Ilha dos Tatus
Author: Shirlz
Sunday, 15 May 2011
Yesterday I moved 7 miles up the river to a group of three small islands and anchored on the north side of Ilha dos Tatus, the smallest of the three. A really lovely spot. Small snowy white beach, lots of coconut trees. It was quite windy from the SW but we were nicely sheltered.
This morning I motored around to have a look at the anchorage on the other side of the island but came back to my original spot as it was prettier and more protected with the wind that was blowing. After re-anchoring I rowed Sinbad ashore for a run on the island. His tail goes bushy, he gets a mad look in his eyes and races up the curving trunk of a coconut tree until it gets too steep and then launches himself into the air and lands on the sand to race up and down the beach
before he flops down in the shade to get his breath back. He’s not as young and springy as he used to be. I wandered about looking for mangoes or whatever. Came across a small coconut tree with a big bunch of green coconuts within easy reach. Took one to enjoy back on the boat. Collected some of the clean sand for Sinbad’s litter box.
We were the only cruising boat in sight. In the Caribbean a magical spot like this would be crowded with moorings for charter boats.
When we got back to Speedwell I spent about an hour in the dinghy cleaning the fringe of green weed that grows so quickly on the waterline. Not too many crusty barnacles but it’s an ongoing task.
Tuesday, 17 May 2011
No rain for a few days and I need to start being a bit more careful with water consumption. Plenty for drinking and cooking but washing uses too much. There was no wind so I took the dinghy for a row to explore the channel between Tatus and Tubarões. It was low tide and a big mud bank extends from the NW corner of Tatus. Speedwell is anchored in about 6m in a notch of deeper water that approaches the shore. At high tide it seems a long way from the island but at low water I’m glad that I was a bit over-cautious. I had a lead on the end of some string in the dinghy to check depths and when I hung it over the side not too far from Speedwell, the water was down to less than a meter. Carried on along the channel between the islands and it gets deeper again – an easy 3-4 meters – but not a great place to anchor as it’s narrow and there is a fair bit of traffic and a strong tidal current. A long dugout canoa was loading up with wood, sand and water at the tiny beach on Ilha dos Tuberões. He pointed out the well to me. A short walk through the trees. It was a big square hole faced with roots and sticks in the forest floor. Shaded by ferns and leafy trees. The water was crystal clear and good for drinking. I went back to the boat to fetch a bucket and my shower bag. What a find! Now water won’t be a problem.
Friday, 20 May 2011
A few rainy and windy days kept me on board. Plenty of things to do. I was never much of a housewife and a boat seems to need even more constant, repetitive cleaning and maintenance than a house. Current project is re-varnishing the tiller and handrails.
Took Sinbad ashore again for some exercise. While he was racing up and down the coconut trees I walked all the way round the small island. Only possible at low tide. Each turning revealed another lovely unspoiled beach. The damp sand was pockmarked with thousands of tiny holes. If I kept really still their weird crabby inhabitants would cautiously emerge and begin feeding themselves with minute scraps, delicately using one small claw while the other, grossly enlarged, was used to fend off the competition which might be scuttling up sideways. Thrilled at the variety of life forms, I watched as a lone dolphin lazily made it’s way up river against the flow and herons picked tiny fish out of the shallows.