Beautiful Huatulco
Marina Chahue, Huatulco, Mexico
I got in to Huatulco around 8:00 this morning after a long night with little sleep. It was a bit of a tricky entrance with a bunch of rocks throughout the bay. It didn't help that my electronic charts were about 2 miles off. According to them, I'm sitting up in the mountains.
I got in and cleared in with Customs, Immigration, the Health Inspector and the Port Captain.
The Harbormaster, Enrique, has been great. He organized all of my paperwork and drove me around town. He has been instrumental in designing and planning the new Chahue Marina. Huatulco is a very beautiful spot with a jungle-like feel to it. It has one of the best surf breaks on the Mexican coast - Rip Curl had their big surf contest here last year. There are plans to make this area into a resort in the near future. It is kind of a sleepy town with little or no crime.
I got some great fresh food but have been having trouble with my credit card. After my mom spent a good part of the afternoon trying to explain that I am in Mexico and to authorize the charges - the account is now frozen! With no pesos on the boat I am stuck here until tomorrow when hopefully it will be sorted out.
It seems to be a good place to get a good night's rest before slamming my way up the rest of the coast. Since I was up all last night I'm going to crash early.
Peace,
Zac
I got in to Huatulco around 8:00 this morning after a long night with little sleep. It was a bit of a tricky entrance with a bunch of rocks throughout the bay. It didn't help that my electronic charts were about 2 miles off. According to them, I'm sitting up in the mountains.
I got in and cleared in with Customs, Immigration, the Health Inspector and the Port Captain.
The Harbormaster, Enrique, has been great. He organized all of my paperwork and drove me around town. He has been instrumental in designing and planning the new Chahue Marina. Huatulco is a very beautiful spot with a jungle-like feel to it. It has one of the best surf breaks on the Mexican coast - Rip Curl had their big surf contest here last year. There are plans to make this area into a resort in the near future. It is kind of a sleepy town with little or no crime.
I got some great fresh food but have been having trouble with my credit card. After my mom spent a good part of the afternoon trying to explain that I am in Mexico and to authorize the charges - the account is now frozen! With no pesos on the boat I am stuck here until tomorrow when hopefully it will be sorted out.
It seems to be a good place to get a good night's rest before slamming my way up the rest of the coast. Since I was up all last night I'm going to crash early.
Peace,
Zac
posted by Zac at
6:58 PM
43 Comments:
Glad you're getting a chance to sleep, Zac. That in itself would be a good reason to stop for a night. So sleep well, and stay safe as you continue up the coast.
By the way, does anyone else get a chuckle from the electronic wart remover ad on the main blog page?
Ahoy Zac,
I have been following your adventure almost daily since you left Del Rey last year.
Stopped commenting several months ago, after all it's your adventure we're interested in.
Did notice your moms prayer request for the two lost sailors...Need I say a foolish thing setting adrift with no experience and without proper equipment. God helps those who help themselves. Regardless we'll Pray & Praise God for his favor. Continued success to you Zac...
Huatulco is one of the real Gems of the Mexican Riviera. Hope you'll enjoy your port call.
Meanwhile, we're all itching for your arrival back home. God Bless!
I hope you got some much-deserved rest, Zac, and that your credit card issue got sorted out.
You sound a bit British when you write (I know your Dad is from the UK).
Cheers!
Zac:
I'm sure its great to get some sleep on a non moving object and get up early and get moving up the coast after a good nights slumber!
May God bless you with some winds at your back in the next few days.
Scott in Dallas
Soooo Zac, did you manage to get in a bit of surf time while in Huatulco?
Did ya' pack up some good burritos for your travels? Did you find a nice cold something? I sure hope so....
NOW, come on home! We can't wait to see you sailing in our bay!
Hi Zac,
I've been following you for awhile and love reading your blog and I love reading the comments by fellow Zac-packers. Had my biggest laughs while reading and watching you cross through the Panama Canal.
I spent my honeymoon in Huatulco almost 17 years ago at Club Med.In fact I had my first and only sailing experience there and won their little Regatta.
Anyways stay safe and God Bless,
Jennifer SB
Good to see you working your way up the coast. www.passageweather.com shows light easterlies for much of the week. Would be sweet if they materialize and you are able to head up the coast, reaching along with an offshore breeze.
-- Grant Fjermedal, Seattle
I can relate to the CC issue. Even though I let the company know when I'm going to be in some odd location, sometimes there is a lock out - it gets sorted out quickly usually and I hope your situation does as well. I gotta say, though, assuming you've used your card throughout your trip in some pretty exotic locales, it's "funny" that it's on the home leg, in Mexico, that the CC folks decide something may be amiss....
Sail safe, Cap'n and stay hydrated!
Cheers,
Willy
milford, ohio
Huatulco makes more sense to me now that I have learned that it has one of the best surf breaks on the Mexican coast. Good for you! Hope it doesn't take a week to get you a new credit card.
SteveB
Birmingham,AL
After the thrill of watching the Panama Canal crossing, I was just thinking ahead to THE HOMECOMING! Will someone have a webcam set up so the blogosphere can watch the big day?
Light from dark Zac...it's morning! Sail hard & fast. Your
surf is on the home horizon. You're going to be the most popular boy in town...surfer on the coast...sailor everywhere. Hope a brisk wind pushes you closer than you imagined today, pray safe as always. You have to know, blogging you out there is more fun than blogging anyone. I will miss the open sea we've vicariously lived in, thru you. Maybe we'll join the homecoming, but surely read the book. A promise. Good day from Atlanta, Mimi & Desi
Zac
i just finished reading the article in ESPN magazine and i am absolutely amazed at what you are doing! i had to immediately find your blog and see that you were safe when i discovered that the voyage was still going!
you are one rare individual and i will be praying and pulling for you.
Ugrib data shows winds will be light and on the nose for days, man.
Oh, from yesterday... ANYONE saying that Mike Perham should do the Cape route in January needs to get their a$$ on a boat themselves and go first, then tell Mike what to do... Unbelievable...
Good luck Zac, push on, the last leg...
Daveh & Skipper
dave@davehickson.com
Zac: Continue to have a safe journey as you return home. God is on your shoulder.
God Bless
Balmoral Sailor
While you are there, you could try for a change a "tlayuda", which is a huge and yum-yum specialty ;)
Bienvenido a México!! ;)
--Arminius.
Zac,
I await everyday for you blog to come to my e-mail. I am so happy to see you back in the Pacific. Truly it is the best ocean. Sail fast and get home quick. The only thing I will miss is the daily blog. I have found if I go to the website I get the blog faster....somedays I realize that although patience is a virture Unfortunatly it is NOT one of mine. As I am not close to California in my travels right now I certainly hope the entrance to home port is video taped and put up for us all to see. Last thing WHERES JEN???? She did the most amazing pictures of you but I havent seen any lately. She has had some real courage too following you to all those places her pictures made us feel like we were with you. I really want to see more picture from her.
I am on the edge of my seat awaiting your return.
Your fan and friend,
M.H
PS Hey Lawrence the new company website is great. /Best wishes
Mom, our prayers are with the lost boys at sea please keep us updated on them.
Hey Zac - just got done reading the article in ESPN Magazine. Couldn't put it down. I'm sitting here in my safe little house in Penna. and you're out there facing who knows what. You're a brave kid. I'll bet you're glad that your father is so supportive. That part really touched me - the support that you get from your parents.
What a trip!!
John, Scranton, PA
Hey Zac - just got done reading the ESPN article. Couldn't put it down.
I'm really taken by the support that you get from your parents. Pretty neat in today's world.
You're a brave young kid and almost home now.
What a memory.
John - Scranton, PA
Continuing to read, follow, and pray for you. You have become our homeschool's Current Events :-) "Where's Zac now?". Keep doing hard things...
My daughter just came home from the YMCA and said Zac is on the cover of ESPN! We talk about you like you are our family friend! I gotta go get the magazine asap. Been following your trip since day one
Palm Harbor Florida Friend,
Carla
There's several Western Unions in town there, funds can be sent online in a matter of minutes, if the Credit Card Company is still messing around.
Or maybe Zac's already left?
Good news: The 2 missing boaters were found...
http://cbs2.com/local/catalina.island.zebulon.2.1035380.html
Zac,
Just wanted to say I'm new here and that I have missed much of your adventure, but from what I have read, I just wanted to say that I'm in awe. Not just of your remarkable feat but of God's way of showing us in life the big and the small, the beautiful in everything. I wish you luck and safety on your journey and will pray for you and your family. Your courage is contagious :).
@ A. Nony Mouse -
Re: Western Union
I was JUST thinking the very same thing. Will send a quick note to Team Sunderland to offer assistance in that regard if the CC issue isn't fixed yet.
HUGS!
Tomi/ATL
Did everyone get the ESPN Weekly Magazine yet??? If not you better hurry up and get it NOW!!!
Marianne, you were right in saying that this was by far the best article on Zac yet. What a great article. I must thank Chris Jones who wrote the article. You have an amazing talent. Another thank you goes out to Peter Yang for all the great photographs. WHAT A GREAT STORY!!!
I hope you solved your credit card issues and received plenty of rest. We hope you enjoyed your stay but I'm hoping you get back in Intrepid and head back home, we are all waiting for you!!!
Sail On Zac,
Douglas Pistone
MDR, California
Found the magazine online this way:
http://www.zinio.com/browse/issues/index.jsp?skuId=416084536
Lowell here...
I did not accuse Zak of any wrong doing, just after going back and looking at the wind conditions on his route provided by NOAA, and of course he did not sail in a straight line, and he spent some time in Costa Rica, I just thought, amazing... And by the way, I have sailed that neck of the woods, professionally for many years...
My best to you Zak, stay safe!!!
Lowell again...
If Zak were my son, for safty reasons this time of year, I would isist not sailing off shore but to power right up the coast staying close to shore so he could bail out if a tropical strom were to aim his way... It's all about staying alive...
Zac, Desi & I read many blogs from yesterday. You had everybody's attention. His dad's fluent in spanish, so Huatulco had a special interest. We hope you made it out, easier than in...rocks & ??? in the way. I remember a sandbar that thru us completely out of our bunk, stopped us cold just before an unwanted hurricane. Strange feeling. Have a good night...again, uneventful. Desi says it would be fun to go to your party. He Zacpacked today. You're providing some serious inspiration. Says he's saving everything for a report for school when he returns. Sail safe. Mimi & Desi. Back on at dawn.
Hey Zac,
I've been following your trip for several months now.
I hadn't checked your blog in a while, and I didn't realize how far you had made it. I'm so glad that you've made it this far and are getting a chance to sleep. I'll be checking alot more for the rest of your journey!
Praising God for how He's using you!
-Cassie from Oregon
Capt.Zac,
Don't make God your co-pilot....Let Him steer!
Be safe.
Straight Wakes!
Mike S.
Zac,
Been following you since the beginning and have been keeping my 15 year old son posted on your progress. We both are happy you are almost home. I don't know how your mom has survived this whole ordeal! You owe her a huge hug and lots of "I love yous" when you get home! Am thinking about flying down for your homecoming. If I do, you will hear my "Woo Hoos" from a mile away!
Let's hope that the news from one of the anonymous posters is correct concerning the two young people who are/were lost at sea. If true, it convinces us of one thing -- the prayers of the Zac Packers have established an open line for young people at sea.
I hope that your credit card problems have been resolved. I have been in uncommon places at erratic times and fortunately never had a CC problem with my Amex. I always took enough cash to get by on, but having the cash in hand gave me a sense of security and I usually payed by Amex where it was accepted and kept my security fund untouched. In many places, it's possible to buy your way out of a tight spot unless you're an ax murderer. I was just a big nose trying to find out what was just over the next hill!
Wishing you Good Sleep, better weather, and safety on the way home. I agree with the poster who said you owe your mother and gather lots of hugs for their support. I agree. As a parent, I can identify with their emotions during this adventure as well as yours.
You have a beautiful bond with your family. Cherish and nourish it! Make it grow and bloom.
The Croaker
hmmmm....nothing like leaving us in suspense over the credit card like that. Bet it was solved that first day, but Zac decided the surfing is too good to miss and is staying another day and is ripping it up?
Really odd that after all this time and these travels there's a "technology" issue the closer he gets home. Not clear if the card was going through due to security, and then the account "frozen". That sounds more like trying to use an ATM which fails, then the card is swallowed?
Reality is the closer Zac gets home the more if these high tech issues are going to crop up. It's for sure going to be a massive culture and technology shock when Zac gets home. From running around in nothing but shorts, swimming sleeping on the beach in Cocos Keeling, to playing with tortoises and living the simplest life in St Helena, to zip lining down forest canopys in Costa Rica, then back to the mad hustle and bustle of LA with cars and traffic, banks and electronics, cell phones and texting, hundreds of television channels to choose from and anything you want to eat. Just choose :-) Red lights that take ages to change, smog, noise, people etc etc etc.
This tiny banking issue is a sign of what is to come. The closer home, the more complicated it all gets :-(
ATTENTION ZAC FANS
Hard to believe, but this Sunday, June 14th marks the one year anniversary of Zac's departure from Marina del Rey, California to begin his quest to become the world's youngest circumnavigator. Please RSVP if you plan to travel to MDR to welcome him home on the 25th or 26th of June.
Send an email to welcomehomezac@yahoo.com
Sail on, Zac!
Kodiak Mike
Zac, just read the article in ESPN about your journey. Had to check out your website. Thanks for the inspiration. Hope your adventure never ends.
Our Zak!! Selfishly wondering what we're going to read with our "morning cup of coffee"??? as your awesome trip draws to a close??? You're an incredible young man and our prayers ae being answered - as you come to a safe conclusion of your wonderful journey!! God Speed!
God's blessing on you from VT! Go ZAC!
So what happened with the credit card today??
Like the wisdom teeth, here today gone tomorrow. Never to be mentioned again.
What happened in Grenada with the wisdom teeth??
I just read the article in espn magazine the other day and found it to be a great story.This was the first I have about your adventure.Very cool what you have done,and I will be following the rest of your trip.Hope all goes well and good luck and god be with you.
SAIL ZAC SAIL!!!!! ~~~~~~_/)
Thinking of you and keeping you in prayer daily.
Anita
Waterloo NY
Captain SV "WOMBAT"
Zac,
I've been reading your blog ever since I read an article Alex and Brett Harris wrote about you on therebelution.com. How exciting that you're almost back home! Keep up the great work and doing hard things! Thanks for writing this blog and keeping everyone updated, I've really enjoyed reading it for the short time I've been doing so. It's so encouraging to hear of fellow Christians and homeschoolers doing great things. God bless you!
~Victoria
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