At day break we arrive at the entrance of the 10 miles long channel that will lead us into Marina Palmira, Topolobampo. Things start getting interesting now, as Topolobampo is also a busy commercial port. There are ferries coming from La Paz, cargo ships arriving, a variety of other vessels moving about, and in the middle of it all a dredging barge in full action!
The long channel is well marked but full of twists and a little confusing; if we stray just a tiny bit we risk running aground. Getting in will take some skills and a lot of concentration. We’re both very quiet as we slowly follow a tug boat towing a barge into port. Getting from open sea to the dock takes us almost two hours, and it’s possibly the most tiring part of the whole 28-hour-long trip!
Arrival Time: 8:30am. A Welcoming Committee surprises us as we pull into our slip. Our friends from the sailboats Serendipity and Taking Flight, who have been here for a few days already, are lined up on the dock to assist us. God bless fellow boaters!
We’ve just barely tied to the dock, when the Hug Fest begins: Hugh from Serendipity presents us with four delicious cinnamon rolls he baked himself (what a Guy!), just the kind of breakfast we need after the long sleepless night!
Kara, the sweet and chatty 8 year old crew member of Taking Flight, can’t wait to show us the Gingerbread House she just made. And what a beautiful work of art it is!
Kara's Gingerbread House - Front
Kara's Gingerbread House - Back
And from the Top!
Tom and I are cross-eye tired, but we both enjoy this warm welcome as long as we can. It’s 10 am by now and our friends all scatter in different directions to begin their day, leaving us to complete the arrival formalities with Rafael, the Harbormaster.
This process takes quite a while, mainly because Rafael is so friendly and welcoming, and wants to know all about us and our travels. Thankfully he speaks great English! In our sleep-deprived condition we couldn’t possibly follow a conversation in Spanish…
Welcome to Marina Palmira - Topolobampo
The Entrance to our Dock
After all is said and done, Tom and I retire on the boat and spend the rest of the day veggin’ out, recuperating our energies. Tomorrow we’ll start exploring our surroundings.
SAILING CAMELOT 
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