Guarapari to Camamu

Guarapari proved to be a surprisingly attractive bay,with a choice of anchorages giving protection from either Southerly or Northely winds. We had never heard Guarapari mentioned ; its just 30 odd mile South of Vitoria, and thats probably the reason. We spent three nights there, catching up on sleep, chilling and fishing, but felt very isolated, as there were no other boats around, and we always feel a bit uncomfortable anchored alone in unknown places! When the cold front arrived we headed out, and started out with a good wind for Vitoria. We caught 4 Tuna mackeral in a hurry, and the biggest Shad( Elf, Bluefish) I've ever seen( about 9-10kgs). The arrival in Vitoria was interesting, as the entrance is very precise, and the seas were doing their best to make life difficult! There is a 20mt gap in the reefs at the end of the shipping lane, which is the recomended route to the Yacht club. A Tug had decided to anchor right in the gap! We thundered past his stern with about three mts to spare , and made for the Yacht club, where the entrance depth was only 2.2Mts, and the only visitors berth was beam on to the Southerly, and very exposed. Elected to go back outside and anchor in the lee of an empty marina adjoining the yacht club, and go ashore by dinghy . The yacht club told us to anchor within the marina , but not to use any of the cleats on the jetty !

Vitoria is also an interesting and attractive city, with graceful sweeping bridges, palm fringed beaches, and some sophisticated shopping... and the most filthy black dust when the North wind blows! And it sure can blow!Its a windsurfing paradise, and the experts scream around at incredible speeds . Each day , the wind piped up to 30-38knots, and the boat was covered in this film of soot, with the boat staining at the stern mooring bouys.

During one heavy southerly blow, I was forced to acknowledge that RSA does not possess the worldwide monoploy for bureaucratic idiots-- Brasil definitely has its fair share too- and as usual, in positions of power!While anchored in this new Naval marina, equipped with cleats on all four sides,( which you are not allowed to use), and with stern and bow bouys which you may. We had dropped the anchor, and gone astern to pick up the stern bouys . No mean feat in a Shearwater in a beam wind. Long lines and Tinker were the only solution. We were the first of three yachts to arrive, and I was able to offer Tugboat Tinkers services . With the wind then turning North, and covering us with soot, we all wanted out as soon as the wind went south. Mary and I did our shop on the day it was due to turn, while our French Neighbours were enjoying their second day in the Port Captains office dealing with their extension request. We got back to find a SE wind of 30knots, beam on to the anchored yachts. We had twisted 45 degs, but the French Yacht (Joz 111), had dragged, and was threatening to side swipe a 51ft Brazilian Power Cruiser. As the French couple were still with the Port Captain, Frank ( Constante Singapore) and I set about rescueing the situation. Fortunately, Joz had let out about 40 mts of chain, and we were able to crank in about 20 mts , clearing the Brazilian stern, and presenting the bow to the wind, but with only about 5 mts between them. The only logical solution was for me to use my 60 mt second anchor warp, and straighten, and secure Sheer Tenacity to the forbidden Jetty, and then secure Joz to Sheer Tenacity. This all took about 2 hours, with Tinker struggling in the 30 knot winds, and Frank and I were pretty knackered , when eventually, the Marina Boat pitches up : To thank us we assume, for having saved the French Yacht, and the Brazilian Launchero. But NO.... He only arrived to tell us to remove the line from the wall, because the Navy will be very cross! Needless to say , I got a little cross too, and refused ."Noa, meu para Director!!" Well, the director had gone home already, so I decided the best form of defence was attack! I laid an official complaint with the secretary of the club, along the lines of: 1) We were paying for the mooring, and where was the Marina official when help was needed. 2) For employing a marina official too stupid to recognize the dangers to the other boats, and 3) For failing to thank us for our efforts to save their club from a very expensive and embarrasiing experience!

Frank added the final valid observation, that the Brazilian Navy spend Millions of Reais every year rescueing and saving boats in distress, and that if they had been called in, they would have done exacltly what we did! The Secretary agreed, promising, to inform the Director, and to tell the Marina official that the safety lines would remain until the wind dropped!

Next day, we set off for the Abrolhos Archiplego, in a stiff SE. En route we were joined by a Brown Booby( its a feathered bird, guys!), determined to hitch a ride on our spinaker pole. He got tossed off three times by the bumpy ride, and on his fourth attempt, he misjudged his landing, and wiped out against the headsail, falling into the sea in a ungainly heap! Undaunted, he shook himself off, and landed on the pushpit, where he managed to cling on for about a 10 minute roller coaster ride!Got some hilarious video footage of his trip!

We made Abrolhos in good time, before evening on day two, and were able to swim in clean water again, and clean a very dirty hull. I was helped by a superfit Frank, who had arrived on the same day, and volunteered to do the prop, shaft and keel! The carpet of crustaceans that we scraped off was amazing.. and quite alarming , when I saw that the carpet covering my costume and body, when I got out of the water, was in fact, alive! After 4 beautiful sunsets, over the Palm tree'd islands,we tired of being the only yacht there without the prerequisite passport for a shore visit... Kids!

The gribs indicated a gentle easterly for two days, so we decided to take the gap, and not wait for the next low front.We enjoyed a really pleasant sail, and motorsail for the 280 miles to Camamu. Once again we were lucky , and caught well ;two nice wahoo, and one tuna mackeral, so, the freezer is well stocked! It was also a real treat to enjoy pleasnt conditions, instead of the wild and tiresome cold fronts we have had since Ilha Grande!On arrival, we found Joz 111, who had bypassed Abrolhos, who treated us to a Bahian lunch at a beach restuarant, by way of thanks for our efforts to secure their boat in Vitoria. As a result of their input, we will now be setting off down the river to Marau, an interesting, very old and traditional town 20 miles downstream. No doubt we will catch up with them again somewhere up the line! Right now, its raining again- seems like Sundays' predicted low has arrived a day early! At least the sea temp is up to 27.5degs!