Early morning and the sun is rising over the volcano!
0630: we finally get underway and as we said earlier we were glad to leave. Let's just say it was not one of the best anchorages. But we were both able to get caught up on some sleep. I was starting to feel better and was able to get some meals put together for the next 300+ nm to Chiapas.
0651: sails were up. We were managing 3-4 knots with the winds from the SW.
We passed between Isla Meanguera and Isla Conchaguita trying to outrun the rain that was heading our way. You could see the dark clouds passing over Isla Tigre and decided to prepare ourselves for a downpour!
Wet gear came out of the hanging closet - it is a wonder that moths did not fly out of them as we could not even remember the last time we had warn them. Portholes were closed. Hatches were secured.
0820: And then came the rain! And Isla Tigre disappeared. The fresh water washed down the boat at a rate stronger than the hose at the dock! Looking around you would think that we were back in the Pacific Northwest with the topography and the rain. Only difference was the temperature - + 30C.
0907: the rain stopped.I went down below to check for leaks and was happy to report that there were none except the water that runs down the compression post. We had wrapped a towel around it and that managed to absorb most of it. The water gets in through the openings for the wires that run inside the mast so we are not sure what we can do to stop that. Another project for our days in Barra.
1000: Tomato and grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch. Tasted great but my stomach was protesting. Dry heaves for the next half hour.
1105: I decided to lay down again as I was still feverish. David was playing with Mr. Wind: sails out, sails in, starboard tack, port tack, motor on, motor off
1200: wind direction settled down but did not carry much punch. We could use some wind as our diesel stores would just get us to Chiapas if we were lucky!
Wind finally settled down out of the WSW at 6-8 knots. The sails were unfurled and motor off
13.06N 88.05W. 3.5 nm off the coast. Cruising at a comfortable 5 knots with winds from the SW 10-12 knots. This continued till 1630
1800: Still maintaining a respectable 3-4 knots. But the sun is beginning to settle and with it the wind. Chicken cacciatore for dinner. I ate a little. David ate the rest!
1835: Winds have died off so David started up the motor.
2145: wind has switched to westerly at 8-10 knots so we are back to sailing. Total hours on the motor since we left Honduras is 7 hours. Keeping track of our fuel consumption!
2400: 12.58N 88.52W 3.4 knots on a course of 245*M
0255: motor back on
0700 BA back on watch and starving so that is a good sign. Made some scrambled eggs with cheese and sent the Captain to bed.
0800: Genoa out. Seas rippled. Partly cloudy. 3.1 knots on a course of 270*M total time on the motor is now 12 hours.
Highlight of the morning was finding one dead flying fish on deck!
0917: sea life spotted on the port side - a turtle. This is the first sea life I've seen for quite a while. The turtles must also be on the move as I managed to see quite a few throughout the morning. So you see, we are heading NW as part of the natural order of things!
It is actually quite comical as you look out at this nearly calm ocean and see the surface broken with terns - looking as if they are standing on the water. But they are actually standing on the turtles. This doesn't seem to bother the turtle.
1000: motor on to help keep the sails full.
1052: rolled in the Genoa. Flat calm and what little wind there is is on the nose. Auto on and I am back to my book.
1200 Location: 13*12.2 N 89* 43W. Back to sailing at 3 knots
Engine off and on for the next several hours.
1435: total engine time is now 16.1 hours
1835: Curry for dinner. David B. - if you are reading this - the Indian Curry sauce and the Thai Curry sauce from Trader Joe's are both excellent. I suggest that you keep some in your ship's stores. Easy to prepare - just add meat and vegetables. I put lots of vegetables in the Indian one, including potatoes, cauliflower, peppers, onions and carrots and zucchini. For the Thai one I throw a cup of raw rice in with the chicken and peppers and onions and zucchini. Once the rice has absorbed the sauce the dish is ready. We have one of each left and will ration them until we can get back up to the States this summer!
We are half way to Chiapas. Still sailing but not making great time.
2200: BA back on watch and trying desperately to keep the sails full. We are also bucking a 1.5 knot current! There are black ominous clouds up ahead and a lot of sheet lightening going on.
0200: the wind has died again so I curled in the Genoa and the staysail. And of course this woke up the Captain. I started up the motor but after a very short time it began to stutter. David bled the lines and that seems to work for now. Fingers are crossed. Not much of a rest for David but he said he was good so I went down and actually slept!
0600: BA is up and making toasted peanut butter and jam sandwiches for breakfast. There is still lightening but it seems to be occurring from cloud to cloud. I unplugged the GPS just in case. There is a real likelihood of more rain but for now the seas are calm and there is no wind.
0824: A large Ray jumps out of the water on the port side. Now what are the chances of looking out at 360 degrees of calm ocean and happening upon the exact moment when that Ray jumps out of the water. And a second later he is gone! Amazing!
0842: Large black cloud abeam of us. There is definitely rain over there but so far we have avoided it. Will our luck last?
Mach 26 0915: Autohelm decides to do a walk about! Looked up and we were on a course of 180. We were supposed to be on a course of 270. So I disengaged it. Turned it off. Turned it back on. Reset and everything looks good again.
0955: able to put the sails back out. 7 hours on the motor for a total of 24 hours. This is not good! 3-3.5 knots but this did not last for long. By 1045 we were back to motoring. But at least we are abeam of Guatemala!
1200 location: 13* 43.6 N 90* 54.8W Puerto San Jose
1300: light westerly winds so we are back to sailing. Total of 27 hours on the motor and 100 nm from Chiapas.
1526: I am sailing along quite nicely and notice two panga's up ahead. Avoiding nets is tricky at the best of times but doing it under sail adds a bit of a challenge. I altered to port 10 degrees to avoid the flag and net set up on my starboard side. The other panga was just setting his net in so I was okay.
1543: Another panga with his flag set further starboard. I came to port another 10 degrees to avoid him as the wind was bringing me onto his nets. The wind was cooperating but then I overshot the Autohelm. I had to start the motor to bring it back on course. Back to 280 M, 5 knots and of course the Captain wakes up!
1655: rolled in the Genoa and started the motor so we could point higher in order to clear the coast
2140: motor is off. David measured our fuel and it looks like we have about 15-20 US gallons remaining. We use slightly less than a U.S. Gallon per hour. So we need to find some wind! And the game of avoiding the fishermen continues. Close call with one - five miles offshore and the fisherman is sleeping in His panga - no lights! David did good missing him.
2400: losing wind so David goes to start the motor. Nothing! And we are losing oil. But we are not about to start troubleshooting. Now why do these things like to happen in the night?
So we were forced to alter course and tack our way up the coast for the rest of the night. Oh what fun it is dodging freighters (4) and panga's and fishnets in the night under sail without the option of turning on the motor. But I have to say I did pretty good. And it was obvious that the freighters saw me as they altered their course. I am maintaining 4 knots at 260 and again my GPS track looks like that of a drunken sailor!
0400: David is up to assist me with a tack. Came pretty close to a panga that time. He just sat their and flashed his lights at us. So we flashed the spotlight at the sails hoping that he would get the message. But we missed him ( barely) anyway!
0600: we have travelled 11 nm in 12 hours. Guess I will not be taken out for dinner in Chiapas tonight! Maybe breakfast?
Why so slow you ask? Well the direction we need to steer is 320*. But the wind is coming from that direction. If we had the motor we could take in the sails and have the wind on our nose. Because we have to sail we must follow a course like a zigzag sewing machine which can more than triple the distance travelled on a two hour tack. If we were going in a straight line at 5 knots we would travel 60 nm in 12 hours. We just did 11 nm in 12 hours. Get the picture?
0730: Tacked. Winds have picked up. We are traveling at 5-6 knots with a 6 foot swell and 2 foot wind wave.our course is 275* heading for Japan! We have one reef in and the Genoa is fueled to one third. Rule of thumb for sailors: Increase wind. Decrease sail.
0830: David decided to try playing with the starter. He was able to get it started by jumping it with a screwdriver. We are still losing oil but can keep it to a minimum if we keep the rpm's to 1200. We just want to get to Chiapas!
Steering 320 with the wind on our nose. We are motoring. Captain fantastic does it again! Too bad we are having all these little issues. If you take them away we really are having some great sailing!
1208: Mother Nature has only been cooperating minimally so it looks like it will take us 3+days instead of 2+ days to get to Chiapas. So no fuel is really starting to be a concern. But we are in a better position to sail and the wind is picking up.
1405: 6 knots. Rail under!
We rolled in the Genoa as everything is stressed. This reduced our speed to 4 knots and made for a more comfortable sail. So now we are sailing with a reefed main and the staysail.
1445: David went down below and noticed that there was about 4 inches of water around the stove. Where did that come from? So I got a bucket and pail and proceeded to clean it up. The water had a brown colour but no odor. Still not sure where it came from but must have happened when we were heeled over.
1500 We did a tack and started the motor just to see if it would start. Seems to start one out of every 5 times. Steering 230 - not good. Speed is 2 knots - not good. Are we having fun yet?
27 March 0525. Wind had died off completely and we are drifting backwards. Started the motor with 5 inches of diesel left in the tanks which relates to about 17 gallons. We will run for 2 hours at 1200 rpm and then check our consumption.
0835: Wind is now northerly at 8-10. Motor is off and Genoa is out. We used about 1 1/2 inches of fuel in 3 hours. But what is left is not all usable because you start getting into some of the sludge in the bottom of the tank and that is not good. Fingers are crossed.loss of oil seems to be minimal at the reduced rpm's.
1030: just off Rio Suchiate and the Mexican/Guatemalan border
1440: Arrived off the Puerto Chiapas breakwater. We have noticed long large swells all day - over 15 feet. Found out later that they were left over from the typhoon that hit Vanuatu in the South Pacific.
Swell hitting the breakwater!
1525: arrived at Marina Chiapas. Our fuel held on. Lots of little glitches. Took us a lot longer than normal. 83 hours to go 320 nm. That means we averaged 3.8 nm per hour. Not too great! But we arrived safe and sound. David took me out for dinner and then were slept soundly for 12 hours!
So we will see where we go from here. But if nothing else we made it far enough south that I could see the Southern Cross. I think that is a pretty big accomplishment, more than I had ever dreamed of doing!
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