hmmm...Mexico

So 2 days ago we left thinking we were going to Hunduras, thinking the wind was perfect, thinking all our technical problems were over, thinking we were set. We set sail in the evening and locked our heading on the full moon. It couldn't have felt more perfect.....Well around 3am as I handed the wheel over to Rob, the wind decided to take a break. No problem we'll just start our now "working" motor and keep on chuggin, right? About a half-hour into me sleeping the engine got a temper and began flooding the cabin with steaming anit-freeze. Well with minimal panic and confusion we found ourselves completely immobile about 9 hours off the coast o Mexico. Anyway the next 30 hours we sweated around the deck and cockpit praying and eying for a speck of moving oxygen. I think the 3 of us all know what its like to be in the desert, but this is like a weird version where you can't go anywhere. Its all up to God. I'll admit though that it was a good time to do some thinking. I started reading The Alchemist too, a perfect follow up for Miller's book.
So it took a while and sortive depressingly were back in Isle Mujeres. No worries though people here are great. Theres all sorts on interesting people to meet here. A crazy awesome 25yr old woman just sailed here from Key West single-handed and im pretty sure without autopilot either.
So its not lookin like my schedule is gonna let me go sailing any further..but i still have a few days to kill. Im thinkin of goin backpacking for a bit across Mexico. I'll go further if I have time, but goin off to some old Mayan ruins sounds pretty cool I guess.

I want to mention that I believe I have learned more in the last two weeks then I could have in a whole year of college. Theres so much to learn from people. Everyone has a story. Some are beautiful, some are heart-wrenching, some are mysterious, and some are completely ridiculous. I think Americans forget to do that. We forget about who is out there and care more about when the next episode of The Office (not bashing, I love The Office) comes on rather than taking the time to go meet someone. Theres some little "wharf-rats" (kids here who grow up on sailboats) who get tutored twice a week maximum. However, they are extremely smart, witty, and know how to have a great conversation. I think it because everyday they get to meet people who sail in from places all over the world. Funny how that works.

Spanish is fun too, its nice to brush up.

Isle de Mujeres

There is a picture of Mario's family up there. They came out on the boat to say goodbye before we left last night. He was one of our great helper's over the last few days. They have taught me so much about life. I think I will write more about them in another post when I have time.

We sailed a little further in the last 24 hours but it seems are electrical gizmos are still strugglin a little. We're currently stayin the night in Isle de Mujeres somewhere near Cancun. Funny I think I subconciously believed everything in Mexico would be yellow? Must its because its always yellow on the map. It actually is way alot more colorful. Also, its lookin like I may not make my due date in Panama and may have to be dropped off in Nicaragua or Honduras which is totally fine with me. 

I finished my book and just started another.

I also met a really cool dog named Samson today. He jumps 6ft off the dock to fetch coconuts.

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¿Yucatan?

    After about 8 days of sailing across the Gulf of Mexico in the most inconsistent weather conditions imaginable and without one drop of land in sight, we have taken refuge in the small fishing village of San Felipe, Mexico along the Yucatan Peninsula. (the most perfect place on the place)
    Sailing has certainly been an adventure to say the least. From dodging oil tankers to engine failures to exploding wind gernerators, its definitley been interesting. The first 3 days were completley windless so we were forced to motor day and night.  At one point the winds became so glassy  we decided to just stop for a swim about 300 miles from the nearest shore. It was nice but I kept imagining scenes from shark films embaressingly enough. The next 4-5 days it gusted up to about anywhere from 10-20 plus nots. Oh yea and this is right when our alternator broke and left us without any power until we arrived here, so thats like fiveish days. Yea try untangling the genoa from the spinnaker lines at 3am in 7-8 foot seas with just a flashlight...
   The night shifts are about as great as imagined but they can be tough. A friend once told me the stars are the best at sea. He was right. I can usually find Orion´s Belt pretty easy, but out here there must be 50 Orion´s Belts. The milky way is pretty sweet too. The first 3 hours of the shift are usually nice, but I think we all find ourselves nodding off a little by the fourth. A dolphin might come by to wake you up sometimes.
   Anyway our charts and gps failed us in bringing us to an inlet relativeley well. Does the make sense? We probabably got stuck 12 different times on sandbars somewhere last night off Mexico. We were eventually somewhat rescued by our new friend Juan in his panga.
   The people here in San Felipe are the greatest human beings I have ever met in my whole life. Several guys committed their enitre day to getting us fixed and under way. Chucho, Mario, and Juan, and Flaco are few of the names I can remember. Flaco´s wife just got elected president of the village. So we got a new alternator, recharged our batteries, got more diesel, etc. Were in the process of patching our main sail. Tomorrow I think were gonna sail a little more east if we can get Shibumi off the bottom. Its only about 2.5ft deep everywhere we go and channels are nonexhistent, so leaving will certainly be an adventure.
   Okay Im running out of time so I hope whatever I just wrote made sense. I want to thank everyone for their prayers. God has been so awesome in this experience. I apologize for not posting any photos. I have tons but I forgot my camera connector chord thinger. Otherwise things are good. The adventure is real and everything is rediculous.

bye

So after a few days of getting the boat ready its ready. We have been preparing everything down to the smallest pulley bearing. We also went out today and got our food or "provisions" as they seemed to called.Oatmeal cream pies stashed away. Its all good to go.
The crew consists of Captain Rob, Georgia, and myself. Its a good mix. Its been really cool getting know Shibumi and the crew. Tomorrow morning were heading out by 10am! Bye

Getting ready...

Tomorrow I'll be flyin into Texas to meet Captain Rob and be introduced to the mighty Shibumi, my home for the next few weeks. I have had about a month to think about this trip now and I find myself about ready. There has been some interesting events in my life recently leading up to this departure. I'm not gonna touch any details but it seems God wants me going with some people and bits to think about. 

I am bringing along some books that will hopefully wisen me up some as I am sure they hold some significant value to the adventure, one of which is Donald Miller's A Million miles in a Thousand Years. I look forward to starting this one most as soon as I finish C.S. Lewis's Surprised by Joy. Reading is such an awesome thing. I also have a theme song I plan to use, a French song. Ask my roommate, John Taylor if you want to know about that. 

Worries are out of the question now as I have found it is better to expect to be surprised than utterly disappointed. I think Sondre Lerche taught me that one and so far it helps. I was thinking about "death at sea" the other day and although I don't prefer it at the moment, I have come across discovering that it would not be so terrible I guess. I mean, what a way to go, right? It just sounds so intense, disappearing in the waves and all. Anyway thats just a bit of mind rambling. If you decide to read or view any of these posts, please keep me in your prayers. It will be thoroughly appreciated and I promise to keep you entertained. I hope and pray that I will find myself completely challenged in some way this summer. I want this time to mean something. I want to grow. I want to find myself closer to God at the end or at least witness it. 

incredible music video: Noah and the Whale

The First Days of Spring Official Trailer from charlie fink on Vimeo.