REPORTS
All Saints' Bay: a Nautical Paradise in Brazil
Steady trade winds blowing 10 to 25 knots, sunshine almost year-round, an average water temperature of around 26ºC and underwater visibility between 10 and 20 meters. It's not for nothing that All Saints' Bay, in the State of Bahia, Brazil, is considered one of the most interesting places for nautical tourism on the planet. And if this weren’t enough to attract sailors from a wide variety of regions, this, one of the largest tropical bays in the world is also home to 56 islands, navigable rivers and well-preserved architectural and natural sites.
“In nine years traveling around the world, I have found few places as favorable for sailing as the Brazilian coast, specifically, All Saints' Bay. Here, there are good winds almost everyday, it doesn’t rain much, the water is clean and, mainly, there are many reasons of pristine natural beauty. This is marvelous. In Europe, nothing like this still survives. It's almost magical to leave a city the size of Salvador, and, a few hours later, be in a place like Friars’ Island and Bom Jesus. This is no simple sailing outing, it's like traveling through time, it's a return to the natural world, where the plants and animals are still preserved in their habitat,” says the retired French sailor Roland Machine.
A similar opinion is expressed by the sailor, Jean Ydes and by skipper Atila Bohm, who, despite the fact that he lives today in Ilhabela, SP, for work reasons, still hasn’t been able to forget the beauty and wonderful sailing he experienced in Bahia when he lived in Salvador for six years. “it's really incredible. There’s no comparison with other regions in Brazil nor with other places I've been throughout the world. In Bahia, each sailing trip brings new sensations. Stopping in front of Salamina Fort and going ashore there is a breathtaking experience. It's so beautiful. It's marvelous to spend an afternoon on Cal Island or Medo Island (photo),” says the sailor.
For Jean Yves, the combination of the level of environmental preservation in the area around All Saints' Bay, good water quality and steady trade winds with the law that extends the length of time mid-sized leisure craft can remain in Brazil up to two years will make Bahia one of the main nautical tourism development zones in the world. “Brazil is much nicer than the Caribbean. Here, there are many well preserved areas, natural beauty as well as the reasonable price of things. I'm sure that in the future Brazil and, mainly Salvador will be full of foreign sailors throughout the year,” he says.
It's enough to hoist sails anywhere in All Saints' Bay to realize the sailors who have already visited dozens of places all over the world are absolutely right. Options for tours in the region are many and varied. With the aid of nautical charts and GPS, and with plenty of time to spare, nautical tourists can explore the waters of All Saints' Bay for six or seven months with no need to rush, but also without having to repeat the same routes. In the bay that is considered the “Birthplace of Brazil” and the eldest sister of globalization (see Box to the side), more than well-preserved natural areas, tourists have a range of options on offer, from lunches and dinners served with marvelous sauces from the rich Bahian cuisine, to the music that rocks Carnival, the largest open area festival in the world and the beliefs associated with African-based religions and the mixing of religions that has become a trademark of Bahian mysticism.
For visitors who are not familiar with the region, perhaps the best option to begin to discover the bay is to drop anchor near São Marcelo Fort. Bahia Marina and Cais da Baiana – where the international regattas arriving in Salvador are received every two years, such as Cape to Bahia and Transat 6.50. – are good options for berths and moorings.
The proximity of these sites to the Lacerda Elevator makes life much easier for those who wish to take advantage of Bahia unique culture. If docked or moored at Cais da Baiana, located just across from the Elevator, visits to the Pelourinho/Historic District can be done on foot, without having to catch a bus or taxi. Checking out local crafts at the Mercado Modelo and watching a demonstration of the internationally famous Bahian martial art, capoeira, under the market’s marquee is another good option, as is a quick trip to the region’s many nautical shops, in case any equipment needs to be replaced. Cais da Baiana is located in one of the best places in All Saints' Bay for those who want to restock their boat.
After visiting the area near the Lacerda Elevator, a sailing trip to Itapagipe Bay in the neighborhood of Ribeira is a good way to continue. The day-to-day life in this part of Salvador is still much like that of a small town in the interior of the state, with its famous ice cream parlors serving some of the best flavors in the city, or, who knows, even in the world. At least that is what the article by Gula Magazine hanging on the wall affirms, saying Sorvetaria da Ribeira’s “toasted” coconut flavor is just as good as ice cream sold at Bair Travere, in Roma, and Baskin Robbins flavors, in New York. For sailboat owners, this trip requires a bit of planning. Due to a sand bank located at the entrance to the bay, the water is only 1.5 meters deep at low tide. This is why it is recommended, depending on the keel, that the boat arrive when the tide is still coming in or just when the tide begins to go out. Ribeira’s boat clubs and marinas offer sailors a range of options to stay with their boats for as many days as they would like to enjoy the best of Bahian hospitality.
Finally, before setting out to enjoy the wonders of All Saints' Bay and surrounding area, known as the Recôncavo, a visit to Aratu Bay is definitely worthwhile to get to know the region or make arrangements to leave the boat in safety should there be a need to return to one’s country of origin. A few hours chatting with members of the Aratu Yacht Club or the Angra dos Veleiros in the neighborhood of Ribeira can be very helpful for visitors to discover the best nautical options All Saints' Bay has to offer.
Next stop is Ilha de Maré or Tide Island, where it is worth spending a few days more to get to know the region’s shellfishing culture, from capture to preparation and serving. Another interesting cultural activity is to see firsthand the work of the artisans who have dedicated their lives to maintaining an age-old tradition, handcrafted bobbin lace, or perhaps a quick visit to the Recôncavo Museum and it is time to hoist the sails heading for Itaparica Island.
Depending on the time of year, it is definitely worthwhile to plan ahead to participate in the largest pleasure regatta in the region and perhaps one of the most interesting nautical events in Bahia, the Aratu-Maragogipe Regatta, in which from 200 to 300 boats sail each year. Along the route, pay special attention to the unique landscapes and don’t forget to check out some of the other sailboats. Among them, visitors will certainly be able to spot some saveiros with their unique sails. According to historians, the design is among the oldest still in use in the world.
After participating in the competition and the festivities, take a few days to see firsthand one of the largest mangroves reserve in Brazil, visit the region’s waterfalls and then sail a bit more upriver to São Roque. Hopefully, you will have the change to do what some of the sailors, organizers and sponsors of the international regattas that came through Bahia in 2007 have done, and enjoy some of these adventures in the wonders of All Saints' Bay aboard the most important symbol of the state's nautical tradition: the saveiro. “Sailing on a saveiro over All Saints' Bay was one of the greatest dreams of my life. This was one of the most moving moments I've ever experienced in the world of sailing,” declares Pierre Landolt, one of the sponsors of the Jacques Vabre 2007 regatta, just after a trip between São Marcelo Fort and Humaitá Point.
Whether riding in the “dawn of sailing history” or in state-of-the-art boats with all the comfort and safety, hoisting the blue peter – in the case of sailboats – or revving up the engine of speedboats or yachts in All Saints' Bay is to give oneself over for days, weeks or even months to the birthplace of Brazil, to a pristine paradise, to the upbeat rhythm of Bahian music, to the contagious swinging gait of the people and to the local cuisine full of hot chili, dendê palm oil, and rich and exotic flavors and aromas.
Salinas da Margarida, Tororó, Ilha do Medo or Fear Island, Mutá and Jaguaribe, as well as many other breathtaking places in All Saints' Bay and the Recôncavo, help paint an unforgettable backdrop for both local and visiting sailors alike. Exploring the bay may require the aid of nautical charts. With these in hand, and depending on the height of the mast and the depth of the keel, it is even possible to sail out of the bay heading down the back coast and around the tip of Itaparica on the way to Morro de São Paulo, Cairu and Boipeba. While the former gives visitors a taste of Bahia's international flair thanks to high number of European inn and restaurant owners, the latter two offer a wonderful array historic attractions allied with environmental preservation.
Tired of Boipeba, but you still want to see more of paradise with crystal clear waters surrounded by tropical forests and untouched natural beauty, then set sail heading for Camamu Bay, where time seems to have forgotten to pass and reality fuses with a mixture of religious festivities, such as the Mandu festival and legends of caipora and sirens.
Historic Vocation
According to 82-year old historian Cid Teixeira, to better understand the relationship between sailingand All Saints' Bay we must go back to the age of great explorations and the centuries that followed the Discovery of Brazil. Before the construction of the Panama and Suez canals and all the products from the East consumed in Europe had to be shipped around the horn of Africa, Salvador was an important strategic point for the world. It was the best way to avoid the doldrums of the South Atlantic and follow the routes of sea currents and winds favorable for these journeys. This is why, until the invention of the steam ship, Salvador was the most important capital in the southern hemisphere.
"Today, everyone talks a lot about globalization, yet the world’s first truly globalized place was All Saints' Bay, which was halfway between East and West. For the world, Salvador was more the capital of the South Atlantic than of Brazil. So much so that, until 1549, (All Saints' Bay was first visited by European in 1501) there is no document that mentions Salvador as a city,” affirms the historian. Cid Teixeira says that often times when thinking about the period of history that he came to the conclusion that “God was playing on our team. It wasn’t enough to be right in the middle of the route to the Indies, here was also the best land for planting sugarcane, an excellent port and a great producer. It was so good it was almost cowardice,” he says. At that time, it was common to have more than 70 great ships from nations all around the world sailing the waters of All Saints' Bay at the same time.
Regional regattas
Campeonato de Vela Oceânica da Bahia, Circuito Salvador, Marcílio Dias, Regata de Salinas, Primavera, Brancácio, Aratu-Maragogipe... Com uma baía do tamanho de todos os santos, não poderia ser diferente, os eventos náuticos estão presentes em quase todos os meses do ano na Bahia. Num calendário tão concorrido, destaque especial para a João das Botas, quando o mar vira lugar de herói.
Realizada no dia em que se comemora a data de nascimento do baiano que, com alguns saveiros, derrotou a esquadra de Portugal na luta pela independência do Estado, é na João das Botas que pescadores das mais diferentes regiões da Baía de Todos os Santos se reúnem para mostrar toda a perícia de dominar o vento e o mar.
A mesma destreza e harmonia em relação às forças da natureza, decisivas nas manobras das batalhas do passado e passadas de geração em geração, hoje, ganham contornos de festa na regata que leva o nome do saveirista que comandou a independência náutica da Bahia.
Ao som dos fogos de artifício que dão a largada, as velas multicoloridas não se abrem para mostrar a tecnologia que invadiu a náutica nos últimos anos, mas, sim, a história de luta e desenvolvimento de um povo.
Barcos, ou melhor, saveiros como Sombra da Lua, É da Vida, Mar Azul, Lua de Yemanjá, Vendaval e outros tantos, dentre os 135 participantes da mais tradicional regata baiana, trazem também em suas linhas, na cor desbotada dos cascos e nas velas de pano de algodão, um pouco do cotidiano destes pescadores e trabalhadores do mar. Para eles, 21 de janeiro é dia de esquecer o transporte da farinha, da cerâmica, das pedras para construções e até dos peixes para trazer alegria ao Porto da Barra, Salvador, e pescar companheirismo.
Outro ponto alto das competições regionais fica para o início do segundo semestre, quando os baianos e velejadores de outros estados colorem a BTS com os balões que se abrem na segunda bóia da Aratu-Maragogipe. Uma festa que, em 2009 irá completar 40 anos de velejada, companheirismo e um milhão de cenas e histórias de velejador.
