Rock and Roll
17 November 2015 | Paraiso, Jalisco, MX
Between Chamela and our next planned stop, Tenacatita, the cruising guide describes Paraiso, a 'gem not to be missed with room for a handful of boats'. Just 6 miles away it seemed a shame to miss it out and so we upped anchor after our snorkelling trip and sailed most of the way. Upon entering the anchorage it became clear that the authors hadn't considered a 60 foot boat when calculating the capacity of the anchorage at Paraiso. Nonetheless, with a bow and stern anchor set to stop us swinging in the narrow slot between the rocky headlands on either side, we were glad not to be sharing the space.
The shoreline looked peaceful and so we took the dinghy ashore for a quick exploration before dark. As we were approaching Paraiso along the coast, we started to see the first signs of hurricane damage. Hurricane Patricia came ashore in the vicinity and many trees on the mountainsides were flattened, with palms stripped bare of all but a few fronds. Here on the beach, a palapa roof had been blown clean off, palm trees were very sad specimens indeed and as we talked with Mexicans fishing off the beach we learned that the house just above the rocky shore had all of its windows blown in.
After our short stroll, we returned to the dinghy to find that the tranquil waves upon which we had landed had become an irregular, agitated swell. Fortunately, we made it out without any mishap but by the time we got back to the boat she was tossing up and down like a rocking horse on the ocean rollers that were now entering the bay. We were so glad to have laid a stern anchor which kept us facing into the waves instead of swinging back and forth close to the headland where the surf was now making a deafening roar as it pounded the rocks. Oddly, the wind was light but it still sounded as if we were in a wild storm.
Satisfied that we were safe we retreated below to the quiet of the cabin for our evening episode of Downton Abbey.
With the constant rocking and rolling all night we were glad to weigh anchor at first light, motoring out through the huge swell, with the surf crashing on either side of the channel. We turned south and set off for our next stop, Tenacatita.