Isla Mujeres: The Journey North - A Family Sailing Adventure

Emerging from Roatan after weathering Tropical Storm Sara unscathed, Connor and Kelly prepared their catamaran to sail north toward Isla Mujeres, Mexico, aiming to meet friends David and Bud before heading toward the Bahamas. Flooding in Coxen Hole had shut down clearance operations across the port, leaving the Sailing Big Lost crew unable to check out officially on the island and forcing an initial reroute.

Rather than waiting indefinitely for municipal offices in Roatan to drain and reopen, Connor and Kelly elected to backtrack southwest to the island of Utila. With the port captain and immigration offices sharing a single small building near the dock, the detour offered a swift, reliable departure clearance that would save critical transit time.

Clearing Out of Honduras via Utila

Torrents of rain from Tropical Storm Sara had swamped Coxen Hole on Roatan, submerging roadways and stalling port administration. To keep their passage on schedule, Connor steered the catamaran across the channel toward Utila. The decision proved practical, as the port master and immigration authorities operated out of the same small building near the waterfront, allowing Connor to secure the required outbound zarpe without jurisdictional delays.

While taking a brief break at a local island cafe after clearing customs, a resident informed Connor and Kelly that waters around Isla Mujeres served as a seasonal breeding ground for whale sharks. With exit documentation stamped, the crew lowered the port daggerboard, unrolled the headsail, and pointed the bows northward into open water. Captain Connor took the helm for a solo sail segment while trailing a fishing line astern, successfully hauling in a small skipjack tuna that the family kept aerated in a bucket on deck while identifying whether it was suitable table fare.

Halyard Wrap and Rough Night Helming off Belize

As darkness fell and the crew prepared to hoist the full mainsail around the lazy jacks, the main halyard whipped loose in the rolling sea state and snagged around a forward light mounted on the mast. With the sail jammed tight and unable to move up or down, someone needed to ascend the rig immediately before full night set in. Connor elected to operate the deck winches and manage the lines below, hoisting Kelly aloft into the rocking masthead.

Kelly managed to free the fouled line despite the catamaran pitching heavily underneath her. Recalling the ascent, Kelly remarked, “I just had to go up in the bosun chair undo the wrapping the line around the mast light” while holding fast against the violent mast oscillation. Once she was lowered back to the cockpit, the crew hoisted the mainsail, but quickly discovered they were carrying excessive canvas for the building conditions off Belize and Mexico, necessitating repeated reefing operations in total darkness.

The violent boat motion combined with working on deck in the dark induced acute seasickness for Connor, leaving him incapacitated for his scheduled watch. Kelly stepped up to take sole command of the helm, steering through the rough sea state throughout the entire night. Connor later acknowledged her perseverance: “wasn’t even able to cover a night shift my wife my wife Kelly was a champion she uh took the helm all night” while he recovered from motion sickness down below.

Shelter and Reconnaissance at Punta Allen

Exhausted by the punishing night passage and uncomfortable sea state, the crew elected to break their journey early and drop anchor behind the protective barrier reef at Punta Allen. Because the vessel had not yet completed official entry clearances for Mexico, the family remained off the town streets, choosing instead to explore the surrounding coastal shallows and mangrove channels by dinghy.

Scanning the clear water, the crew searched for stingrays and bonefish while spotting an alligator navigating the edge of the mangroves. Going ashore on an isolated coastal strand near an old lighthouse tower, Connor hoisted daughter Maddie onto his shoulders so she could reach into a palm cluster, coaching her to twist mature coconuts free from the fronds. Walking the beach, Connor observed heavy accumulations of plastic debris washed ashore by prevailing ocean currents, noting that unattended shorelines regularly collect ocean trash regardless of local cleanup efforts. After a quiet day of rest, the crew weighed anchor to complete the final run to Isla Mujeres under calmer skies.

Arrival in Isla Mujeres and Diving Salón Manchones

Reaching the anchorage at Isla Mujeres, Connor initiated the official check-in process, only to encounter tedious administrative hurdles. Despite arriving prepared with 5 photocopies of passports and vessel registration papers, officials demanded additional documentation, requiring Connor to make 2 separate trips to an island copy center before clearance was granted.

With paperwork completed, the family prioritized exploring the local waters, navigating out to Salón Manchones off the coast of Isla Mujeres. The underwater sculpture museum rests in 8 to 10 meters of water, depths where park officials generally advise visitors to use scuba equipment. The family instead chose to practice their free diving skills, taking turns diving down from the surface to inspect the submerged statues resting along the seabed.

Back ashore, the crew reconnected with Uncle Bud, who treated the children to local Mexican pastries and warm churros. Connor and Kelly then rented a golf cart to tour the southern end of the island at Punta Sur, taking in the dramatic headland where morning sunlight first strikes Mexican soil, with Maddie admiring the ocean vistas while Finn stayed behind to rest aboard the boat.

Crew Rendezvous, Provisioning, and Port Clearance Delays

With their departure date approaching, Connor and Finn brought the dinghy to the ferry dock to collect their friend David and his gear, bringing the onboard crew count to 6 people for the upcoming passage to the Bahamas. The crew completed a major grocery provisioning expedition to ensure adequate rations for everyone, planning an intermediate staging stop in Cuba where acquiring food supplies would be unfeasible.

Outbound clearance proved even more frustrating than arrival. Connor visited the port master, walked to a local bank branch to pay the departure fees, and returned to find the desk shuttered for the day at 2:00 PM. Arriving promptly at 9:00 AM the following morning to obtain the final zarpe, Connor was informed that the port captain was locked in meetings until 2:00 PM, while the administrative office closed for the day at 2:30 PM. The resulting delay caused the vessel to miss its targeted departure window for the crossing to the Bahamas.

Rather than remaining trapped in bureaucratic delays, Connor committed to setting sail as soon as the stamped zarpe was in hand. Assessing the impending departure conditions, Connor stated, “weather is not ideal it’s going to be windy and it’s going to be uncomfortable until we get to Cuba where we plan to wait it out until our next weather window but I am done with Mexico” as the catamaran powered out into choppy seas on course for Cuba.

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