15 deg 41.9 min N, 096 deg 48.1 min W Course 097 deg, Speed 11 knots

We’ve been thinking the gale in Tehuantepec would ease off, but it is still blowing 35-40, gusting higher. La Nina is driving the trades hard in the Caribbean and that in turn creates the Tehauntepeckers. As we’ve been hugging the coast to try and avoid adverse current, we stopped last night at a small bay called Puerto Escondido. Saturday night in Mexico and they had disco fever on the beach. Gave us a chance to check the boat over, and get a few hours of sleep. We’re now probably four to six hours from the gale. A close period (five second) sea is directly on the nose, although the wind is still light. We’ll probably hug the coast until Huatulco, and then head out directly across the Gulf. Smaller boats hug the coast all the way around, but this adds alot of miles and we shouldn’t be bothered too much by the sea state. We’ll shorten down early, to try and stay ahead of things.

For now, motoring with mainsail bladed out, almost dirctly into the wind.