Blog Post 40 - Acapulco to Hautulco

SAVARONA
JIRIG & TERESA NERSESYAN
Wed 25 May 2016 20:17

Blog Post 40 – Acapulco to Hautulco

15.45.99N – 96.07.31W

04/19/16 – 04/21/16

 

 

 

The trip from Acapulco to Marina Chahue in Huatulco is a long 235 mile run. There are a few marginal anchorages along the way but are all exposed to the Pacific swell and it can get really rolly in an anchorage. We chose to plough through and not stop. We left at 11:30 in the morning and arrived 2 days and 2 nights later at 8:30 in the morning for a 45 hour trip, one of our longest trips so far. The trip was brutal. Not for the sea conditions, we were going with the current and swell and all was calm, too calm in fact, we would have loved a breeze, but it was the heat that killed us. There was little to no wind with 95 degree temperatures and 95% humidity. It was so hot inside the cabin that we slept both nights on the deck. It got so hot in the engine room, the temps were 120 degrees in there. Jirig was worried that we would have an equipment failure, so we had to keep the engine room door open with fans circulating the hot air into the cabin. Between the noise and the heat, it made for not so comfortable conditions. There is one place, Puerto Escondido that is world famous for its surf break that is supposed to be a great little town but the same thing that makes it great for surfers, makes it uncomfortable for boaters, the swell. We decided to pass. The coastline along this route is mostly low beaches backed by shallow lagoons. There was not much to see and due to the shallow nature of the coast we stayed way off shore. There is a deep ridge canyon about 15 miles off shore with depths from 12000-15000 feet. We had ever been in such deep water before. It does not look that different from the surface, just maybe a little more dark blue than shallow water. It was a very uneventful trip. The only interesting thing that happened was 2 birds who came to visit... At first you think that is really cool, it's lonely and quiet out there and it is nice to have a diversion. We got over that feeling real quick after the first night of them being with us and we saw the mess they made on the deck. There was bird shit everywhere! Not little runny poops you get from a seagull but huge disgusting slimy poops with bones and shells in them. After that first morning and after the extensive clean up they were no longer welcome. We tried everything to get them off the masts to no avail, they were not budging. We honked the air horn, we rattled the mast, Jirig even asked for Nico’s sling shot and tried to hurl pennies at them to get them to move on to no avail. Our masts are too high and although the pennies got close, they did not dislodge them. I hope there are not any bird lovers reading this post. We don't want to hurt them we just want to get them to go away and don't want to clean up after them. Their poop is toxic, it erodes and destroys everything it touches. If you let I dry your deck is doomed.

 

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Marina Chahue was a nice marina with good facilities. I knew it was a good omen when there was a giant spotted ray in our slip when we pulled in. We saw it several times over the next few days. The only problem is the tidal surge. They cut corners when they built it and never completed the planned underwater breakwater. To add insult to injury they extended a walking/jogging path that further narrowed the entrance to the channel, exacerbating the surge problem. The marina was not built for cruising sailboat but for rich people who have vacation homes in the area who occasionally like to fish. The slips are very short, meant for small boats so our entire bow stuck out of the slip which contributed to the swaying of the boat. We had at least 8 lines tied to the docks and still could not keep the boat from moving.

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Hautulco is not actually a town but a region. It is made up of nine, post card perfect bays and 36 (!) sandy beaches. Most of the area is protected as part of Huatulco National Park. Huatulco is the modern Mexico tourist destination. It is a huge draw for destination weddings. There is an entire cottage industry here, hair dressers, and make-up artists, event planners and venues to support weddings.  You can see from the resorts and homes that have been built that they have taken great care to blend in to the natural beauty and are built in the traditional style with colors that complement the surroundings. Gone are the garish high rises of Mazatlán, Puerto Vallarta and especially Acapulco that were built 50 years ago. The Mexican government in now hip to Eco-Tourism. They have realized what a draw their natural beauty is to young travelers and they are protecting it. There is much to do around the Huatulco area, almost everything involving the outdoors, nature, and boating, hiking, river rafting, kayaking, and biking. It is truly a magical place. Everything is low key, no tourist hawkers harassing you, just pleasant, helpful Mexican people. The small town of La Crucecita that is a mile from the marina has everything you would need to provision. It was a pleasant little town that is supported by tourism.  There are some fabulous 5 star resorts here. It is the future of tourism for the Pacific side of Mexico.

 

We could have spent a month there, no problem but we needed to get moving. The dreaded Gulf of Tehuantepec was ahead of us. We had a good weather window, a perfect one actually and it could be days or weeks until we had another one. We needed to be south of the Tehuantepec before the first of May. Hurricane season in this part of the world starts on 5/15 but this being an El Niño year, everyone said it was best to get south of it as early as possible.

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