“Thank You for Your Sacrifice.”

 This is our standard expression of gratitude when executing a fish we have caught. Due to waters that seemed a bit overfished, this phrase had not been uttered in some time. But with our new crew on board (Shaun Roberts, a childhood friend of Marc’s) and an enthusiasm for angling and 170 miles of water to cover between Acapulco and Puerto Escondido we felt things might be turning around.

We decided to try some different tackle and opted for a blue feather lure with an inside out cacahuates bag tied to the line above the leader. (Cacahuates are peanuts.) We have heard rumors that the metallic insides of chip or snack bags works well to attract fish. Which it did!

Our first catch was a small bonito, which are in the tuna family. We had one before and had cooked it up, but Shaun informed us they were quite delicious eaten raw. A bowl of soy sauce and wasabi was quickly mixed up and our first batch of sashimi went down the hatch.

The second day out we hooked up something a little bigger. Once the line took up buzzing, Marc secured the pole and started increasing the drag, then handed it off to Shaun so he could turn the boat and run down the fish that was running hard! As we closed in, and got a peek of color, we all lit up with excitement. A nice Dorado! She was hooked at the tail, which took a team effort aboard the s/v Mer-Sea to carefully gaff and bring her aboard. An enthusiastic “Thanks!“ was exclaimed and before she was done being cleaned we had full bellies of the freshest sashimi ever! Later filets were grilled on the bbq and the following day we gorged ourselves on coconut milk ceviche that Marc marinated over night.

 

It is truly a beautiful thing to live simply and self sufficiently. Not that we are completely unplugged (as is demonstrated by this very blog post), but through many experiences we engage in by living out here, the more we appreciate all that we have.

               
       
                          Eat sushi… More. Often.

SURPRISE!! (Puerto Escondido: lat. 15 51.498 N; long. 97 03.757W)

Paddling back to the boat after a surf and seeing an unknown person moving around in the cockpit = bad.

Getting close and realizing it’s a surprise visit from Marc’s dad with parts to fix the dinghy engine = good!

The engine was up and running by the next morning and we enjoyed the life of luxury for the past week. This is due to the fact that Samy is posted up in a sweet hotel, which allowed us daily showers, air conditioning, and unlimited amounts of ICE!!

The week was spent surrounded by blaring music and Mexican Tourists having their last hoorah of the Santa Semana holiday. With Samy and Shaun visiting we wasted no time getting on board with the festivities. The first night Samy arrived, Shaun had managed to get himself a DJ gig at a local beachside bar called, Uh La-La. Shaun assumed he would be late so we made plans to meet him in the morning. His late night turned out to be a long one and ran into the next afternoon. While enjoying a late lunch, Samy spotted him getting a ride on a panga back to the boat. He spent the next 24 hours recouping and figuring out how to get to Mexico City by the weekend, as he was invited to play at a big event, setup by some of his nuevo amigos.

 

Throughout the week, Samy was making friends all over town. From playing drums with some streetside gypsies, to jamming on the Bass in a jewelry store with the owner, to strumming our newly strung acoustic guitar poolside, we would definitely say that he had a lot of fun this trip! Samy certainly has an ear for music which pairs nicely with his love for life!

Samy also treated us to a bebidas shopping spree at “Super Che” which found our basket filled with cocktail ingredients and junk food to support us for the week. We were also treated to many delicious meals, from pastor tacos and beers, to much needed breakfasts. The most memorable being giant platters of fresh seafood! Full spreads of caracol, pulpo, camarones, y filete de pescado.

Seeing Samy off to the airport and getting Shaun on the bus was bittersweet. As it was good times to have loved ones from home out to visit and share in our adventure, we are now ready to get back out on the water and continue our chosen direction of travel, South. Vamos a Bahias de Huatulco!!