Hotter than Hades!




Stacks and Deck Structure of San Luciano

San Luciano Ship Wreck

Pelicans Perch above the Wreck  

Wreck Below the Waterline

The temperatures have been hot here in Manzanillo reaching into the 90’s during the day with evening temperatures in the high 80’s.  We have come to appreciate the all important “siesta,” a long nap taken at mid-day in order to stay up at night during the cooler temperatures.  We definitely have felt sluggish in the heat and have made use of the swimming pool at the Las Hadas Resort to cool off.  Java too was feeling sluggish so we hosed her off with cold water on the back of our boat's swim step.  Even Hades, the Greek god of the underworld, would find it uncomfortably hot.  The summer months are worse yet and reported to be unbearable even for the locals.  Today we cooled off in the ocean and went snorkeling along a rocky shoreline in Bahia Santiago near the sunken ship wreck of the San Luciano.  The cargo ship San Luciano sank in 1959 during a hurricane and sits in 25 feet of water acting as an artificial reef for fish.  Some of the deck structure and stacks can still be seen protruding above the waterline.  While exploring the area by dinghy, we also found a sea cave and watched as the ocean swell filled the cave, spraying a column of water with a thunderous sound.  The hot temperatures in Manzanillo definitely have added an incentive to head back north to the Sea of Cortez and we find ourselves on schedule as planned.  Our last night at Las Hadas would be spent relaxing and making preparations for our morning departure, or so we thought!  As we were making dinner, our fisherman friend Victor came knocking on our door to tell us we had to leave the moorage space - "the boat that is permanently moored here has arrived unexpectedly and is waiting for you to leave!” he said.  Victor and his crew helped us untie from our med-moor space and we motored to the fuel dock to tie up for the night.  What should have been a normal side-tie at the fuel dock, turned out to be anything but normal.  The ocean surge was so strong that we had to put out every fender we had, plus use every dock line we had  to dampen the severe tugging and pulling.  Got D’ Fever was being pushed so violently into the dock and pulled violently away, that we feared a line would break or a fender would pop.  We decided it would be best to leave the dock and anchor in the bay outside the marina breakwater.  Because of the strong surge and the numerous dock lines to release, we would need some extra hands; I walked back to get Victor for some assistance.  He and his crew came to our aid and released our dock lines, tossing them onboard.  No way we could have done this alone without some damage to the boat.  We gave them a tip for their help, and they wished us safe travels as we motored away.  By this time it was dark but we found a spot to anchor among the other boats in the bay; of course we had to put away all those lines and fenders, whew!  Now where were we? ah yes, making our dinner.


Beautiful Rocky Shoreline



Sea Caves



The Power of the Sea