Puerto Escondido anchorage
Last night was a long one. We've been anchored in Puerto Escondido for the past few days, where a sportfishing tournament is taking place over the weekend. So along with the great surf at Playa Zicatela we've been enjoying such “perks” as an extremely loud announcer and DJ (who get the party started at 6:30 AM) and an already crowded anchorage loaded with extra fishing boats and pangas. Escondido isn't the easiest anchorage, a deep 80' bottom that jumps quickly to a narrow 15' shelf just before the beach. Makes for good wave generation but slightly difficult anchoring. We arrived a day before the fishing tournament started and were able to tuck up into the anchorage with a bow and stern anchor, keeping our bow facing out into the swell and us from swinging wildly through the moored panga fleet when the wind shifts.
We've been nice and snug for two nights. We were in town last night enjoying the festivities and some very spicy (chorizo and jalapeno) pizza. When we arrived back at Liberte we found a panga a little too close for comfort off our starboard quarter. While the rest of the panga fleet was swinging in the wind, this wise fellow had tied off to the stern of another panga and thoughtfully dropped a stern anchor across our stern anchor, so he swung right into us. Crossing anchor lines, poor form. After initially shortening the length of line between the two to keep them off us and putting out some fenders, we retired for a bit down below. We woke shortly to a bump in the night.
We spent the next 30 minutes fending this panga off us with the boat hook. Usually I can come up with a solution to a problem like this rather quickly, but with the sound of our engine combined with the techno rave party on the beach and the sleep I'd just been woken from, I was having to take a moment to contemplate our next move. After we determined that we were exactly where we had been, and that it was this panga who was at fault I went to work. I pulled up this panga's stern anchor, untangled it from ours and towed it safely to a better spot, dropping and setting their anchor so they fell in line with us and not into us. I've been mostly impressed by the boat driving and seamanship of the pangueros, but this was a fancy panga, shiny, buffed fiberglass and a chromed awning and center console, this was a rich man's panga. A weekend warrior perhaps?
Besides all of that we've really enjoyed Puerto Escondido. Anywhere I can paddle ashore and walk 200 yards to a world famous surf break is right by me. We also did some snorkeling at Playa Carizallio where I saw a sea turtle swimming along with some eagle rays. The vibe here is friendly, a bit of a younger crowd than most spots we've been to. But alas, tomorrow we set sail for Puerto Angel and the Gulf of Tehuantepec.
We've been nice and snug for two nights. We were in town last night enjoying the festivities and some very spicy (chorizo and jalapeno) pizza. When we arrived back at Liberte we found a panga a little too close for comfort off our starboard quarter. While the rest of the panga fleet was swinging in the wind, this wise fellow had tied off to the stern of another panga and thoughtfully dropped a stern anchor across our stern anchor, so he swung right into us. Crossing anchor lines, poor form. After initially shortening the length of line between the two to keep them off us and putting out some fenders, we retired for a bit down below. We woke shortly to a bump in the night.
We spent the next 30 minutes fending this panga off us with the boat hook. Usually I can come up with a solution to a problem like this rather quickly, but with the sound of our engine combined with the techno rave party on the beach and the sleep I'd just been woken from, I was having to take a moment to contemplate our next move. After we determined that we were exactly where we had been, and that it was this panga who was at fault I went to work. I pulled up this panga's stern anchor, untangled it from ours and towed it safely to a better spot, dropping and setting their anchor so they fell in line with us and not into us. I've been mostly impressed by the boat driving and seamanship of the pangueros, but this was a fancy panga, shiny, buffed fiberglass and a chromed awning and center console, this was a rich man's panga. A weekend warrior perhaps?
Besides all of that we've really enjoyed Puerto Escondido. Anywhere I can paddle ashore and walk 200 yards to a world famous surf break is right by me. We also did some snorkeling at Playa Carizallio where I saw a sea turtle swimming along with some eagle rays. The vibe here is friendly, a bit of a younger crowd than most spots we've been to. But alas, tomorrow we set sail for Puerto Angel and the Gulf of Tehuantepec.
A couple of guitar fish in Manzanillo Cove, near Zihuatenejo, I think they're lovers.
Buena Ola
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