Golf of Tehuantepec

Posted 11 January 2011

Acapulco was the least favorite city so far. We went ashore once to do provisioning and the rest of the time we spend getting the boat ready for the Golf of Tehuantepec.

The Golf of Tehuantepec can be very treacherous and you have to get a good weather window for crossing, especially this time of the year. If there is a high pressure system in the Gulf of Mexico then this causes the wind to funnel through a 30 mile wide gap and spreading out as it moves offshore on the pacific side. Another way is to hug the shoreline where the seas will be calmer.

Currently there is a gale blowing in the Tehuantepec (35 to 45 knots) and not clearing before Sunday/Monday. Our strategy is to make small trips until we get to Huatulco. We will anchor at Bahia Dulce (65 nm from Acapulco) then do a overnight trip to Escondido (117 nm from Bahia Dulce and then do the last day sail to Huatulco (57 nm from Escondido). We will stay there until the weather clear up.