap - it is about noon and I have been up since two am. An hour or two is all I need until it is about 7:30 or 8 pm, and then I will sleep til Mike gets me up for watch. After I get my couple of hours, Mike will take a nap in the late afternoon. It all works out very well for everyone. Here are my coordinates just in case anyone is interested - you might be able to put them into google and get something. N 16 degrees, 53 minutes and W 100 degrees, 35 minutes. I don't know how to make that little round degree sign so I had to write it out.

"Any man's death diminishes me for I am involved in mankind. Therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee." John Donne

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