Tacos!

Saturday 22 Jan, Mexico day 2, Isla Mujeres: Coffee with friends, snorkel around the boat, then evening in town.

During the night we are woken a couple of time with rain coming through the hatch. This is just like the Caribbean islands where you can never be sure when it will rain or not. But generally a good night’s sleep. We are now fully rested after the passage, but Oana is unfortunately still a bit effected by boat movement.

After a slow morning, we head over to the port office to pick up our papers. We are kind of convinced it’s an over-time trick. Getting us to come in on a Saturday just so the officer can cash in some overtime. We’ve had this trick before and Oana is ready for it. No one had yet managed to pull anything like this off with Oana – she does not tolerate corruption in the slightest! But when we arrive to the office it is firmly locked. We’ll come back on Monday.

On the way back to the boat to stop off at Amalia of London (Steve and Helena’s HR43) to report on our check-in experience and they kindly invite us on board for coffee. They have been cruising for the last 8 years or so and we previously met them in the Ionian, Greece, back in 2017 and here we are meeting again by chance. We sit and compare notes and experiences and get along really well. Such a pleasant easy-going couple. They have been in Mexico for over a month, but not too impressed with it from a cruising point of view. Really no where to anchor except here in Isla Mujeres. Otherwise it is marinas only. They are now back here just to clear out with customs before heading further south to Honduras, 300 nm away.

In the afternoon I experience a classic session of how one simple task on a boat can turn into multiple maintenance jobs. All I needed to do was put the tent canopy bars into the aft locker. But I couldn’t get them in without moving some stuff. At which point I see big wet patch of salt water on the passarelle. Recently I’ve re-done the seals on these aft hatches but this wet area is right over by the gunnel. So everything comes out the locker and is strewn over the aft deck. Salt washed off of everything wet, and the locker wiped out. I really cannot see where the water came from, but I suspect through the bolts for the jack-stay anchor points.
But then I notice the water has been going under the panel which I recently had off to put new hoses onto the swim platform piston. For some reason I had not resealed the panel, to prevent water going inside the hull. So the panel comes off for cleaning ready to apply some sealant. And in taking the panel off, I manage to pull the wires out the back of a 24v socket we use to pump up the inflatable fenders. So that has to be rewired first! Thankfully, that is where the “chain” ended. I just about managed to get the panel back in place with sealant when we had to go ashore for dinner. The leak itself will be attended to tomorrow and maybe, just maybe, I get to put the tent bars into the locker afterall!

In the evening we head into town with Steve and Helena. They take us to their favorite taco restaurant. It’s quite down and earthy, not a place we would naturally have stepped into for sure. But the staff are really friendly, and the tacos and margaritas are very special. I don’t think I’ve ever had such delicious tacos, all different kinds. And the margaritas are both huge and strong, making our evening quite fun!
I think we are going to enjoy out stay in Mexico. It really is something different after the usual Caribbean scene.