Heading south...Chemela

At Anchor in Chemela

Incredible Beach

Is that a sunset.....or WHAT?

After family departed Jan. 6th, I waited for a weather window to head south. After 3 rolly days anchored out in La Cruz, I left 4am Jan 10th. for Chamela.  Cabo Corrientes has a reputation for confused seas and curents. Corrientes literally means currents. And it lived up to it's reputation. I passed by at dawn to 6' seas from three directions. While not dangerous (there was little wind), it was an uncomfortable ride for a few hours.

After clearing the cape the seas remained the same but only came from the northwest. Even though I had the seas from astern, I could only make 6.5 knots. I figured there was a northbound current slowing me down. Thirteen hours later I sighted Punta Rivas, which is the entrance to Chamela Bay.

What a fantastic place. Chamela Bay is 2 miles wide and has several isands and great snorkeling areas. The water was clear down to about 25 feet. I anchored up off the little village with about a dozen sailboats late that afternoon and promptly crashed for a long sleep. The water was calm, so I had little motion.

The next day I figured to expolre a bit ashore. This requires a beach landing through the surf. I launched the dingy and rode up and down the coast a bit to see where the calmest place was to land. As I was cruising, I saw another inflatable heading for the beach moving fast. I laid off and watched him run his boat onto the beach on the back of a wave, turn around at the last minute and tilt his outboard up. As I was admiring his style, I heard something to my left. Turning my head, I realized I had drifted INSIDE the waves while watching the other dingy!..The wave rolled me over about 45 degrees and I thought I was going over for sure. At the last second I hit the throtte full on, spun my bow around and hit the beach at full speed right next to the guy I had been watching. Talk about a rush!! The other guy was watching me and he got a good laugh from my kamakazi landing. We helped each other pull our dingys up on the beach and he gace me a ride into town in his Jeep.

There wasn't a lot to see in the town. About 1/3 the size of Chacala. Mostly just a few palapa restaurants. I stopped into a little tienda (market) and then realized I had brought no cash with me from Puerto Vallarta!!. I had SOME food aboard, but not enough for the time I wanted to spend in Chemela and Tenacatita.

I ended up staying a day and a half, and left 1-12 with the plan to return to this pristine place on my way north later in the season.