The morning ham network reports that our friend Ray lost his boat Pavane when he was attempting to round Cabo Corrientes single-handed this week. Ray's OK, but his boat was totaled and is now breaking up on the rocks. With his many years' experience sailing alone on the Mexican coast he was a mentor to us.
Our British friend Fred on Mi Sueno was in the same area, with a disabled diesel, and is now two days late getting home. The Capt is waiting in Barra de Navidad, Fred's destination port, hoping to hear from him. And next week it's the Capt's turn to sail around that notorious cape, also singlehanded. I'm hoping he'll buddy-boat with another friend, Herb on Synchrony.
I've been around Corrientes at least six times, and though it wasn't a cakewalk, it wasn't all that bad. But there have been some gales coming through that area in the past week and it's a scary place to be when the winds are on the nose: no place to tuck in and wait it out. It has a reputation as the roughest stretch along the Mexican mainland coast.