We had a fabulous sail from Tobago to Martinique with just over 20 hours and 200 miles from lifting our anchor in Charlotteville to dropping it in Le Marin. Perfect sailing conditions on a tight reach which Eleuthera loves with a reef in the main to control speeds so we didn’t fall off too many waves. Arriving in the channel between St Lucia and Martinique at sunrise we were treated to 10 or 15 Brown Boobies following us and feeding on the flying fish we startled into flight.

Le Marin

By 9 am we were anchored and had a nap before venturing ashore after lunch to check in at the Marina Office. All that is required is to fill in the forms on the computer, pay 5 Euro and that was it- checked in, So simple.

Le Marin has 5 dingy docks, a very large fuel dock, dry stands, floating maintenance docks, many shops, several chandleries though these are small, and numerous bars and restaurants. It is a very buzzy marine destination with several yacht charter companies. Of course, the downside is there are hundreds of yachts, the marinas are very full, and the hundreds of buoys are also mostly full both at Le Marin and at Sainte-Anne which is just at the harbour entrance. The good things are there are very good supermarkets and boulangeries.

We were fascinated by the local boats out training – you must be very fit to hike in and out on the boards. Here is a short video as we watched one training. https://youtu.be/QvQoOqnI8pg Here is more about the Martinique Yole .

Raymarine Screen Failures and Delays

We anchored close in the first night as we knew we had to check in and also take in the second Raymarine screen which had failed in Tobago. We could not make the Raymarine online system work as it kept telling us to send the screen to Sydney when we were in the Caribbean and it needed to go to Boston. No amount of emails or help desk chats seemed to be able to sort this. After several days it became apparent the solution was to take it to the local Raymarine dealer to send away. We did this on Thursday and returned on Monday to check on the progress to find it still on the floor having been forgotten. After some prompting, we had a DHL tracking number the following day and it was off to Boston.

Meanwhile, we were trying to get an update on the other screen we had sent for repair via the dealer in Trinidad which was proving difficult as Raymarine would not talk to us without authorization from the dealer.

While this was going on we discovered the Transducer for recording speed, depth, and temperature was on the blink and we needed a new one. These were unavailable in Le Marin and expensive to import so to reduce the local taxes and fees we ordered one for delivery to St Lucia. Here we could import it tax and duty-free as a “yacht in transit”, not something the French were interested in.

Le Marin

Sainte-Anne

The following day we shifted out to the entrance at Saoimte-Anne for better swimming and less crowded – if 250 yachts means less crowded!

The town of Sainte-Anne dates from 1868 and was named after a man who defended the island against the English in 1808. The famous Église Sainte-Anne was burned by the British in 1730 and then destroyed again by a cyclone in 1817. It took 12 years to build another church and today it is one of the oldest on the island. As you walk up the hill, from the town towards the beach, you pass the well-kept Le cimietière Marin which overlooks the bay. All the tombs are constructed with white tiles which makes it truly beautiful. https://azmartinique.com/en/life-in-martinique/municipalities/sainte-anne.

With the old sections, there is also the new and the artwork and posters are interesting. I was very amused to see the poster of the female Air Force pilot. An Air Force poster is not an item you expect to see in the islands, let alone a female one.

A lovely lunch – Basilic Beach

After we walked over the hill from the town to the beach we stopped and had lunch at Basilic. It was a lovely low-key restaurant with a great view and excellent food. https://www.facebook.com/lebasilicbeach

A Music Bar for Dinner – La Dunette

Another night we decided to go out for dinner and try and catch some music. Well, we got a DJ but he was very good and the bar had a beautiful view but the food was like English Pub food – eminently missable. The night was very entertaining with the locals coming and going along with tourists like us. https://www.ladunette.com/restaurant/restaurant.html

Diving

We knew that we would be in Martinique for a while, so we decided to go diving. We selected Natiyabel as they were the closest. The first day of diving was with more cruisers also on their way toward Panama. The first dive was a bit average but the second one was very good. We decided to do another day’s diving but Hew’s knee had swollen up badly. We called Mark in Australia for a medical opinion. So I went diving and Hew had a day off. Hews’ knee turned out to be Bursitis from overuse perhaps kneeling in the bilges. The first dive was at Saint Luce reef and was great with a big swim through and some nice cliff formations, but the following dive was shallow and not very interesting. It was more of a snorkel site.

Natiyabel Plongee

https://natiyabel.com/

Two days Touring

We had been diving and the battery in my watch was running low and needed replacing. The company that had the agency to fix and test Suunto watches was out near the airport a 30-minute drive from Le Marin, so we decided to hire a car for two days and use it to drop the watch off and do some island exploring. So off we went and did all the southern part of the island one day and the northern part the next.

The roads are generally very good with some 2 lane motorways as you head towards Port au France—evidence of substantial financial support from France and the EU everywhere. The guys in the dive shop were very friendly and assured us the watch would be ready the following day.

We decided to head across the island to Francois and explore the bottom of the island. The southern part is lower lying and we visited various bays on the East coast along with inland areas of farming and agriculture. Lunch in a local restaurant is always a good thing with some delicious local fish and good coffee. After some further exploring and a visit to a local supermarket (Carrefour), we returned to Eleuthera at dusk.

With an earlier start the next morning we returned to the dive shop via a different route and then on to the more mountainous northern part of the island. Narrow winding roads up and down steep terrain were the order of the day. These roads would open out into valleys and areas of flatter arable land with large areas of sugar cane and many banana plantations. Almost all the hands of bananas were encased in plastic bags to protect them and help them ripen. Something we must try at home with our bananas. There is a lot of mechanised farming with large tractors and harvesters operating, we even passed a tractor and farm machinery dealership.

Lunch proved difficult as the fare in the local patisseries was uninviting and we struggled to find a cafe or restaurant. Hungry we found a large supermarket and emerged with a baguette and the makings of a picnic to consume on the beach nearby. After negotiating the one-way system in the village we made it to the beach only to discover there were several restaurants right there! We had a very nice picnic with an old upturned fishing boat as a table followed by a walk across a sandy spit to a very picturesque little island. Barb of course had to go swimming while Hew looked on.

From there it was up into the highlands and the spectacular rainforest. The island is largely volcanic with steep hillsides windy roads, narrow bridges, and lush vegetation from the high rainfall. Much of the inland area is a protected park with various walking tracks and areas to explore. Unfortunately, we were constrained by time and could only stop occasionally.

However, we did drive up Mt Pele as far as the first Refuge at about 800m and stopped to look at the view. It was a bit cooler up here and Barb had to put on some more clothes, rather than just her bikini. The mountain is nearly 1400m and last erupted in 1902 when it wiped out the town of St Pierre on the west coast below it. On our visit, the peak was largely shrouded in cloud with several walkers heading up the trail to the caldera a 7km round trip with at least 2 other shelters further up the mountain. It felt like it would be a pretty wild place in a big storm.

We visited the small town of St Pierre last year. St Pierre was settled by Europeans who wiped the last of the local Caribs in 1658. Legend has it that the last ones uttered horrible curses invoking the mountain to take its revenge before they died. By 1900 St Pierre was known as the Paris of the Caribbean with a population of 30,000 and the capital of Martinique. Despite early volcanic activity and minor eruptions throughout April, the politicians of the day chose not to evacuate the town as elections were due and on 8 May 1902 the mountain took its revenge and erupted. All but 2 people were killed and 12 ships in the bay were destroyed by a fireball of superheated gas, famously one of the survivors was a murderer who was locked up in a stone cell.

Continuing via a hilltop town with a huge church, and on towards Port au France for rush hour on Friday. Bumper-to-bumper traffic and only a large-scale map meant a few wrong turns. We got to explore parts of the town you might not normally find yourself in, got tooted at a few times but eventually found the road south to Le Marin. Interestingly Port au France has an alternative to light rail with divided bus lanes down the middle of the road and long buses with several carriages – dont know what it cost but seemed to work well!

Recruiting Crew

Given our next major leg to Panama is fast coming up we decided some additional crew to help would be a good idea. It is about 1200 miles from here to Panama, 6 or 7 days nonstop some additional watch keepers would make the journey easier. Facebook soon produced some likely candidates with a young French couple just arrived across the Atlantic and wanting to make it to Central America and a young English guy wanting to go to Colombia.

A Private Paradise

The sail across from Bequia was short and uneventful although we were hard on the wind as the island is on the outermost eastern edge of the Grenadines. We were not sure what to expect but we were welcomed by the harbourmaster who guided us to a mooring in the bay. Anchoring is not allowed and there 30 or 40 mooring bouys available.

Dianne and I had read a book by Colin Tennant’s wife about the island and then decided we should go and have a look. The book is called “Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown”.https://www.publishersweekly.com/9780306846366 It is an autobiography by Anne Glenconner, who was a lady-in-waiting to Princess Margaret and a close friend of the royal family. The book was published in 2019 and is an interesting read both for the comments on Mustique and for the observations on her life and marriage.

History

Mustique is one of a chain of volcanic islands formed by the collision of the Atlantic and Caribbean tectonic plates. The island covers an area of 1,400 acres (5.7 km2) and has several coral reefs that provide habitat for marine life.

The history dates back to the pre-Columbian era when it was inhabited by indigenous people who arrived from South America around 2500 BC. Later, it was occupied by the Arawaks and then by the Caribs, who left behind some simple tools that can still be found on the island.

The first European settlers arrived on Mustique in the 17th century when the island was claimed by France. The name Mustique comes from the French word for mosquito, moustique, as the island was once infested with these insects. The French established sugar and cotton plantations on the island, using enslaved African labor. The island changed hands several times between France and Britain during the colonial wars, until it was finally ceded to Britain in 1763. The British built three forts on the island to protect it from pirates and invaders.

However, after the abolition of slavery in 1834, the plantations went downhill and in 1958, it was purchased by Colin Tennant, 3rd Baron Glenconner, a Scottish aristocrat and entrepreneur. At the time it was a desolate island covered in shrubs, cacti, and jungle with no natural water, roads, or jetty. Tennant had a vision of transforming Mustique into a private paradise for the rich and famous.

He gave a 10-acre plot of land on the island as a wedding gift to his friend Princess Margaret, the sister of Queen Elizabeth II, who built a villa called Les Jolies Eaux. Tennant also invited other celebrities and royals to buy or rent villas on the island, creating a very exclusive community

In 1979, Tennant sold his shares in Mustique to a consortium of villa owners, who formed the Mustique Company to manage the island’s affairs. The company is responsible for maintaining the island’s infrastructure, security, environment, and services. The company also owns and operates the only hotel called the Cotton House.
The company also runs a beach café and another restaurant called the Veranda. The company also offers ferry service from Saint Vincent on the M/V Endeavour².

Current Day

Today, Mustique remains a private island that is owned by its homeowners. There are around 120 villas on the island, many of which are available for rent through the Mustique Company https://mustique-island.com/about/the-company. The villas come with staff, including chefs, butlers, and housekeepers, who cater to every need of the guests. The villas also have access to amenities such as tennis courts, golf carts, horses, and water sports equipment. Mustique is an ideal destination for those who seek privacy, tranquility, and luxury.

You can only go to the island if you are staying at one of the accommodation options. The island has nine beaches that offer pristine sand and turquoise water. Some of the beaches are secluded and quiet, while others are more lively and social. The island also has a network of trails that allow visitors to explore its natural beauty and wildlife. The island is home to tortoises, herons, iguanas, and many other species. The island also hosts various events throughout the year, such as music festivals, cocktail parties, and charity fundraisers.

The island has a reputation for being discreet and respectful of its guests’ privacy.

Privacy
Mustique is a private island that is owned by its homeowners, who have formed the Mustique Company to manage its affairs. The Mustique Company has the authority to grant or deny access to the island and its waters, as well as to impose fees and charges for various services.

Before you go to Mustique you need to obtain permission from the Mustique Company before entering the island’s waters. You can contact them by phone, email, or VHF radio. You will need to provide information such as your boat name, registration number, flag, length, draft, number of passengers and crew, arrival date and time, departure date and time, and intended anchorage or mooring location. You need to clear customs and immigration into the Grenadines at either St. Vincent or Union Island before sailing to Mystique but you can clear out of Mystique at the airport.

You need to pay a mooring fee of US$75 per night for boats up to 60 feet in length, and US$150 per night for boats over 60 feet in length for a minimum of three nights. The mooring fee includes very well-maintained moorings in Britannia Bay, access to water, garbage disposal, security patrols, and dinghy dock facilities. You can pay the mooring fee at the Mustique Company office or at Basil’s Bar.

You must respect the island’s rules and regulations while sailing and staying on Mustique. These include observing the speed limit of 5 knots within the harbor area, keeping a safe distance from other boats and swimmers, avoiding anchoring or fishing in prohibited areas, refraining from loud music or noise after 10 pm, respecting the privacy of the villa owners and guests by only going on land in the allowed areas which are very small, and following the environmental guidelines for waste disposal and conservation. You can get a tour of the island by taxi but it only takes about one hour as there is not much you can see.

You need to book any activities or services that you wish to enjoy on Mustique through the Mustique Company. These include dining at restaurants, visiting the spa, playing tennis or golf, renting water sports equipment, taking island tours or taxi rides, or attending any events or parties.

Arriving in Britannia Bay

We went ashore to book the restaurant at Basils Bar https://basilsbar.com/ and found there were few other people there. There were some in the bar from a couple of charter yachts in the harbour but only one other couple for dinner. Very quiet for a place that has a reputation for parties. Perhaps we were there the wrong day of the week or the wrong season!!

Since you can’t go more than 100 meters on the island without a guide on the first day we just snorkelled and rested. There was no hurry as we had paid for three days and we were not sure how we were going to fill the time.

Island Tour

On the second day Di, Pete, and I took a taxi tour. The island was very neat and tidy, manicured in all the public spaces, but you could see very little of the private houses except distant views.

Public Areas

Area Around the Airport

The airport was interesting as the runway was like a banana, curved up at both ends. There was a reasonable terminal but only turboprops came in. I checked out of there as our next stop would be Carriocou which is part of Grenada and the checkout was friendly and easy.

Houses and Mansions

Here are a few photos to give you an idea of the layout but if you would like to have a closer look go to the Mustique company website https://mustique-island.com/villa/

The Terraces on the top of Mustique is the largest villa there and sits on 17 acres of land.

Macaroni Beach

Macaroni Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches and is in a very natural setting with smaller villas peppered in the hills above. Most of the bush is allowed to stay natural and it is all interspersed with the Flamboyant tree a favourite of the islands.

Macaroni Beach

There is a local village just to the north of the wharf with a small town but we did not visit it while we were there. Many of the workers on the island come in live on other islands and commute by ferry for extended work shifts.

The friendliest individuals on the island were the laughing gulls who visited us most days. One decided it particularly liked the Starlink dish.

The snorkelling was not bad but not very exciting. I went out further to the reef but the water was murky and the reef was really bare. A few schools of fish but again not very exciting.

The sunset on the last evening before we left was spectacular with large buildups in the distance.

Departing

As we left the next morning I wanted to take some more photos but it was directly into the sun so not have much luck. We did pass the large solar energy installation which was interesting as many islands only have diesel generators, a few have wind generators and solar is only just appearing.

Overall we found that the visit was interesting but we would not return.

Next Blog: The Outer Islands

On the trip over from Saint Martin Pete had tried to fish but the sailing was good and we were going too fast again. He did catch a barracuda but we through that back in.

Arrival

Arriving in Gustavia, the capital of Saint Barts, we were delighted to find the easy check-in procedure, typical of the French islands. The warm and friendly welcome made us feel instantly at ease, allowing us to start our exploration without any hassle. However, due to the windy and bumpy conditions just outside the entrance channel in the anchorage area, we decided to continue on to Colombier Bay for a calmer anchorage.

Colombier Bay

Anchoring in tranquil Colombier Bay we found ourselves surrounded by lush vegetation and pristine waters creating a very picturesque setting to relax in for the evening.

The following day, Di and I set off on a trek from Colombier Bay to a patisserie. We had only vaugue instructions about a track and could find no signs on the beach. We then asking the advice of another lady on the track and she told us there was only a subdivision if we went straight up the hill but we might find a shop if we followed the track to Plage de Flamands, along the Colombier Beach Trail. The trail led us through a variety of landscapes, from bare rock with breathtaking coastal views, to later some nice bush and a far better track at the end. We also came upon a man practicing yoga with his dog, and some morning walkers.

The hike was much more than we had expected and we could not find a shop so we continued along the beach to a hotel and then asked the way. They indicated 5-10 mins straight up the hill – literally. Off we again and some 20 minutes later found St Jean village and a charming patisserie. The aroma of freshly baked pastries greeted us, and with a coffee and water we sat down for a late but well deserved breakfast.

To complete the walk, we followed the Route de Colombier road back to the lookout point. From there, we were treated to a stunning panoramic view of the island, with its red roofed houses, green hillsides and sparkling blue waters.

As we descended along the trail, through much more vegetation than the other side, we encountered the cute red toed land tortoises, native doves and the giant rock formations, all part of the island’s natural scenery.

Our dingy was still there after our 3 hour trek it seemed to be dwarfed by the house at the top of the hill. – We couldn’t wait to get to the water and have a swim.

Gustavia

After spending 3 nights in Colombier Bay we decided we needed to visit the town before we left and so headed back to Gustavia. We also needed to check the rigging and do a minor repair behind the anchor locker where the anchor seemed to have hit the hull several times just behind the anchor locker. We checked into the quayside and with few boats there we could go alongside.This was much better than the rocking rolling anchorage outside the town but there was still a lot of water movement. A trip up the mast confirmed that all was well and then Hew and I spent an hour in the dingy doing a temporary plaster of several holes in the hull. I was trying to hold the dingy steady while Hew tried to do a smooth patch job – needless to say with the wind and water movement it was more like artistic plastering.

After the plastering we headed off to have a look around the shops. All top end, famous labels and very expensive prices. Di and I managed to resist the urge during the day but later that night Pete and Hew found some shorts they couldn not resist and Di bought a new swim suit. The shops and contents were certainly beautiful to look at.

Evening

We had drinks on the boat before dinner and watched the activities in the harbour such as a super yacht parking on the other side of the harbour to us and backing in all the way. He had to go stern to due to the number of other yachts on that side.As the sun was going down the moon was coming up.

We decided one day in town was enough for us and we departed the next day for St Kitts and Nevis. WE enjoyed Saint Barts and would probably go again because it is very different from the other islands and there was definitely more to see and more places to go.

After leaving Saint Barts we sailed past the following two islands that we did not have time to stop at.

Saba

Saba is a very small and tall volcanic island rising straight out of the sea. Saba has a land area of 13 square kilometres (5.0 sq mi) and a population of 1900. There is one anchorage in the shelter of the island then further around there is a landing and a few moorings. There is a very steep road or walking track up to the town which is sheltered in the centre of the island. We did not have time to stop but friends of ours did and loved the place so we will return at some stage for a look around.

Eustatia

Locally know as Statia it was formerly part of the Netherlands Antilles, Sint Eustatius became a public body of the Netherlands in 2010. It is part of the Dutch Caribbean, which consists of Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten. Bonaire, Eustatia and Saba,  form the BES Islands, and are also referred to as the Caribbean Netherlands. Most of the beaches are supposed to be black sand and the largest private employer on the island is the oil terminal owned by GTI Statia.

Next Blog : Saint Kitts and Nevis

Maho Beach

We decided we had to come and see this tourist attraction and it didn’t disappoint. You cannot anchor near here due to the approach/departure path of the airport. Between watching the aeroplanes coming in and out and watching the photographers getting thrown across the beach it was a lot of fun. Despite all this, it is a beautiful beach. There is a large casino and hotel to the north side with a restaurant close to the beach which we tried out called Tortuga. There is also a real beach bar – the Driftwood Boat Bar.

On the other end, there are several other restaurants which you can watch from. They will serve cocktails and food in takeaway containers so you can go down to the beach to be closer to the action.

The rocks below the bars and restaurants contain several birds that seem totally unmoved by all the activity and noise.

Road Trip

When we asked what was good to go and look at there were only two places that were recommended one was Loterie Farm and the other was Parrot Ville. On the way there we thought we should stop in Philisburg the main town on the Dutch side. The area has many of the big retail shops/chain stores as well.

Philipsburg

This trip was the first time that we had been to the Dutch side – other than the area around the marina. Philipsburg is a cruise ship town. It is dead if there are none there which was the case this weekend and so it was very quiet when we walked around and all the shops were either shut or had about 5 staff and no patrons. There is quite a pretty beach and the boardwalk caters to tourists as does the first street back from the beach so it was all very quiet even at 10am. Here are a few photos to give you an idea of the town.

The electricians who were working on the alternators on the yacht were out racing in trimarans this weekend so here are a few pictures of the yachts.

Parrotte Ville

Parrotte Ville is privately owned and operated https://www.facebook.com/parotteville/. It is a very low-key large aviary in one of the suburbs of Philipsburg. They give you a small cup of seeds to feed the birds and the birds can hold onto the edge of the cup so they are quite happy. They are very friendly birds and if you don’t move much they will climb all over you. I had to give Hew my cup as I was trying to take photos but the birds were happy to come and talk to me anyway. At one stage Hew had 5 birds on him. It was great fun and very relaxing to see so many happy friendly birds.

There is a viewing platform in the middle of the aviary and some of the birds like to hang out underneath it. You can see parts of it in the pictures. There were many forms of climbing frames and ropes for the birds to play on. There were also birdhouses all around the enclosure and many had been opened or had the entries made larger by various birds to suit themselves. There was also a lot of vegetation in the gage similar to Taro plants that they both used as shade and occasionally nibbled on. The guide for the days says they do not usually wreck the plants as they just regrow so a good one to have.

The Toucan is kept in a separate enclosure because it is a meat eater and the meat attracts rats and mice. Funnily there were lizards in the Toucan enclosure as well and they did not seem particularly concerned. His favourite place is under a table, probably for the shade.

Loterie Farm

Loterie Farm https://loteriefarm.com/ is a private nature reserve of 54 Hectares on the french side. There are walking tracks, a zip line, swimming pools, and a restaurant. It was midday by the time we got there and we felt it was too hot to go walking so we just took in the restaurant with a nice lunch, a lovely cocktail, and a large iguana walking over the roof. We then had a relaxing couple of hours around the pool for our afternoon siesta.

Sundays

We decided last week that we would get a rental car as we had several jobs to do that needed to go all over the island.

Since it was Sunday and all the shops are shut or shut at lunchtime we thought we would go out for a late brunch and then onto the beach. We walked around Marigot town and it was empty and only new thing was another painted wall I hadn’t seen before. I love the street art you find in these islands and wonder why we do not make more use of our blank walls in New Zealand.

We finally found an open cafe for breakfast near the airport. We then headed up the coast past Maho to find a beach. After driving up and then back down the coast past many gated communities we finally went and had a swim at Mullet Bay beach. A lovely beach and surprisingly sheltered. It is one bay over from Mahoe so you can still see the arriving aircraft. It has a very steep sand bank at the moment. There is only a small beach bar and no big development like Maho. The beach is backed by a golf course which I assume has kept it from becoming totally developed.

Iguanas

On Monday Hew needed to get a new gas bottle and fittings as our Italian ones could not be fitted here and we couldn’t find adaptors so off to Philipsburg again. We managed to get all the parts and a bottle at one stop. Just down the road, we watched as a huge Iguana near the bus stop decided to move out of the sun and up the hill. the Iguanas are very common around the island and often sun themselves on the rocks around the bridges. Their colour really depends on their background. You can see the difference between these two photos and the one above at Loterie farm which was very green being on a very leafy tree.

We also needed sheets and went to a great store called Cost for Less which was very like Costco in the USA – everything in bulk. We decided that we really did need a list so we did not buy anything extra and left the shopping for another day.

Seamog

Matt and Jo friends from the South Island who we met cruising last year had turned at the end of the week. We had a lovely dinner at Dock 46 with them on Friday. Then on Tuesday, they needed to come into the marina and since it was fairly full they tied up alongside. They too are off to Europe.

It looks like it is going to be a social week again.

The alternators are finally in and the belts arrive today. We are expecting Di and Pete tomorrow and to be off the dock the day after. I hope all will go as planned.

The harbour was so calm after the days of wind we had endured during the previous two weeks and the trip down the coast. The surroundings are hills and bush with houses spread out up the hills and the scenery is very beautiful. The area has been the site of many films, and at one stage Errol Flynn owned the island at the entrance called Navy Island.

The Western Harbour and Marina Area

Hew and I walked over to look at the Cruise ship terminal which is in manicured grounds, and has its own little beach just beyond the pontoon and then a further walkway out to see the harbour entrance. I did not take any photos of the beach that day as it was full of relaxing army personnel – local and american.

The coast guard had three ships in the harbour but we never saw them move.

We needed fuel and the fuel terminal is beyond the Coast Guard terminal. Unfortunately, the day we wanted fuel was the day the fuel man was going to be on holiday so we had to take it the day before and it was very windy. Unfortunately, the fuel terminal is in a straight line from the harbour entrance. The seas that day were running 2-3m outside and the wind was whistling down the channel (see picture below). It took three goes to get on the dock without damaging the yacht. Friends of ours on the marina said they wondered what we had been doing?? Two days later they went to get fuel, the had same issue with the wind and damaged the bow of their yacht!

We were going to leave the next day but in the process of trying to manoeuvre into the fuel dock tthe starboard prop seal started leaking and all the bilge alarms went off. Luckily with Mr Google and the help of a local man Hew found a solution and it was fixed. However, we lost that weather window and were in harbour for another three days.

Port Antonio Town

Port Antonio is an old town and it appears that it has seen better days. There are some really great buildings, a good park, and then many others that are really decaying which is very sad to see.

Rafting on the Rio Grande

We had a couple of days to fill in waiting for the weather so we decided to go on a tour around the island. While we were looking for the right one we found one that there was a rafting trip on the Rio Grande. Off we went with our friends Petra and Alfred. It was brilliant. We were poled 8 miles down the river. Stopped for a swim in a lovely spot with rock jumping if you wanted it. Then a local lunch on the riverside. Finally coming out of the river at the coast. I have made a video which I will add the link to later but here are a few photos. We have decided that we need to build some in New Zealand to take them out on the local raft days. A project for the future.

Video to come:

After leaving Jamacia our next destination was to be the British Virgin Islands but we accomplished this in several stages as described in the following blog.

Dingy Loss

The low point of the trip was the previous night at 1 am in the morning in rough seas with a 2m swell we had lost the dinghy. The shackle broke at the engine end and the stern hit the water. Next, the attachment to the floor at the front end ripped off and the dinghy flipped. We were then left with an upside-down dinghy in heavy seas and pitch black blowing 25-30kts. Too dangerous to try and jury rig a hoist to turn it over. As we discussed this the last two lines broke and we lost it. My favourite dinghy was gone. Usually called my racing car!! Very sad. We normally had additional straps on it for long voyages but just hopping from bay to bay around the coast we had got slack and did not think of the additional ties. That with the heavy weather should have sparked our thoughts of the strap but it didn’t. For six years we had sailed with additional straps after a shackle had broken once before. Too late lesson learnt.

Montego Bay

Officials

We arrived late on Sunday afternoon and anchored outside the Montego Bay Yacht Club https://www.mobayyachtclub.com/. Nothing was heard on the radio then. In the morning we called on the phone and told the office that we did not have a dinghy so needed to get a lift on the club boat to do our clearance. The boat duly turned up and the club assisted with all the paperwork. The staff at the club were always very helpful.

Unfortunately, our Yacht Registration had expired and our new one from New Zealand had not arrived. The officials in Cozumel had not been worried about it and were amused when I showed them the email from New Zealand saying the office was on holiday for three weeks. Unfortunately, the Jamaicans were more serious and so impounded our yacht until they could see the new form. The process involved waiting for the enforcement team so they could come to the yacht, look at it and then stick a notice on the door of the salon. The club would not let them use the club boat to take us out because they had their own boats! That involved another 2-hour wait until they found their boatman. The whole process took all day.

The next day we shifted onto the marina until we could find a new dinghy. It had to be first thing in the morning while it was calm so we were all up for a 7 am shift. Everyone else was still asleep, but dropping anchor and backing into the berth went well. Unfortunately, we were twice as long as the marina was intended for and we stuck out the end by some distance.

The bows were side on to the wind and by the afternoon the wind was up to 20kts and the bows were falling off. We got Dawson the dock manager out and he took our spare anchor and dropped it upwind right behind another anchored Gunboat catamaran. This anchor at a slightly different angle and tied to the bow instead of the centre of the yacht(b where the normal anchor is) worked well and held the bows up against the wind.

Boat Names

The Jamaican sense of humour.

Dinghy Hunting

The next three days were spent by Hew trying to find a new dinghy and motor somewhere in Jamaica. After much manoeuvering with locals, we located a small temporary replacement in Kingston. An outboard motor was also possible but seemed expensive. Discussions around a delivery from Kingston to Montego Bay ranged from USD700 to 1200!!! from the local mafia.

Dinghy and Outboard

Hew finally found a couple of locals with a pickup and for a fee less than a rental car (and much less than the mafia) they left for Kingston town early Friday morning. His new best friends Yam and David were great entertainment on the 2 1/2 hour drive to Kingston via the coast road and then over the Chinese-built highway toll road which runs north-south across the island. Fabulous road and high over mountainous terrain through central Jamaica although the tolls are quite steep for the locals at about USD10 each way. The journey was accompanied by explanations of how Jamaica worked and questions about New Zealand.

Arriving in Kingston we tracked down the company with the dinghy via google maps and local instructions – the local creole is essential. After a few wrong turns and trips down some “interesting streets” we found Marine Supplies and our dinghy, it turned out they had lots of them. Yam and David were insistent that we inflated the dinghy before accepting it and the mission was completed, onto the back the pickup it went. Next the outboard motor. David decided that Yamaha was too expensive and Yam thought we needed a local deal. With both of them on phones to everyone they could think of we finally ended up at an outboard mechanic working out the back of a steel fabrication shop who had a good deal on a Parsun 15hp. We then followed him for 20 minutes across town to another warehouse/shop which appeared to sell fans, air conditioners, water heaters, generators, and as it turned out Parsun outboard motors.

VAT Free

I next discovered that licensed fishermen do not have to pay VAT on “fishing equipment” and consequently we are now the proud owners of an outboard bought on David’s fishing license. Apparently, these licenses became very popular during Covid lockdowns as fishermen were allowed to go about their business. Once again David made sure it all ran properly before we took delivery.

The next stop was Duraes, the local chandlery as David was sorting some trailer parts. This operates out of a suburban house with no signage with Durae and his daughters running the operation which started over 30 years ago. It is one the larger and best-stocked chandlery I have seen spread over the rooms of a house and various lean to add ons. A proper Aladin cave of boat stuff.

Lunch

By now it was mid-afternoon and everywhere was a traffic jam and we were looking for lunch, David and Yam were starving. Doughnuts from a street seller were a sugar high only. I then discovered Kentuck Fried is a big deal in Jamaica, apparently, the store in Montego Bay is the biggest KFC store on the planet! After being passed by a police pickup with lights and sirens and a new fridge on the back (an emergency delivery of a beer fridge?) we found a KFC. It certainly is popular with a constant inside queue of 12 -14 people and a further 15 – 20 cars in the drive-in queue.

Police & Traffic

Once we were all fed it was back to Montego Bay which became a nearly 4-hour journey with traffic jams and hold-ups along the way. Lots of police everywhere including guys on motorcycles in dark uniforms, guns and balaclavas obscuring their faces. Generally traveling in groups of 3 they roared up and down the traffic..

The major hold-up was a village with a single set of traffic lights and a Reggae music festival. No guns, knives, or alcohol but joints and vegetarian food are freely available.

Finally, back at the yacht club, the boys decided we needed to launch the dinghy that evening and James appeared in time to be the test pilot. An 8′ dinghy with 15hp is slightly overpowered but we had transport again.

New Registration and Cruising Permit

We finally got the new registration form from New Zealand on Wednesday night so I took it into the club on Thursday morning and expected the officials back that day to release the yacht so that we could then apply for a cruising permit. No sign of them Thursday. Friday I was told they would be there in the morning. The person responsible finally turned up at 1600 on Friday. Apparently, I was told that the person who wrote out the ticket had to take off the ticket! Unfortunately, she had given a copy of it to Hew and she wanted that bit of paper. He had gone to town with it in his wallet and the official would not accept that the copy on the yacht was enough. Therefore it was delayed to Saturday.

Saturday another official turned up and as we were talking I explained that I needed the form for the cruising permit. The cruising permit took all day to organise between trying to pay for it and using the office to call the officials to process the permit on a Saturday. When it finally arrived it was for a steamship!!! (The one below was for Port Antonio and I had not thought to take a photo of the one from Montego Bay. You have to check in and get a new one at each port!! )

J22 Sailing

With all the delay I could not go to the J22 briefing so could not sail. Off the boys went and I was delegated to help with the starts!! Still, it was a good place to get some fun photos. The races were fairly casual but lots of fun. Hew and James were on different boats and the wind really got up.

Doctors Cave Beach and the Hip Strip

We got out of the marina late Sunday morning and took off across the bay to Doctors Cave Beach. It was a great feeling to be out of the marina and in clean fresh water and away from the afternoon wind. We parked not far from Marguerite’s Cafe and restaurant https://www.margueritesjamaica.com/ and went in for dinner because you can take the dinghy to their pier. It was a very nice relaxing place. If you are a cruise cat/boat you can tie up there and use the water slides as well.

We stayed the night and then returned to the marina the next day to complete the checkout before leaving.

Cruise ships

Montego Bay can handle 2 or 3 cruise ships at a time and they are huge. Right in front of the club is the turning area for these ships. The area is marked by lit buoys and you have to anchor behind the line. The larger ships get very close as you can see from these photos.

On the day after the races the club was hosting the Pineapple cup https://www.pineapplecup.com/so we watched the first boat come in and went to the welcoming party at the invitation of the club. The other two yachts had not arrived as it was a slow passage. One arrived in the middle of the night and as we at 6 am departed we passed the last boat as it sailed down the coast.

Discovery Bay

Departing Montego Bay in the Quiet of the morning we thought we would be able to carry the light winds and calm seas for half the day which would get us to Ocho Rios. Unfortunately, the wind and sea came up faster and so we decided to pull into Discovery Bay instead and then depart the following evening for a night passage to Port Antonio. This was not a planned stop and we were very pleasantly surprised at what a lovely harbour it was. We could have stayed several days.

Jamaica was the site of several James Bond movies and Discovery Bay was the site of “Dr. No,” where the villain’s lair was actually a bauxite storage facility owned by Noranda.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr._No_(film)

While we were there a French yacht that we had come across at Cozumel, then at Montego Bay also arrived. Due to the weather, they had decided to call in and stay for the weekend. They did not have the diesel to motor at all and were waiting for some favourable winds.

The next stop was Port Antonio. kiwiflyingfish.com/2023/03/beautiful-sheltered-port-antonio/

Forts

Shelter Bay Marina is built in the middle of what was Fort Sherman(Fuerte Sherman in spanish). It was the primary defensive base for the Caribbean sector of the Canal, and was also the US jungle warfare training center. The construction was begiun in 1912.

After the decommissioning of the US Army Coast Artillery Corps the forest area was used by the US Army Southern Jungle Operations Training Center (USARSO). In 1951 JOTC was founded and used to train Central American and US forces in jungle warfare, with an enrollment of approximately 9,000 a year. JOTC also taught a 10-day aircrew survival course, open to all branches of service, and a four-week jungle warfare engineer course. It was handed over to Panma in 1999. The fort included 23,100 acres  half of which was jungle. Further information on the Fort Sherman History:http://www.czimages.com/CZMemories/VAP/Sherman/fort_sherman_index.htm

In 2008 Fort Sherman was used in the filming of James Bond movie Quantum of Solace. 5

Many of the ruins can still be seen walking along the various paths from the marina but they are becoming heavily overgrown. There is still a small runway used by light planes and helicopters and the Panamanian border control forces still use some parts of the seaward end of the base

The jungle is taking over the concrete structures as can be seen in the photo below. This tree is growing directly on top of the concrete with the roots branching our across the structure.

To get an overall impression of the area here is a short video that James obtained using his drone. https://youtu.be/lIQTSWCReBU

Art

Inside various parts of the ruins are pieces or art work.

Flora

The trees in the jungle around Shelter Bay are huge as are the palms – about twice as tall as we have seen before. All have very straight trunks and a very high canopy. There is little undergrowth.

Fauna

Animals

There are hundreds of birds and animals in the jungle around Panama and if you would like to read further about them there is a good guide online https://www.inaturalist.org/guides/10921

Here are only a few that we managed to catch on camera. The monkeys fly through the tops and you can hear them crashing around when they are moving. They are fascinating to sit and watch and try and figure out what they are up gto.

On the track close to the rubbish bins in the marina, we found a whole family of Coati digging on the track to find insects.

Birds

There are so many birds but many were hard to get a photo of so here are only a few. I hve not yet managed to get a good photo of a Toucan though I have seen several. They are just too high up in the trees. More information is available at https://www.inaturalist.org/guides/10890

The hawks spend hours each day soaring over the marina and they are marvelloous to watch with their pinions spread so wide. It was the first one I had seen actually in the bush stopped on a branch.

The little swallows are also great to watch as long as they do not decide to nest in the boom or covers. They also love to fly over the pool and dip down and catch a sip of water, even when you are sitting in the pool watching. Unfortunately they are so fast I have not been able to get any photos/videos of this activity.

Insects

Sometimes one forgets the insects in the jungle so I thought I should include a few of these for you. There are many butterflies on all the flowers especially on the edge of the jungle.

There are four types of termites in Panama and we found thier activities in the jungle fascinating. They were very busy termites. We traced bacck the path they had formed on the track – it looked like an animal path but was formed by the termites. They were carrying pieces of freshly cut leaves and some dried leaves. Following them back we came upon a tree with the current nest in it, we can only assume the were off to build a new one.

Yacht Maintenance Progress

For those of you who are wondering about our progress of getting out of the marina to do some cruising – it has been slow. We were looking good at the end of the first week here with only two issues left to sort out. The freezer probe is not working correctly so we are having to turn it on and off manually but we are having problems trying to get a new probe.

The new set of starboard batteries were put in the day after on friday but unfortunately one of the wires was not put back as it was originally. This caused a fire on the switch board and since then we have and a week trying to sort it out.

The wiring diagram for the yacht is the original from the date it was launched in 2004 and many other items additional, and replacement, have been added since. The result is that the wiring is a birds nest with many unlabelled wires and wires in the wrong places. We have now had to replace not only wires on the starboard side but some on the port side and we still have a few to go. The chief engineer is not enjoying being stuck in the engine room with 35 degrees and 80% humidity.

The electrical gods have not been kind to Eleuthera with a combination of old age, microwave and washing machine, lightning, Raymarine switches, freezer thermostat probe, wind generator controller, battery charger and starboard house batteries and operator error replacing some cables after a fire!! Apart from the washing machine (we bought a new microwave from NZ) we are mostly repaired having managed to find various technical support here in the marina. All outside technical people come from Panama an hours drive away and are generally very expensive – the refrigeration guy was quoted at USD 180 per hour through the boatyard!

A bonus of our delay has been the arrival of some German/Austrian friends Beate and Bernard. We met them originally in Sicily and have stayed in contact for several years. We last saw them in the Canary Islands as we were about to set sail for the Caribbean. Great to catch up and share experiences and enjoy their company again.

Hopefully we will return to cruising in the coming week.

Arrival and First Day

We arrived just after daybreak, which was the first time to arrive in daylight at a new port for a long time. The wind had died away and the reflections were lovely. A complete change in weather with high mountains inland and we are now south of the trade winds which have been with us since leaving the Cape Verde Islands.

We contacted the port control and after the usual questions, they welcomed us to Colombia. It was the first of many welcomes and smiles, from the Port, the marina staff, the marina office, and numerous men who work on the boats. It made you feel that you really were welcome.

This was the first continent we had been on for 6 months. High-rise buildings, a big port, and many ships and tugs. Coal and grain are shipped out of Santa Marta. A bit of a culture shock after small Caribbean islands with tourism as the main industry.

The wind had died just as we got close so we put on the engines and suddenly there was a burning smell. Stopped the engines and looked everywhere onboard for the source with no sign of a problem. We then went to the front of the yacht and you could smell it up there so it was not us on fire. Looking forward and we saw all the smoke haze in the distance. We were wondering what sort of place Santa Marta was going to be!

The Marina

The area around the marina is quite pretty but the roads drain straight onto the beach and the water is full of rubbish. It does not feel very clean to swim in. They still fish here in the evenings though and the egrets seem to find it OK to fish as well!!

The Santa Marta marina is modern and has very wide pontoons so they can drive golf carts down the, plus a helipad. There is also a fuel dock and boatyard area for maintenance and many workers around to clean and polish your boat, organise taxis and trips and fix sails or flags. The staff are welcoming, helpful and knowledgeable, and available every day of the week.

All the trolleys on the marina are 3 wheels and a good height. The Wifi is the best we have had anywhere, fast and free, which was great for catching up on blogs. Unfortunately that is not true for Shelter Bay, Panama which is slow on the phone or or wifi.

Currency and Income

According to the World Bank Colombia is one of the most unequal countries in the world with the 10% richest people having 46 times more money than the average of the other 90%. As you look around the town you can see indications of this disparity.

There are around 4000 Colombian Pesos to the USD. Hew felt for the first time in his life he was a millionaire twice in one day. As you may guess, although most things such as food items are cheap, the cash does not last long. The only country where we have taken out 1.5 million of the currency from an ATM.

We had two locals cleaning all the stainless on the yacht which was quoted as USD 250 a day’s work for two men – 1,000,000 Colombian pesos(COP). Lunch was 35 USD. 140,000COP. The ATM produces 50mille notes(50,000). The office told us that one American thought they were 50COP notes and was handing them out as tips- everyone was very happy until he discovered his error.

Colombian pesos get down to 100 peso coins as the smallest denomination – 2.5 US cents.

Lunch on the square

After getting some money from one ATM machine, the first only gave 300,000COP, so we had to go to another to get some more. Also, the banks and some of the ATM machines shut for lunch!! So we sat down to a long lunch on the square to await the opening of the banks.

Walk Around Town

Around the waterfront there are wide promenades and modern landscaping, but just off the waterfront you go to narrow old streets.

Around town there are mostly local tourists with a few foreigners like us. Local language is Spanish, not our strong point. Luckily we met a Swiss couple Gerald and Brigette. Gerald is an ex Swiss Air pilot, part Spanish, so fluent in Spanish plus fluent in French, German, and English as well.

Restaurant Area

There are many restaurants – most fairly small, seating 10-20.

Parks

Parque Bolivar has two monuments one to Simon Bolivar considered the liberator of Colombia and the other is the oldest fountain in Santa Marta built in 1848 – dedicated to Persephone.

Narrow Streets and Small Cars

Central City buildings

There are buildings of every sort in town and every style, old and new, vitorian, art deco, spanish. There seems to be a move to retain many of the old buildings for government offices which ensures their restoration and retention.

Boutique hotels

Art

Continuing the commentary on the street art in various countries, here is the local Santa Marta art. It is iinterting to observe all the local styles, and themes.

Dive trip, Isla de la Aguja

I was down looking for a courtesy flag and happened across a dive shop so we booked in and off we went to two dives sites near Isle de la Aguja. The water was rather murky due to the recent rain so I did not have high hopes of a good dive, but the soft and hard corals were fabulous. Both of the dives were “drift” dives in quite strong currents and the second dive, called “the exit” was all brain coral. Huge growths and a huge variety of colours. Unfortunately any photos at a distance were difficult due to the lack of clarity but here are a few photos that are reasonable. Usually the slower the dive the more you see, but in a drift dive you do not have much time to stay and look at one spotwithout being left behind, especially when the visibility is low!

Fish

Coral

The corals come in a huge variety of shapes and colours. When diving deeper you loose some of the colours. Close in (<30cm)the lights bring back the colours but further away they do not have much effect. Hence some of the larger picktures look as though they are lacking in colour. Also, although I have tried to name all the corals from interest, I am no expert and there could be errrors, if so please let me know.

Fire Corals

Branching Corals

Brain

Gorgonians – Soft Coral

Plate

Star Coral

Flower

Crayfish

Moray

Clam

Worm

Sponges

Vase

Most other dive sites the vase sponges were thin and delicate at this site, apart from some very small ones, they were huge and thick. Quite a different appearance.

Algae

Dinner in a local restaurant

When we got back from diving it was very hot so we spent the afternoon relaxing ahead of going out to dinner with Gerald and Brigitte. We had a recommendation for a good local restaurant for the next night so off we went to Quasimo. The art on the outside and the inside was done to reflect local activities and food and were very good. The menu was good and nice wine. Unfortunately, halfway through dinner Hew had to leave as he felt sick and later Gerald also had stomach problems. The next day we had booked a trip inland for all of us to Minca and neither of the boys could go. They both had the beef!!

Inland to Minca

The trip to Minca was by taxi to the town and then a new driver and 4WD for the rest of the trip. Minca was originally guerilla territory and was closed off to everyone, except locals. Following the ceasefire by the paramilitary and guerilla groups over the last several years, Minca was by backpackers and then eventually opened up to host visitors. Most of the visitors are still from Colombia, especially since Covid, all learning about their own country. Minca has a museum and many interesting sites in the surrounding hills but we only had time to do two waterfalls and La Victoria coffee plantation.

The rainforest was spectacular and very luscious. Apparently, it rains for about 2 hours every day and we saw that towards the end of the trip. Some of the trees and plants were huge – about twice the size we usually see for the same plant. The giant bamboo was enormous and planted along the edges of the steep roads to hold them up and stop slips. This is true rain forest country.

La Victoria Coffee Plantation

The plantation is 600 acres and 12 families live on the plantation full time. The electricity for the machinery in the plantation buildings and all the homes are supplied from a small hydro generator. Much of the machinery was installed around 1900 and is still operating today, lovingly maintained by the operators who are descendants of the original owners. The coffee is flavoured by the trees growing around the plants the Arabica coffee grown here is known for its slight mango favour. They also believe it is freshened with the sea breezes that flows up form the coast.

During the harvest the beans are hand picked and carried in the plastic bucket shown below. When this if full it weighs 14kg, and they then empty it into the wooden collection box. The large one when full contains 86kg of beans – a worker can fill 4-6 of these in a morning. Along with the families who live here there are usually 90 extra workers housed on the plantation for the harvesting.

From the trays the beans go into the sorter by water movement. All movement of the beans is by water pressure, then later air pressure using a venturi effect.

The top 20% of the beans are retained and roasted on the plantation under their label. The rest are sent to wholesalers. They grade into three levels, top, medium, and lower. The top beans are dried inside in the driers which takes 24 hours and the rest are dried outside which can take up to 4 days depending on whether it rains. In the smaller plantations they dry the beans in the roof of the houses. The humidity needs to be right – between 10-12%, too much and you get fungus and too little and there is less flavour.

Then the jelly is removed and quality checked – where they float in the water. The heavier the coffee bean the better quality. then the skin and sugar.

All the machinery is maintained by those working on the farm over the 8 months when there is no harvest. Although very old it s in beautiful condition.

They grow their own replacement plants. The plants will begin fruiting in three years and fruit for 15-20 years. They also grown their on fruit and vegetables on the plantaion.

All the parts of the plant that are not used go into the mulch including the pods, and the skins etc. The first stage of the mulch outside takes 8 months then it is hand cleaned and placed in the toughs seen undercover. When ready it is taken to drop off points by cart and then carried up around the plantation in back packs.

The plants flower in March and April for two days and the hills look white form all the flowers.

Swimming Holes – Pozo Azul

These two pools and the area around are very popular with the locals and people from Santa Marta. There are many restaurants in the area that cater to all the visitors, especially on the weekends. You can either walk down or pay for a motorcycle either to yourself or get a lift on one.

As mentioned earlier they use giant bamboo here to hold up the sides of the roads – it is very effective.

The swim in the pool was very refreshing after a long hot morning.

If a busload of tourists arrive they have to pay for a lifeguard service.

Waterfall Las Casadas de Marinka

This time we walked up to the waterfall and our driver stayed behind. We could see why later but it was worth it.

A selection of the flowers on the track. The area around the waterfall was well maintained.

Just as we were getting ready to leave the afternoon rain shower happened. It poured. We sat for about 45 minutes waiting for it to slowdown. We watched one of the staff pull the boards retaining the pool water out by hand just before the water flooded over the wooden decking. The pool was anoted as 1.2m when we swam in it, it rapidly rose about 60cm and as the shower was easing it was showing the gravel bottom in places. They obviously need the wooden dam for the number of visitors they have.

After that we just travelled back down the hill and then out to Santa Marta, unfortunately due to the delay with the weather we did not have time to stop in the town which we would have liked to and both of us were wet from the rain so decided to head straight back.

Departure

We reached the marina to find the boys were better but not brilliant. After delaying our departure for another day of resting, it was time to leave. Diesel was (USD 65c per litre) so we filled up expecting to have considerable motoring time on the next leg, and then set off for Panama with a forecast for little wind.

We hope to return to investigate Minca town again, the Tayrona National park, the bird watching and the lost city ruins. We would highly recommend the area.

There is a very strong Dutch influence and we met several people who had arrived from the Netherlands and stayed as well as numbers of dutch holidaymakers. Along with large numbers of American businesses, Resorts with private access to the beach it seems the locals are not entirely integrated. The locals we did have the chance to meet were great and very friendly and full of information.

Willemstad

Willemstad town like a game of rugby is in two halves on either side of the main harbour entrance: Punda on the SE side and Otrobanda on the NW side. The fort sits at the entrance on both sides.

Behind the Rif fort, there is a pretty facade of old Dutch buildings.

But further back many are in decay. The fort has now been turned into restaurants and shops both inside and outside the walls.

Waterfront arches are the old wall with restaurants on the seaward side. The building behind the sign is falling apart.

Building Styles and Colours

The yellow coloured walls and ceramic tiles are a common colour theme. Many of the government buildings and offices are repurposed older houses.

Many of the buildings have ornate plaster decorations.

Jewish Area

The first Jewish immigrant arrived in 1634, then other Sephardi Jewish immigrants followed in the 17th Century from the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain. The community was very prosperous. In the 20th century, Ashkenasi Jews came from Eastern Europe. There is a very good history on Wikipedia. The houses in the Jewish area are being restored in a project between the government and businesses. This has been a great success and is ongoing.

Workers cottages on the main road out of town.

Street Art

There is one area of the old town especially full of street art, although there is a lot of street art all over Curaçao it is different to Bonaire. Some are very good and I would have liked to spend more time looking around the art in all the different areas.

One common theme here is the Chichi doll. Chichi is the Papiamentu word for ‘big sister’. and represents a vibrant, dynamic and responsible older sister, the eldest daughter of the family. She binds the family together in a loving and caring way. The dolls adorn the touristy shops, the art, and even underwater sculptures!!

Lack of Service but Colourful Businesses

The people are either very nice or trying to rip you off. You can buy very good fruit and vegetables at the markets in town, very expensive fruit and vegetables at the supermarket, and get ripped off( tried by some but not all) if you try and buy some at the stalls on the edge of the roads.

Fees to take money out of ATM extortionate, 7-14USD to take USD from foreign credit or debit cards out depending on the bank. Even though the ATM may look beautiful!!

Service is the exception rather than the rule, though when you do find a good restaurant it is good. Iguacu and The Grill at Punta, The Pier at Caracas Bay, and Jaanchie(walking talking menu) were all good values.

Willemstad Harbour

They have two lovely major harbours but the one near the town is for oil refining and cargo. The harbour reeks of petrochemicals and despite lower activity in the area, there is no sign of any clean up going on.

There is an old Queen Anne footbridge across the harbour entrance that is motorised at one end and can be partially or fully opened at any time to let boats through as shown in the photos earlier. It is an 1888 floating pontoon bridge and pivots on one end with the other end now motorised. Sometimes opening only partially for small craft and right open for big ships. When it is fully open for an hour or so a free ferry service operates across the harbour.

Further inland is the new hugely high motorway bridge—a huge contrast.

Spanish Waters / Caracas Bay

The cruising port, Spanish waters in Caracas Bay, is very large but you are restricted to anchoring in certain areas. The rest of the harbour includes an area reserved for mangroves and much of the other shoreline is private houses and beaches.

Despite having some fantastic sheltered harbours and a large number of local boats Curacao is not set up or really interested in cruising boats like us. There is a small boatyard and marina in the main harbour where some cruisers moor or haul out for the offseason and another small marina in Spanish Waters. The only other option is anchoring in Spanish Waters with many liveaboards scattered around the harbour. Access ashore is a wet dinghy ride to a small dock.

A selection of the houses around the harbour – large and small.

Pontoon around the bay at the entrance protects it from the boat wakes and storms – it also has a great bar there.

Immigration, Customs, Harbourmaster and Cruisers

To make life harder for cruisers The immigration and customs are 10 km from the Spanish Waters dingy dock and 2km apart on opposite sides of the main harbour entry. Buses are few and far between so you need either a rental car or a taxi which are exorbitant.

To get a cruising permit you also need to visit the pilots’ office which is near immigration and they will give you a permit for Spanish waters for 3 months. If you want to anchor in any of the other 6 approved sites you need to pay for a 3-day pass specifying the days. This means planning ahead irrespective of the weather or returning to the office when you decide, therefore, another expensive trip.

Going North

Westpunt area in the north is very nice but a long way in the yacht if you have to come back south 30-40k to check out. By car the rental cars and roads are good. There are a few interesting sites on the way like old plantation houses changed into restaurants, a few sculptures and a few beaches interspersed with failed developments.

Diving

There is diving around the island, a mixture of shore-based and boats. There are many operators and some very good and others not so. Also, several single-person operators are never there when you are trying to find them. In Bonaire, there were utes everywhere with dive gert in the back. Less so in Curaçao but you would not find gearing upon the pavement in the middle of any other city!!

We went diving in Curaçao with Benny and Alice. Benny we met diving in Bonaire and Alice joined us in Curaçao. The shore dive was at Playa Kalki and a boat dive at “Black coral garden” and “Watanula”. The diving was good but not many big fish, probably because there seems to still be a lot of fishing around Curaçao. The last dive was spectacular. As usual the further you get from the regular dive sites the better.

Another favourite activity is cliff jumping from right outside the restaurant.

Klein Curcaçao

We decided we had to get out of Spanish waters with their grey skies, wind and murky water. So we headed off upwind to a little island that is used by tourist boats and locals as day anchorage only. There are moorings which we did use with an extra rope tied on!! What a change of scenery!!

Since we were out in clean water again the washing needed doing, but in such pleasant surroundings it is not a problem.

The island was a paradise for seabirds until the 19th century when an engineer found it was covered in phosphate. from 1871 to 1886 they removed 90 tonnes of phosphate and shipped it to Europe. The island was left bare and a few meters lower. It took the seabirds a long tie to return but they have never reached the same numbers as before. In the 17th century, licences allowed people to catch and slaughter Caribbean monk seals – they are now extinct. the island was also used as a place to leave sick slaves before transferring the rest to Curaçao – they often died here. A very sad history for the island

The original lighthouse was built in 1877, destroyed in a hurricane, the current one was built more in the centre of the island but it is now derelict. There are also two wrecks on the island.

Cruise Operators

No one lives on the island but there are various structures belonging to several different tour groups. Mermaid takes out 130 people per day, St Anne Cruisers 70ppd, 3 other catamaran companies probably total about another 60ppd.

Wildlife

The island is supposed to be a turtle sanctuary but with that many people visiting every day I am not sure how the turtles get on!!

The sand on the leeward side is as fine as talcum powder, very beautiful and snorkelling or diving very easy as the reef drops straight down off the shore.

Ashore are various lizards, seabirds, and even some godwits. All are competing for beach space with the tourists.

We stayed the night, only our boat, a fisherman and a one person on the island keeping watch. Wonderful.

We departed early the next morning on the way back to check out Willemstad.

We checked out, then sailed up the coast to Santa Cruz, stopping for the night then off to Colombia.

Arrival

We had a good sail downwind from Grenada to Bonaire a few dolphins on the first day but not many other fish or birds.

The evening before our arrival we sat in the setting sun on the foredeck and discussed how great the spinnaker has been this year, how often we had used it, and would we replace it before the Pacific.

We went back to the cockpit as the sunset. Five minutes later we hear a ripping sound! Our good old spinnaker split along the head, down both side tape, and then dived under the yacht. A quick disconnect of the autopilot and a turn into the wind and we managed to fish most of it out of the sea and all the sheets. Unfortunately, it will not be going any further. A quiet night under headsail only followed. The next morning for the final few hours we hoisted the main again and sailed into Bonaire in 25kts. We watched dozens of kite surfers have a great day sailing as we passed them down the coast.

An easy arrival into the marina followed then off to customs and immigration. When the paperwork was finished it was followed by lunch at a dock cafe close to the town center.

The cafe juts out over the water and as can be seen below the water even in the center of town is beautifully clear.

Bonaire

Bonaire is administered by the Netherlands and treated as if it was a village(“a special municipality”). There are 20,000 residents. The island is 38.6 kilometers long from north to south, and 5–8 km wide from east to west. The island is much drier and they grow very little so all the food is imported. Therefore fruit and vegetables are more expensive and also depend on what has arrived on a ship and delivered to which supermarket on the day. There are many more large supermarkets and no street stalls.

A Dutch colony of old the main industry here has been salt with large lagoons in the south drying salt. Originally a labour intensive activity with slaves harvesting the salt and loading it onto ships from all over the world. Now it is a highly mechanised operation obvious on arrival with huge pyramids of salt shining in the sunlight with long conveyors to load the ships.

The official language is Dutch but most locals speak Papiamentu and are fluent in English and often Spanish. If you grow up here and want to go to university in the Netherlands then you have to have a very good level of Dutch which most of the locals don’t. The schools are trying to rectify this. The teachers may teach in Papiamentu which the children speak at home but then once the children understand the concepts they need to reply to the questions in Dutch. As you might imagine trying to teach a subject in multiple languages is not without its problems.

The reefs, beaches, and on-island reserves located on both Bonaire and Klein Bonaire are under the protection of the Bonaire National marine park and managed by Stichting Nationale Parken Bonaire (STINAPA). Most visitors come to Bonaire for diving which can be done straight off the beaches or by boat. A common sight is utes driving around with dive tanks in the back as most dive sites are accessed off beaches rather than by boat.

There are over 100 dive sites on the island. The reef is very close to the shore and the colours in the water are as beautiful as those of the houses.

Kralendijk and Colourful Buildings

The waterfront of the main town, Kralendijk, has many very pretty and colourful buildings. The bright colours apparently came about because one of the colonial governors in the early 1800s decided the place needed to be something other than white which he claimed gave him migraines.

Even the courtyards of the cafes are painted and decorated. Many different styles.

There are also many good resorts scattered all the way along the coast, including a new waterways development.

Street Art

One of the most striking aspects of the town is the spectacular street art. This takes the form of painted murals on buildings and painted signs for shops or other notices. Where normally signs are made here they are all painted either on walls or on boards and hung up. Also, there is very artful graffiti. Later we found many more examples around the country. These really tell the story of Bonaire.

Flamingo’s are an island symbol with reasonable numbers living in the lagoons on the south end of the island.

Even the signs of political disagreement are painted.

Marinas, Moorings, and Cruisers

The Marina is adjacent to Harbour Village Resort.

It is quite a small marina next to the main road on the windward side and also an open undeveloped dry estuary. When the wind blows – which did all the time we were in the marina, the dust covers the yacht. The best thing about the marina was the two Pelicans that lived there and easily few around the yacht masts and dived into the middle of the marina catching fish. They were much better flyers than those we saw in Carriacou.

After a few days, we decided to shift out of the marina onto a mooring in front of the town which was far nicer. You can just dive off the boat into clean clear water on the edge of the reef which is very healthy and full of coral. You are not allowed to anchor in Bonaire as the whole island is a reserve. The moorings are placed and maintained by the park but administered by the marina.

There is a cruising community in Bonaire though not as big as Grenada. They also seem to be mostly returnees, Americans, Canadians, and Dutch cruisers. There are poker nights, dominos nights, and jam sessions. We have only so far made the last social event. They also have a Facebook page.

Nautica runs a small jetty close to a restaurant that is called ” It Rains Fishes”. They allow the cruisers to tie their dingy up there and drop off rubbish. The restaurant also has beautiful food and a lovely view over the harbour.

The next Blog will talk about the famous reef and underwater aspects of Bonaire. There is so much to say and so many photos that I need time to sort them. A third blog will be on a trip around the interior of the island. Enjoy.