July 2, 2013. Zihuatanejo to Lazaro Cardenas. Saved by the Mexican Navy

July 2, 2013.  Zihuatanejo to Lazaro Cardenas.  Saved by the Mexican Navy

How can it be July already?  We are supposed to be tucked up safe for hurricane season by the end of May and here we are, still dodging storms, trying to gat back to Puerto Vallarta.  This did not turn out right.   One of the issues that we need to solve before we take off across the Pacific is how to get weather info when we are out of cell phone range.  We have access to all sorts of lovely apps and maps and reports when we can get onto the internet but that is only possible within a few miles of shore.  Beyond that we have only the clouds to go by.

 The weather is clear this morning so off we go, one more try to make it.  The weather maps show another potential storm to the south but Hurricane Delila has weakened and turned out to sea.  It should only take us a couple of days to go the  200 miles to Manzanillo where we will stop briefly for fuel and to check the weather again.  Then another 150 miles to Banderas Bay.  If all goes well we should be there in another week, finally.  I am very much looking forward to a hot shower and a long soak in the spa. 

Since the goal is to get back as quickly as possible, we keep the engine on much of the time.  As usual there is almost no wind in the morning and it is against us in the afternoon.  Alan does get in several hours of sailing in the afternoon but we have the engine back on about sunset.   By this time there is a strong head wind and very choppy seas with big swells, left over from Delila.   The engine seems to be working harder than usual and yet we are only going about 2.5 knots and I notice an odd smell.  However, Alan checks everything and decides that it is OK.  At least the weather is cooperating.  The sky is mostly clear.  Stars are out.  Winds are warm.  We can see the lights of Lazaro Cardenas in the distance.  This is said to be a large, dirty industrial port with no facilities for cruisers so the plan is to keep our distance to avoid traffic and keep going.

When next I come on deck for my watch, the same city lights are still there.  We do not seem to have made any headway.  The wind has dropped but the engine is not on.  Turns out the engine will not start!   If it were not for the threat of more storms, we would probably just drift gradually along but given the weather, that is not an option.  We have only covered 25 miles since we left yesterday morning.  Even with decent wind, it will take a week to get to the next port without an engine to help.  Although not a cruiser friendly port, Lazaro Cardenas is a safe port in a storm.   Now the problem is how to get there.  Since there is still a little wind, we turn toward shore, right toward all the large boats that we had been trying to avoid.  Alan gets a quick nap then crawls into the engine room to see if he can figure out what is wrong.  No luck.  As the sun rises, the wind drops to almost nothing.  We obviously need a tow.  Besides everything else, this is not a wide bay like Manzanillo.  The port is up a river where marshlands have been dredged to create the terminals.  There is no way we will be able to sail in, even with decent wind. 

The first thing to do is get on the radio and let others know what our situation is and see what kind of help is available.  We have not been on the morning net for several weeks since we have been too far south to pick them up.   Although the reception is weak, I am able to get through.  There is no one else in the area but at least they know our situation and where we are.  Next call is to the Port Captain to see if he can help.  Radio conversations in Spanish are always a challenge, however eventually we get through, give him our location and tell him what the problem is.  He does not seem too helpful but eventually we get a call back , not from the Port Captain but from the Mexican Navy!  They are going to send a boat with a mechanic to see if they can fix the problem   Once they have our latitude and longitude and a description of the boat the inform us that they will be on the scene in 40 minutes.  They also want to be sure that we have a “small boat” because theirs does not work and they will need to use ours to transfer people to our boat.  Of course our dingy is folded flat and tied onto the deck ,so we use the time until they arrive to put it together and swing it over the side.  We also  take the sails down.

 From time to time we get calls from them asking for additional information.  About 1/2 hour later, we spot their boat steaming towards us.  It is not huge but still a good sized cruiser, about 150 feet.  The rail is lined with sailors holding cameras.  They stop several hundred yards away and tell us that they don’t want to get closer for fear of damaging our boat.  How thoughtful.  But then nothing happens.  We wait.  Should we row over to get them?  Why don’t they call and tell us what to do?  Eventually they call again to tell us that there is a smaller boat on the way which will be here in 8 minutes.  There is is in the distance, racing towards us.  It pulls along side of the navy ship.  Lots of people get into it and it heads our way.  They still need our dingy to get from the launch to us.  Ropes are passed back and forth.  Our dingy is pulled over to the launch.  People get in and paddle back to us.  This process is repeated several times until we have 6 sailors on board, along with buckets of tools and supplies.  For the next hour they poke and test and try to find the problem.  This being the government, there is also a lot of paperwork.  One of the sailors and I spend the entire time filling out forms.  Another takes pictures of everything.  It is hot, especially in the engine room.  There is no wind and everyone is sweating buckets.  The boat is rocking from side to side.  Suddenly one of the sailors comes racing out of the engine room onto the deck, seasick.  His buddies tease him, so apparently this is not a first.  Eventually they give up.  They cannot fix the problem. 

Phase two.  Now what?  There is no wind.  We need to get into the harbor to find and mechanic.  We cannot stay here, there is another storm on the way.  We need a tow.  This causes much radio discussion.  The guys with us want to help but are having trouble getting permission.  Apparently this is outside standard procedures.  The port captain says that they do not offer tow service but he can get a private company to come tow us for a fee.  We don’t understand much of the discussions but eventually something is decided and everyone packs up and goes back to the launch which takes them back to the bigger ship.  As they leave they tell us hat they are going to help but we are not sure what they have in mind. 

Then we see ropes being prepared.  Apparently, although the launch is not allowed to tow us,  the big boat has gotten permission.  One end of an extremely large tow rope is loaded onto the launch and ferried over to us.  Alan uses the anchor bridle to attach it to Rhapsody. It looks like an awfully big ship to be towing us. Will it work or will they just tear us apart?  Little by little the cruiser picks up speed.   Soon we are moving along at a brisk 7 knots.  It is working!   Rhapsody seems to be just fine.  We are told that it will take over an hour to get to the harbor so I make some sandwiches and we settle down for the ride. 

An hour later we enter the channel of what is indeed a large industrial port.  As we enter the radio squawks again and we are told that a small boat will take over.  We should cast off the tow line.  There is also a final bit of paperwork.  We need to sign a waver of responsibility saying we will not sue for damages to our boat and also stipulate that we asked for the tow.  the launch shows up again.  There is a sailor standing on the bow with a clipboard.  They move right along side without touching.  He hands me the clipboard.  I sign, Alan signs, the clipboard is handed back and the launch speeds off again.  The driver of that launch is amazing the way he can put it right where he wants it without ever bumping. 

Our new tow boat is a Boston Whaler, not much bigger than our dingy with 2 large Mercury outboards.   He tows us along to a small lagoon just inside the harbor entrance and we drop anchor, safe from the storm.  We are the only boat here and are surrounded by jungle.  We seem to be miles from everything but we will deal with that in the morning.  Once we are clear, the driver tells us that they are at our beck and call.  If we need anything, just call on the radio and they will come.  He also says that we are expected to call the Port CAptain every 3 hours to let them know that we are OK.  This means we will not get much sleep but if that is the price for being in a safe harbor, so be it   We hoist the dingy on board and make sure everything is secure for the night.  Then we open a beer, get out some chips and sit down to relax.  It has been a wild day. 

About an hour later our friends in the small boat are back.   We will not be staying here after all.  they have decided to move us  further up the channel, closer to town and close to the port captain. They think we will be much happier there.   Sounds fine and we really have no say in the matter anyway.  First they need to know how tall our mast is.  Apparently there is a bridge to pass under, although it is not on any of our charts.  Once that is settled, Alan hoists the anchor, ties on the tow line and we are off again.  We pass container ships and tankers and move slowly up the river.  It is actually a lot like our home port of Wilmington.  When we get to the bridge we stop. Once again, there are people all around with cameras.  We can hear the tow boat on the radio talking to the drawbridge operator.  We move very slowly towards the bridge.   Slowly, slowly we move closer.  It is going to be a tight fit.  We squeak under with a foot or two to spare.  Another mile further up river and we have arrived.  Our tow boat stops and we drop the anchor again. 


Once we are anchored, our tow guys come back to tell us that they are there for us any time.  If we need anything we are just to let them know.  And yes, we do still need to check in every 3 hours.  So once again we are anchored, settled.  The port captain’s office is on one side of the river and the navy on the other.  The river is lined with trees on both sides and clumps of water hyacinth drift by.  We can see a fleet of pongas moored around the bend and the corner of a palapa.  It is quiet and lovely.  Not at all what we had been expecting from the cruising guide descriptions of a large, dirty industrial port.  Time for dinner and the last beer. 

Dinner is finished.  We have settled down to relax and check the weather when we hear the beep, beep of a horn outside.  It is a different small boat, checking to see if we need anything.  Apparently this is the night shift.  I say that what we really need is a good night’s sleep and do we really need to call in every 3 hours?  We finally agree that we will make a last call when we are ready for bed and will not need to call again until the morning.   We are just drifting off to sleep when we hear the horn again.  It is our friends back to be sure we are OK.  This time they have checked with the office and we are to be allowed to sleep through the night but we must check in in the morning.  They will be back then.

Through all this there has been no discussion of payment, except for one brief mention early in the day.  I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.  I guess we will deal with that when we present ourselves to the port captain in the morning.