Isla Isabel to Chacala

We got up early for our passage to Chacala, a distance of just 55nm.  After raising the sails and sailing off the anchor at 6:30am we set our course for Chacala.  It soon became apparent that in the prevailing light wind, we would be arriving around dusk or later.  Bev suggested that we head for a closer harbor.  A quick check of the guidebook showed that Ensenda De Matanchén was 12 miles closer so we altered course for there.  



As the winds got lighter we rolled up the jib and dropped the mainsail to set our code 1.  

We had a very mellow day of downwind, light-air sailing.  We practiced some Spanish and then I read.  Reading books has been one of the delightful side benefits of cruising.  The instantly gratifying, junk food that’s served up on the internet is so alluring to me that it’s destroyed my reading habits.  With no access to the web and plenty of time on-hand, I’ve been rediscovering the joy and satisfaction that a good book gives. 

We arrived at Ensenda De Matanchén around 4:00, in plenty of time to find a spot and make anchor before dark.  We anchored just over a half mile off shore in 24’ of water.  Ensenda De Matanchén has a bad reputation for no-see-ums which are called Jegenes down hear.  During our brief overnight stay we were fortunate not have met those tiny devils.  It was a beautiful bay but not wanting to push our luck in the bug lottery we left as soon as the wind started to come up around 9:00am.  

This days winds proved even lighter than yesterday’s but our code 1 kept us moving along at a gentle speed and we only had to go 22nm this day.  

It’s interesting what a few degrees of latitude can make in the costal climate.  Where as just a couple of hundred of miles north of us along the Baja the land was very much a desert, parched and bone dry.  But now we are entering a costal region that is very much tropical, lush and verdant.   



With coconut palms and rich green hills all around, Chacala seems like a small village that was carved right out of the jungle.  With it’s dirt and cobblestone streets and palm thatched palapas, it’s charming, inviting and laidback easy.  We anchored just off the beach near a handful of other cruisers in 22’ of water.  After anchoring and securing the boat Bev and I loaded towels, some clothes and some pasos into a dry-bag and swam to shore for dinner in one of the seaside, palapa restaurants.  Three bucks worth of pesos bought the most delicious margarita I’ve ever enjoyed and a few more pesos afforded us a delicious seafood and veggie dinner.   Awards we saw back to Malo.  Such a fun and unusual way to enjoy the evening. 

On Christmas Eve we joined the crews of three other boats to enjoy drinks and a special dinner together at a very small and intimate resort and gallery all newly made friends.  It was quite special to spend the evening with all so different but also in many essential ways the same.  Bev and I again loaded the bare essentials into a dry bag and swam to shore in the late afternoon.  After dinner our group made our way our of the jungle to the shore line and walked along the moon light beach back to town were Bev and I re-entered the water to make our way back to the mother ship again impress with how much it’s about the journey and not just the destination no mater how delicious that destination may be…