Velella Cruising Log

We arrived in Zihuatenejo just a few days before Christmas. We sailed directly from the Sea of Cortes on a 7 day, 727 mile passage. With good conditions, we had very little temptation to motor during what we expected might be a slow trip. With a bit more wind and waves than we anticipated, our trolling generator spinner came flying out of the water and then tore away from the boat. (Our first real casualty.) As we rounded Cabo Corrientes, the warm moist air suddenly overwhelmed us and we started peeling layers, sailing in nothing whenever we could. Fortunately we have a nice sailing awning, so we didn't bake in the sun while trying to keep cool. We are still adjusting to the heat and humidity. Typically the temperature is in the high 80s with 80% humidity, and I am remembering the hot summer days when I lived back in Washington, D.C. when a backyard pool was our only way to survive the summers. Installing fans moved to priority status at the top of our projects list.

After checking into port, we went on a quest to find items to decorate the boat. Somehow in the pre-departure frenzy, we failed to give much thought to Christmas decorations. We found a 10 inch high fake tree, some tiny hand painted glass balls, 3 inch candy canes, a short string of garland and some ribbon. These items along with some strategically placed Christmas candies and miniature stockings made the boat look quite festive. We decided that we could stow these items in the tiny space behind a stereo speaker to keep for next year's celebration. Many cruisers decorated their boats with Christmas lights, but for us the power requirements of that would be prohibitive.

Before Christmas, we even had enough time to find a little something for each other. And, in honor of a long tradition, we arranged to bake Christmas cookies with friends Ken and Cath on 'Felicity'. The four of us endured the heat of the oven dripping in sweat, trying to cut the shapes freehand while we listened to carols. We all hosed ourselves off in the cockpit afterwards. On Christmas Eve, a number of cruisers gathered in dinghies for caroling in the harbor. A raft up of eight dinghies requires significant coordination to motor around the harbor. Our effort was a far cry from my choir days, since few of us really knew the words and we were all a little out of tune, but we had spirit (with spirits in hand, of course). The cruisers gathered at Rick's Bar (cruising headquarters in these parts) for a traditional style turkey dinner in the afternoon on Christmas Day.

Rick's Bar is cruiser central. Located near the center of town, Rick's Bar is cruiser central, and is on the way to and from most anywhere you might be headed in town. At the bar, Rick coordinates laundry, propane refills, showers, mail, book swap, lodging, cruising meetings, and provides entertainment through games, music, and dancing. If you need anything, Rick can probably tell you where to find it or get it for you.

Each Saturday, Rick's features a troupe of traditional Mexican folk dancers. We were quite impressed with the skill of the dancers, the costumes and the choreography. I have watched every Saturday since we arrived. Rick invited all the cruisers up to his villa for New Years Eve to enjoy a swim in his pool, BBQ and celebrate. We stopped in the town square (centered around a basketball/volleyball court on the waterfront) to watch the fireworks, the bands, and the celebration at the stroke of midnight. The music didn't stop until 6am.

To escape the heat, we've taken the bus to Ixtapa ($.35) for a double feature in the impressive new air-conditioned theater. It costs $3.50 per couple for 2 movies every Thursday. What we saw wasn't as important to us as the air conditioning. Another favorite escape is to sit under an umbrella on the beach, ordering food and drink to our heart's content. It is a shock how fast the bill can add up, though. Snorkeling has been a great treat as well, although it doesn't take long to get burned in the midday sun. We have located an air conditioned Internet Café that we all frequent to get in touch with friends and stay cool. And, of course, it is cool under the fans at Rick's Bar.

We've found a few edible treats to enjoy around town. There's a restaurant that has $1 Tamales of many different kinds. We've enjoyed hambergesas (hamburgers) we've purchased from the evening street vendor on the town square; The "works" includes American cheese, avocado, ham, salsa, onions, mayo, mustard and ketchup, all for $1.50. Some items seem pretty inexpensive and others seem comparable to U.S. prices. The grocery store features many non-food items (like a department store and many new Fred Meyers), is air conditioned, and offers a large selection. We balance our purchases between the air conditioned grocery store and the local market. Those of us used to the meat pre-packaged in styrofoam prefer the grocery store to the butchers in the open market, where we have seen pig heads and cuts of meat that we don't recognize. But, we generally buy our fruits and vegetables from the fresh venders in the closer central market. We have all been on a quest for good wine and cheese since we realized how poor the selection was here. I wish we had stocked up more on those two items before leaving the U.S., but I thought it unnecessary. Otherwise it seems as though we can get most anything we need, except marine parts.

We have found that we have the smallest, simplest boat in nearly every anchorage. Many cruisers have computer charts, onboard email, DVD movies aboard as well as many other amenities that we didn't even think of, much less consider adding to our boat. Some cruisers consider us deprived, but we feel pretty content with our boat and our choices so far. Sometimes those things are a luxury we long for, but we have to remind ourselves continually that we are all on different cruises and we each have different priorities. Garth and I weren't willing to give up our future financial security or the ability to go at such a young age to have a big fancy boat. When we hear about all the repair needs amongst the cruisers on the net each morning, we are glad our boat is so simple. We are the only boat I know that doesn't have to listen to an hour or two of the motor each day to charge batteries and keep up with all the power these amenities require. Our largest power consumer is the refrigerator; and we have decided that we don't really need it most of the time, since we were having trouble generating enough power from the solar panels to run it, yet were unwilling to listen to the engine every day. Many food items do not need to be refrigerated, despite what the package labels may state. Lately we've turned our refrigerator off and have been buying ice for cold drinks every few days. Without the fridge sucking on our battery, we can more than keep up with our energy needs using the flexible solar panels we lay on the foredeck in port and the trolling generator we trail when we are underway. These are free energy sources that mean we can avoid having to waste gas, pay astronomical prices, listen to the noise, or tolerate the heat and smell. We've noticed that many of these new luxuries that are becoming more common in the cruising community can turn the cruising lifestyle into the lifestyle (rat race) many of us say we left behind. Garth is continually remarking how cruising has changed since the old days (makes him sound like a geezer, doesn't it?). For example, communication now is primarily via VHF instead of in person, and, since there are so many cruisers now, it is easy to miss direct contact with the communities we are visiting and thereby forego some of the charm of this lifestyle. I'll let you know if I still share these opinions in a few months!

We have enjoyed our lifestyle so far and look forward to exploring Mexico a little more over the next couple of months. Cheers, Wendy and Garth

Wendy Hinman
Garth Wilcox
Velella Wylie 31'

Cheers,
Wendy Hinman and Garth Wilcox
S/V Velella (Wylie 31)

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