Barra de Navidad

I arrived at Barra de Navidad on March 5^th after motoring a couple of hours in the morning calm from Bahia Tenacatita. No problem negotiating the entrance, but navigating to the lagoon and finding a spot to drop the anchor required care and constant attention to the chart plotter and depth sounder. Depths in the lagoon were ten feet or less and there were plenty of boats anchored in the areas that were deep enough. I found a spot, though, and dropped the hook. Although it was easy to get a 9:1 rode/depth ratio, I could only pull down very gently in the soft mud bottom. Time and easy loads got the anchor dug in, but I get closer to one of my neighbors than I would like when there is no wind and the current swings us differently. After a week on the hook, I'm sure the anchor is dug in well and I'm generally pretty relaxed. After all, the lagoon is a delightful spot and the boat sits very still unless a panga zips by. The delivery of fresh goodies by the French Baker to boats in the marina and the lagoon is a pretty special perk, but I'm having to temper the temptation to avoid getting even fatter.

After a week, I'm just starting to get to know the town of Barra, and have just scratched the surface of the Grand Bay Hotel complex. The town is quite charming and has plenty of great restaurants and bars, but places to get groceries are minimal and there is no hardware store or chandlery. I've met several more cruisers thanks to tagging along with my longterm friend Curt and his wife Mary on several excursions and shopping trips. There's still quite a bit to explore, but I'll have to make some decisions soon about where I go from here.