Our little visitor.

Once we exited the top of the inside channel of the Banco Chinchorro the wind (easterly) started interacting with the north running current. This proved great for speed (we were seeing 9.5 to 10kts) but not so good for comfort as the water became very confused and lumpy. We had put up a reefed mainsail just before dark, but brought it down 3 hours later. These conditions lasted until around 4am when the wind started to abate a little and the lumpy, bumpy settled a little. By the time the sun came up and we were entering the channel between the Mexican mainland and Cozumel Island it had settled out, as had our speed. Iguana Dance were several hours ahead of us and were heading for Isla Mujeres so we decided that we would continue on as well. We arrived at the island at 16.15pm Belize time (or 17.15pm Mexican time) via the well marked channel and anchored next to Iguana Dance, who, we discovered later, had found a bar with Margareta’s when they went ashore to take the dogs for a walk. We had a merry visit when they returned to their boat about 7pm. So our passage took 31hrs to travel 222Nm with an average speed of 7.2kts. 

Traversing the channel between the Mexican mainland and Cozumel. This island is a major cruise ship terminal and has large fast ferries crossing the channel every few minutes. I love playing ‘dodgum’ with boats that are bigger than you.

Our anchorage at Isla Mujeres

Marla, Eli and Dan came to Five Islands on Saturday to listen and speak to Chris Parker re their plans to head to Sarasota (West side of Florida) starting Sunday morning. His forecast and the other forecasts looked good to go. We all went into Barlito's Restaurant at Paraiso Marina for a really good breakfast, then later that afternoon, Happy Hour drinks on “Sunny Ray”, another Manta catamaran, then dinner at Paraiso Marina. Iguana Dance left the anchorage for their 3 to 4 day trip north to the States with hugs and a few tears, but we will catch up with them in Florida somewhere. They will leave Iguana Dance at a marina in Sarasota until she is sold. Anyone looking for a 1994 Manta 40ft cat in great condition for US$229,000 let us know and we will refer you to Eli and Marla

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Barlito’s for breakfast

Iguana Dance heading out of Isla Mujeres. We kept in touch via the sat phone during their trip. They had rough but not really bad conditions and reached Sarasota on Wednesday morning 27th April, having had to slow down for the last 45Nm to arrive in daylight. Sleep well our friends.

We have decided to stay in Isla Mujeres for awhile. The weather is not looking good for a crossing to Key West anytime soon. We checked into Mexico through Julio, an agent based at the El Milagro Marina. We arrived at the marina at just after 9am on Monday morning and the official from agriculture/health was already here. We completed the paperwork required for him. Julio took 5 copies of the boat rego, the crew list (three stamped from Belize), our passports and the zarpe. Nothing was said to us about Key West being the destination on the Zarpe or that we had departed Belize on Thursday last week. The Immigration girls arrived next and stamped our passports with entry for 180 days. Port Captain next and all was complete - 2 hours sitting under the shade of the palms drinking coconut milk fresh from the shell. All in all another painless process all be it a little expensive. Cost Immigration = US$58, Port Captain = US$40, Julio’s services = US$70. Total = US$168. We will need to acquire a Temporary Importation Permit (TIP) for the boat within the next week which requires a trip on the ferry to Cancun. 

Isla Mujeres is another tourist destination with over loaded catamarans blaring music (in English) all during the day, high speed people ferries and the more laborious car ferries creating wake for most of the daylight hours. It settles at night. The island is vibrant and touristy with little shops selling tee shirts, ceramics and mexican silver jewellery. Golf carts compete with motor scooters, red taxis and cars for space on the narrow roads. The tourist police step into the road and stop the traffic so that the tourists can cross with some safety. There are hotels, restaurants and bars everywhere.

Massage booths on the white sand beach to the north west of the island

A quiet back street with houses painted in the vivid Mexican/Caribbean colours

A statue on the east side of the island of a women kneeling in a shell and holding a star fish. Isla Mujeres in spanish means the ‘Island of Women’. When the Spanish landed here they apparently discovered a Mayan temple which contained only statues of women deities.

The water here reminds us of San Andres Island (off the coast of Nicaragua) renowned for its 7 shades of aqua.

This is a floating house located in the lagoon. It is made of recycled everything but mainly plastic bottles. Amazing!!

We caught up with Wayne from ‘Dances with Dragons’ who has just completed his 2.5yr circumnavigation. We met Wayne in Shelter Bay, Panama a few years ago. He is a good friend of our friends Terry & Laine (Virgo’s Child). At his recommendation, we joined him for lunch on Sunday at ‘The Soggy Peso’ restaurant. Wow, smoked ribs, BBQ chicken and chorizo with coleslaw and potato salad. Really nice food and very popular as the restaurant was packed. One warning though, when you walk into the restaurant be careful of the pool on your right. A guy fell into it while we were there (he was taking his glasses off and not looking). Thankfully no electronic devices were drowned. 

We moved into the “El Milagro” Marina on Wednesday so we could wash the boat down with fresh water, do some washing and have somewhere to leave her when we venture over to Cancun on Friday do apply for the TIP. We have booked in for a week for US$250.

Eric, on the far left, is the American owner of El Milagro with his staff and Annie and Tiger, the 2 dogs.

We are off to town for haircuts. Fingers crossed we can ‘spanglish’ enough to be understood. Spanish really hasn’t improved that much.