Bahia Chamela
03-18
Our stay in Puerto Vallarta gave us the opportunity to do a good maintenance on our engine as well as repairs on the bimini.
After enjoying the Paradise Village Marina for over a month, we leave Bahia Banderas and resume our trip south. Our next stop will be Bahia Chamela, about 100 NM from Puerto Vallarta. We leave the dock around 14:00, our good friends Keith and John helping us with the lines. Weather is perfect, calm sea and a 12 KN westerly wind. We are able to sail the two thirds of the bay but the wind dies before we could reach Cabo Corrientes at the entrance of the Bay.
Around 20:00 we pass the lighthouse and are now sailing south, enjoying for a few hours a solid northerly wind. The wind once again dies forcing us to motor to Chamela Bay.
03-19
After a night of navigation, we drop the anchor around 10:00 in that beautiful bay. The beach is about 5km long, bordered with many palapas and typical Mexican restaurants. Chihiro is all exited when we drop the dinghy and get ready to go to the beach. Unfortunately our outboard motor is not working (more maintenance to do on the carburetor I guess) but the beach is only 200m away so rowing would do it. After a few minutes, we hit (literally) the beach, smashed by the breakers, net result: a broken hoar…
After swimming and playing with Chihiro, we sat down at one of the restaurants on the beach and enjoyed a good cold beer with a plate of shrimps. Price is way cheaper than in Puerto Vallarta… Back at the boat (rowing with one paddle) we enjoyed a calm evening watching a beautiful sunset, surrounded by all kind of birds.
3-20
The whole day has been rolly, the swell coming from the ocean being almost perpendicular to the wind, bouncing us back and forth. We did not bother dropping a stern anchor as none of the sail boats around us did si we just endured it until mid afternoon when the wind died. We prepared hamburgers for dinner and went to sleep very early.
3-21
After doing a bit of school in the morning and jumping in the water from the boat, we raised the anchor around 11:00 and left Bahia Chamela taking advantage of perfect conditions for sailing. Next stop: Bahia Tenecatita.
