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February 28, 2005
Location: St. Petersburg, FL to Venice, Florida
Nautical Miles Traveled: 48

Well, we left St. Petersburg Florida today. It was a mix of emotions with the excitement of leaving and the sadness of saying goodbye to so many new friends, especially those on C-Dock. Most everyone was at work today so we never got the chance to say proper goodbyes, but Dan, Jamie, Brian and Steve were all there to see us off. Kristel, Rick, Debbie and Sharon, if you’re reading this then take note, you all will be deeply missed until we cross paths again.

With the weather offshore being nasty we decided to take the ICW south and are now sitting in Venice, Florida. The trip down was very pleasant with great weather and moderate winds. Just as we were getting ready to leave Tampa Bay to enter the ICW we saw a sea turtle swimming on the surface. The ICW here is much different than what we were used to, no commercial traffic at all  but lots of pleasure boats. At about 1730 we finally approached Venice and called the Crow’s Nest marina to get our slip assignment. This was the most challenging docking we have ever done. There was an outgoing tide of about 3 knots (going west) and an easterly wind of about 20 knots so the boat was being pushed around in all sorts of directions. After about four attempts we finally made it into the slip. After settling down we used the courtesy internet service to check weather, then after a dinner of spaghetti it was off to bed.

March 1, 2005
Location: Venice, FL to Boca Grande, FL
Nautical Miles Traveled: 34

We left Venice this morning at just before 9 am. The trip down the ICW was typical with the weather being sunny and warm. We all took turns at the helm and talked a lot about the up coming crossing to Mexico. Nothing spectacular happened today. After passing through six bridges we finally anchored just south of the Boca Grande channel that we’ll take tomorrow into the gulf. We had a beautiful view of the sunset as we faced west while sitting at anchor. Weather is looking good for starting the crossing tomorrow so it’s to bed early tonight.

March 2 to March 5, 2005
Location: Boca Grande, FL to Isla Mujeres, Mexico
Nautical Miles Traveled: 447

This morning we weighed anchor and departed our anchorage at 1030 any by 1225 we were out in the Gulf of Mexico beginning our first major crossing. The weather was sunny and warm and the seas were a very comfortable 2 to 4 feet. After setting our course for 210 degrees we kicked back in the cockpit enjoying the sights (water) and talking, and we were very glad to have Bryan come along with us. Most of the day was spent motoring as the winds were less than 5 or 6 knots, not enough to really sail by. We did have the main sail up to help stabilize the boat from rolling in the seas. A few hours into our crossing we were greeted by a huge pod of dolphins. Though we’ve seen dolphins many times it’s still very exciting to see them. They stuck with us about a half hour jumping and playing. By sunset we were about 50 nautical miles offshore in cobalt blue waters averaging about 6 knots. There still wasn’t enough wind, as was the case throughout the night, to sail by so we continued to motor. During the night we enjoyed the phosphorescence lighting the waters around us. It’s like seeing a million of bright fire flies when the water is disturbed such as the boat cutting through it. On occasion in the darkness we could see the phosphorescence coming from the dolphins on either side of us though we couldn’t actually see the dolphins. It is a truly amazing experience that is hard to describe.

Day two was very similar to our first day out with wonderful clear skies and warm temperatures. The seas did pick up some to about 5 to 7 feet but the period between swells were about 7 seconds so the ride was very comfortable. Still not enough wind to sail by so we continued our passage motor sailing. During the late afternoon the clouds started to roll in. While I was on watch during the night I could see the lightning to the south of us so I altered course to about 290 degrees to take us around the squall. Though we missed the thunder and lightning we did get some light rain.

Day break broke on the third day with Brian on watch it was time to clean the decks of the flying fish again. It seems that every morning we had a couple of these fish on the decks from the night before. Flying fish are neat to watch as they jump from the water and fly hundreds of feet by flapping their side fins. I guess their night vision isn’t good as they occasionally end up on the decks. Today we actually had enough wind to sail all day averaging about 7 knots. It was great to finally turn off the engine with the only noise now being from the wind and the water. Not only were we making great speed but it was wonderful to see the water change to so many different colors of blue and torquise throughout the day. The winds and seas were from the stern and with the seven or eight seconds between swells it was amazing to realize that we were actually in 10 to 12 foot seas. The ride was extremely comfortable. It was neat to ride to the top of these swells and see the drop that lay ahead of us. Today we were greeted by a pod of about two dozen spotted Atlantic dolphins which stayed with us for hours as they played and jumped next to us. One of the coolest sights was to see the swell rise up above us and to look into the clear waters and see the dolphins looking down on us. Periodically a small pod or two of bottle nose dolphins would join in but they didn’t stick around as long.  During the night while I was on watch six targets appeared on the radar screen all around us. After contacting most of these commercial vessels by VHF radio and letting them know of our position those that were to close to us or on a collision coarse with us were more than willing to alter their coarse allowing us to maintain our current heading. Because of the number of targets to monitor around us I woke Brian up so he could help track the vessels while I maintained communications and navigation. There was one vessel though that was within three miles of us and closing on a collision coarse and after many attempts of hailing them on the radio without a response I decided to alter coarse. It seemed that every time I altered coarse this vessel did the same. Eventually the other vessel slowed and began to alter their coarse to pass behind us but they passed within a mile of us, much to close. Most of the commercial traffic that I spoke with through out the night were vessels traveling between South America and Galveston, Texas. They were fun to talk with and were inquisitive about our travels.

On day four at about 1000 it was evident that we entered the Yucatan Channel as our speed began to drop from 6 knots to an average of 1.7 knots (this was with the sails up and engine running). Actually our speed while we were in the channel for the remainder of the day fluctuated between 1.7 and 3.5 knots. The seas were not what I was expecting as many stories were told to us about steep and rough 12 to 14 seas, we experienced a pleasant two to four foot seas with a very comfortable period between them. With this slow speed I closely monitored our ETA to the waypoint at Isla Mujeres and was frustrated that the current was slowing us down enough that we were not going to arrive until after dark. Since we don’t believe it is safe to make landfall into an unknown port while it’s dark that meant that we would have had to stay offshore all night and wait until the morning to enter the port. Well, come to find out the time that was set on the chart plotter was incorrect, by a lot. So after setting the correct time on the chart plotter everything was looking good, and now our ETA to Isla Mujeres was 1700, a couple hours before sunset. This was great news as it meant we wouldn’t have to stay offshore all night long!

In the early afternoon on our fourth day the shores of Isla Mujeres came in to sight bringing a wonderful feeling of accomplishment. This was our first major ocean crossing and we were exactly where I had planned on being. Our approach to Isla Mujeres was still slow as we were still heading against the strong Yucatan current but our anticipation was still very high. As Bryan and David kept the boat on coarse I made my way down below to find our courtesy Mexico flag and the quarantine flag. While sailing in foreign waters it is pretty standard to fly a courtesy flag of the country that is being visited. Also, when entering a foreign country for the first time it is mandatory to fly a solid yellow flag, the quarantine flag, until the boat has been cleared into the country by customs, the port captain and immigration. Well, after tearing the cabin apart the flags that we had purchased were no where to be found. Since the quarantine flag was a must I did the next best thing, I found an orange shirt which I hoisted into the rigging hoping it would suffice for the time being.

Our approach to the island was easy as the waypoint in the guide book proved to be very accurate. As we began our crossing over the reef on the north side of the island David and Bryan took their position on the bow to help me navigate the boat over the reef as the depths on the chart were reported to be as little as 8 feet. As we maneuvered over the reef Bryan kept calling back to me asking what the depth was, I was reporting depths between 13 and 25 feet. Eventually Bryan asked if I had looked over the side of the boat and since I hadn’t done so yet I figured now would be a good time since we had a good 25 feet or more of water. When I looked over the side I was shocked, surprised and concerned. I could see the sand, rocks and coral on the bottom of the waters as if it were only six inches deep. As we continued on towards the harbor it was nerve wrecking to see the bottom so clearly that it appeared we were surely going to run aground, but we didn’t. Once in the harbor we found a place just north of Marina Pariaso to drop our anchor. While David worked the bow getting the anchor ready to deploy I found it difficult to maneuver the boat into position as the sites all around me demanded my full attention. The colorful Mexican launchas, beautiful beaches with palm trees full of coconuts, so many different colors of blues and greens in the water and many sailboats all around us including Namaste. Cheri and Sandy on s/v Namaste were friends of ours from back in Kemah, Texas. Once the guys had my attention back the anchor was deployed and we sat comfortably in 9 feet of water.

After a few minutes of resting I launched the dingy and went over to see Cheri and Sandy while David and Bryan stayed behind and stowed gear and cleaned the boat. During my visit I inquired about check in procedures and such, and was even lucky enough to borrow a real quarantine flag and their courtesy Mexican flag. Because I felt guilty about leaving the guys behind to clean the boat (okay, not really), I kept my visit short and headed back to the boat.

Because it was a Saturday we decided to wait until Monday to check into Mexico to avoid paying double time charges. Many of the cruisers we visited with during the rest of the evening said it was not an issue here on the island to wait until Monday. The rest of the evening was spent putting the boat back together followed by a trip to town for dinner. Though the excitement level was high for all of us it didn’t take much time for all of us to crash for the night when we got back to the boat. By the way, we have now traveled 1600 miles since leaving Texas back in November.

March 6, 2005
Location: Isla Mujeres, Mexico

We all awoke early this morning to enjoy our first cup of coffee in paradise. At 0730 we tuned our VHF radio to channel 13 for the morning net. Every morning at 0730 the Isla Mujeres Net begins and is a great source of information for the local cruisers including things such as weather forecasts, new boat arrivals and departures, general information, classifieds and trivia. It usually lasts a half hour. After the net we made our way into town and treated ourselves to a wonderful breakfast at great prices. The cost of living here is unbelievable, being much more affordable than the United States. We spent much of the morning after breakfast wondering the streets of town. It is obviously a tourist destination as the major roads are lined with stores offering mementos in the form of T-shirts, hats, hammocks and many of the other usual souvenirs that can be found in some of the more popular tourist destinations around the world. At 1600 we made our way up to the happy hour gathering at Marina Pariaso where every afternoon at the same time all the cruisers get together for a social gathering and $1 beers. We all had a great time and it was a wonderful opportunity to meet so many other cruisers. We were given a lot of information and also had a lot of our questions answered. After happy hour it was back to the boat where we just hung out for a while, still admiring our new surroundings.

March 9, 2005
Location: Isla Mujeres, Mexico

Last Monday we met with Miguel at Marina Pariaso where he acted as our check-in agent. Though he did most of the work for us we still had to go to Immigration to get our visas and to the back to pay our fees. The entire check-in procedure was actually very simple and we where done by that afternoon.

Tuesday was a sad day for David and I as it was time for Bryan to fly back to Florida. We dingied Bryan to shore and enjoyed one last breakfast with him before dropping him off at the ferry dock. Not only was he great to have a long on the gulf crossing we really enjoyed hanging out with him on the island. Still in awe of the beauty around us, we’ve been enjoying the last couple days exploring the island by land and dingy, swimming, eating and meeting new people. Every morning we keep waking up happy with our decision to go cruising.

March 23, 2005
Location: Isla Mujeres, Mexico

Yep, we’re still enjoying it here, it would be so hard not too. Yesterday was real fun, David and I went to Cancun for the day. We had talked about going to Cancun for a few days just to see what was there and to have something new to do. Well, while we were boarding the ferry we ran into 9 cruising ladies that we knew from the other boats. Come to find out it was ‘Lady’s Day Out’, meaning they were leaving all the men behind so their shopping excursion to Cancun would not include any hardware stores, marine stores or grumpy and impatient husbands. Since David and i had never been to Cancun before we thought it would be fun to go with the ladies to at least get our bearing straight, so after some sweet talking we were invited. The conditions were that we could not tell any of the husbands the details of the trip (that was hard to do!). Anyway, we had a lot of fun in the 6 hours we spent there. Though we didn’t have any shopping to do it was good to visit all the big stores and even the American type grocery stores.

A couple days ago while David decided to just hang out on the boat and chill I decided to go snorkeling with the crew on s/v Liberty (Dave, Nancy, Chris and Josh). We went out to the reefs northwest of the lagoon and had a great time. We saw lots of very large and colorful clown fish, different rays and lots of barracudas.

As you can tell we’ve been a bit slack on updating our site since we’ve arrived (many of you have reminded us of this by emails recently). We have been having a great time here and been keeping pretty busy that it’s been hard to find time to sit down and write. For the most part we do a lot of visiting with other people, sight seeing, walking, swimming and there are still lots of boat maintenance that we have to stay on top of.

One of the things I’ve noticed is my daily routine has really changed a lot. I’m usually up at 0630 every morning, we listen to the morning VHF net at 0730, then the day begins. We find ourselves going to bed early as well. We don’t really have set meal times any more, lunch and dinner is when we’re hungry. David and I do a lot more walking than we have ever done before, preferring the 1 kilometer walk to town and back along the beach rather than taking the taxi.

March 30, 2005
Location: Isla Mujeres, Mexico

Many of the boats that were here when we arrived four weeks ago are now gone, most of them heading south to Belize on their way to Guatemala. We’ll have to decide soon when it’ll be our turn to start making the journey south. There are about four boats heading down in the middle of next month so we might plan along the same time frame so we can buddy boat with them. We decided a couple nights ago that six weeks here is not near enough time to experience either Isla Mujeres or mainland Mexico so we’re hoping to be able to come back up this fall for another visit, a longer visit. We went to Walmart and Sam’s club in Cancun a day or two ago and did some shopping. Cancun is a large and busy city full of traffic, smog and people in a hurry, it’s always good to be back home on the island after a day in the big city.