2009: The First Mate

Tales of the Itinerant Sailor

Cruising 2009

Political Peril and the Itinerant Sailor

The First Mate

Cindy arrives at Rio Dulce

Cindy from Key West had arranged to fly down to accompany me on my first leg. We have some time for sightseeing after she arrives, but we have to be in Cancun, Mexico in two weeks for her to catch her flight back to Florida.

On May 25^th we top off with the food supplies that we will need for the trip. On the morning of May 26^th we do a sea trial to make sure everything is OK with the Sirius II. It is. That afternoon we set out for Texas Bay, the last marina before leaving the lakes area and negotiating the narrow, winding gorge that takes us to Livingston and the open ocean. I have decided to spend the night here, as opposed to Livingston, as I have reason to believe that it is unsafe to anchor out over night in Livingston. Thieves preying on boats cruising in and out of the Rio Dulce, according to reports, is rampant here. The local drug lords have brought this same problem under control in Frontera, but not here. It is kind of a mixed blessing when one has to substitute one social problem for yet another.

Horseback riding at Hotel Hacienda Tijax, Rio Dulce

The Preparations

The Checkout