It was 4 a.m. on the dot, so I thought my husband, Chris, was rather punctual when it came to going off-watch and gently waking me for my turn at the helm aboard our 1979 Cheoy Lee 41, Avocet.
Then, I realized I had a question to ask him as he shimmied out of his foulies: “What’s that smell?”
“Trash,” he replied before throwing himself into our bed, exhausted.
Not at all a normal reply, but an understandable one, given that he had just spent hours dodging poorly lighted fishing boats and a partially submerged barge to keep us safe while I snoozed.
I made my way up to the cockpit and found the beanbag nestled abaft the helm, water bottles and evidence of snacks all around—not that the scene after any of my watches looks much different, but I tend to keep all the things I need in a central location. I rearranged Chris’ setup to my liking and then settled in to watch the sunrise with Cleo, our cat, who had stretched off her slumber and stared out over the horizon with her yellow eyes as wide as can be. If only I could read her mind.
Three hours later, Chris emerged in the companionway, an hour before his next watch.
“There’s Ensenada,” he said, pointing. His eyes looked tired, but his smile showed excitement. He had decided to make us breakfast and to join Cleo and me outside. The closer we got to Ensenada, the more alive the VHF radio became with chatter from fishermen.
We had read countless articles and blog posts, and listened to tales from those who have cruised to Mexico—but still, I didn’t entirely know what to expect from this country. I reeled in my anxiety, which can get the best of me with negative thoughts, and I focused on how exciting it was to be curious about whatever was in store for us ahead.
After all, at this point, I had become great at finding the silver lining in our misadventures. I assured myself that if we stumbled into another one, it would all be all right.
It didn’t take long to encounter our first challenge in Mexico, and it was a real whopper—when we were told that we had only 48 hours before we had to leave the country.
Lesson learned: When you’re on a boat and entering a new country, be prepared for anything.
Coming next: Part 4, with all our preparations for cruising south of the border, we never expected to encounter this problem.
