March 2004
Along the northern coast of South America.....here is a general view of the Caribbean:
The distance from Trinidad to the Panama Canal is a little less than that from Turkey to Gibralta and we shall have far fewer ports of call along the way.
Our plan is to move from the West Indies to Puerto la Cruz in Venezuela as the trade winds start to weaken and before the hurricane season begins.
Here is Jimmy Cornell's rather sobering summary in his "World Cruising Routes" (Click on the text and a clearer image of the text should appear, - return by clicking the X in the top right corner)
We hope to remain in Puerto la Cruz till at least October when we will consider the progress of the hurricane season
Testigos
1300 Anchored in "Playa Real" an absolutely glorious little anchorage (Chris Doyle calls it the most beautiful in Los Testigos)
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| Sadly the Google image is rather poor |
Evening drinks with T&T on the isthmus sands Perfection.
2 March
At anchor, a few necessary repairs and re-stowing of items not properly secured. It has been a long while since we have actually been at sea!
3 March
0815 Aweigh. Gusty winds 4/5 on the quarter. Genny only. Frequent rain squalls.
1515 Approaching the Porlamar anchorage of Margarita.
1600 At anchor in 4metres. Rather rolly. Ashore for drinks and fairly poor steak at Jaks.
4 March
0615 Decided I was too close to neighbouring boat.....re-anchored in 3m. Slightly better shelter.
A day of shopping and sight-seeing. Not really a very enchanting place. High rise buildings like southern Spain, Some totally empty like parts of the Turkish coast. But unlike either of those countries mangroves and shacks surround them and the "beaches"
5 March
0730 Aweigh Porlamar bound for Pta Mosquito and then southwest towards the Islas Caracas in the Mochima National Park
Mostly before the wind. This entailed a number of sail plan changes, gybing, booming out of the genoa and setting the main fore-guy.
A busy trip but enjoyable and satisfactorily fast especially compared with the cats! We spent the night in a beautiful anchorage among red rocks, acacia and cactus.
6 March
Lovely morning, full moon just setting.
0730 Aweigh..... Motored out from islands then dead run again, main to port and genny boomed to starboard.
1320 Off entrance to Puerto la Cruz marinas
1400 Moored up. Bahia Redonda Marina
And here we shall rest for a while having completed our first 90 degrees
First impressions are most encouraging. It is even possible to compare it to Kemer. And that is the ultimate compliment. About the same size and with fairly similar facilities. Showers and toilets excellent (not quite Kemer standard - but that would be impossible!
7 March. Sunday so I did not venture further afield. I engaged an agent to handle all the formalities as that is reported to be much the easiest way of doing things.
Tidied the boat and spent the rest of the day meeting new neighbours and some of the staff.
