We had a long motor-sail from Manzanillo to Zihuatanejo, a distance of about 200 miles. Winds were light but we picked up an extra knot by having the sails out close-hauled. Right after daybreak we pulled in 2 small tuna within 15 minutes of each other, one with a rod & reel and the other on a hand line. The hand line is much harder on the fish since it doesn’t allow them to run and drags them at the speed of the boat from the moment they’re hooked. We would have released the smaller one caught on the hand line but there was too much damage (missing an eye). It’s much more fun having them run and bringing them in with the rod & reel. Anyhow, Karen marinated the tuna in some tequila and lime juice and we were eating fish tacos for lunch about 4 hours later.
Our arrival was timed perfectly with the Seahawk-Panther NFC divisional playoff game. A quick solar shower, a short dinghy ride into town, and a 10 minute walk to a restaurant/bar where we met John & AnnaMaria from Seattle (Hawk fans) and Gus & Ellen from Charlotte (Panther fans). They all arrived that same day and are staying at the Club Intrawest resort not far from where we anchored in the bay.
We spent 8 days in Zihuatanejo hanging out with our friends at the resort. Most days we would lock our dinghy to a coconut tree along the beach next to the resort and enjoy the pool and luxurious 3-bedroom flat. This has been the first time we’ve spent any significant time off the boat. We stayed overnight 4 nights and were spoiled by the king-size bed, TV, and air conditioning (thanks John and AnnaMaria!). Since we were anchored the entire time, we periodically went back to the boat and ran the generator to supplement the solar charging of the batteries. One day we motored an hour north to Isla Ixtapa where we dropped the anchor and enjoyed the afternoon swimming around the boat, relaxing, and grilling. We also had lunch with Bob who makes Zihuatanejo his home 6 months a year and lives on his boat at the same marina we’re at back in Seattle the other 6 months. In town we walked around the marcado, ate at local restaurants, and shopped. Karen and AnnaMaria went on a half-day marcado tour where they bought fresh produce and spices, brought them back to the resort, and learned some new recipes for making salsa, guacamole, ceviche, and camaron risotto.
One evening at the resort we had dinner cooked for us along the beach. Before dinner was served, there was a baby sea turtle hatchery release. A group collects green sea turtle eggs from nests along the beach and keeps them in a protected area buried in sand. About 50 days later, they hatch and are released along the beach near the surf. They roped off an area for people to gather around which also keeps predators such as birds away so the babies can at least make it to the sea. As they were released near the surf, they instinctively crawled toward the water because of the brighter horizon, and were helped by the waves washing up on the beach. Hatchery programs like this improves the statistics for turtles reaching the sea.
Zihuatanejo is definitely a charming town with a lot of character and friendly people, 80 degree water, and white sand beaches. Everyone from Alfonzo who would watch over our dinghy whenever we took it in to town, to David who helped our dinghy in and out of the surf at Playa la Ropa near Club Intrawest, to the restaurant and vendor workers who were always smiling, to the woman who sold us a conch shell and repeatedly blew different ones until we found the one we liked best, and on and on and on…..made Z-town one of our favorite stops in Mexico.
