ILHA GRANDE

JULY 9 -13

Just off the coast of Angra dos Rios and 4 hours from Paraty lies Ilha Grande (Prounced: eelya granshay) .  We were going to head into Angra ON THE MAINLAND to another boat yard to see about having the bow thruster fixed AGAIN and Pati says enough is enough.  So we head to the northwest coast of the island.  We are now about half way between Sao Paulo and Rio.  As Marc has to fly to Florianapolis for the medical conference on the 17^th of July we need some play time.

ILHA LONGA---- We pull into the cove (saco) of Ilha Longa- a little rolly like a baby’s crib just perfect for sleeping. Being just 6 miles off the coast there is a lot traffic. This is the Sao Paulo/Rio de Janeiro  playground.   We wake up and the cove is empty except for the little restaurant on the side of the cove and 2 hours later the speed boats start arriving.  We counted 8 and they anchored just in front of the recommended snorkeling spot. We take the dinghy around the island in search of shipwreck to snorkel that is only about 15 feet below the water, but can’t locate it.
 

SITIO DO FORTE---We pull anchor and continue to head west around the island to Sitio do Forte, a larger bay with 2 anchorages.  Sao Paulo is on holiday so starting Thursday everyone heads out to the islands and we arrive with 6 sailboats already anchored. The weather here is extremely warm for the season, Sao Paulo has been having a drought similar to California. We awaken next morning and don snorkeling equipment and head for the beach.  Not much in the way of sea-life but found some very unusually spear-shaped sanddollars.  Even with my shorty wetsuit the water is cool.   It is winter here after all.

There is a floating restaurant in the anchorage, Bacana’s, and all the dinghies have migrated there so we decide to be social and head over to meet our anchor mates and have fresh seafood (mixed seafood ceviche, crab, fresh oysters) and the drink of Brazil , Caipirinha , which being sweet, Marc has taken a liking to.  We meet some wonderful sailors from Sao Paulo on a Lagoon Cat and a Benetteau ( made in Brazil so there are a lot of them here). We wake up the next morning with strong shifting winds and all the captains are on the decks of their boats.  We shifted 180 and the anchor re-set but we are now too close to another boat. So it’s “all hands” (me) on deck.  I have chores that have been put off so I spend the morning re-screening the windows, cleaning the shower stall and stove- what fun!!!!

After lunch we head out for a hike.  The whole island of Ilha Grande has a hiking path that connects the beaches and anchorages, no major stores.  We hike for 3 hours.  Marc takes a snorkel and than we head back to the floating restaurant and meet new boaters- this time from RIO, who are mostly power boaters. A young couple who speaks English has invited us to contact them if we need help in Rio. 
Tomorrow we continue Easterly around the Island.

SACO DE CEOU  we headed into this area to find it manicured and very large and not swimmable.
 
 

 VILA ABRAAO  ( the only town on the island and where all the tour boats reside)  We anchor off the main town in a secluded spot  and take the dingy in and have lunch.  Brazil has these wonderful lunch venues that are like buffets where you pay by the KILO.  We have visited quite a few and get a good sampling of local foods.

 LOPES MENDEZ- the most easterly anchorage for our crossing has a wonderful 30 minute hiking trail that crosses over to the south and the beach, so what do we do? Hike and swim. Tomorrow we head for Rio.

 

graffiti bambo

the unknown twister