Chip & Debbie Willis on s\v Elegant'sea: Sailing from Bahia de Navidad to Banderas Bay with thunder storms!

End of May/Beginning of June 2015 - Paradise Village Marina in Banderas Bay, Mexico

Approaching Tenacatita.

So, after continually checking the weather we decided we would sail from Bahia de Navidad to Tenacatita. There were thunder storms heading for Bahia de Navidad and we wanted to avoid them and get going.
We would spend two days there in Tenacatita, one to clean the bottom and one to play and then sail to the islands at Chamela (Perula Bay) and spend two days there. We have never anchored at the islands. Then off to Ipala (never anchored there before) for a day or two before rounding Cabo Corrientes and going to Yelapa for a couple of days. All plans written in sand at low tide 😟

Bruse & Pascale on s\v Calou (a Jeanneau 47') suggested we try to go to Ipala, spend the night and then go around Cabo Corrientes in the morning as they do. With our broken autopilot we would not need to steer all night.

We tucked in at Tenacatita from Bahia de Navidad and Debbie checked the weather again.and the thunder storms were heading our way faster then were originally planned. Also a hurricane started forming by the Gulf of Tehuantepec. So we decided to get up and I would jump in the water at 7:00am and clean the bottom. We set up the equipment and I did the prop (shinny clean) and all the big stuff off the bottom. Debbie got the boat ready to sail off after the anchor was raised. We were heading out by 9:00 am.

We stowed the inflatable Starboard Whopper SUP up on the fore deck

for these passages coming and off we went.

Chamela (Perula Bay) Now there are a couple of pangas

moored in the best spots to anchor!

We decided to skip the islands as they were not well protected and go on into Chamela (Perula Bay) where we have anchored before and know it would give us some protection for a decent nights' sleep. As it was it was a bit rolly but we got some rest. The hurricane had formed and was five days or less behind us. Now the weather was predicting heavy seas at the time we hoped to be in Yelapa . Darn.

It was an all day sail and lumpy afternoon but we then arrived at Ipala.

Our approach to Ipala.

Ipalais a small anchorage, not well protected, with room for about two-three boats.

Lots of rocks, fish pens and moored pangas. We wanted to stay for a couple days but the hurricane and thunder storms were chasing us up the coast not to mention the high seas coming. We decided to skip Yelapa and head right to home port, Paradise Village Marina in Banderas Bay. We were also getting a bit worn out from all the hand steering and some lumpy seas.