We set sail for Cozumel February 26 around eight in the morning. The winds were about 18-20 knots E-SE, seas a bit disorganized but only about 2-4 feet. We were very excited to get going again having been in Isla Mujeres for several weeks. Isla Mujeres was a nice luxury though. It had an OK anchorage, a dog beach for Penny, delicious street tacos (which I believe I’ve mentioned before), good grocery stores, and very nice people.
The morning was just beautiful. Gualby was handling the confused seas well, we were moving along at 7 knots with the main and genoa up and Mike was experiencing his first passage to a different destination. We had about two hours of blissful sailing then the boat just seemed to slow down, way down. We went from sailing along at 6-7knots to barely 3 knots. We hadn’t changed course or lost the wind. The sails were still full and if you looked at the water at how fast it seemed to be going versus what the GPS said we were going you would think our instruments were off. Mexico has a very strong 3-5 knot current that runs south to north; which we knew about when passing the Yucatan Channel but didn’t realize it was still so strong this far south. So, what we thought was going to be a easy day sail to Cozumel turned into a much slower sail that got us anchored right after the sun had set. The anchorage was sand bottom and our Manson anchor dug right in ensuring us a peaceful night sleep.
The next morning we woke up to a beautiful day, sunny and warm with a little breeze to keep us comfortable. The water which we couldn’t see last night was crystal clear and very inviting. We chose to swim around and hang out on and off the boat and then explore the town the next day. It’s like the water was calling us to play in it. There wasn’t much to snorkel around the boat but it felt good to be swimming around in such beautiful, clear water again. Bryan and Angie and Shannon joined us on the Gualby for a day of swimming, tamale eating, and beer drinking.
The next few days we explored the town. I would describe Cozumel as a fancier, less crowded version of Isla Mujeres. The streets in the touristy area are similar to cobblestone but I guess the Mexican style of it. There are lots of little shops selling souvenirs but the people at the entrances just smile and say hello instead of haggling you to come in and look around because everything is $1. We found an awesome bakery and bought some delicious pastries and walked around town. The middle of the town has a square with well taken care of landscaping and lots of shade. Penny rolled around in the grass and Con, Mike and I enjoyed some ham and cheese pastries and some great people watching.
M.
The morning was just beautiful. Gualby was handling the confused seas well, we were moving along at 7 knots with the main and genoa up and Mike was experiencing his first passage to a different destination. We had about two hours of blissful sailing then the boat just seemed to slow down, way down. We went from sailing along at 6-7knots to barely 3 knots. We hadn’t changed course or lost the wind. The sails were still full and if you looked at the water at how fast it seemed to be going versus what the GPS said we were going you would think our instruments were off. Mexico has a very strong 3-5 knot current that runs south to north; which we knew about when passing the Yucatan Channel but didn’t realize it was still so strong this far south. So, what we thought was going to be a easy day sail to Cozumel turned into a much slower sail that got us anchored right after the sun had set. The anchorage was sand bottom and our Manson anchor dug right in ensuring us a peaceful night sleep.
The next morning we woke up to a beautiful day, sunny and warm with a little breeze to keep us comfortable. The water which we couldn’t see last night was crystal clear and very inviting. We chose to swim around and hang out on and off the boat and then explore the town the next day. It’s like the water was calling us to play in it. There wasn’t much to snorkel around the boat but it felt good to be swimming around in such beautiful, clear water again. Bryan and Angie and Shannon joined us on the Gualby for a day of swimming, tamale eating, and beer drinking.
The next few days we explored the town. I would describe Cozumel as a fancier, less crowded version of Isla Mujeres. The streets in the touristy area are similar to cobblestone but I guess the Mexican style of it. There are lots of little shops selling souvenirs but the people at the entrances just smile and say hello instead of haggling you to come in and look around because everything is $1. We found an awesome bakery and bought some delicious pastries and walked around town. The middle of the town has a square with well taken care of landscaping and lots of shade. Penny rolled around in the grass and Con, Mike and I enjoyed some ham and cheese pastries and some great people watching.
M.
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| Shannon and Gimp Dog paddling over to join the fun Salty Dog in the background |
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| Girl Bonding |
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| Penny and Meg jumping in No, this picture did not take multiple tries or anything |
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| Huge Black Grouper caught after leaving Cozumel I didn't mean to cut Conor's head off, he was looking cute that day--i was just trying to showcase the fish! |
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