Matt & Blair: This is for you!

Remember that muddy anchorage in the Whitsundays?
NO MORE buckets & scrubbrushes.
Rob installed a high pressure deck washdown pump. Mud washes right off.

Exploring Baia de Todos os Santos - Aratu

We enjoy the hospitality of the Aratu Yacht Club, north of Salvador, including free WiFi which allows us to sit at anchor and finish a big update to this blog.  Hope you enjoy....

Modern Brazil

It is easy to understand why Brazil has so much potential as a world economic power.  Most of our photos show traditional scenes and places, but we see factories like this one around Bahia. This is a cookie factory.  On the othe side of the river, 100's of cars have been unloaded from car carriers after being constructed in the southern part of the country.  A major petroleum plant occupies another bay - Brazil is energy self sufficient.  Our new AIS system picked up 36 ships in the bay - most of them engaged in international commerce. And, while there is poverty, we also meet young people who are teachers, or studying to be dentists, doctors and engineers.

Baia de Todos os Santos - Itaparica & Tororo

Whoops, I forgot to take photos of Itaparica!  We had such a relaxing time that I never took out the camera.  It is a nice island with a mineral fountain that has been giving fresh water for at least 300 years. We stayed 3 days. Towns have bright orange tile roofs that look great against the intense green vegetation.

Exploring Baia de Todos os Santos - Maragojipe on the Paraguacu River

South America has some big rivers! We sailed up the Paraguacu, using only our jib and the tide, and anchored off Marogojipe on Friday night so that we could attend the Saturday morning market.

Mules and horses carry produce to market in big baskets.

We tried some fruits that Natalie had never eaten before (Rob says they are known as "chirimoya" in Chile.)

 Boys wait with wheelbarrows to transport purchases through the cobblestone streets.

Exploring Baia de Todos os Santos - Ilha de Bom Jesus

Anchored at the island Bom Jesus, we watched "saveiros," the traditional wooden sailing boats of this region.  They were beautiful to see as they tacked upwind and sailed down with no engines, carrying rocks, sand and gravel to building sites.