Can't find it, grind it

After backing out of Mazatlan Marina around 4 pm, playing a game of chicken with a shipping freighter around 9 pm, and sailing through the darkest of nights, we came to arrive at Isla Isabella. A tiny island located about 90 miles south of Mazatlan. This was to be our home for the next few days, during which time we found our selves enamored by the natural beauty and rhythm of the place. We could not have asked for better weather, as the only intermission of the suns rays came when a group of birds tightened their circles in the sky, creating a sort of winged cloud, which would blot out the sun momentarily. Most of our days where spent hiking and exploring the island, watching the birds soar effortlessly with the wind, and swimming in the crystal clear waters of bahia tiburonitos! During breakfast and throughout the day, we were also fortunate enough to see some gigantic humpback whales playfully teaching their young how to catch some serious air!

Though this spot is known to be an “anchor eater”, due to the huge volcanic rocks that lie a wait to swallow your anchor on the sea floor. We experienced no such trouble until the last day when the wind shifted directions from North to South, and our anchor dragged towards shore and some of the chain became entangled. As the boat rocked, all we could hear was a deafening sound of anchor and chain grinding against razor sharp volcanic rock. After making it through dinner, without being able to hear ourselves chew, we decided to prepare Mer-Sea for departure at once, as we felt it better to sail all the way through the night for Matanchen Bay, then stay and risk having our anchor, and possibly us!

It took us about 15 minutes of tugging and positioning the boat so that we could untangle the chain and retrieve the anchor, and then we were off. Colleen safely navigated us out of the bay, avoiding the many submerged rocks, which hid just beneath the surface. By 11 pm we where clear of the submerged hazards and in open water, although there was no way for us to know exactly what hazards would be waiting just beneath our feet at Matanchen Bay. Vamos a la Bahia Matanchen!!