I saw three ships come sailing in
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day
I saw three ships come sailing in
On Christmas Day in the morning

What a great intro verse! Sailing, ships and Christmas. All it needs now is a swashbuckling Santa Claus firing cannon loads of presents into a seaside orphanage. If you’re intrigued by the idea of a three ship Christmas, you’ve come to the right blog post!

On Dec 22 we departed from Mazatlan for an overnight passage, along with 2 other boats. We were joined by the Harmattana from Salt Spring, and the Luna Pacifica from Hawaii. We had agreed to spend Christmas together with these families at Isla Isabela, sometimes referred to as the Galapagos of Mexico.

On the way there we called the Harmattana on the radio, to discover they were practicing music for a Christmas performance. We knew they had a trumpet onboard, so we feared the worst. We made the decision as a family to set aside our artistic differences and get the band back together. We’d practice a song of our own.

The anchorage at Isla Isabela was jagged and beautiful, with waves crashing dramatically against volcanic headlands and coral beaches. Exotic birds by the thousand nested and swarmed above a scrubby forest canopy. The clear water was home to colourful fish and interesting rock formations.

The island was also popular with Humpback whales, who would entertain us with their antics close to the anchorage. We could hear their songs while snorkelling, and even occasionally from inside the boat.

Our Christmas traditions in this setting looked a little different from a typical year.

Instead of a tree, we decorated a stainless steel chimney. Instead of the homemade advent calendar that my Mom made when I was a kid, we had a homemade advent calendar that West made as a substitute. No red nosed reindeer, but plenty of blue footed boobies.

Instead of snowmen sunbathing nude in the yard, the retired couple on the neighbouring boat did the honours.

The traditional iguanas of the nativity were present. Instead of a fat guy in a red suit, we had this guy…

Despite the differences, the ole’ holiday magic was still there. We decorated gingerbread men and distributed them to the other boats in the anchorage. The retired couple wrapped Christmas lights around their mast and rigging which shone like a tree at night. A local fisherman heard us practicing music, and reciprocated with a few bars of Feliz Navidad.

This was our lightest Christmas ever in terms of gift giving, and the kids didn’t mind at all. That was a nice parenting moment for Sarah and I, observing that our kids are growing up. It was only tempered by the recognition that our kids are growing up.

In case you’re worried that things sound a little too Tropical Hallmark, we did have our share of traditional holiday bickering. The band broke up at least 3 times while preparing for our big performance. Musicians can be a nightmare.

A Christmas dinner potluck was hosted on the Luna Pacifica. They introduced us to an American delicacy known as the “Frito Pie”. We played our cover of Fairy Tale of New York, and the Harmattana crew sang a hilarious version of Every breath you take. They left the trumpet at home.

Overall it was a very unique experience. We missed friends and family back home, but felt really lucky to be able to spend it with great new friends in such a memorable location.

Feliz Navidad!

Photos…