Sampson Boat Co
patreon
Tehuantepec
🕑 Added 2025-12-17 18:54:45 +0000 UTCPlaya La India - Part of Huatulco National Park, on the Southern Pacific Mexican Coast. We've made a lot of progress to the South in the last couple of weeks and should be approaching the Mexico/Guatemala border in the next few days, providing we can safely cross the "Tehuantepec" - a notorious and brutal local wind that funnels across a flat and narrow part of Mexico from the Atlantic, and is compressed and accelerated by mountains on either side.
The second picture shows the weather forecast from a couple of days ago, and illustrates the force of this regional wind. As you can see from our position, there's no way to continue the journey safely until the Tehuantepec stops blowing for a moment!
ps. The photo of our anchorage is high-resolution - feel free to download and use as a desktop background if you like!
Comments
David Weckler
How's the snorkeling been along the Pacific Coast? It looked pretty good in the Sea of Cortez footage you shared. This anchorage looks like some clear water. What sort of marine life is around you there?
Gergely Knipl
Looks awesome as a lock screen background as well! Thanks
Mike Hughes
Thank goodness for modern satellite comms- That Tehuantepecer is a bad wind when it wants to be. Safe passage.
Simon Wood
It's a fine passage provided you stay very close to shore. Under time pressures we were forced to brave the Tehuantepec overnight. With 3 reefs in the main we had quite a pleasent ride through.
Beau Vrolyk
The "Tehuantepeckers" can be quite windy. The last time I was there it blew 50k and we had sand on the deck from the shore to windward. That's the key: be so close to shore that there is wind but no waves. (It's the waves that cause damage.) For a full displacement hull like TALLY HO, you want to "Drag one foot on the beach until the wind dies down". For boats that can surf or plane, hug the coast until your target is appropriate to leeward and then LET HER RIP!.
Gary Guttebo
BTW... For those unfamiliar with 'Windy', there is a free version that is quite powerful, with premium features available for a fee.
Gary Guttebo
Greetings... Just checked 'Windy' app. Looks like that area will be experiencing near 'doldrum' conditions Wednesday thru Thursday with winds picking up on Friday. Have a great 'non-eventual' passage! No winds are 'fair winds' in this instance, I imagine ...
Robert Wright
There's a nice green zone running alongside the shore - what could go wrong?
Tomas Daly
The Tehuantepec is legendary for ending many boat trips trying to cross it. I’ve made that crossing in different sailboats and found that the only safe way to cross is to stay well off the coast. In fact I often stay 50 to 100 miles off any coast until I tack to enter an anchorage or port. You’ve probably already crossed it by the time you read this. In not, Buena Suerte⛵️⛵️⛵️
Brian Downing
T-peckers are a good shake down for vessel and crew. But I don't blame you. I waited for favorable winds a couple years ago and had an awesome crossing to Chiapas from Punta India. The manager at Marina Chiapas is awesome and will take through the checkout process from Mexico. They will probably have the Navy inspect your boat when you arrive and check out. So, consume or get rid of that contraband! 🤣
