Chamela to Barra de Navidad 1/16/16

The usual stop is Tenecatita, perhaps the best anchorage in this area of Mexico.  We decided to head straight for Barra and the French Baker.
From Wikipedia: The town of Barra de Navidad (Christmas Sandbar) with a population of 7000+ is a small farming and fishing community located on the east end of the Bahía de Navidad, 60 km north of Manzanillo. In recent years, the Jalisco state government has promoted Barra as a tourist attraction of the Costalegre. The beachfront fronting the sandbar arks toward San Patricio, Jalisco 4.5 kilometers to the west.
The history of "modern" Barra de Navidad dates back to the mid-16th century when the Spanish used it for ship building, repairs and a jumping off point to the Philippines. A monument has been erected as a memory to these journeys at the end of the jetty. Ruy López de Villalobos (1500–1544) fleet of six galleon ships, the Santiago, Jorge, San Antonio, San Cristobal, San Martin, and San Juan, left Barra de Navidad, Jalisco, Mexico with 370 to 400 men on November 1, 1542. On the early morning of November 21, 1564, armed with five ships and 500 soldiers, Miguel López de Legazpi and his sail-captain Andrés de Urdaneta sailed from the port of Barra de Navidad, New Spain, in what is now Jalisco state, Mexico.
The large lagoon behind Barra de Navidad is criss-crossed by small fishing boats gathering scallops and transporting visitors and locals from Barra to Isla Navidad and the Grand Bay Hotel, recently voted the Number One hotel/resort in Mexico by the Travel Channel. These boats (panga taxies) also carry passengers to and from the small Colima community of Colimilla where restaurants line the shore.

Barra has a major hotel and an active waterfront seperated by the main channel. 

Grand Isla Navidad Resort

WORKNOT and SALACIA resting in Barra

Each day the famous French baker visits the marina by panga offering a host of fresh baked goods. 

FRENCH BAKER DELIVERS!

Morning sunrise at Barra overlooking the lagoon

VIEW FROM HOTEL OF BARRA  HARBOR

During a late season hurricane this freighter was lost to the rocky shore after losing power.   Its just a mile from the beachs at Barra.   On first blush it appears in good condition but closer inspection shows her back is broken.  The plan is strip it and sink it nearby for an artifical reef.  

The spot on the shore where they landed is against a tall cliff, less than a mile from the city.  Its so steep and rocky the owners of the ship have hired a helicopter to fly out to the ship daily for inspections.

Here is Mary providing some flight tips….

  The chopper is a very nicely restored HUEY from the Vietnam era

The  habor was about 50% full until a weekend fishing tournament fleet came in.  The town was not crowded and very little damage from the hurricane was visible.  Great visit and place to avoid winter…….

Keela snuggled in for her morning nap…..

BOX SCORE 6 hours 26 gallons 44 miles