Underway Day 1

We are indeed on the move again. We got inspected by the Navy and their dog just before casting off in Marina Chiapas at 0900 this morning.

With the help of the marina staff, Chiapas was a great place to check in to Mexico. The unfamiliarity with yacht clearance in this border town has all but been eliminated in the few months that the marina has been open and all paperwork went reasonably smoothly including obtaining a Temporary Import Permit from the customs checkpoint on the road at the border with Guatemala (original registration documents required).

We had some fun with the cruisers in the marina at a sundowner potluck appetizer music jam session. Present were five guitars, harmonica, fiddle and percussion.

We are now crossing the Gulf of Tehuantepec, a potentially hazardous body of water with winds from the Caribbean funneling thru a gap in the Sierra Madres. Storm force wind and huge seas are not uncommon this time of year and breaks in this pattern are short and infrequent. We are hoping for reduced wind Wednesday and Thursday as we traverse the 250 mile Gulf. As a precaution we will hug the coast to eliminate the wave effects if the wind should pipe up.

Some friends are scheduled to fly into Puerto Vallarta on February 12 to spend time with us so we now have a schedule other than mother nature's. Also, we hope to make it 950 more nm to PV before fueling (we filled up just before leaving Costa Rica). Maybe we can use some of the coastal night breezes to sail a bit.