Ponta do Curral
Author: Shirlz
Saturday, 1 October 2011
The weather forecast that I managed to get on Wednesday predicted good weather for the weekend. I spent Friday tidying up the boat and getting ready to venture out on the open sea again. I was a little apprehensive about crossing the bar at the entrance as it had been so wild when I came in. Made sure to fasten everything down securely.
In the afternoon I went ashore to say goodbye to Leo and his family. He was busy as usual making the homemade chocolate-covered fruit that he sells in Camamú. I bought a bag of chocolate squares. He makes them from cacao beans grown on his own piece of land. Very bitter but supposed to be very healthy. Packed with anti-oxidants and other good things. The raw beans can be chewed but are an acquired taste.
I felt rather sad to be leaving the wonderful Baía do Camamú and Goió-Sapinho in particular. The people I had met all seemed genuinely friendly. Their simple way of life and beautiful surroundings must have something to do with it.
At 0430 on Saturday morning I started to get the anchor up. The sky was just beginning to lighten although I still needed my headtorch to see what I was doing. I had decided to make a really early start so that I could cross the bar at the entrance at slack water and also maximise my chances of reaching Morro São Paulo before dark. When about half the chain was up the winch started to become very difficult to turn. An old fishing net had become tangled around it. I went below to fetch a sharp knife. It came away quite easily but then drifted aft while I prayed that it wouldn’t get caught on the propeller.
As I motored out of the channel behind Goió the little blue ferry boat, ‘Campeano’ was just pulling up to the dock. I waved farewell. The smooth clean hull made a tremendous difference to our speed through the water, and even though we were motoring against the current we soon reached the entrance to the bay. Hardly any wind and slack water made for benign conditions. There were some biggish swells but no breaking water as on my arrival.
I had nearly 40nm still to go to reach the anchorage at Ponta do Curral a little way up the bay. With only 10 hours of daylight left I needed to average 4 knots. I motor-sailed until lunchtime when the normal onshore Easterly breeze picked up. Engine off – to Sinbad’s relief – and we were doing 5 knots with the wind on the beam. At one point I saw what looked like a whale spouting in the distance but couldn’t be sure.
I had thought of going in to Garapuá if it didn’t seem that I’d make Morro before dark, but thankfully this wouldn’t be necessary. With the easterly breeze and onshore swell it would have been very uncomfortable.
Soon I had passed the reef at Caita and was rounding the corner at Morro São Paulo. The tide was with me and we were still doing about 5 knots. The old fort looked as though it had been restored since I was last here. Lots of hectic tourist boat activity at the concrete dock. A fast catamaran ferry poised for takeoff. I decided to press on to a quieter spot. Approaching Gamboa the water gets incredibly deep. The fishfinder was showing 35m. Ominous looking whirlpool effects on the surface. Almost a right-angled turn to cross over to the beach at Ponta do Curral where I planned to anchor. As I got nearer I started the engine and dropped the sail. I don’t really have the confidence to approach an unfamiliar anchorage under sail alone.
We found a quiet, nicely sheltered spot next to the long sandy beach lined with tall coconut trees. Sinbad emerged from below and looked around with approval.
Sunday, 2 October 2011
I went ashore early in the morning to have a walk along the beach. Not early enough. As I was tying the dinghy painter to a tree trunk three boatloads of picnickers arrived to take possession of the beach. Many lively children. I decided not to leave the dinghy to their tender mercies and went for a row instead of a walk. It was Sunday of course, and for most people, their only day off. The heavy wooden boats pulled in right up to the shore to let everyone off and then anchored a little way off. The men set nets out along the shore hoping to catch something for lunch. No loud music. It was a beautiful day. Sinbad and I relaxed on board, part of, and yet separate from the scene. There was a lot of boat traffic taking people sightseeing or commuting between Morro São Paulo and Valença, the nearest big town.
Tuesday, 4 October 2011
On Monday it was quiet again. I took Sinbad for a quick walk on the beach. He ran up a few trees and then hopped back in the dinghy obviously ready to be taken back to Speedwell. I obliged and then went for a longer walk on my own.
The tide was falling and I was keen to see what the exposed sand bank would look like. A white sandy path led through the trees to the Atlantic shore. A long narrow beach with tall coqueiros stretching to the horizon. Waves rushing in. A flock of sandpipers eagerly watching for edible morsels. They kept moving away from me at a constant distance. As each rippling wave receded, the smooth wet sand mirrored the clouds overhead. A small herd of goats munched the grass inshore. It was interesting to look across the bay to the fort and the mad holiday-tourist town of Morro. It’s the third time I’ve been here and the first time I’ve seen this side of the bay. So different.
Tags: cruising