Acapulco to Bahia del Sol

This is the text prepared by Bill Eddy with photos from several crew members added.

On this leg the crew was Paul Goss, Bill Eddy, Jim Labbe, and Harry Reppert.

Tuesday 4/20 Acapulco YC Marina

Up at 8:15am. Did some miner inspection of the wheel squeak problem. Since we did not know where the source of the noise was for sure, Jim went into Paul’s cabin, removed the ceiling and lubed every possible friction point in the steering system. We replaced the ceiling cover and hoped for the best when we get back out to sea. Went to brunch at the club at 10:00am and returned to boat to make up provision list for the next leg of the trip to Huatulco. Harry and I and a taxi driver/shopping assistant Jose went into old central Acapulco town to the Mercado Commercial Mexicana. Very crowded store, but we got everything on the list including vodka. Lost my “Eddyline Bar and Grill” ball cap, and had to buy a new one at the AYC store on the club grounds. $150 peso rip off ($12USD) Brought stuff back to boat and sat around as Paul put the goods away. For the record, it should be noted that Harry will be officially taking over the cooking and menu planning from Paul, who has done a fine job for the trip so far, and the entire Ha Ha in November.

Scenes at the Acapulco Yacht Club

In the pm Jim and I went to the pool. We could see two NCL Cruise ships in the Bay. One berthed and one anchored. Their presence would account for the crowd we saw in town and in the market. At 7:00pm, we went to the club for our final dinner in Acapulco. Filet mignon again. After drinks and wine, we chatted till 10:00pm and back to the boat to call our wives and rest up for the next trip leg to Huatalco.

Harry Quickly Makes Himself at Home

Wednesday 4/21 Departing Acapulco Day

Up at 7:30am to prep boat for departure. Had final breakfast at the YC, then Paul and Jim went looking for a replacement retaining pin for the large clevis through the gooseneck. Jim had luckily discovered that it was missing after he found the old bent pin on the deck shortly after we arrived. It took awhile but Engineer Jim got a custom pin made and put it all together. We left the AYC dock for the 231 mile trip to Huatalco at 1:24pm.

We were out into the ocean by 2:00pm and headed SE. Put up the asym and off we went in 10-15k breeze at 5-8k boat speed. Delightful weather and flat sea state through 7:30pm. No wheel squeak. Whatever Jim did stopped the noise and made the trip so much nicer for all of us. Kind of like tackling the entire football team to get to the ball.

Dinner at 5:30pm by Harry. Big salad followed by vegetable and chicken and noodle soup. Dessert was custard cups from the store. We also had a ½ hour dolphin show during dinner. Too hot to sleep much. Bill and Harry teamed for the 12-4 while Paul and Jim had the 8-12 and 4-8 shifts. We ran all night with the asym up on port and the jib poled out on starboard with consistent SOG of 5+ k. Wind died around 7:00am.

Thursday 4/22 At sea

Up at 7:00am for sail changes to the main and asym. SOG low at 4.5k but expect better speed as the wind picks up this afternoon. The change brought us to 5k, SOG of 6.2k with the 1k current running with us. Had French toast, sausage and OJ for breakfast. Hot and humid but semi cool in the cockpit with breeze. Cabin very warm.

At 1:00pm just as lunch was served we had to reduce sail as overpowered. Paul pulled the asym down and we put up the jib alone for now. Averaging 6k on jib alone. No particular hurry as we do not want to overrun our Hualtulco target. After lunch, we got another big dolphin show, jumping out of the water for food. Beautiful animals and fun to watch. Many tankers around us as well traversing to and from Panama canal.

We sailed all day. We tried the asym in mid afternoon but too much with winds at or above 20k. Experiment failed so we took it down immediately. So we reefed the main to 50% and bound it out on starboard (jib on port) and sailed that way at 7-8k the rest of the afternoon and into the night shifts. Bill/Harry 8-12 and4-8. Paul/Jim 12-4. Exciting night sailing with no problems.

Friday 4/23 Huatulco Arrival

We approached Huatalco Bay as the wind and sea state calmed down a bit. We needed to kill time so we would approach the harbor area in daylight. Same old story as in so many previous port approaches. We make such good speed that we overrun the approach targets and bays. Obviously we did better than our trip plan of a 5k average. We were in the channel approach at 7:30am. The channel approach presented a difficult look as the actual marina was tucked around behind a southerly cliff and not visible until we were committed to what looked like a beach landing.

Marina Entrance is Behind the Two Palm Trees in the Distance

All went well and we secured in a berth in the Chahue Marina in Huatalco with help from the harbor crew at 8:24am. Cheated death again. They took Paul away for check in activities with Customs and Immigration.

Crew Safe and Sound at Huatulco

Set up boat in berth, showered and gave our laundry to an enterprising young lady who came by the boat as we were berthing. Said we would have it back tomorrow. We took a $20 peso cab ride to the central Huatalco town for a wonderful breakfast in an air conditioned restaurant off the Zocollo. Recommended by the Harbormaster’s very helpful assistant. After breakfast, Jim and I took an exploratory walk around town while Paul and Harry went to an auto parts store for a temperature sensitive battery hydrometer. Took pictures of many restaurants, a beautiful central park area, many nightclubs and little shops. The real people part of town was neat and clean, and obviously taken care of by Fonture, the government tourist development organization. The town was really well layed out and clean with wide boulevards with palm trees and trimmed grasses. We got some maps at the Zocollo to show our families and had a fresh papaya drink at a corner stand while people watching. Really fun. Returned to the marina by cab for a nap.

The marina 5 miles from town is well built but clearly still under development. Their vision is probably good but a long way from done. For example, the marina office is surrounded by commercial space, but no business yet. The showers are crude outdoor ones behind cinder block walls. Also of note was a heavily armed military force of 4 men guarding a very sleek silver cabin model speedboat down from out berth. Apparently confiscated due to an ownership issue. 4 guys, 24/7. Gives dock security a whole new meaning. We think drug smuggling might be at the root of the problem.

Spent the post nap hours cleaning up personal gear and getting organized, waiting to call Nora and the family while still on the lame Verizon Mexico phone plan. After Mexico, the calls will go to $2-3 per minute under regular plan. Windy in the marina and very dusty from development and 94 degrees inside the boat and out.

At 7:00pm we went to dinner downtown at Lechalote Restaurant Bar and Gallery, recommended by a friend of Pauls. Hidden on a back street and few customers but a wide menu. I had a beef tenderloin wrapped in bacon, mashed potatoes salad, vegis bread and 2 drinks for $400 pesos @ $32USD. A little high for Mexico but wonderful. Back to the boat by 10:00pm for sleep and calls to home.

Saturday 4/24 Huatalco

Up at 8:15am. Navy guards changing shifts. Laundry arrived at 9:15am folded neatly for $56 @ $5USD. Spent the day on boat cleanup and projects:

Dinghy off top, washed, dried and put away

Complete boat wash and dry

New float switch for grey water pump (first of many)

Unclogged forward head

Fixed battery balance problem (we hope)

Relubed steering cable system and replaced aft cabin ceiling

Put up blue shade tarp

Rewired starting battery.

We got battery system help from a berth neighbor who by luck was a retired marine electrician. Found one large battery wire had become unhooked and likely led to the voltage/load issues Paul was detecting. Broke at 5:00pm for Margaritas.

Did final head cleanup, all showered and went into town in taxi for dinner at the Sabor de Oaxaca. Harry had grasshoppers (the insects) we all had giant salads (a full meal themselves) steak dinners and other native delights. After dinner, we walked town again. Being a Saturday night the Zocollo was packed with local families with kids and dogs enjoying the cool air from the nearby Bay. Back to the boat for call home and bed at 11:00pm. All good.

Sunday 4/25 Huatalco

Up at 8:00am. Dock lost power and water, but got it back by noon. Miracle!! Not much activity today on boat. Harry and I went to the Super Che market (a mini Costco) in town for some provisions (mainly liquids) Brought stuff back by taxi and loaded it on the boat, followed by a beer reward. Very hot!! Harry precooked bacon and hardboiled eggs for our next sea leg. Note: At Super Che, young kids in school uniforms were helping customers find things, load and check out. Very enthusiastic and knew the store product locations well. Must be a school or church fund raiser. Great to see such enthusiasm.

The Zocolo is the Town Center Both Geographically and Socially

Left boat for dinner around 7:30pm for Santa Cruz Playa area. This is Huatalco’s very nicely developed and clean cruise ship dock area. All shops closed now as the last cruise ship left today for Acapulco at 4:00pm, not to return until October. Ate at a nice beach palapa called Ve la Mar. Had a beef/fish/shrimp/vegi shish kabob. Dessert was a table prepared banana flambeau with ice cream. See pictures. Back to boat by 11:30pm for calls home and bed.

Monday 4/26 Leaving Huatalco

Up at 7:30am for departure prep. Vac and cleaned floors and heads. Jim and I got fuel by taxi at the local Pemex station (8-5gallon jugs). Taxi driver cost $70 for trip and helping us fill the jugs. Topped off Virago with one jug and lashed the other 7 to the deck for use on the next long leg if needed. Cleared customs and immigration and the port captain by 2:00pm. While all this was going on, Harry did the final shopping at Super Che and brought the goods back to the boat by taxi. Note: The customs people took the regular fee then requested a “tip” from Paul. Cleared to go.

Called Nora and sons Dave and Mike. Last calls on the Cheap. Will have to borrow phones the rest of the way. At 5:00pm had a nice spaghetti and meatball and salad dinner on deck with a cabernet wine. When finished, we put away more stuff and let the lines free at 7:00pm for El Salvador.

Through the night and early am. we had 9-13k breeze, flat seas, dolphin escorts and a full moon lighting the way directly in front of the bow. Sailed main and jib only doing 5.2-6.8k in light puffs. In the sailing world, this was a “10”

Tuesday 4/27 At Sea

Up at 7:30am. The 4-8 crew put motor on as the wind finally died and we needed the batteries charged. Temp low 80’s and 1’ swell. We are 70 miles out in the feared Gulf of Tuhanepec. Nothing but horizon. Had a nice breakfast of OJ, coffee, pancakes and bacon. Hit the spot. Tried the asym and poled jib for speed but “nada”. Took it all down after lunch of fruit salad and motored through the afternoon and into the night. It was 93 degrees and humid as hell. No action on the Gulf yet. The biggest excitement was the visit by 2 frigate birds that landed on the pulpit and let us reach to within 1” of them. Harry took pictures with Paul’s camera.

By dinner, still no wind but full moon so continued to motor. Looks like the Bermuda Triangle out here. Lots of reading and sleeping going on as we motored.

Wednesday 4/28 At Sea

Up at 4:00am for 4-12 shift. No wind and motoring at 8k toward our first Guatemala waypoint. By 9:30am we were officially 35 miles off their coast. Breakfast of cereal, fruit, coffee and bagels. We motored under a big rain squall that washed the dust from Huatalco Marina off. Boat looked better. By 10:30am out from under the squall and got minor wind so put up the asym and full main. 246 nm from Bahia del Sol, El Salvador.

Back motoring by 2:00pm By evening skies were threatening. Had nice tuna salads/ sandwiches. By the 8-12 shift we were deep into thunder and lightening storms and large rain squalls that lasted until 4:00am. We could see the rain squalls on the radar so we had a lot of fun under power dodging them. Miss all of them while watching spectacular lightening sheets and streaks all around us. Of course being the only tall aluminum post sticking up in the middle of an empty ocean made us all a little nervous. All this while trying to keep a good VMG to the Bahia del Sol entrance waypoint. Quite a night. 88-92 degrees all day and night. Last let to BDS with 79 miles to go. Passed Guatemala but never saw it due to distance off shore, clouds or dark.

Thursday 4/29 At Sea

Up at 7:00am for big arrival at BDS. Unfortunately, due to 1.5k current against us we cannot make BDS till Friday. Had a nice breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon toast and fruit. At 9:00am, Jim and I refueled the tanks from the Jerry jugs using a small hand pump. Took an hour. By 10:00am we set sails and sailed by a medium sized industrial port of Acajulta and its SE Bay. By 2:00pm the wind picked up with chop to 21k so we reefed and continued beating our way SE. Our goal was to time our arrival for daylight Friday even if we had to motor. Overcast, 3-4’ swells 87 degrees and a little humid. Wind average in the 13-17k range so sailing was good. Harry called BDS Rally organizer on his international phone using an Acajulta cell tower. Told us to be at the BDS pilot station for guide over the bar at 5:30am So we day sailed around the Bay of Acajulta to essentially kill time for proper arrival. Note: From the sea, we could see at least 8 volcanoes. Very impressive. Dinner at 5:30pm of noodle and beef stroganoff with green salad.

After dinner we dropped sails and motored all night in a timed way , as figured by Paul’s advanced time and distance calculations. Wind was nada. We could see shore lights throughout the night, essentially seeing the Costa del Sol peninsula and its resorts and residences. Full moon as well. Very impressive.

Friday 4/30 Bahia del Sol Arrival

Up at 4:00am all hands on deck while we motored up to the pilot mark to await escort across the bar into BDS. Opps!!! When we called in at 0530 to tell them we were on station, the rally organizer called back to inform us that the earlier hotel person gave us bad info and we could not enter until 4:00pm high slack tide. Bad News!!. So we had no choice but to loose the day, anchor off shore in 50’ of water and wait. We elected to sleep . We were up after a nice rest at 9:00am. Did cleanup tasks had coffee and a fruit plate. Raining, 88 degrees.

Daunting Surf Across Bahia del Sol Channel

Into/across the bar under escort to harbor for arrival at Bahia del Sol resort/casino/marina at 5:00pm. Very exciting. The channel had plenty of depth but we had to hit the opening just right between breaker sets. Thanks to a lot of help from the guide ski-doo with event organizer Bill and the native guide Raylondo we hit it perfectly with only a couple of 4-5’ swells carrying us forward. Harry took a video, Paul steered perfectly and we glided across the bar hitting 12.2k at one point. Interestingly, the guide ski-doo broke down in the middle of our crossing operation, so Bill and Raylondo had to be rescued by a large motor vessel “Phantom”. They boarded her and called us in from the top deck of that boat. While we had a safe crossing, Phantom almost broached behind us on their way across

Once through the bar, we pulled into the calm bay and the marina at the resort. Several other boaters helped us secure lines. Some were boaters who we had seen at some of our earlier stops up north. Like seeing old friends. Paul did the immigration and customs check in, paid $100 for the boat and $20 per person USD. Wow! Once secured and powered up we went to the bar for a real drink and dinner to celebrate the fact that we cheated death again.

Crew Safe and Sound Yet Again

There was a very nice shoreside bar and restaurant with uniformed help. Boys had whole fish dinners and I had a hamburger. After dinner, a local boatyard owner Murray was celebrating his birthday. His group and the cruisers shared his birthday cake with us after singing happy birthday en mass. Very festive. Bill Yeargan and Jean Strain aboard Mita Kuuluu, the event organizers sat with us for the time. Note: We shared the restaurant with a bunch of Amalie Racing Motor oil dealers from Central America. All dressed in racing shirts, including the hookers.

Bahia del Sol Marina-side Bar

After the gathering, we returned to the boat in pouring 88 degree rain. To bed at 10:00pm. Tomorrow will be a cleanup and rest day. Note: As part of the Rally and fees we paid, we have full use of and access to the resort, including a nice pool, showers, casino and bar/restaurants. Note: The currency here in El Salvador is the USD so no more exchanges.