Afternoon Sea Breeze (Banderas Bay)

20° 40.8′ N · 105° 20.4′ W · approximate

The bay's famous daily thermal: light and calm mornings, then a reliable west-southwesterly filling in around midday and blowing 10 to 15 knots (sometimes 20-plus) over nearly flat water until late afternoon. It is perfect for day sailing and racing, and is the reason La Cruz gets rolly after lunch.

Practical

Coordinate approximate: the zone of strongest thermal, 2 to 3 miles off the Nuevo Vallarta entrance (Vallarta Yacht Club). Typical timing 12:30pm to 5pm; direction 200 to 260 degrees; strongest in the northeast/central bay where the valley behind Bucerías funnels it; much lighter in the southeast corner under the mountains behind Puerto Vallarta. Mornings may have a brief light offshore breeze. When strong northerlies blow outside the bay, an eddy in the northeast corner can kill the breeze. A 1 to 2 knot south-to-north current runs along the east shore; swell from the WNW plus chop can build about 1 m seas on windy afternoons. Most consistent in the winter cruising season; lighter and more variable in summer. Anchorage tactics: Punta de Mita is calmer in the afternoon because the thermal blows offshore there; La Cruz and Yelapa get rolly.

Afternoon Sea Breeze (Banderas Bay)

Practical

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