CAMAMU BAY & RIO MARAU . PEACE AND TRANQUILITY .

At this time of the year and along this stretch of the Brazilian Coast the southeasters are the prevailing winds and once again we enjoyed a great sail from Ilheus to Baia de Camamu . We were thinking that if the conditions were right we might call into Itacare but by the time we had the tricky entrance off our beam there was a reasonable swell running with the wind blowing in the high teens and the boat was surfing along so nicely it seemed a pity to put an end to this sail . Also cruising friends of ours had attempted the entrance while being led in by a local boat and in the process ran up onto the sandbank and with the help of a group of locals struggled to get off and back into deeper water. With our boat displacing around twelve tons at the moment it somehow took the shine off Itacare so we continued onto Camamu Bay and sailed into our first anchorage near the entrance of the river .

What a contrast to where we were moored in Ilheus amongst the prawn boat fleet and their rowdy crews . It was peaceful and quiet and beautiful with island communities living in total harmony on mainly Ilha Campinho and Ilha Saphino in their neat little homes in a different world . The villages have wicker waste baskets mounted on poles and trees and the surrounds are spotless . 

This part of Brazil is very different to the Brazil we experienced last season . It is remote and rural and the multi-million dollar gin palaces that we saw in the south have been replaced with traditional wooden boats and dugout canoes some even being sailed with great skill . A common sight are these dugout canoes being driven by a small standard industrial petrol engine with a long shaft and prop . 
We visited Camamu Town by ferry as our boat sits too deep for certain sections of the approaches to the town . This bay is noted for the traditional boatyards that still build the beautiful schooners that grace Brazilian waters using the same designs that they have utilized for years . 

Bear in mind these rivers are huge and around the time that we arrived it was spring tides and the current was really strong so generally you go in the direction of the tide whether it be an ebb or flood . My grandmother taught me that lesson in that she was born and raised and lived well into her thirties on the banks of the Umzimvubu River in Port St Johns on the Transkei Coast . Nobody even attempted to row against the current .

The people who live in the small villages along the banks of the river are generally very poor and fishing seems to be their sole existence . Watching them deploy large nets from these unstable canoes and the tactics they use to drive the fish into their nets is quite fascinating and it is obvious that these are skills handed down from one generation to the next .

There are extensive mangroves and numerous creeks leading off the main river and our new duck with its Honda outboard earned its keep as we explored the tributaries that feed this system . Huge fish traps made up from branches and sticks are a common sight along the banks and a careful watch must be kept while motoring along to avoid getting fouled up on floats attached to submerged baskets on the floor of the river .

After spending sometime in anchorages near the mouth of the river we decided to head upriver to the town of Marau situated on the banks of the river that shares the same name . The most distinguishing feature of the town is a huge concrete embankment that features all of the creatures that are found in the surrounding area with their bodies moulded/raised and painted on the walls of this enormous structure . Sadly we discovered that the creator of this feature had a serious drug addiction problem and he finally took his own life .

One of the joys of cruising are the many interesting people you meet along the way . One such person is John , a scientist / oceanographer / solo sailor of note who has chosen a simple way of life living with his wife in their rustic home on the river . His boat is a replica of Bernard Moitessier's famous yacht Joshua and she stands in the mud in front of their home .
Early one morning with Urs and l still astral travelling in the forepeak he woke us and immediately invited us to their home for a meal . We had an enjoyable day and a great meal learning about the lifestyle that some people choose as against the conventional and left late that evening in our duck for home .

Another interesting couple we met were the owners of a restaurant located on a small island that they have owned for thirty years near the Tremembe Falls . Ada is a qualified doctor and Nilton her husband is a noted chef . They live very happily in their rustic home/restaurant in amongst the trees on their island . We were greeted with samples of his homemade shooters made from different fruits and cachaca . 
Nilton served up freshwater crawfish ( pitu ) for lunch and after a great day we left with four different flavours ( bottles ) of his magic potion .

After a couple of days anchored in the upper reaches of the Rio Marau twenty six nautical miles ( 48kms ) from the sea completely isolated from the rest of the world we headed back down river to an anchorage near the mouth of the river and early the following morning we set sail for Morro de Sao Paulo , totally rested and eager to move onto our next destination .