And There They Go

We leave tomorrow for Mexico and points beyond.  Yesterday we cleaned out and re-organized the vee berth, the fridge is now clean, empty, and turned off, and all we have to do before we sail tomorrow is to pack our backpacks and straighten up a bit.  The boat is ready to be on her own for almost two months.  Our good friend and landlord, Santos, will be babysitting Magda Jean until we return.  I know it sounds like I am leaving a live person, but I have an natural tendency to anthropromorphize (I have no idea how to spell that or even say it right) everything, and a boat is different than a house and leaving it is different.  Plus a boat does have a name.  But I think things will be okay while we are gone, and I do trust Santos. 

Here are some of the pictures we took the other day on our dinghy excursion into the mangroves.

Blue Heron   

 

 

 These canoes are either wooden or fiberglass.  And everyone likes to have a ride.

 

 

 Everyone has their favorite spot in the boat.

 

 

 Here is a home along the estuary in one of the tiny settlements located in and among the mangroves.

 

 

 Most people basically live outside.  All cooking is done outside, and everyone sleeps in hammocks in a carport-like structure.  It makes sense in this climate. 

 

 

 The Mangroves.  These canals just go on and on for miles.

 

 

Anyway, this is the sort of thing we see as we ride around the estuary in our dinghy.  The people we encounter are always really friendly. 

 

This will be it for a few days at least - it is supposed to take about 2-3 days to get where we are heading in Mexico (Puerto Chiapas) and our friend's boat does not have the kind of radio where I can make blog posts.  We are bringing this computer with us, and many of the places we stay should have internet, so I am hoping to make a nice record of this trip, with pictures and all.   

 

It will be good to be out to sea again, and interesting to sail on a different boat.  With three people, watches should be no problem.  I am a bit concerned about the steering issue.  On Magda Jean, we have two well running electric autopilots.  I know how to work both of them, and they are both reliable.  And I am not a strong helmsperson.  I am not sure how the autopilot or autopilots on this boat work - and I hope we don't end up having to hand steer all the way.  I have no specific reason to worry about that, but I do anyway.  Otherwise, I think things should be fine.  There is a big storm brewing out there, but we should be in Chiapas before it hits up there.  It is worrisome for our friend as to whether or not he might get stuck in Chiapas waiting out a storm.  It is still hurricane season in Mexico, albeit the end of the season.  So here's hoping the weather analysis I am relying on holds true and the storm remains south of us until we are safe in Chiapas.  I have no desire to sail through a storm, especially with waves up to 10 feet.  I don't think I have been in waves that big yet and I don't want to be, especially in an older boat I am not (or at least Mike is not) 100% familiar with.  But I have total faith in Mike's ability to handle any sea-going situation and our friend Jason is calm, sensible, and very very smart.  And I do get a good idea every once and a while, so between the three of us, we should make it just fine.  Of course, having said all that, we will probably have to motor the whole way due to lack of winds.  Our friend has a schedule and can't just drift along for days on end like we can (and do on a regualr basis!)

 

So the next time you hear from me I will likely be in Mexico.  Hasta Luego.

 

 

“Now more than ever do I realize that I will never be content with a sedentary life, that I will always be haunted by thoughts of a sun-drenched elsewhere.”  (Isabelle Eberhardt)