A mid-afternoon departure from Mazatlan was timed for a mid-day arrival at Isla Isabel, about 95 miles south.  We left at high tide and crossing the bar was very rough with large waves escorting us out of the bay.  Winds were blowing 20 knots from the north, and wind waves were steep, so the ride was uncomfortable but fast.  We sailed throughout the night with a double-reefed main and partially furled genoa.  The winds calmed a few hours from Isla Isabel and we motored the final leg.  As we approached the small anchorage on the southern end of the island, we found it full with 6 boats.  Our guidebook showed an alternative anchorage on the east side but warned about the rocky bottom and it’s reputation for swallowing anchors.  The water was crystal clear so we could see the rocks on the bottom interspersed among the patches of sand.  We found a sand patch to drop the anchor on in 20 feet of water and let out 60 feet of chain.  We also tied a line onto the anchor crown and floated a buoy on it in case the anchor fouled around a rock.  This anchorage is less protected but since the winds had calmed, Apropos did not roll much.

Isla Isabel is an isolated volcanic island 18 miles off the mainland coast and is nicknamed the “Galapagos of Mexico” because of its large number of nesting birds and resident iguanas.  Like the Galapagos Islands off Ecuador, Isabel is isolated in the Pacific Ocean and relatively free of natural predators.

By the time we anchored and got the dinghy in the water, the sun was setting and there wasn’t enough time to explore the island, so I  dove in the water to inspect the hull.  I noticed the prop zinc was gone and small barnacles  were covering most of the hull, so I spent about 2 hours scraping with a plastic putty knife.  In the morning, we took the dinghy to the southern anchorage and went ashore near the small fishing camp.  Along the hike to the light tower at the top of a hill, we walked under the canopy of trees full of nesting frigate birds.  The male frigate proudly displays his colors to attract a mate by inflating his bright red throat pouch (gular pouch) and making a whistling sound.  Since they can neither swim nor walk well on land, they like to perch in the treetops or on the ground with their wings spread wide open.  Along the steep mile-long trail, we spotted iguanas and lizards.  The top of the hill was covered with nesting blue footed boobies.  They allowed us to approach them to within about 10 feet before flying away, except for the females who were sitting on their eggs.  With no predators on the island,  these birds seemed curious but unafraid of us.  We spent an hour at the peak, then returned to the beach and cooled down in the tide pools along a sandy beach.  Before returning to the boat, we bought 3 red snappers from the fishermen for 30 pesos (about $2).  We grilled 2 of them and made ceviche with the 3rd.   Served with rice, Sriracha sauce, and lime, they made a very tasty meal.  We then took the dinghy to the base of a small island rock in front of us and snorkeled among the reef fish.  Back at the boat we rinsed off with warm solar showers, got the dinghy back on deck, and departed at 5pm for an overnight sail to La Cruz.

The sail from the Baja Peninsula (Bahia De Los Muertos) to Mexico mainland (Mazatlan) is 190 miles.  At the half-way point, we would be nearly 100 miles from land, another first for us.  Our pre-departure planning was calculated with a moving average of 5.5 knots so we allowed about 35 hours to get there.  Since we wanted to arrive during daylight hours, we decided on a 3am wakeup and a 4am departure.  This would get us into Mazatlan around 4pm.  The GRIB files (weather data) showed a 10-15 knot northerly for the first 24 hours, which is ideal for the crossing since it would be a broad reach point of sail.

It was pitch black when we left and the wind was already blowing 10 knots inside the bay, so we were cautious and double-reefed the main and pulled out the genoa.  Outside the bay, the northerly picked up to 15-20 knots and the seas became rough (5-8 feet).  I took the first 3-hour watch while Karen got some rest.  Sailing in rough seas in darkness (clear skies but new moon) can be exciting since you don’t SEE the waves.  The larger waves normally come in bunches of 3, and it’s the 1st one that surprises you!  Every so often, a wave would hit the boat causing it to roll, then a second wave would break on board.  When it broke near the bow, the gunnels filled with water and you could hear the scuppers slurping down the sea water.  When it broke near the stern, you were surprised with a shower.  When the wind began picking up above 20 knots, we furled in the genoa part-way to keep the helm light.  So for the first 24 hours, we sailed along at between 6 and 8 knots, ticking off 150 miles.  With the constant rolling motion and hand steering, we got pretty tired and began doing 2 hour shifts (although I’d sometimes trade an extra hour for a hot cup of tea, or when I was in a groove with my iTunes playlist).  It wasn’t until I woke up from my 2 hour “sleep” at 7am on the 2nd day, that the wind had finally dropped to 10 knots.  We shook out the mains’l reefs and pulled out the full genoa.  By then we were only 40 miles from Mazatlan and continued sailing at a slower speed of 5 knots, and finally turned on the engine for the last 2 hours as the wind dropped further.

The remaining hurdle was getting around the breakwater and through the narrow channel to the marina.  Although we timed our arrival for daylight (with the stronger winds, it was around 1pm), we didn’t consider the tides.  We read in our guidebook the channel requires constant dredging to keep it deep enough.  As we rounded the breakwater, the shallow depth alarm (set to 8′) began beeping.  Soon I saw 2′ on the depth sounder, which measures the depth of water below the keel.  There was also a 3-4 knot current coming out and the channel had a dog-leg.  The channel was only about 20 feet wide and I found deeper water steering towards the port breakwater.  We made it through and pulled up to the fuel dock at Marina El Cid.  Just before entering the channel, another sailboat radioed us on VHF saying they would be following us in but they had a broken transmission and were only able to go forward.  While I was at the marina office, that boat radioed the marina to report they were grounded in the channel and were asking for an emergency tow (they eventually got towed off).  While waiting for the tide to turn we washed the salt off the boat then went for a swim in the resort pool which was deliciously warm.  We then moored the boat and took a nap.  In the evening I watched with some other Seattle fans as the Seahawks beat the Cardinals to take over 1st place in the division!!

After a much needed full night’s sleep, we took a bus to Old Mazatlan, the heart of the city away from the tourist hotels, beaches and marinas.  We took in the sights of the landmark Cathedral Basilica with twin yellow spires, the Mercado Municipal 2-story public market, and ate at small street-side loncherias (lunch counters).  We also bought some refreshing fruit-filled licuados, fresh coconut water, and just-made tortillas.

Back at the marina, we enjoyed the swimming pools and restaurants that belong to the El Cid resort.  We also did the routine chores like re-provisioning at Mega, exchanging dollars for pesos, boat maintenance, and laundry.

Confession–today we stopped at a Starbucks and ate at McDonald’s – they had a play area for Jacintha and free wifi for her parents!