Sailing into Banderas Bay (near Puerto Vallarta)
Sowell Family's Travels on Gijima
Skipper: Tim Sowell Admiral Tracy Crew Sean & Alex
Tue 2 Mar 2010 04:42
We weighed anchor early this morning after not a bad night, slight show of
rain but good for a fresh water wash down. We headed out and found the seas
at 1 foot from the SW, and about 6 to 8 knots at 60 degrees, so we motor
sailed for the first 3 hours to catch our friends who had left from a bay 8
miles ahead of us, and then we switched to sailing. The coast line was
magnificent with mountains coming down to sea and these great bays with
white beaches and everything so thick and green. We rounded Point Mita at
the north end of Banderas Bay (the largest bay in Mexico) I gybed the sails,
and found ourselves sailing in at 5.5/6knots at a steadying 9 to 10 knots
and flat seas, sun out can't ask for much better entrance. As we entered a
whale decided to put on a show and was jumping fully out of the water and
crashing back with a huge splash this was just off our port side and then
past to aft, Sean loved it, (Alex and Tracy are sleeping). This is what
cruising sailing is about 3 degrees heal, steady breeze, now short seas, and
able to go in the correct direction (very rare usually!!!). Our friends are
pulling into a bay just inside Point Mita, but we are on such a good sailing
run, and only an hour out from destination family asleep why not keep going
(sure enough it won't be here tomorrow).
After arriving and sorting out the paper work we gathered the team and
caught a bus at peak hour into PV under the assumption it was 1/2 hour, well
the bus was full, people getting on and off after a day a work, two people
with live chickens and we took 45 to 1 hour due to the time of day, but it
was an experience, which Sean decided he could sleep through and Alex just
took it in. Tracy and I had decided that we wanted to explore and get our
bearings on the first night and while the evening is cool. We hit down town
walked along the melicon (beach boardwalk ) looking at the statues both
permanent and sand, and taking in the atmosphere, as the sun went down in a
purple orange glow over the vast bay to the west, and the lights rose and
the street came to life. We had street performers, and we found a great
place for dinner over looking this parade of people. The atmosphere reminded
us to Santa Barbara a bit, but it topped off a great day of sailing and
exploring.