Zihuatanejo to El Salvador

April and May 2002

Monday April 15, 2002

We left Zihuatanejo yesterday about noon after a nice morning visit with Matt and Judy, Elsewhere.  Saturday night's party was loads of fun with several friends to visit with.  The crowds are gone so there was ample opportunity to really visit.  Of course the food was delicious and too plentiful!!

Yesterday we had a wonderful sail in light winds all afternoon and evening. We did not have to turn on the engine until 3:30 this morning.  Then by 11:30AM we were back to sailing again.  The wind is light - hovering around only 10 knots over the boat - but it is enough to keep us moving at about 4 to 4.5 knots, and light enough to not build up any more than the smallest of waves.

Wednesday April 17, 2002 - Isla Sacrificios

Until today we have sailed much of this trip in mostly very light winds with boat speeds hovering around the 3.5 knots range and even as low as 2.5 knots.  Today we are motoring.  There is no wind now but we chose to motor sail in the light winds overnight so that we can make our desired anchorage in the daylight late this afternoon.  We motor at 5 knots and if there is a little wind we do even better.

Evening: We got the anchor down behind Isla Sacrificios at 5:00 PM.  The sun was already low so we dropped the hook in what we felt was a safe spot behind the island.  After we got the hook down we discovered that we were anchored in a fairly strong current opposing the 12 knot westerly wind.  Although the boat lays sideways on the anchor, the waves are tiny and it is a quite comfortable anchorage. 

Friday April 19, 2002

We are still anchored behind Isla Sacrificios and it has turned out to be a very nice anchorage in these weather conditions.  We did have a few hours of rolling on Thursday morning with long-period swells from the east and southerly winds keeping us sideways to them but mostly it has been just gentle rocking with the tidal current that seems to only run westerly thru the anchorage.  Both yesterday and today we spent about several hours in the water snorkeling.  The water is not real clear but clearer than we have seen in a long time and there are lots of coral patches on the rocky reefs along with the many colorful fish to chase and watch.  Slowly we are getting our snorkel muscles built up again but tonight we both feel the results of our exercise.

Sunday April 21, 2002

Still anchored in the same spot.  Yesterday we again snorkeled and then circumnavigated Isla Sacrificios in the dinghy.  Today it was off to the beach restaurants for a wonderful fish lunch with Carl and Barb from Jacinda Rose, anchored near us.

Tuesday April 23, 2002

Yesterday we snorkeled off the east side of the island.  There are many nice reefs but have been rather “gathered out” by the locals diving for food for the restaurants and for trinkets to sell.  There are still many schools of colorful tropical fish of the small variety to watch and chase.  Last night Wind Bird arrived after dark.  Bill and Carl helped to guide Diane in along with the aid of a spotlight from a Navy vessel that was patrolling unlighted in the area. 

Today it was back into the palapa area for another wonderful fish meal.  Bill and I have taken to sharing one plate as that is usually enough and otherwise we are inclined to over-eat.  Today there was enough fish on the plate that we both over-ate anyhow.  Diane, Carl and Barb all rode in to the beach in our small dinghy, making for a very wet but quite fun ride.  Two more boats anchored in the bay while we were on the beach and they were dinghying in for food as we were dinghying out.  We rafted the dinghys for a short chat before we broke apart and continued on our way.

Wednesday April 24, 2002 - Hualtulco

We upped the anchor early and motored in to Hualtulco, arriving there in time to do all the necessary check-in paper work and at the same time check-out of Mexico for El Salvador.  We were lucky because there was a cruise ship in the harbor so the immigration officials were in town instead of at the airport.  This saved us a long taxi ride.  We then hailed a "colectivo" (a mini-bus) to the city center where we enjoyed lunch, purchased fresh veggies and enjoyed watching all the cruise ship passengers that had been bussed there for a few hours.

Saturday April 27, 2002 - crossing the Gulf of Tehuantepec

Thursday was a relaxing day while we got Lanikai ready for the long passage to El Salvador.  We went into the port area and enjoyed a wonderful lunch, although too large, at one of the beach palapas.  We were too full to have anymore than crackers and peanut butter for dinner after such a huge lunch.

Yesterday we upped anchor at first light and headed out of the bay.  We mostly motored all day long.  We did shut the engine down for about two hours while we had nice SW breeze about two hours out of Hualtulco but it did not last.  Then about 2:00 PM, the expected northerly winds picked up to a peak of about 25 and we tacked in toward shore.  We tacked out and soon after we got going on a comfortable course the winds petered out, only one hour without engine.  Last night the winds did fill in from the SW and by 11:00 PM we were again under sail.  The winds veered more westerly as the night progressed but we managed to keep the winds until after sunup when they again collapsed.  We are again motoring along and approaching the east side of the Gulf of Tehuantepec.  We are seeing lots of sea life in the calm waters today.  There are turtles basking on the surface,  many complete with a bird resting on their back.  For much of the night last night we had dolphins all around Lanikai.

We had our first rain squall this morning and it poured heavily for almost an hour.  Sure gave the boat a well needed wash!  The winds seemed mostly to be a downdraft as no matter how much we fell off to catch them, they were on the bow but only to a peak of 25 knots.

Sunday April 28, 2002

Not much wind and very glassy flat seas, great conditions for a powerboat.  We did get 3 hours of sailing in during the last 24 hours but that was in less than 10 knots of wind.  Our average speed for the trip is only 4.3 and we are piddling along under motor power.  At the current rate we should be ready to cross into Bahía del Sol with Wednesday morning's high tide. 

Monday April 29, 2002

We finally got wind and had a wonderful spinnaker run from about 2:00 Sunday afternoon until 3:00 AM the next morning.  We then replaced the spinnaker with the 110 jib as we had rain squalls on the horizon.  We got the rain about 30 minutes later followed by nice wind for another half hour.  We hoisted the main about sunup and continued to sail under the morning offshore breeze.  At 8:00 with dying wind and low batteries we turned on the engine again.

Overnight we had a frigate bird try to land on our rigging.  He did manage to take off our wind indicator, replacing it will give us another chore to do when we are in El Salvador.  In the meantime we have tied two pieces of ribbon to the rigging.

Tuesday April 30, 2002 - Hotel Bahía del Sol

We are anchored in the estuary of Jaltepeque off of Hotel Bahía del Sol.  The wind picked up for us today and we had a fast run.  Lots of wind for several hours had Lanikai up to the unheard speed of 8.5 knots and we maintained around 8 knots for over two hours.  That allowed us to reach the bar here well before dark.

We crossed the bar about 4:30 in the afternoon and it was a rather too exciting crossing.  Slack water was not for another hour but by then it would be getting dark before we could complete the crossing.  So we ended up surfing on a wave, loosing steerage and sliding down the face of the wave sideways; the wave then broke over Lanikai filling the cockpit.  Bill regained steerage as soon as the rudder had water to grab again and we continued the rest of the journey to the anchorage with no more mishaps.   

We were allowed enough time to settle the boat at anchor and then the Navy showed up to check us in to the country.  When they finished it was into shore to complete the Immigration paperwork for our 3 month visa.  Everyone was very friendly and helpful!!  Bill and I then stopped by the pool for a swim to remove the effects of our salt water wash-down and ended up spending some time visiting with other cruisers, both in the very warm pool water and as we walked back to the dinghy. 

Thursday May 2, 2002

Yesterday we made two trips into the resort.  The first trip was to check in with the office and do a little exploring around the grounds.  We found such exciting things as, where to dump our trash and where to get water, as well as more fun things like the beach area with its second pool. 

In the evening the cruisers gather in the pool for a sunset swim.  After which, on Wednesdays the resort sets up a cruiser happy hour complete with yummy nibblies and cheap drinks in an air-conditioned room where we can just visit.  Other weeks there has been some sort of a presentation but this week there was none. 

Bill gathered water for me on Wednesday so today I did laundry or should I say I rinsed much salt out of things.  We are waiting for the rains to start to really rinse the boat again.

Sunday May 5, 2002

Yesterday we walked down the road with a herd of cows, to the boca, the opening to the sea.  We enjoyed a wonderful late fish lunch while we watched the pleasure fishing boats return over the sand bar entrance.  Wealthy Salvadorians have homes along this estuary with small docks for their fishing machines which they use on weekends; going out through the boca to catch sailfish and dorado.  Walking back up the beach we ran into Ferdy and Jutta from Pipe Dream walking out to the boca to watch three sailboats make their entrance.  We turned around and walked back to the boca, enjoyed another pop but got no action from the entering sailboats.  Santana, the local entrance pilot, decided that the boca was too rough and that the boats would have to wait until the morning to enter.  The crews of the boats were put up in the hotel until the boats could be brought in, while their boat were anchored off the beach.  The Navy put a young man on each of them to act as a guard. 

Monday May 6, 2002

The anchored boats still did not get in today, but there is more hope for their passage over the bar tomorrow.

Today we decided to go visit the ruins at Copán, Honduras and leave early in the morning.  Jutta and Ferdy from Pipe Dream are making the trip as well.  Our plan is to catch an early bus to San Salvador and from there take the “chicken bus” to the Honduras border, cross and get as far into Honduras as the day allows before stopping for the night.  Then on Wednesday completing the journey to the ruins, where we plan to spend several days before returning to El Salvador.