Costalegre 2012 Part II

Costalegre 2012 Part II

When Mark awoke just after sunrise on our second morning at Tenacatita he was delighted to see a familiar sight. The vessel “Swift Current” with dear friends Howard and Lynn aboard was anchoring just a few boat-lengths from us. They had made the overnight passage down from La Cruz and would soon be continuing south to Central and South America. Knowing they would be tired from their trip, Mark gave them a warm, welcoming wave and let them settle in for naps before arranging a mid-day reunion. After a few hours, we were sharing their company and getting caught-up on all that we’d been up to since parting company in La Cruz.

Tenacatita “Mayor” Robert and his wife Virginia organized their usual afternoon beach gathering later that day and we all took part in the swim to shore, long walk and bocce ball tournament followed by liquid refreshments at the beach-side, palm-shaded palapa restaurant. Our reunion concluded that evening with a delicious chicken curry dinner aboard “Blue Rodeo”.

Friday is market day at the quaint community of La Manzanilla about 3 miles across the bay from the Tenacatita. So, that morning we launched our dinghy, picked-up Howard and Lynn and sped across the bay’s calm waters to the beach there. As we approached the shore, we extended our dinghy’s “landing gear” (retractable wheels) and motored through the small surf until our wheels touched bottom. After the dinghy was pulled up the sandy beach above the high tide line, we took a stroll through the town passing the crocodile park (none seen) before having lunch at a simple, street-side cafe. After lunch, we toured the market and a few shops and galleries before returning to the anchorage. As often happens, the building afternoon winds from the northwest made the trip back a little rougher as our dinghy pounded and bounced over the wind-generated chop. We arrived back at our boats just slightly damp from spray and a little worse for wear.

The high point of that afternoon was the “Mayor’s” raft-up where all in the anchorage are invited to meet with their dinghies in a calm corner of the bay and tie them together to form the venue for a floating cocktail party, We all brought assorted snacks to share and a beverage of choice. Once the raft was assembled, Robert spoke a few warm, welcoming words and encouraged each participant to take turns sharing a bit about what they did in their previous lives that prepared them for cruising. The exchange turned out to be great fun, especially when it was Anne’s turn to speak. Since she is often reluctant to talk about her flying career, she decided to liven things up a bit by introducing herself as a former pole dancer from Las Vegas. She couldn’t keep a straight face for long however and soon, everyone was howling with laughter. As the sun set behind the nearby, jungle-covered hills, the raft-up disbanded and all of our cruising friends returned to their boats. As we turned in that night, we again felt so fortunate for being able to be sharing such good times in such a lovely place with such great friends.

The next morning we, along with the “Swift Current” crew, raised our anchors and motor-sailed about 6 miles south to another favorite spot, the small bay and anchorage at the village of Cuastacomate. Eager to share more of Howard and Lynn’s company before they continued south, we spent the day with them snorkeling the bay’s colorful, coral reef, walking about the town and enjoying the warm afternoon breezes under beach umbrellas while enjoying perfect Margaritas and guacamole provided by a small restaurant. The evening concluded with a taco feast and more lively conversation aboard “Blue Rodeo”. What could be better?