After almost a week in Tenacatita, and nearly recovered from the tequila tasting, it was time to keep heading north since there was to be a break in the northerly winds. Our first stop was in Playa Rosa, a small bay in front of a luxury resort. Having been kicked out of several beach clubs and resorts while with Abbey and Connor, I was hesitant to even attempt going to shore, expecting the same outcome. But luckily Eitan and Marleen talked me into it and we explored the resort, undetected, and even got some drinks at the bar. The resort was absolutely beautiful and you could tell from the guest’s appearance that it came with a hefty price to stay there. The small bay we anchored in was surrounded by a reef that made for some decent snorkeling, but was a constant concern in the back of my mind as the stern anchor was the only thing between SV Sierra Wind and swinging into the rocky reef.
The next day we motored farther north to Bahia Chamela South, a location recommended by SV Volare. We tucked in behind some large rocks and Eitan and I spent the late morning paddle surfing. It was my first time and I was proud to catch a handful of waves on my knees. Once we were wiped out, we headed to a nearby beach to explore. We stumbled upon a seemingly abandoned beautiful beach club and enjoyed a few hours of relaxation before being asked to leave.
The next day we headed farther up Bahia Chamela to Punta Perula. Given the size of the town, we made the mistake of thinking there would be a laundry service. After lugging our laundry bags all around town, we realized there was none. We also needed to fill up on freshwater. Unfortunately, our watermaker was kaput and our tank was running low. There was a bad saltwater seal on the water maker, which corroded a motor seal, and it was now leaking oil. The repair would be a little more complicated than anticipated and the entire unit would need servicing. So, we emptied our reserve water jugs into the tank and lugged them into town for a refill. After several back-and-forth trips to the water store (since you can’t just fill up with a random hose) we finally had enough water to hold us over until we could get to Puerto Vallarta.
Once again, Eitan and I had a change of plans that will take us back to the States and dictate our travel schedule for a while. Because the Pacific crossing was not going to happen due to Covid restrictions, and since we would be stuck in Mexico for at least another year, Eitan had been considering captain positions on other yachts to provide an income during our prolonged delay. Lucky for me, he had been in contact with a boat on the east coast needing a full-time captain and was willing to include me as a deck stewardess. This means we had one month to get SV Sierra Wind up north to Puerto Escondido (near Loretto on the peninsula), out of Mexico’s hurricane zone, and hauled out until we got back.
Lucky for Marleen, our friends on SV Volare were in search of crew to join them and had hit it off with Marleen. Since Eitan and I will need to leave in the coming weeks, Marleen decided to join SV Volare back down in Barra de Navidad and sail with them as they traveled north at a much slower pace. So, she left us in Punta Perula and it was, once again, down to just the two of us again. Eitan and I made one more stop in Ipala before rounding the corner back into Banderas Bay. We had one night in Yelapa and then made our way back into the Disneyland of all marinas: Paradise Village!
