Back to La Cruz

We left Chamela on March 8th. We motorsailed up the coast into light headwinds and reached Ipala by mid afternoon. Ipala is known for lobster, so we had a lobster dinner at one of the palapa restaurants, then spent the night at anchor in the bay. The next morning we continued northwest around Cabo Corrientes.

We motored with the mainsail up and drawing. By mid-morning, we faced 15 knot headwinds. The winds built as we continued and the seas around the cape became confused. It was like being in a washing machine, with heavy chop hitting us from all angles. The boat pitched fore and aft, and was slowed by the waves, but managed to cut through them without any slapping or pounding. It was a wet trip, but with assistance from the engine we were able to maintain about 5 knots of speed until we rounded the point and entered Banderas Bay.

Once in the bay, we had a couple of hours of fine sailing, close reaching into winds of about 20 knots and making good progress. We flew along with a single reef in the mainsail and the genoa slightly furled. In midafternoon, the wind suddenly became much stronger. It was whistling through the rigging at about 30 knots. The boat heeled far over and became difficult to control as it tried to round up. Because the seas were rough, I was reluctant to leave the cockpit to put in another reef. We furled the genoa and fell off to a beam reach, running with only the main. This stabilized the boat and we continued forward at about 6 knots. Waves kicked up by the strong winds broke on the deck and drenched the dodger and cockpit in spray. The winds gradually dropped as we approached La Cruz and gained some protection from the surrounding hills. By the time we reached the anchorage, the winds were moderate. The boat and crew were heavily crusted in salt.

The anchorage at La Cruz was crowded with over 40 boats and the marinas were reported to be full. A lot of people are here for a boat show and the upcoming Banderas Bay regatta. After one night in the anchorage, we were able to obtain a slip in the La Cruz marina, which was helpful because I needed to wash the salt off the boat.

We have spent the last couple of days resupplying, changing the engine oil, and getting ready to continue north. We have also spent time at the boat show and in La Cruz, still a fun town. We will continue north tomorrow.