Manzanillo and Ixtapa

No matter how many times dolphins approach SpringDay for a visit I still grab the camera, they are so beautiful to watch

Manzanillo - Las Hadas / Don and I visited this hotel in 1988 during our honeymoon

When we arrived at the marina in Manzanillo, and after negotiating a price for tying to the dock, we decided to give the mediterranean tie a try.  Ouf what a circus! I don't know how people can do this on their own, because a dinghy came over and dropped off two guys who ran to our bow guiding the driver of the dinghy whose job was to guide the slime line from the buoy up to the guys on the bow.....  Then the order is given to start backing up, about a handful of guys are waiting on the dock to lend assistance with four or six lines just for the stern! This marina has a pretty good surge and once the lines were all secured and the guys all gone, we pace the boat back and forth and side to side to evaluate. Skipper's face looks worried about the surge and the loud creaking of lines and declares Bailout! SpringDay was by far the heaviest girl in the marina and Skipper was afraid that lines would snap from the tension. We untie and rejoin the sisters already anchored just outside the break wall.

Unfortunately we did not spend much time in Manzanillo, as a matter of fact most of our time was spent in taxis running errands.

Manzanillo, Colima, Mexico: the busiest port city of Mexico and
self proclaimed sailfish capital of the world

Manzanillo to Ixtapa; overnighter - 22 hours

Resting on my bed in the master bedroom, in the middle of a very dark night, the light is on in the room but my eyes are closed, the portholes are open wide, out of the blue (literally) and six inches from my face, this flying fish lands on the bed next to my pillow !*&$@! and wedges itself between mattress and end table. I tell Skipper to come take care of this intruder. "I tossed it back in the water". "You didn't take a picture?" I said. 

 So I retrieved this picture from 2011 when
seeing a flying fish for the very first time.
That's what flew in through the master bedroom porthole 10 ft above water.

On their own, that's all Steve and Don could catch! Once Steve had a sailfish but the sailfish sailed away with the entire spool line, leaving a deep cut on his thumb.  Then, again another sailfish takes the bait, but this time no one is watching the pole and again the line is gone out of the spool in seconds.

measures about 18 " - released - Fish specie unknown to me

                                                                                                                                                                     

A little time for first mates to shop in Ixtapa, Guerrero

  

I see why tourists like Ixtapa, it is very green and clean, and at least here at the marina the rules of security are very strict, I am told that because the close neighbor Michoacan State has a bad reputation for crimes, the security guards are vigilant and enforce the locking of the gates, there is no leaving it ajar for the one coming up the ramp soon kind of business. But workers assure us that along the ocean throughout Mexico it is safe to travel from marina to marina. Good to know!

entrance to the marina

      

Leaving Ixtapa

On our way to Ixtapa, Skipper averted potential danger, when he discovered during his engine check that the 240 volt automatic switch for the large generator had overheated due to a loose terminal lug and almost caught fire. Ouf! I am so glad that he is vigilant about engine checks, a faint smell of smoke, and a heat gun in hand he zaps the lug and reads a temperature of 350 degrees! Upon arrival he searches for the best guy for the job.

   

Sergio was that guy.  An electrical and mechanical engineer with the happiest smile I have ever seen. After chatting about his life I could see he was oozing happiness. Happy about everything - He said he had a visa to come to the States but he never used it; why would he ? He lives in Paradise. I would love to be like him, what a wonderful life I would have. I would love to rid some of my days of the occasional moments how ever small they may be, of fear, doubt, anxiety and depression that only 

rob me of joy. Maybe Sergio has the answer.

Skipper discovers that he and Sergio have something in common: bees!

Sergio worked hard for his education, working and studying, and he tells us his story about always falling asleep during classes, so he started taking 5 capsules of Royal jelly every day and after a while not only was he completely alert but his grades sky rocketed. And so now he says he owes his career and his good life to the bees!!!.  He has 60 hives and sells the honey and rents them to mango and coconut growers as a hobby and touts the benefits of pure honey.  Skipper tells Sergio that we use 2500 bee hives in our orchards. His smile could not get bigger because he always has a full scale smile, but his eyebrows spoke wonder. We too, certainly owe our success to the bees. Perhaps something to emulate (thankfulness). Or maybe I should stop killing them when they come in the boat! Then he gives us an invitation to visit him and his wife at their home, and he makes a point to say how lucky he is that his wife takes care of the books for the business. Then he speaks a phrase you no longer hear in today's impersonal world between newly acquainted strangers: MY HOUSE IS YOUR HOUSE, YOU ARE WELCOME ANYTIME. 

Sergio, electrical/mechanical engineer; a good find in Ixtapa!

Yesterday morning Skippers are going fishing trying to redeem themselves by bringing in "real" fish to SpringDay. There is nothing like hiring the local competency to make that happen.

Catching big fish for the first time - Check! 

I think it's out of their system now, hopefully!

Who said they can't catch fish?

Skipper team thinking: "Did we really do this?"

Sail fish trivia from Wikipedia below 

Sailfish grow quickly, reaching 1.2–1.5 metres (3 ft 11 in–4 ft 11 in) in length in a single year, and feed on the surface or at mid-depths on smaller pelagic forage fish and squid. Individuals have been clocked at speeds of up to 110 kilometres per hour (68 mph), which is one of the highest speeds reliably reported in any water organism. Generally, sailfish do not grow to more than 3 metres (9.8 ft) in length and rarely weigh over 90 kilograms (200 lb).

The sail is normally kept folded down and to the side when swimming, but it may be raised when the sailfish feels threatened or excited, making the fish appear much larger than it actually is. This tactic has also been observed during feeding, when a group of sailfish use their sails to "herd" a school of fish or squid.

Sailfish are highly prized game fish and are known for their incredible jumps and great speed. They can swim 100 meters in 4.8 seconds. They can appear in a startling array of colours, from subdued browns and grays to vibrant purples and even silver. Their body colours are often highlighted by stripes of iridescent blue and silver dots. Sailfish can change their colours almost instantly—a change controlled by their nervous system. The sailfish can rapidly turn its body light blue with yellowish stripes when excited, confusing its prey and making capture easier, while signalling its intentions to fellow sailfish.

This morning (Feb 6th) we said Goodbye to Steve and Linda, they will take a bus to Acapulco and fly out in the morning. Springday failed to deliver her guests to Acapulco, she takes the blame for overheating her switch box and necessitating new parts. Thank you for your help Linda when I couldn't lift anything for a while and Steve thanks for helping Skipper with his chores. It is always fun to have you aboard!
Acapulco is next, see you there...

Thinking of you...