Tuesday, June 1, 1993

Another beautiful, sunny day! Wind out of the north-northeast, about 12 knots.
After breakfast, I called "Pyxis" on the VHF to get the weather forecast. To my surprise, they were already on their way! They were just rounding the north end of Mujeres. Sure glad I caught them. They said it was really nice out there.
If it's good enough for "Pyxis", it's good enough for us, so we immediately weighed anchor and took off.
An ideal day for sailing. The wind was just right, the water was just right, the air temperature was delightful. You'd never have known it was the same ocean we were on a couple of days ago.
We had all four sails up, and we zoomed along at six to seven knots. Didn't have to use the engine until late afternoon.
"Primo" left shortly after we did. We were able to keep in touch with both "Primo" and "Pyxis" by VHF, which was comforting.
Around noon, the fishing line started whirring and the pole was bent ninety degrees. It was a struggle to get the fish on the boat. Turned out to be a barracuda, 40 inches long and about 30 pounds. And what a mouthful of teeth! He could have bitten your hand right off. So now we'll have fresh fish all the way to Key West, with a lot left over. And it's really delicious.
Lovely moonlit night.

Monday, May 31, 1993

Before dawn, we could see the lights of Cancun and Mujeres, but we couldn't pick out the lighthouse on the south end of Mujeres. When the sun came up, we realized most of the lights had been in Cancun, so we'd been looking for the light in the wrong place.
It didn't take long to reach Mujeres in daylight. The wind shifted to the west and blew the storm clouds away. Now we can see blue sky, white fluffy clouds, and sunshine. And we're alive and safe in Mujeres Harbor.
As soon as we entered the harbor, we tied up at the fuel dock and filled our empty diesel cans. Then we went over to the anchorage, dropped anchor, and ate breakfast.
Lee on "Pyxis" called us on VHF. I told him about our fun weekend. He said the Weather Service realizes they blew it. They sent out a plane to see what was going on. There's a tropical trough that's causing the problems. Looks as if Wednesday will be the earliest we can get out of here.
This was the first day it didn't rain since we've been in Mujeres. Gorgeous day! Blue sky, white fluffy clouds, refreshing breeze.
Paddled to a nice sandy beach. Went to the bank and cashed another Travelers' Check. Hopped on a bus and rode down to the south end of the island. It was the first time we'd been south of the marina. We'd just been in the downtown area, and we'd wondered where the people lived. Now we found out. The bus went through the residential area, and it was quite large. And as miserable as in the rest of Mexico.
The end of the line was near a nice beach with lots of restaurants and palapas. While Roy relaxed in the shade, I walked down the beach, looking for the lighthouse and the Mayan ruins that are near the point. Towards the end of the beach, a young man said "Hi!" to me, so I assumed he spoke English and asked him if he knew where the Mayan ruins were. It turned out the extent of his English vocabulary was "Hi!" He called his girlfriend over. She spoke a little English but didn't seem to comprehend when I asked about Mayan ruins, so I tried Spanish, but that didn't click either. Then she told me they were tourists from Japan!
Returned to Roy. We were both very hungry by then (it was after two), so we walked over to a nice restaurant. Unfortunately, they had just stopped serving lunch, so we ended up eating rather sorry chicken sandwiches at a palapa.
I asked the waiter where the Mayan ruins were. He pointed towards the road and said we could walk there in one minute. We started in that direction, but saw a bus at the turnaround. Since the bus doesn't run very often, we took advantage of the opportunity to return to town.
Stopped at a pharmacy for some cough syrup. Also bought a candy bar to kill the taste of the chicken sandwich.
At the plaza, we ran into some other gringo cruisers. The word had already spread about our weekend adventure, so they asked us for more details.
Bought a few groceries at the "super market" and some good bananas and mangoes from a sidewalk vendor. Returned to the boat with the groceries, and then Roy took his SCUBA tank to a dive shop to be refilled.
Now that the generator's working perfectly, the microwave oven has conked out, so I had to cook supper on the hotplate. Roy didn't like the way I boiled the vegetables, so I gave him three choices: (1) He could repair the microwave; (2) He could eat the vegetables the way I cooked them; or (3) He could cook supper himself. He chose to cook supper. Oh boy!
(Mom's dad came here from England and was accustomed to the traditional British style of very overcooked vegetables, which is how my mom cooked vegetables on the stove. Somehow microwaves are magical and she was not able to overcook them in the microwave, which I found out when we sailed with her later in Florida. Somehow carrots stay bright orange and al-dente, cabbage stays bright green and al-dente, no matter long she cooked them. I guess that was what Roy was talking about.)

Sunday, May 30, 1993

At one a.m., we admitted defeat. We were going in circles, burning diesel and getting nowhere. It had taken us 20 hours to go 60 miles, and we were miles north of our course. At that rate, we'd have run out of diesel long before we reached Key West. If we could have ducked into Cuba for fuel and shelter, it would have been different, but that's risky business, so we turned around and headed back to Mujeres.
The morning was especially rugged. We had to go south against the current or be blown to the north side of the Yucatan Peninsula. This meant being perpendicular to the east wind, so the waves were clobbering us broadside. Several times, we were knocked over 60 degrees from the vertical. The decks were awash. We were afraid we'd capsize, but good old Jofian always righted herself. Sure glad there's all that lead on her bottom.
In the afternoon, the sea calmed down a little, relatively speaking, which helped tremendously, but it was still tough going. We couldn't go more than two or three knots. Mujeres seemed a long ways away.

Saturday, May 29, 1993

Unfortunately, Mother Nature didn't read the weather report. The weather does whatever it wants to do, not what some meteorologist says it should do.
The wind was straight out of the east, not the southeast. Instead of 15 knots, it was blowing 20 to 30, usually closer to 30 than 20. The waves, that were supposed to be less than 5 feet were 15 to 20 feet. And on top of everything else, a powerful current carried us way to the north.

Friday, May 28, 1993

A local radio station gives the weather forecast in English at 5:35 a.m., so I got up to listen to it. The forecast sounded somewhat promising for the weekend.
Roy changed the oil after breakfast. Then we took the diesel cans to the Pemex station in a cab and brought them back full. On the way, we saw the "Leonardo II" tied to the Navy dock, so apparently they made it okay.
Took another cab to the Port Captain's office to start the checking-out process. From there, we walked to Migracion and Customs, then back to the Port Captain. So then we were free to leave. We asked the Port Captain if he'd heard a weather forecast for the next few days. He said the wind will be out of the south, which will be perfect for us.
We did a little shopping and ate some ice cream. Walked to the other side of the island and watched the surf. Until then, the sun had been shining, but by the time we bought a few groceries, the rain was pouring down again. Fortunately, I'd had the foresight to put a plastic bag over my left foot. We made a dash for a cab and returned to the boat.
Kept trying to get weather forecasts on the radio. Someone right here at Isla Mujeres came on and said there was going to be a book exchange at the marina at 5 o'clock, and he'd bring us a printout of the latest weather information. His name is Lee Gillard of the "Pyxis". He's very nice. Gave us a really good printout. Very helpful. Looks as if the wind will be from the southeast, about 15 knots. That's great. Talked with Lee and his wife Linda and some other people for a couple of hours, so supper was pretty late.

Thursday, May 27, 1993

Calm and sunny very early in the morning, so we took the boat to the marina before breakfast. No problem getting to the dock, bow out. No cleats; we tied to posts (actually, small tree trunks).
After breakfast, we went up to the office and registered. They charge 30 cents a foot per day plus $3 a day for electricity, but we didn't take the electricity, because the outlets are falling apart, and the wiring is pathetic. The generator is working perfectly now, so we'll continue to use it.
The guy in the office phoned customs and migracion. To our surprise, the officials came out to the boat! They were very nice and didn't even inspect the boat. They just looked at our tourist cards and asked a few questions.
After they left, we took a cab to the Port Captain's office. He was very nice and spoke English quite well. He needed another copy of our zarpe, and he told us where a copy place was. We went over there, had the copy made, and returned to the Port Captain. He typed on it, signed and stamped it, kept the original, and gave us back the copy. Then he asked if we had the form for checking out. We didn't, so he let us have his original to copy. We took it to the copy place and had 10 copies made. The Captain was pleased that we had run off extra copies for him. He showed us how to fill it out. We thanked him and left.
Next we went to a bank and exchanged $200 worth of travelers' checks for 650 pesos.
I've had a dead toenail for a number of years. The other day, I stubbed my toe and the nail came half off. Roy volunteered to cut it all the way off with a pair of pliers, but I declined his kind offer. Instead, I went to the medical clinic here on Isla Mujeres and had a doctor remove it. He did a good job. Shot a local anesthetic into my toe, cut off the nail, washed the toe with antiseptic, and bandaged it. Then he gave me a prescription for a pain-killer and an anti-infection drug. The clinic charge was 40 pesos ($13.33). That was the whole thing--doctor, two nurses, anesthetic, and all. I could have gone to the IAMAT clinic in Cancun for $45 U.S., and I would have for something serious, but I figured the local doctor could take care of a toenail.
We wandered around looking for a pharmacy so I could get my prescriptions filled. Instead, we found an ice cream parlor, so we treated ourselves. I asked the clerk where there was a farmacia, and she pointed around the corner, so we went there and found the pharmacy. There was no pharmacist on duty; the clerk simply handed me the stuff all prepackaged. Must be very routine prescriptions. She didn't even keep the prescription form.
Next we tried to find a super market. It was clouding up, and I didn't want to get my toe wet, so we hurried. Had a hard time finding it but finally did. Grabbed a few groceries and then ran for a cab. Got back to the boat just moments before the deluge.
It's only three days from here to Florida--in good weather. If these squalls out of the northeast continue, we might never get there. We don't mind the rain, but a 30-knot headwind would be a problem.
After lunch, the rain had quit and the sun was starting to come out, so we went back to town to check out the fuel dock. It looked pretty miserable, so we decided to take the jerry cans to the fuel dock in a cab.
Went over to the ferry dock to see about taking a ferry to Cancun, six miles away. They run frequently and only cost ten pesos, so we hopped on one. It turned out to be one of the super fast kind that slice through the water at 30 knots. It was a really neat ride.
We landed at Puerto Juarez, just north of Cancun, and took a bus into town (3 pesos). It was starting to rain when we got there, and I hadn't thought to wrap my left foot in a plastic bag, so we went in a large store and looked around. Roy wanted to get another pair of shorts, but they were ridiculously expensive, so he didn't.
We hopped on a bus to the hotel zone (4 pesos). Nice long ride. Went for miles and miles, nearly all the way to the point. Passed lots of luxury hotels, golf courses, lovely trees, green grass, neatly trimmed hedges, shrubbery. Trouble was, the rain was pouring down so hard and the bus was so packed, we could scarcely see anything.
By the time we'd made the round trip, the streets were so flooded, even the buses had a hard time getting through. It was after five, so we figured we better get back to Isla Mujeres ASAP. We got off at a bus stop that said "Puerto Juarez" and waited under the shelter. Nine zillion Hotel Zone buses went by, but none for Puerto Juarez. After many futile attempts to flag a cab, we finally caught one. He zoomed us out to the Terminal Maritima, but we'd already missed the 5:30 ferry. The next one was scheduled for 6:30, but there was a small ferry at the end of the dock. While I waited under the shelter, Roy walked out to the ferry to find out if it was going to Isla Mujeres, and if so, when. Just at that moment, about 300 people descended on the dock, all carrying enormous suitcases, and began stampeding towards the ferry. I joined the stampede. Roy yelled at me to "Come on!", and I yelled at him to "Get on the boat and grab a seat!" It was amazing how many people and suitcases crammed onto that little boat. They just kept coming and coming, but thanks to Roy, we had seats.
All the way across, we kept wondering when someone would come around to collect fares. Gradually it dawned on us that we were in the midst of a tour group from France that had chartered the ferry. We had just merged in with the rest. And when we got to Isla Mujeres, we just walked right off with the rest.
Took a cab back to the marina. Got there just before dark. And my toe was still dry.
Roy choked on a piece of fish during supper. Couldn't get it up and couldn't get it down. Really scared me. But eventually he dislodged it and was okay, thank goodness.
Heard another "Drama of the High Seas" this evening. We were listening to "Southbound II" on shortwave, trying to get a weather forecast. Suddenly, the "Primo", right here in the harbor at Isla Mujeres, broke in to say he'd heard a distress call and wanted "Southbound II" to contact the U.S. Coast Guard. (Hundreds of miles away. How about the Mexican Navy right here on Isla Mujeres?) Anyway, "Southbound II" phoned the Coast Guard in New York (sic) and the New York Coast Guard contacted Miami Coast Guard and Miami Coast Guard contacted the Mexican Navy here in Isla Mujeres. Right. And guess who pays the phone bill.
Anyway, it seems a fishing boat from the U.S. named "Leonardo II" was floundering around in the ocean about 13 miles east of Isla Mujeres, taking on water. Their electric pump had broken, and they were out of gas for their gasoline pump, so they were pumping by hand, but the water was gaining on them, and they were plenty scared. They kept sending out Maydays on VHF, but they didn't hear a response, even though "Primo" kept trying to contact them. They were strangers in this area and didn't quite know where they were. They didn't know how to pronounce "Mujeres"; they kept saying something like "Mayores", which added to the confusion. Fortunately, they were able to see the light on the southern tip of the island and were heading towards it. When they were 11 miles from the island, another gringo here in the harbor managed to contact them on VHF. You can imagine their relief when they finally heard a response. The reception wasn't very clear, however. The guy here, who called himself "Sailboat", kept asking for their latitude and longitude, but they didn't seem to understand. Finally, they came up with their Loran coordinates. Fortunately, someone was listening who was able to calculate their position. "Sailboat" asked them to spell the name of the island they were near, and the spelled it "Mujeres", so that cinched it. A bilingual guy in Cancun contacted the naval base here on Mujeres, and the navy dispatched a boat. (Mexico doesn't have a Coast Guard.) "Sailboat" told "Leonardo II" to turn their spotlight on and leave it on and to fire a flare so the navy could see them. By then, they were close to the point and in danger of going aground, so "Sailboat" told them to head due south. Soon, the navy boat found them and led them to safety. The last we heard, they were on their way to the harbor, but still taking on more water than they could pump out.

Wednesday, May 26, 1993

Left Cozumel about 7 a.m. We were going to go across to Punta Hut and anchor behind the reef so Roy could dive and fish, but there was a strong on-shore wind blowing and visibility was somewhat limited, so we decided it would be too dangerous. Turned north towards Isla Mujeres.
Had a nice northeast wind, so we were able to sail most of the way, with occasional assists from the engine. For a while, the wind was so strong, we were making 6 knots with just the headsail and staysail. We also had a 3-knot current pushing us part of the way; we made 9 1/2 knots while that lasted. Really a neat day of sailing.
Went right by Cancun. Luxury hotels and condos along the waterfront as far as the eye could see. Who stays in all those places? It would take tens of thousands of people to fill all those rooms.
We reached the harbor of Isla Mujeres just in the nick of time. The rain started coming down in a deluge. Visibility was about zilch, so we just dropped anchor and sat. When the rain let up half an hour or so later, we were right in front of the ferry dock. Moved to the anchorage where the other sailboats were. There are ten U.S. sailboats here, mostly waiting for the weather to break so they can make it to Florida, just like us.
Mujeres isn't quite as pretty as Cozumel, but it's nice. Most importantly, this is the jumping off place for the U.S. From here, it's a straight shot east northeast to Key West.
When the rain let up, Roy paddled to Marina Paraiso and talked them into letting us have the one vacant slip, and it's a side-tie! We were going to go over there immediately, but the wind picked up and it was getting dark, so we decided to wait until morning.