Ready, set, wait...

La Cruz, Nayarit, Mexico

On New Years Eve we had a great dinner at the Black Forest restaurant, returned to the boat to watch a DVD double feature, then just before midnight we walked to the east end of the marina breakwater, where we had a view of all the lights of the city and resorts on the other side of the bay.  The fireworks started more or less around midnight and we could see displays from as close as a 1/2 km to over 15 kms along the beach - a very unique perspective.  Of course, some of the locals were setting off flares right beside us and we had to dodge some sparks and cinders, but we managed to escape un-singed.  Overall it was a great end to the year.

On New Years day it started to rain, and rain quite a lot.  We are told this is very unusual for this time of year.  It continued to rain off and on yesterday as well, for a total of almost 2 inches.  We were in a bit of panic, running around closing hatches and such - we discovered we are completely unprepared for rain now, having seen so little of it in the last two years.  The good news is that the boat seemed to handle it well - no new leaks that we could see.

We did manage to get our laundry done, and we had an opportunity to meet the crews of a couple of other boats that are making the trek to El Salvador.

Today, the clouds cleared off and we have returned to the usual sunny blue skies.  We made two trips on the buses today, one to visit the chandler in PV (picked up a few must-have items) and then a 2nd trip to the Mega store about 10km down the road (last-minute provisioning).  While at the chandler, we consulted Neptune (right across the street), who advised us that tomorrow would be a good time to round Cabo Corrientes.


Riding the collectivo to Mega

Yes, there is yet another of those pesky capes baring our way south.  Cabo Corrientes, or Cape Currents, is the southern most point of Bandaras Bay.  As with most prominent points of land, winds tend to accelerate the closer you get to the point, and because Cabo Corrientes is a very prominent point sticking out into the Pacific Ocean, winds tend to be much stronger here.  Because we are heading south, the typical prevailing winds here (from the NW) should make for a fast and exciting ride.  I'll believe it when I see it.
Since we wanted to get away early tomorrow, I attempted to check out with the port captain around 2:45PM this afternoon, only to discover that their hours are from 9AM to 2:30PM - figures!  I guess we won't be making that early a start after all - not really a big deal.  It is just a good thing tomorrow is only Friday since they are not open at all on the weekend.

A few last looks at the town of La Cruz de Huanacaxtle...