Mid-January 2013 - Anchored in Chamela (Perula Bay)
After studying the grib weather files from the ICOM 802 SSB radio we decided to leave Chamela on Thursday as we saw some heavy weather dumping out of the Sea of Cortés (Gulf
of California). We figured it was not going to affect us but who is to know. It turns out that it probably did not but on the day before we got weather from the south. A lot of wind and waves coming into the anchorage. There was a swell coming in to the anchorage from the south and winds of 18-20 knots whipping up wind waves and white caps. We decided to lash the wheel down as it was getting whipped from side to side with the wind and the waves/swells. Not a very comfortable day at anchor it was. Luckily we had done provisioning the day before by going in to Perula and going to a couple abarrotes (little grocery stores) and stocking up on cookies etc.
The s/v Nakia left that mid-morning before the weather arrived and got pushed back and had to make an anchorage along the coast to wait for the weather to pass which was the next day. We talked by VHF and they were safe.
Because we wanted to stern anchor in Barra de Navidad bay we removed our stern anchor rode and marked it every fifty feet. It was not marked at all. We will set the stern anchor then the bow anchor as our bow anchor chain is only 200 ft. long. Our stern rode is 285 ft. long.
We left by going by the islands in Chamela Bay and staying about three miles off the coast. It was about an 8-9 hour passage to Melaque/Barra de Navidad. We had big swells but not a lot of wind or fetch. It was a nice sunny day and we had to motor sail part way for the wind at that time was on our nose. We did get some sailing in as the wind clocked around 3P - we sailed right by Bahia Tenacatita! We heard there was some 29 boats in there…we will catch that anchorage on our way back north. The swells were the large type that swallows you in the troth and you see nothing but wave and then you move up over it and there are the cliffs of land and islands etc. We did not go out off shore too far so we could make Bahia de Navidad before dark. The bay is well marked on the charts of Garmin and Charlie's Charts etc. but there are no navigation buoys or lights with a lot of rocks around.
We also decided because it was a long enough passage that the weather could easily change any time so we put the dinghy up on the coach roof and lashed it down.
The sea life we saw along the way was cool! First we saw a turtle just swimming along. Then we saw a set of whales playing around - saw the blow then the tails. A little later we saw a school of dark spotted dolphins swimming along with us. When we were sailing by Bahia Tenacatita, we saw a couple of sail fish - they were up and out of the water - true to their name! After that we same a couple more whales - not close enough to worry thank goodness. We also had a sea bird flying around.
We arrived in Barra de Navidad/Melaque at about 5:00PM and set our stern anchor (the Fortress FX-16 ) and set a mark (waypoint) on the Garmin GPS/Chart plotter. Then by letting out 250 ft. of the 8 plat anchor rode we moved into position to set the bow anchor. Then we idled towards the swell and that helped set the stern anchor and I went up to the bow and dropped the CQR bow anchor in about three fathoms of water. Debbie stayed at the helm and was trying to keep the boat pointed towards the swell but the wind was pushing us off. We did pretty good at this for our first time at setting both anchors from the boat and not using the dinghy for the stern anchor (like we did in Chacala). We anchored close to shore that has rocks so this made this maneuver even more exciting. We were trying to stay out of the rolling waves. "Rocky" Melaque is what is called. We then backed down on the bow anchor and I would take in the stern anchor rode and then go up to the bow and let out more chain. We ended up with about 150 ft. of stern anchor rode (by the book it should be 7 to 1). We got about 120 ft. on the bow anchor chain.
The stern anchor windless, that the previous owner installed, has come in very handy also. And we must say again that the stern steps are a really handy way of getting into and out of the boat! We have noticed that a swim ladder, maybe a plastic rope ladder or something simple would be nice for just taking a dip or putting the dinghy on the davits with the stern rode stretching out past the steps. Remember I wear board shorts most of the time and a jump in the water is no big deal as the water is warm and refreshing. So to jump in from the dinghy and swim around to some swim steps would not be a big deal with the stern rode out hindering the stern steps deployment. The EdisonStep is also real handy for side dinghy "ins and outs" but the stern steps rule. We are sitting pretty well in our spot but swing a little more than we would like. That is probable because I forgot to add the length of the boat (36 ft.) into the anchoring equation.
There has not been much of a swell and if we need to we can bring in some rode to move the boat one way or the other. There has been a nice breeze and there are no bugs at this anchorage. The next day we moved the stern lifting points on the dinghy from the top of the transom to the bottom by the blow-up floor. This gets the dinghy up higher and over the stern anchor rode on the davits. Before we had to use some chafe protection on the stern rode as it would rub on the bottom of the dinghy when it was upon the davits. The dinghy sits much nicer on the davits now.
We then went into the beach and went into Melaque and then took a bus to Barra to check in with the Port Captain and to negotiate a price at the Bahia de Navidad marina at the GrandIsla Navidad Resort but that is another story.
There is also an estuary there that can be anchored in.
At present there are three other boats that came into this anchorage. None stern anchored. We are not rolling…they are a bit but the conditions are real nice at present.
Soon we will go back into Melaque and we will bring the PC and do some internet café stuff. We can then upload some pictures etc.
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