Once again, our clever plan to slow down our travel and actually spend time in one place, got thwarted by the weather forecast. We had one that called for good weather during the next 36 hours to either travel northbound, or stay in place at Tenacatita.
The Tenacatita anchorage is large enough with good holding that it can certainly accommodate a few dozen boats – we've been there and seen that many – but it provides comfortable, sheltered, long-term anchorage for only those fortunate few who get there first and snuggle in close to shore. Folks in the catbird seats stay there for, literally, months on end. Conditions for the boats anchored further to the outside can become less delightful depending on the direction of the winds and swells. So yeah, given the forecast of steadily increasing breezes during the next 3 days? With The Fox bobbing around toward the outside of the anchorage we decided we'd be better off underway, yet again.
As we left the entrance of Tenacatita's bay, we spotted its resident humpback whale doing typical humpy things. Offshore of Chamela, we spotted one other northbound sailboat and 4 southbound. The wind bent from W to WNW (equals, noserly) and increased to a choppy 12 knots but the day was otherwise uneventful. Overnight was a different story.
I will not name boat names, but as we approached Cabo Corrientes we saw that there was a northbound sailboat that was motoring an insane-to-us 1-3 miles offshore. We learned what could go wrong running that close to shore from the super-skilled Jeanne Socrates's experience in 2010, and vowed to never-ever do that. But, we later heard on the VHF that this lucky boat made it into its destination of the anchorage at La Cruz de Huanacaxtle…where it promptly dragged anchor when the crew was ashore. They were lucky yet again, when the grumpy old singlehander residents in the anchorage got together and controlled the sailboat-in-flight.
Meanwhile, there was a second squirrely sailboat was doing squirrely maneuvers in the dark. We were both northbound. The Fox was motorsailing on a rhumb line and this other boat was repeatedly crossing our bow while motorsailing back and forth on long tacks. With its tricolor lit up instead of the required running and steaming lights. Even more annoying? With every tack this boat got 1/4 mile closer to our bow. On Tack #6 he crossed our bow with just over 1/4 mile to spare, so it was clear that Tack #7 would be dangerous for The Fox. So I got on the VHF to have a chat.
To condense my many words down to a few, I shared with this individual that since we were both motoring, he did not have the right of way to keep crossing our bow, so please to either start tacking astern of us or knock it off now, change course, and parallel us. I also said, "You know? I don't care that you don't have the proper running and steaming lights showing, but THE FREIGHTER THAT'S COMING UP ON YOUR STERN SURE WILL!" That's right: the guy had never once even glanced behind himself.
Turns out, my words had some effect and this squirrel doused his tricolor, turned on the proper lights, straightened up, and flew right. Kids these days. Gah.
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