A little rain in Tenacatita

By Nicole

I checked the log book.  For the first time since August 1, 2011, it rained on us while we were at anchor.  Sure we had plenty of fog going down the coast, and we got drenched on our overnight passage from Cabo to Playa Bonanza.  But up to that point, our time at anchor in Mexico had been amazingly dry.

And you know what? It made me a bit nostalgic for the months we spent cruising around Vancouver Island.  The solitude.  The lush beauty.  The smell of the cedar.  The sound of rain falling on the coachroof.

But then I got over it and went snorkeling in 77 degree water.

On our way to pick up Erlin for a little snorkeling in the rain.  Aaron, Steve and Jenn opted to read in cozy, dry comfort.

With all the fresh water coming down, Bella Star got a shower, and we managed to collect probably 15 gallons of water without really trying.  Score.

But it didn’t rain forever, and once the blue skies returned, we got a dinghy flotilla together and explored the mangrove-fringed estuary just off the main anchorage in Tenacatita.  Supposedly there are crocodiles here – and we did see some big guys at a preserve in a nearby town the previous day – but they were either hiding or were well camouflaged.  Which was a bummer for everyone except Erlin (who has a fear of healthy respect for crocodiles).

Dinghy flotilla

 Molly, Ben, Mickey and J.P. of Jace (Mickey and J.P. have their own [awesome] blog… check out 2 Little Doolittles Cruising)

Steve and Zack of Panache

Four scurvy sailors

While we didn’t see any crocodiles, we did see lots of Snowy Egrets and Yellow-Crowned Night Herons. And a load of red mangrove crabs.  Mickey saw a sea snake, and a couple large butterflies flitted overhead, but overall it was a fairly critterless trek. Meandering lazily through the mangroves was a relaxing way to kill a few hours, though.

Mangrove trees line the banks of the estuary

A Yellow-Crowned Night Heron sat ever-so-quietly

The channel narrowed and the trees closed in

Winding through a mangrove tunnel

Tenacatita was a lovely and quiet stop, full of snorkeling, beach walking and the estuary trek.  The small village of La Manzanilla, great for provisioning and enjoying a flame-grilled burger,was only a water taxi (or road taxi) ride away.  But after four days, we were ready to move on… next stop, Barra de Navidad!