Puerto Morales Lights
Tulum RuinsIn Isla Mujeres, May 9th on the morning net we heard of a “non-emergency boat watch” for S/V Pearl S. Buck and S/V Destiny. We were waiting for Bryan on Pearl S. Buck to arrive ourselves and were startled to hear of this inquiry so we answered the call with “info” of our own. We learned that Destiny had had engine trouble and that neither boat had been heard from recently. Barbie remarked that even without engine trouble we didn’t expect Bryan for a few more days anyway. It turned out that Cathy, the wife of the captain of Destiny had the concern and was searching for information. We told her that we were friends of Bryan’s and that while we did not know about her husband we would at least meet her and provide moral support. She appreciated that.
When Pearl S. Buck arrived on the 10th, Bryan told us that they had left Galveston the day before Destiny and they were not in contact as they traveled. Meanwhile, Kathy heard from her husband and that they were safe in Progresso, MX on the northern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula and that had gotten their engine fixed. We met Dorothy who had committed to crew with Bryan six weeks prior to the trip and Georgie who had committed to crew just days before the trip. Luckily they had enough crew to hand steer the boat after the autopilot quit 250 nm into the 700 nm trip. It was great to see Bryan again and to meet his crew and Kathy joined us all on Jupiter’s Smile for a reunion.
Having left their boat in Progresso, that evening the crew of Destiny arrived in Isla Mujeres along with some friends who had not been crew. They invited us to dinner at the house they had rented so the five of us found a cab and squeezed in for the agreed upon 50 peso ride, but we had not agreed to get lost. By the time we got there the hosts had stirred up some turmoil between them, but we had a great dinner just the same. And the house was a three-story, cliff-side-sea-side, Architectural Digest cover photo palace! Flush from their adventures the crew of Destiny had stories to tell. It had been their first offshore passage. Bryan had been aboard Pearl S. Buck for over four years and had crossed the Gulf five times, sailed to Connecticut with us for several months and then to the Bahamas with us. Dorothy had all but circumnavigated the planet for ten years and Georgie had owned her own boat for several years as well. We sat and listened politely to the exploits of the crew whose boat was still in Progresso and all kinds of sailing advice they had for us. It was a surreal evening and like nothing I had ever experienced before. At nearly midnight there were no longer any cabs at the taxi stand so we started walking. Fortunately, Dorothy and I, having lagged behind the trio in front of us, were able to flag down an unsuspecting cab driver that was only a little perplexed when the couple he thought he was picking up turned into a quintuple. We returned to our boats and have not heard from Destiny since, but we think that Cathy and Len are sailing down the coast by themselves toward the Rio Dulce.
Georgie’s husband is undergoing cancer treatments and the plan was to sail Pearl S. Buck to Belize City where either he would fly from Texas to join her for a land tour if he were well enough or she would fly back to Texas to be with him if he wasn’t well enough. Bryan and the women sailed the next day.
On the 16th of May, Tisha Baby arrived from Key West. Barb and I accompanied Richard and Pam to help them check into Mexico and we completed the process in 45 minutes! We were able to buy some groceries, tour the town and have lunch at our now favorite beachside restaurante, Mimino’s followed by our seventh happy hour at Marina Paraiso. The next day we sailed for Puerto Morelas arriving in time to snorkel the reef and enjoy happy hour at a beachside cantina. For Barbie’s birthday we traveled with Daniel and Josianne from S/V Gone and Michel and
Brigitte from S/V Epsilon by classe primero bus to Tulum to visit the site of the Mayan ruins overlooking the sea. See photos. We six returned to Puerto Morelas to dine with Pam and Richard to 
celebrate Barbie’s birthday. Pam made a great chocolate cake with a rich chocolate icing and Barb heard happy birthday renditions in English, French and Quebecoise.
When Pearl S. Buck arrived on the 10th, Bryan told us that they had left Galveston the day before Destiny and they were not in contact as they traveled. Meanwhile, Kathy heard from her husband and that they were safe in Progresso, MX on the northern coast of the Yucatan Peninsula and that had gotten their engine fixed. We met Dorothy who had committed to crew with Bryan six weeks prior to the trip and Georgie who had committed to crew just days before the trip. Luckily they had enough crew to hand steer the boat after the autopilot quit 250 nm into the 700 nm trip. It was great to see Bryan again and to meet his crew and Kathy joined us all on Jupiter’s Smile for a reunion.
Having left their boat in Progresso, that evening the crew of Destiny arrived in Isla Mujeres along with some friends who had not been crew. They invited us to dinner at the house they had rented so the five of us found a cab and squeezed in for the agreed upon 50 peso ride, but we had not agreed to get lost. By the time we got there the hosts had stirred up some turmoil between them, but we had a great dinner just the same. And the house was a three-story, cliff-side-sea-side, Architectural Digest cover photo palace! Flush from their adventures the crew of Destiny had stories to tell. It had been their first offshore passage. Bryan had been aboard Pearl S. Buck for over four years and had crossed the Gulf five times, sailed to Connecticut with us for several months and then to the Bahamas with us. Dorothy had all but circumnavigated the planet for ten years and Georgie had owned her own boat for several years as well. We sat and listened politely to the exploits of the crew whose boat was still in Progresso and all kinds of sailing advice they had for us. It was a surreal evening and like nothing I had ever experienced before. At nearly midnight there were no longer any cabs at the taxi stand so we started walking. Fortunately, Dorothy and I, having lagged behind the trio in front of us, were able to flag down an unsuspecting cab driver that was only a little perplexed when the couple he thought he was picking up turned into a quintuple. We returned to our boats and have not heard from Destiny since, but we think that Cathy and Len are sailing down the coast by themselves toward the Rio Dulce.
Georgie’s husband is undergoing cancer treatments and the plan was to sail Pearl S. Buck to Belize City where either he would fly from Texas to join her for a land tour if he were well enough or she would fly back to Texas to be with him if he wasn’t well enough. Bryan and the women sailed the next day.
On the 16th of May, Tisha Baby arrived from Key West. Barb and I accompanied Richard and Pam to help them check into Mexico and we completed the process in 45 minutes! We were able to buy some groceries, tour the town and have lunch at our now favorite beachside restaurante, Mimino’s followed by our seventh happy hour at Marina Paraiso. The next day we sailed for Puerto Morelas arriving in time to snorkel the reef and enjoy happy hour at a beachside cantina. For Barbie’s birthday we traveled with Daniel and Josianne from S/V Gone and Michel and
Brigitte from S/V Epsilon by classe primero bus to Tulum to visit the site of the Mayan ruins overlooking the sea. See photos. We six returned to Puerto Morelas to dine with Pam and Richard to 
celebrate Barbie’s birthday. Pam made a great chocolate cake with a rich chocolate icing and Barb heard happy birthday renditions in English, French and Quebecoise.Richard & Pam
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