December 4, 2012
San Blas
We left El Cid on November 30.
Our plan had been to mosey on down to Stone Island and spend
some time there before leaving for Isla Isabel. However, some recent brazen
dinghy thefts including one boat being boarded altered our plan and we anchored
off Deer Island where we enjoyed a swim and some relaxation before heading off
later in the afternoon for an overnight crossing to Isla Isabel some 97nm to
the south. We had seven hours of light downwind sailing before a calm night
forced our hand and the iron jenny was pressed into action. It was a beautiful moonlight night and all members
of the crew were treated to worry free watches under a star-studded sky.
At 0600 a land breeze started to fill the sails and we were
able to turn off the engine and continue under sail until 1030 when we were
once again becalmed. We continued under engine power arriving at Isla Isabel at
1340, December 01. This famed island is a UNESCO World Heritage site with its
myriad of bird and animal life. The blue-footed booby and large frigate birds
are its two most prominent denizens. We had been warned that anchoring was
hazardous due to the rocky bottom and scouted around for a sandy patch in the
east anchorage before dropping the hook with a trip line attached. We enjoyed a
swim, snorkel and solar shower before supper and started a tournament of French
whist later that evening. Mike and Breeda joined us in El Cid for our trip
south. Nightly whist games with a twist
where bidding for tricks adds an element of cunning and hilarity to the
endeavor. They are a regular feature when we cruise with friends. Captain John won the first night.
The following morning we took the dinghy ashore. It was an
awkward landing over a rock-strewn shoreline but we made it without major harm
to crew or dinghy. Still the captain wasn’t impressed and determined that the
dinghy would need to be dragged down the shoreline to a more suitable spot for
re-launching. We headed off into the undergrowth and found the trail that is
cut through the forest providing a tree canopied walk through a massive natural
aviary with nesting and roosting birds on every side. The air is laced with the
smell of guano, a small price to pay for the experience.
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| Blue Footed Booby |
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| Frigate nesting in Isla Isabel |
After re-launching the dinghy, Capt. John brought the dinghy back to Sea Reach while the rest of the crew snorkeled the reef before swimming back to the boat.
Later that evening we had a visit from the crew of “Cat to Fold” who were out on their paddle
boards. They had come down on the BaJa Haha last year and had trailered their
foldable catamaran from Indiana to San Diego to participate in the rally.
On December 03, the wind was up by 0730 and after a bit of
maneuvering to disengage the chain from around a few rocks, we set sail for San
Blas. We decided to head for the
anchorage of Bahia Matanchen 3.5nm south of the port of San Blas. This would
avoid the necessity of crossing a sometimes hazardous bar into Estero el Pozo, while
at the same time accessing good anchorage in a beautiful bay, lined with
palapas and within walking distance to a bus stop. We were also hoping to be
free of the dreaded Jejenes that San Blas is notorious for, small pesky no
seeums with a nasty bite. By anchoring out in the bay we hoped that we would
avoid them or at least diminish the intensity of our contact with them. We
arrived just before sun set after sailing about 20 of the 42 nm from Isla
Isabel. We were armed and prepared. Covered in long sleeves and long pants and
laced with deet, we stood sweating on deck as we anchored and prepared the boat
for the night. But the dreaded scourge never appeared and we were quick to
revert to shorts and dresses as soon as we realize that at least for tonight we
were safe.
Our first trip to shore consisted of lunch at one of the
palapas and a reconnaissance trip into San Blas to look for more provisions. We
found the Mercado Central which We decided to do the provisioning after a
walking tour of the town. Bad mistake – the Mercado was closed when we returned
at 1600. Apparently it closes at 1500.
We went to a local bar to get wifi access and catch up on
e-mail before getting a taxi back to Matanchen bay. We arranged with the taxi
driver to pick us up at 0800 the next morning and to drop us off at the panga
station where one can get a jungle tour to La Tovara. Enroute back to the boat
on our dinghy we stopped to chat with both the crew of Ojo Rojo and Sojourn
and we decided to travel together as a group on the jungle tour.
La Tovara Jungle Tour
Cesar, our taxi driver, arrived in good time and did a
double trip to drop all 8 of us off at the panga launch on Rio Tovara. The
jungle tour is a 30 minute panga ride through dense mangroves. Our
driver/guide, Effrin had a keen eye and stopped regularly along the route to
point out various birds, crocodiles and iguanas that were abundant but well
camouflaged. It was a wonderful trip that ended at Tovara Springs, source of
the water supply for San Blas. This area has been developed with a swimming
platform and restaurant set among the leafy shade of a large bamboo grove. One
area has been fenced off so that crocodiles cannot enter and visitors can swim
in security in clear sweet fresh water. It was a luxurious experience to swim
in the crystal clear soft water. We highly recommend this trip.
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| Baby crocodile in the mangroves |
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| Ger and John enjoying the jungle tour |
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