Itaparica and Ilha do Bom Jesus
Author: Shirlz
Wednesday, 2 November 2011
I left Gamboa early on Sunday morning and had a pleasant sail to Salvador and on to Itaparica. The weather followed the usual pattern with very little wind in the morning and then a useful onshore breeze starting at about 1130. The last 10 miles inside the Baía de Todos os Santos running along the coast of Itaparica Island was magnificent. I easily dodged the ferries and was soon rounding the scattering of markers that define the degaussing area on the northern point. There were about 15 cruising boats in the anchorage and I found a good spot on the outer edge. As I was setting the anchor, a friend whom I’d met in Rio motored over in his dinghy to welcome me. When I had a chance to look around I realised that the two boats either side of me were also familiar. One, a Swiss boat, that I had met before in Mercedes up the Rio Negro in Uruguay and the other an Argentinian last seen in Ilha Grande. Later when I went ashore I passed an American boat, Restless, belonging to a single-hander, Ron, whom I’d last seen years ago in Mar del Plata. And Vanoc, last seen in Colonia. So this is obviously the place to be.
Unfortunately when I picked up the weather forecast it seemed that we were in for a few days of strong southerly wind and rain. I felt a bit exposed in my place on the outer limit of the anchorage with minimal shelter from the SW, so after a quick provisioning trip ashore on Tuesday morning I set off for Ilha do Bom Jesus about 10 miles across the bay where I’d be able to find a more sheltered spot to anchor. The weather was still good and soon I was passing the big red buoy marking the sand bank at Coroa Grande. The channel on the north side of Bom Jesus is very deep and then rises steeply close to the shore. I dropped the anchor in 6 m but was a bit too close to a little islet covered in mangroves and by the time I’d let out sufficient chain I was swinging into the shallows around it. Anchor up again and try once more. This time it looked better and as predicted the weather suddenly changed. Strong wind and dark looming clouds. But I was in a well protected spot and felt secure.
The wind raged all night and this morning there was no sign of it letting up. It was too nasty to think about getting ashore. Peering out from under the shelter of the spray dodger I saw a scarlet ibis battling along to windward. A stray sunbeam highlighted its brilliant colour shining like a fantastic jewel against the gloomy clouds.
Friday, 4 November 2011
It carried on blowing strongly all of yesterday ranging from SW to S. The island provided excellent shelter and flat water. I spent the day doing odd jobs and tending my water-collecting system as the rain poured down. Soon all the tanks and containers were full. I felt obliged to do some washing. The forecast predicts more of the same until after the weekend.
This morning I ate my last half papaya for breakfast and decided to go ashore for some fresh fruit. It was low tide and the concrete jetty that the ferry boats use was high out of the water with nothing for me to grab. Luckily there is a small patch of sand at the root of the jetty which looked like a better idea. As I rowed up to it I could see big slabs of rock on the bottom and then the muddy shore which was littered with small stones and some broken glass. But thankfully it was firm and not the slushy sort of mud where you sink in up to your knees. I dragged the dinghy safely up to the corner and tied the painter to a handy railing. A donkey looked on, mildly interested.
Bom Jesus is a small island but quite densely populated. The usual big church and sociable village square. I was soon quite disoriented in the labyrinth of narrow muddy lanes. There are no cars. Suddenly there was a break in the houses and I emerged at another popular stopping place for the ferry boat. In fact, a tiny harbour, although as the tide was right out, there was very little water. Lots of activity with sacks of stuff and building materials being offloaded having been carried over from the big town of Madre de Deus on the island of the same name, which is where the locals do all their shopping. I soon discovered that there are only one or two very basic ‘mercadinhos’ on Bom Jesus with limited stocks. I managed to get a green papaya and a bunch of bananas.
Saturday, 5 November 2011
This morning I took the ferry across to Madre de Deus to do some shopping. The boat arrived while I was still hauling the dinghy up the beach and by the time I started jogging along the jetty it was already pulling out. Someone ashore noticed my problem. He shouted to the ferry boat driver who obligingly turned back and helped me aboard. It’s just a short hop across the channel to town and I could have done it in Speedwell but I rather enjoy using the little ferry boats and my dinghy was safer on the Bom Jesus beach than tied to the busy town dock.
Walking along the jetty after we arrived, I watched two fishermen jubilantly carrying an enormous ray draped over a pole between them. Later, on the pavement outside the supermarket, they were selling it cut into strips to many keen takers.
It had taken a while to find the shopping area but at last I had everything I needed and headed back to the boats. I had a heavy load to carry and rather missed the eager barrow boys of Camamú.
It started to rain again as we approached Bom Jesus and I had to get the dinghy sorted out in the downpour. Funny thing is, this is supposed to be the dry season. Two kind on-lookers helped me by carrying the dinghy down to the water.
Monday, 7 November 2011
The wind moderated a bit yesterday morning and I grabbed the opportunity to motor around to the other side of the island. I found a wonderful secluded place surrounded by small mangrove islands. The tide was coming in but there was still enough mud surrounding them for the wading birds to be foraging for breakfast. They looked like long-legged sandpipers with long curved bills. From here the oil-refinery on Madre de Deus can’t be seen. Just some small fishing boats and an apparently deserted resort complex on one of the bigger islands. The bad weather had obviously discouraged the weekenders. Although later in the afternoon a solitary schooner made it’s merry way through the narrow channel between Bom Jesus and Frade heading for Loreto.
I went for a row around the islands this morning. Sinbad decided not to come along. It’s good to know that he’s not desperate to get off the boat. On the way back I saw two crazy strawberry neon pink ibises. I had begun to think that I might have been hallucinating when I saw the one fly by a few days ago. But these were real enough. There must be a brooding place for them on Ilha de Frade.
Tags: cruising