Living La Vida Loca

We left Roatan Sunday. We had told everyone we were leaving around mid-morning and I’m sure our fellow cruisers were keeping an eye out to help with dock lines and to shout last good byes. Then, instead of leaving, Randall and Jake went on a last grocery run and Michelle and I went to the beach. We had decided to leave later in the day and skip a planned stop on the west end. Finally around 4, we had a last hot meal of tacos and started the engines. Several people came out to say “Fair Winds” and we got underway. It is always hard to leave a dock full of new friends. As we pulled out, we passed another boat at anchor. They paused their deck cleaning to wave and shout “where are you heading?”

“Mexico,” I shouted back. “Viva la Mexico!”

The first couple of hours were a downwind run in the lee of the island. Randall told us not to get used to being comfortable. We all knew that when we rounded the west end of Roatan, we had stronger wind and steeper waves awaiting us.

As we pointed Nyango north, the sun went down and the rough night began. Jake had the first watch with Randall in the cockpit. I was glad my watch was later in the night, hoping the wind would pipe down. Michelle and I chatted in the darkening boat. We collectively winced a few times as the boat crested and slammed back down on the rolling waves.

“Are you afraid,” Michelle asked.

“Well this isn’t fun,” I replied.

Each one of us took our two hour watch, hopeful that conditions would improve. But every time the wind let up a bit, we would approach another line of clouds and the wind would creep up. The sails, doubled reefed, strained with tension. As the sun rose on Monday, we were still fighting the wind and waves and I often would silently say “poor Nyango” as the boat keep its path through the crashing waves. Finally, Monday afternoon, the wind got more manageable and the waves moderated. We could finally feel a little under control despite still traveling hard through the water. At some point we started the motor to maintain enough speed to reach Puerto Aventuras by Tuesday evening. Tuesday, we caught the northbound Yucatan current and started regularly hitting 8 knots of speed. I was always glad we had kept the double reef. 8 knots always feel a little too fast for a sailboat.

A cruise ship was spotted ahead. We speculated about life aboard the Carnival Dream. Some cruisers were likely sleeping in after a long night of cruise ship carousing. Early risers were maybe headed to a hot breakfast buffet and an expresso. None of them were stumbling around, grasping for a handhold while trying to refill their water. None were worried about the rigging, the frayed spot on the sheets or the blinking light on the freezer. Did any of them see us? And were they wondering about our cruise? Maybe thinking, “wow how adventurous.” But, of course, some might be thinking, “I bet one of them is saying ‘I’m not having fun right now’.”

But the time for fun was to come. It isn’t cruise ship fun, maybe, but it is fun to have made your way to a new port on your own little boat. It is fun to have done it with people you love and know better for having managed a hard sail together. It is fun to see your fellow sailers skillfully handling the conditions and weather. And it is fun to pull into a port with a plan of leisurely meeting other sailers and locals, trying all the little restaurants and being in no hurry.

We started with an evening of pizza and cervezas. We walked around and watched the dolphins playing ball. We located the beach and Jake went for a swim. We are planning how to get from here to the local sites. This seems a great jumping off point for inland exploration.

We are loving life now even though it was a hard slog getting here. It is kinda like living La vida loca by barco. Maybe Jake will write that song.