Ixtapa to Huatulco

Saturday, 16 May 2015, departure

Ixtapa to Huatulco

Ixtapa Marina office

The Ixtapa Harbour entrance red closure flag was finally changed from red to yellow so we decided to make a run for it. The Harbourmaster Lic. Elsa Zuniga Loeza and her staff treated us very well and the location is secure and very pretty, but it was time to go. After a stop at the fuel dock taking on 150 liters of diesel we were away.



Kanilela with the Faro at the Marina

 

Ixtapa to Huatulco is 342 nautical miles so we were anticipating 3 days and nights for the passage.

 

Acapulco is only 107 miles from Ixtapa but it is no longer as welcoming to cruisers as it once was so we followed recommendations to go direct to Huatulco.

We followed the coast line from 5 to 15 miles off shore and managed to get a few offshore and onshore thermals throughout the 3 days but it was mainly calm flat conditions, sailing only 11 hours of the 68 hour trip.



Lexi with several thousand feet of water below

As the winds died, Lexi took the opportunity to dive into the indigo blue water.

Dolphins and turtles were frequent visitors.

Lots of dolphins

 

 

 

 

As nightfall fell the coastal clouds built up and lightning flashed, usually cloud to cloud. On her 2100 to midnight watch, Mags saw a few strikes on land with one erupting briefly in flames. As I took over for the midnight to 0400, I was feeling quite confident that our position off shore was good because the lightning appeared to be only over the land. By 0200 a black cloud passed overhead blocking all of the stars. Lightning started shortly after and soon, behind us and out to sea strikes were hitting the water, or possibly more correctly, were going up from the water to the clouds. One feels extremely exposed knowing the force can destroy everything electrical and all electronics on the boat in, quite literally, a flash.



Honest, that is a turtle!



Staying in the shade
 

Entering the breakwater at Marina Chahue

Bahias Huatulco are actually a series of 9 to 12 bays with 24 beaches, several that make beautiful private anchorages. Our destination was the Marina Chahue in Bahia Chahue beside the town of Crucecita. We made an early morning landfall as planned and entered the marina.