Notes from Underway – March 2010 – Crossing the Tehuantepec

First, some background.

The Gulf of Tehuantepec is a large body of water bounded on the east by the narrow isthmus that separates the Gulf of Tehuantepec from the Gulf of Mexico, near Mexico's southern border with Guatemala. The T'pec spans roughly 250 miles from the town of Huatulco on its northwestern edge, to the commercial port of Puerto Chiapas on its southeastern edge. Vessels like The Fox that leave Mexico for Central America must cross the Gulf of Tehuantepec. Difficulty: Mexico's isthmus includes a gap between two relatively high mountain ranges, and any wind that is blowing from the north or northeast in the Gulf of Mexico tends to get funneled through the mountain gap and accelerates dramatically into the Gulf of Tehuantepec on the Pacific side of Mexico. Other nearby areas can be calm while Tehuantepec winds are very strong, especially in the center of the gap at 95 degrees west longitude.

The greatest danger to Pacific boaters is that the strong T'pec winds make the seas build quickly into high, steep waves with very little space between them. Even vessels the size of commercial freighters can sustain heavy damage from such conditions; and when the T'pec really starts to blow the high winds and steep seas can spread out from the gap for hundreds of miles, making travel in any direction at practically any distance offshore very risky. The most reliable strategy for dealing with the T'pec's conditions is for vessels – especially small boats like The Fox – to cross the Tehuantepec by keeping as close to the shoreline as possible to minimize the effects of any building waves. And by "close," the cruising guides mean a boat should travel just a few hundred yards outside the breaking surf, in 30-40 feet of water. And is expected to continue to do so for the whole 250-some miles of the Gulf – except for those places where rocks and shoals jut out into the Gulf for a few miles. A T'pec crossing can take at least 2 or 3 days, and often longer. It is also very demanding, navigationally speaking, keeping so close to shore with so little margin of error. Fortunately the strong T'pec winds are well forecast, so a prudent boater loads up with fuel and studies the weather closely, and often, for days before making the commitment to cross.

Here, then, our story:

7.Mar.2010

Bade a sad farewell to Mexico. Checked out of Huatulco, left Marina Chahue, and traveled 4.75 mi. to the bay of Tangolunda, so that GB could clean the hull and prop and we could both rest up for a sunset departure into the Gulf of Tehuantepec. The weather forecast was favorable; indicated northerly breezes in 20-knot range through the following morning, thereafter decreasing to less than 16 knots for the next 3 or 4 days, giving a wide weather window for a crossing. Plan: follow the one-foot-on-the-beach strategy to transit the T'pec, leaving Tangolunda just before dark to make 60 miles overnight, before crossing the potentially windiest & busiest portion of the Tehuantepec (including the commercial port of Salina Cruz, the center of the gap at Bahia Ventana, and the two sets of shoals at the estuary mouths past Ventana) during daylight hours.

7.-12.Mar.2010
First 30 miles parallelling the shore from Huatulco to Salina Cruz at about 4 miles offshore. Rolly seas with sets of 4'-5' waves at 5 seconds, SW winds behind us at 7-10 knots. At the 30-mile point the winds quickly turned westerly, then N-NE, and built to 15-24 knots. The now-headwinds and rolly seas continued for about 10 hours through the rest of the night and after sunrise on 8.March as we passed Salina Cruz and had B
ahia Ventana abeam. Given the uncomfortable seas we headed due E to close the shore and find shallow water. During the day of 8.March we transited the coast in depths of 40-45 feet about 1/4 mile or less offshore. Occasionally we moved 1/4 mile further offshore for deeper water, but the wind and waves increased significantly so we turned back into shallower water. Lesson learned: in the T'pec, every quarter-mile can make a big difference in conditions. As we followed the shoreline around to the SE the N-NE wind drew aft of our beam and decreased to 12-17 knots. Seas flattened. As we approached 95 degrees longitude and the center of the gap, the wind suddenly shifted again to forward of the beam, SW 9-13 knots. These light conditions became steadier so we mutually decided to sail further offshore, and at 1600 on 8.March we changed course to cross the T'pec along 16 degrees latitude. NOTE: this "shortcut" worked for us but we do not recommend that anyone use this as their main strategy. It saves only a few miles at most. However, we chose to take the risk because we'd had a forecast from a reliable source that was favorable for several days, and we in fact experienced very calm conditions throughout the forecast period, alternating sailing with motor-sailing. In other words, we got lucky.

Conditions remained so light, that we actually flew our geniker for several hours. Flying a geniker while crossing the dread Tehuantepec – it is the stuff of legend.

Except for a near-collision with a fast-moving (19 knots) freighter on autopilot heading W out of Puerto Chiapas after sunset on 9.March, the sailing conditions were excellent. As we put Puerto Chiapas behind us and entered Guatemalan waters about 20 miles offshore, we picked up a 1.5-knot current assist that increased to 2.0 knots when we closed to about 3-7 miles offshore. Transiting Guatemala, we dodged several commercial shrimpers & many pangas (lit only by fishermen's flashlights) during the nighttime hours and several small drift nets during the day, but The Fox and all other vessels behaved themselves well and kept their distance from one another.

The favorable current and light winds carried us all the way to El Salvador. In fact, the wind, seas and current were all SO favorable, we had to slow the boat down by reefing the main sail and foresail to avoid arriving at our destination – the estuary mouth and sand bar at Bahia de Jiquilisco, El Salvador – before daylight and high tide slack. What a shame, to waste such incredible sailing conditions!

As morning came on 12.March our good luck continued. Instead of having to hold station at the entrance waypoint outside the bar where boats meet the Marina Barillas pilot panga, we had no waiting at all: shortly after we'd hailed Barillas to request a pilot, the pilot miraculously appeared – having just finished guiding a departing sailboat out from Barillas, as we approached to enter. Awesomely sweet timing.

The bar at Bahia de Jiquilisco is about 2-3 miles long, but boats are guided around one end of it instead of straight over it. Thus the water is deeper and entering the channel is easier and safer – although a bit rolly because boats must travel beam-to the incoming surf for about 2 miles. We and our good buddies on s/v Curare, who'd crossed the T'pec during the same time we had and appeared at the entrance bar about the same time as we had, both entered the estuary without incident and followed the pilot's panga 10 miles up the estuary to the mooring field of Marina Barillas. About 5 minutes after we tied up to a mooring ball, the pilot returned with 7 officials (port captain, Customs, Immigration, marina manager, and harbor police) to check us in to El Salvador. A brief inspection of the boat, shuffling of paper, and a quick trip onshore for Immigration to stamp the passports and shuffle a bit more paper…and it was done. Very simple, very easy, and only US $20 to enter the country. Bonus: marina manager Heriberto Pineda even took time to teach us the meaning of all the symbols on El Salvador's beautiful flag. What a nice welcome to the country!

Total time from Huatulco, Mexico to Marina Barillas, Bahia de Jiquilisco, El Salvador: 111.25 hrs., over a period of 4 days, 5 nights plus one morning, Total miles: 612.

If you think Barillas might be an option for you, study Barillas's website, then contact general manager Heriberto Pineda with your specific questions.

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