More than 90 days since we arrived in Mexico. A majority of our time has been spent anchoring in bays, very often surrounded by other cruisers, close enough to hop in the dinghy for Happy Hour and still a healthy distance away to enjoy some privacy.
Life at sea is marvellous! Always a different backyard, amazing encounters with nature, and the daily challenge of facing unknown environments.
Daily Sunset
Whales, a regular sighting in the anchorage
Life is a Beach
Some Locals
It often takes an overnight sail to cover the gap between your current – and next desired destination. Sometimes plans change and need to be adjusted due to weather, technical or maintenance issues, unforeseen circumstances or just because.
We have a rule on board Fortitude X: if one of us is not comfortable with the location, forecast, or the situation we won’t be pushing for the set goal and rather adjust. A recent example is our latest sail from Mazatlán to Altata, a comfortable 120 Nautical Miles trip to this still mostly undiscovered little town located within the estuary comprised of Bahia Altata and Laguna de Pabellones.
Big one Photo: Ralph Herten
Securing the catch
Spanish Mackerel
From sea to table: Ceviche
We sailed through the night, under a star covered sky and a waning moon. Night passages require some extra preparation. We usually turn our salon into one big, queen-size bed, allowing the off-watch crew member a couple of hours of sleep in the more comfortable centre of the boat.
Another advantage of sleeping in the salon in the middle of the boat is the generosity of room when moving around to get dressed and undressed – there is nothing sexy about getting out of your 3-layered foul weather gear, harness, and your PFD (personal flotation device/life vest) and all of this while the boat is moving.
The navigation table and all instruments, including radar and AIS (automatic identification system, transmitting a ship’s position) are stationed in the salon and are easily accessible for both, the person taking a break and the sailor on watch.
We are aiming for two 4-hour shifts, 22.00 – 02.00, and 02.00 – 06.00. We try to schedule two-hour breaks leading up to the longer turns but aren’t that rigid with our rhythm and always adjust to the sea state and our individual condition. We prep meals to be just warmed up while underway; a snack bag and some hot chocolate are always handy to get you through the night shifts. If weather allows, we like to listen to audio books and music.
It’s also magical to just enjoy the silence!
At nightshifts we are wearing a harness attached to your PFD floating device and be tethered in, attached to the boat. All it takes is a moment of carelessness, a rough movement of the boat or a rogue wave to go overboard with your partner sleeping below deck – not ideal!
Routines aren’t always boring; it’s imperative to have procedures in place and to trust the process.
Sleeping Beauty
Beauty on Watch
We eventually arrived outside the estuary to Altata a few hours prior to slack time and were greeted by the rising sun and a number of commercial fishing boats, trolling with their nets wide spread in the water and pretty unimpressed with a sailboat crossing their paths.
Fog was moving in on us and the four commercial boats in our neighbourhood were not been seen anymore. We watched the radar screen like hawks while also be fully aware of our surroundings. We didn’t run the engine, that way we were able to listen to boats coming closer but we were always ready to turn the key and get moving to avoid a collision.
Gennacker
Calm seas, light wind
Fog is rolling in
No escape
The sun grew stronger and stronger and eventually won the fight. Two hours later we were good to go, aiming for our first marker. No navigation beacons. Storms can cause shifting or losing of buoys – is that what happened here? Wind and sea state conditions caused large breaking waves on both sides of the sand bar and with no markers in sight we silently agreed that today was not the day to visit Altata.
We carried on and sailed through another day – and exhausting night to arrive in Topolobampo the next day, tired but happy!
Hike to the Volcanic Crater, Chacala
Another Anchorage
6 Comments
Derick and Barb
So glad to hear you are enjoying your time in Mexico and the Sea of Cortez. You worked so hard and went through so much to get there. It is a beautiful place. Enjoy your time there
Stefanie Schulz
Thank you; you guys are an inspiration.
Maggie and Duncan
Looks like you are having a wonderful time. Will you stay in Mexico as it gets warmer or “park” the boat for a bit?
Stefanie Schulz
We are truly enjoying Mexico as we are slowly making our way up the Sea of Cortez to haul out in Puerto Penasco for hurricane season. Hope all is well.
Bruce
So pleased you’re both enjoying exploring together . Wonderful stories and photos .
Bruce and Kathy
Stefanie Schulz
We learned from the best. Hope you are never stop exploring.