Chacala…

Back in the days when we began to entertain the notion of heading off in our Ontario 32 SV Shannon (and by "heading off" I mean taking on the challenges of sailing in 'blue water' which is found far from shore while taking on the challenge of a lifetime….all stories for another time) we were deeply involved in the preparation of selves and ship. We joined the Bluewater Sailing Association, we took dozens of courses and we renewed almost every important part of our little ship. We also joined a group of members who were training specifically for leaving and 'heading off' within the next year…and, as a result, we took even more courses. The sad truth for us was that we became overwhelmed with information and backed somewhat away from our plans and did not leave. To shorten a long story, suffice to say we joined the next year's 'Fleet in Training' and carried on with our preparations; all the while wondering if we were doing the right thing.

And then… we took a vacation and flew to Mexico for a couple weeks of R 'n R. On a day that became one of the most important days of our life, we had occasion to visit a small village on the shore of a beautiful bay called Chacala. There, as if provided as a message to us, rested at anchor, two sailboats about the same size as ours. Well, our fate was sealed and, when we returned home, we doubled our efforts in preparation, sucked it up as they say, and headed off in September of 2011. The stories about the rest of that adventure are under development now so I will move on today and tell you of our experience in the here and now.

We had the marvellous opportunity to visit two friends who were vacationing in, of all places, Chacala; the bay of our dreams and the source of our courage to leave in 2011.
As you can imagine, the village has changed and grown significantly but the beauty remains. We took a day (and a taxi) and enjoyed walking the beach, having a long overdue visit and a lovely lunch. To sit and think back and reminisce about all that trip meant was truly a gift and we are so grateful for that experience. The photos herein will give you a glimpse of the beach and bay today and, yes, there are two sailboats anchored and awaiting the next leg of their adventure.

May your own memories of adventures past stay with you as long as you wish.
Adios for now… CJ

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