January 24, 2001

Departed the Club de Yates in Acapulco bound for Huatulco, about 238 miles southeast. Limerence looks more like a world cruising boat because we are now carrying four 20L jerry jugs of diesel fuel on deck. Limerence has fuel capacity of 67 gallons, and burns about ½ gallon an hour. We picked up jerry jugs for two reasons. We want back-up fuel for the long distances we will travel, and the ability to take fuel into a container and allow it to settle before pouring into our tanks. We filter the fuel as it goes into the jerry jugs, and refilter it as we pour it into the main tanks. Other cruisers have reported taking on contaminated fuel resulting in engine damage. An important lesson we have learned in cruising so far is to take care of the fuel and the engine. We are far from diesel mechanics and tow boat services.

We planned on a passage of approximately 40 hours. Departing late in the morning on Wednesday would put us in Huatulco early Friday morning. We motorsailed in 10 knots of wind 20 degrees off our bow with the mainsail up. The ride was comfortable and we enjoyed great views of the miles and miles of sandy beaches with crashing surf. We saw lots of dolphins that seem to respond to Doug’s stadium volume whistles, and hundreds of sea turtles.

The stars shone especially bright because there was no moon. Doug and I stand three hour watches, and as I went up into the cockpit for my 2:00am shift, Doug mentioned that he thought he could see the lights of a cruise ship on the horizon. Our radar showed nothing. A few minutes later a string of lights appeared on our starboard side that looked like an airport landing strip. My first reaction was “land” but that was eight miles to the left, or port side. The radar still showed nothing ahead, but there were twinkling lights for several thousand feet. I called Doug to help diagnose what I was seeing, and we both decided it must be lighted fishing nets. We were close to a shallow bank called Tartar Shoals and in about 250 feet of water. When we finally were within a half mile of the strange lights we were astonished to see not nets, but Mexican pangas. At this distance, the radar finally began picking up the boats. Each panga had bright white lights and serveral men working with fishing nets. They were in a perfect row thousands of feet long on the edge of the shoal.

January 25, 2001

Sunrise was beautiful with red, orange, blue and yellow streaks across the horizon. We were humming along at six to seven knots with the help of a southeasterly current of one knot.

We communicate several times a day on various marine SSB radio nets. The Amigo Net is on at 8:00 am and Southbound Net at 8:00 pm. Both nets are run by cruisers up and down the Pacific coast. We hear the voices of the people we have met in various ports, and get updates on where they are anchored, weather conditions, and safety issues. It is not only fun, but essential to get information. It is a comfort to know that as we sail alone down the coast, hundreds of miles from others, we have communications. Doug is a general class ham operator and can call land based nets that cater to the marine community. A great net on 20 meters is 14300Mhz and is run from the US. This professional net offers reliable 24-hour a day communications.

We made such good time that we calculated we would get into Huatulco in the middle of the night instead of morning. We never enter a new harbor in the dark, so we decided to stop at Puerto Escondido in the late afternoon. The harbor is picturesque with lots of beach palapas, shops, and crashing surf. The roar of the surf was impressive, and this area of Mexico is reputed to be one of the four best surfing spots in the world. We anchored in 54’ of water and enjoyed a restful night.

January 26, 2001

Departed at dawn and motor-sailed in 12 knots of wind 20 degrees off the bow. We picked up a strong current and glided along for ten hours to our destination of Huatulco.

Bahias de Huatulco consist of nine beautiful bays with small towns, white beaches, and great snorkeling. We are anchored in Santa Cruz. We plan on staying here for at least a week to receive mail and enjoy the surroundings while waiting for a weather window to cross the Gulf of Tehuantepec.

We will send another update soon and tell you what we discover in this scenic place.

Best to you. . . Captain Doug and Judy

More Travel Logs . . .