Matanchen Bay and Chacala anchorages

Our apologies....here at La Cruz marina the Internet connections are incredibly slow and as much as we'd like to be up to date with our journey and photos, the postings are taking a very long time...we are uploading a few pics and comments as time allows with hopes to find some quiet time to edit and enhance what we set up initially.

Just another beautiful sunset in 'paradise' Matanchen Bay

Matanchen Bay is a wide, fairly shallow bay, and many cruisers advise stopping here instead of in San Blas to excape the irritating "no see ums".  Anchoring here allows you to leave whenever, without concerns for crossing the San Blas bar at specific times.  We didn't have any bug issues, although we bought some fairly potent mosquito coils at a local tienda and they seemed to work. Like many of our friends who had preceded us we had our share of bites from the first night in San Blas, before the screens and Deep Woods Off were in place.


We enjoyed beautiful sunsets, a lazy day at anchor and delightful displays of aerial acrobatics by pelicans and other diving birds.  We were lulled by the babbling, bubble blowing efforts of schools of fish we have yet to identify; very much like the burblings of a fountain. 

Bubble blowing fish...a soothing sound

Our flopper stopper lines became the perch for three sweet little birds...who might be warblers of some sort (Dannie - help us out here!) who joined us for the afternoon and came to say farewell in the morning as Kelly hauled up the anchor.  (Thanks to Randy for the tip - they are swallows).

Friendly, cheery Mangrove Swallows



Colourful Chacala 

Chacala Bay is just over 20 nm away from Matanchen Bay and has lovely, colourful homes dotting the bay above the many palapas housing outdoor restaurants.  There are only a handful of cobblestone streets behind the beach, but we discovered a small tienda which provided us with some produce and tortillas and refreshments to tide us over.  We'd like to commend the Port Captain and his staff here for a very professional, friendly welcome when we checked in.  He spoke excellent English, answered our questions and set a very positive, professional tone.  He also advised us on what was most important to say when we checked in and said he could understand my Spanish!



INTREPID II at anchor in Chacala

Chacala beach looking south

Safe dinghy landing below the Port Captain's office

After we enjoyed an 'interesting' lunch of some sort of lobster and did our shopping, we headed back to our dinghy below the Port Captain's office. As we rowed out we spotted an 'apparition' in the distance.  It proved to be a double-decker party boat filled with tourists coming for a bbq on the beach.  The crew partied on the boat with the stereo on mega blaster while the guests dined. Not a quiet anchorage for a time, but they all headed off at sunset, no doubt having enjoyed their day.

Chacala anchorage only holds about a half dozen boats comfortably.  We were the tenth the first night, moving in closer the next day when a few boats headed on.

Sunset at Chacala Bay with navy buoy in view

Still smiling after our mystery lobster lunch!