23. Tequila Time

With anchorage in La Manzanilla being unprotected from the northerly swell, we decided to cut across the bay to Tenacatita. We had visited the anchorage once before with the German couple and found it to be much less crowded than before, with only about 10 boats at anchor. Being such a popular spot for cruisers, we were excited to explore the area with fewer people around. During our first morning there, we woke up to find SV Volare anchored next to us. They had made the same decision about the rolling anchorage and decided to leave the solstice festival early as well.

SV Volare called us on the radio to ask about our plans for the day and invited us to kayak the mangroves. Between the two boats, we luckily had enough paddle boards to join along. But, upon mention of small crocodiles that call the mangroves home, Marleen decided she was safer on SV Sierra Wind and opted to stay behind. Peacefully paddling up the estuary was an enjoyable way to see the wildlife without scaring them away with the buzz of the outboard motor on the dinghy. We were able to see many more birds and fish, but unfortunately no crocodiles.

On our way out of the inlet, Eitan spotted a beach with the remnants of a bonfire, so we made plans to go back and have a bonfire there with SV Volare that night. Back on Sierra Wind, Marleen and I prepped food to cook on the fire while Eitan headed over to get the fire started. Once we had the potatoes and garlic bread ready, I called Eitan on the radio to come to pick us up from the boat ride back to the beach. Since the beach was protected from the swell and expecting an easy beach landing, we had let down our guard until the dinghy was picked up by a small wave, knocking Eitan and me off in the process. Luckily we were in less than 2′ of water and the food stayed dry but our clothes weren’t so lucky and we stripped down to hang up our outer layers by the fire. Aside from the thorny weeds waiting to prick our feet and skin, we enjoyed a lovely bonfire filled with food and fire spinning!

The next morning, while listening to the cruiser’s morning radio netcast, we heard there would be a group getting together on the beach for bocce ball that afternoon. We headed in to the beach (with the outboard kill switch attached this time) and met neighbor sailboats SV Sauce-Sea, SV Dolce, and SV Annabelle Lee, who had all been in Tenacatita for several weeks and were also planning to head north around the same time as us. The game didn’t last very long, since the direct sunlight was pretty brutal. So, we grabbed drinks at the only restaurant on the beach and made plans to go tequila tasting with SV Sauce-Sea the next morning.

At the end of the mangrove estuary in Tenacatita, there is access to another beach where you can schedule a pick-up for tequila tasting at a local distillery. We met up with SV Sauce-Sea in the morning and raced through the mangroves to make the 10:30 am pickup time. The distillery was just a short drive away. Upon arrival, we put in our lunch orders and started the tour, which included as many tastings as you could handle. Although the tour was in Spanish, the tasting guide used the simplest language and was easy to understand for any English speaker. After a delicious lunch, and too much tequila, we made our way back to the boats for a nap and early dinner.