LaCruz, which is nestled in the north end of Banderas Bay, is a short 69 miles from San Blas, so we decided to make two overnight stops along the way. Proving that we learn from our experiences, we left San Blas at high tide and had an easy sail to Chácala, which we’d read was the quintessential Mexican anchorage. It might have been… if the ocean was calmer and it wasn’t Semana Santa (Holy Week). Mexican families flock to the coast to celebrate Easter and the end of Lent, which they do with gusto and very LOUD music that we could hear from the boat into the wee hours.

In preparation for our anchorage there, we’d read up on securing a stern (rear) anchor which helps keep the boat pointed towards the waves even with shifting winds and tides. Even with that, we spent a rocky and somewhat sleepless night, and decided to pull anchor and move on first thing in the morning,

Our next stop was a short eight miles away to the lovely Isla Peña, which is in the bay outside Rincón de Guayabito. The Green family spent a delightful week there when the kids were young, and it was fun to see it from the water. Once again, we got to observe frigates soaring overhead.

Warning: Fish photos below!

After a restful day and night, we headed south on a windless day for a leisurely motor to LaCruz, which gave me a chance to throw out a line. I CAUGHT a MahiMahi using my own gear that I’d set up! Yahoo! Next skill I need to develop is filleting a fish, because it took me about ten times as long as a professional. It might be easier when I’m not on a swim step on a rocking boat. The ceviche and fish tacos were delicious and it was so satisfying to have my catch on the table. We also put a few meals worth into the freezer.

We arrived at Marina Riviera Nayarit in LaCruz on Good Friday afternoon. The office was closed through the holiday weekend and the town was in full Semana Santa swing, including music blasting until 5 AM Easter Sunday followed by early morning church bells.

We arrived in time for the “Last Chance to Dance” beach party for the cruisers departing to French Polynesia in the coming weather window. Many people spend months in LaCruz readying boats for the crossing and veterans/wannabees support them. Educational sessions occurred the last few months covering weather, provisioning, water making, cultural, different islands, etc. We’ve been able to view some of sessions via Zoom and it was nice to be here to meet folks in person.

Monday’s eclipse was at about 95% in LaCruz. Many people headed north to Mazatlán to experience the totality, but plenty of boaters watched from here through their sextants, which have filters for looking into the sun. The sky darkened to dusk light and the temperature decreased significantly. Although we didn’t capture any photos of the actual eclipse, some clever folks also caught photos through nearby items.

We can’t believe we’ve been here almost two weeks. LaCruz is wonderful and we’ll write more in the coming week. Although we can always find more projects, we’re ready to go as soon as our visas arrive. Unfortunately, we know our applications arrived to the embassy on March 10, but have no visibility as to when they’ll be released and we’re four weeks into what we thought would be a 2-4 week wait. Our crew, Jean and Chris, moved their flights out once and may need to do so again.

Once again, “stuck” in another great place.