Nuku Hiva to Tahiti

5th June 2009

17.31 S 149.31 W

Since Hiva Oa we have hopped to several anchorages, each with its own charm. On the island of Oa Pou we anchored in a small bay where the harsh, rugged landscape seemed almost close enough to touch and the sound of breaking waves reminded us of the fact even as we rested below. We spent a few days there in splendid isolation, exploring the coastline by dinghy. Visibility in the water was poor so snorkelling wasn’t much fun, but whilst Andy was out one day a large pod of dolphins came into the bay. I watched as they swam close to him on all sides and a youngster leapt out of the water, landing about a meter from his feet. I was so excited as I watched, knowing how he would enjoy such a close encounter, but he didn’t even seen them! He knew that they were there, he could hear their clicks and squeaks and he felt the splashes behind him but with the terrible visibility he couldn’t see anything. How sad is that? As we sailed away from the island we looked back in awe at the impressive view of the island with its soaring mountain spires and towers which are usually hidden in cloud.

We had to motor all the way to the next island, Nuku Hiva, as there was not a breath of wind. We stopped at the main town, Taiohae, where we had arranged to meet up with a group of friends and hire a car for an island tour. The following morning we set out and had a fabulous day enjoying spectacular views as we crossed the mountains. There are huge plantations of pine

trees, stretching across the mountain slopes where rain forest once dominated, which reminded our Kiwi friends of home. We stopped in a small village for lunch and explored a large archaeological site just outside the village. We scrambled over the remains of ‘pae pae’, the stone floors of an ancient sacred site, and saw the ‘Tikis’, carved human figures in wood or stone, standing guard over the ruins. Lots of banyan trees grow amongst the remains; apparently they are sacred trees in Polynesia.

Unfortunately when we got back to the boat we found someone had broken in, they had pulled off one of the hatch covers. Everything had been rifled and about 150 dvds, some money and a few other bits and pieces had been stolen. What a horrible way to end such a lovely day,

although, of course it could have been much worse. Anyway we went to the gendarme to report it the next day; they told us it was the first such incident in over two years. We left the anchorage straight after for Daniel’s Bay.

We stayed in Daniels Bay for over a week. It was so calm and peaceful, surrounded by mountain slopes on all sides. We watched as manta rays glided near the surface of the water each evening, their large fleshy white mouths agape as they filtered plankton and tiny jelly fish from the sea. Trouble was the water was so full of their food that visibility was poor and swimming and snorkelling were not much fun.

On shore there is an old wooden structure that used to be Daniel’s home. Apparently Daniel and his wife Antoinette lived there for 60 years and our friends remember their hospitality from a previous visit to the island 8 years ago. The house is empty now but the garden, now untended, is still teeming with fruit. Whilst there, we picked mango, grapefruit, lemons, chillies and coconuts which would otherwise have gone to waste. The mangoes looked very unappetising with their green skin being streaked with black goo, but they were the best we have ever tasted and they lasted nearly a month. We still have 3 jars of mango chutney in store! The lemons were bursting with flavour and I made some gorgeous lemon curd with those and we dried the chilli and coconut to supplement our stores.

Access to Daniel’s house is solely by boat, there are no roads, and this made the bay an ideal location for one of the ‘Survivor’ series on TV. The only other building there is the structure they built for the contestants, lucky them!

After a scramble across the rocks we were able to get round to the village in the next bay, also apparently inaccessible by road, where the handful of dwellings were surrounded by beautifully kept gardens with fruit trees interspersed with ornamental shrubs and flowers. From there we hiked, with a small group of friends, up to Vaipo waterfall, which, at 610m, is the third highest in the world. It took us 2 hours to get there and involved fording 3 rivers but it was well worth it. After we left the village we followed a rough track through the ‘Valley of Kings’ where we found the remains of an ancient royal settlement. The pae pae were overgrown and largely hidden from view by overgrown banyans and other trees and shrubs.

At the end of the walk we found ourselves in a deep canyon, the walls, only a couple of hundred meters apart, rose up 800 meters into the air. We had to crane our necks to see the top. The waterfall is tucked away in the corner and largely hidden by enormous boulders. In a last effort to get there we crossed yet another stream and climbed up the rocks, Andy stood chest deep in water to help me to get from one rock to the next otherwise I may not have made it, the gap was so wide. Once across we stripped off our outer clothes and plunged into the icy water (well it seemed icy to me!) and swam between the high walls to the base of the waterfall where we were pummelled by the violent shower. Beside the waterfall is a huge cavern, carved out over the years by the water, with a ledge at the bottom where we sat to admire the spectacular setting – until the shrimp starting nipping our bottoms in an effort to remove us from their home!
We had a small picnic whilst we warmed ourselves in the sunshine before setting off on the return journey. As we left the canyon we looked up one last time to see birds of paradise riding the thermals high above us. Perfect!

From Nuku Hiva we went to the Tuamotu island of Fakarava. The Tuamotus are a group of 78 islands, all but 2 being coral atolls, famous for the black pearls cultivated there. The low lying reefs are a huge contrast to the lush Marquises, having only short grass and a few palm trees. We were surprised to find a small supermarket and bakery in the village at Fakarava, but prices are high and I paid $5 US for 2 carrots and 2 tomatoes! The French bread however was a good buy. We moved away from the village, where a number of boats were congregated, and found a deserted spot about 15 miles down the reef where we could enjoy a bit of snorkelling. Ashore we walked across to the windward side of the reef – all of 500m! – and collected cowrie shells along the beach. We had just about got ourselves settled in to atoll life when my tooth flared up again and it was clear that we would have to get ourselves to Tahiti for my treatment. After a quick stop back at the village for more bread we headed out for the 2 day passage. We were lucky that the bad weather we had had over the previous few days had passed and conditions were good for sailing. So with out of date antibiotics from ships stores doing their work we had a fairly good trip down.

As we arrived here we were surprised to see a thick brown fug lying over a petrochemical plant and spreading across to the neighbouring island of Mo’orea. Not the image we expected. Ashore the busy roads and the bustle of the city came as a big shock. However, the main town, Pape’ete, has a certain charm and is very friendly and now we have got over the initial shock I am quite liking it. There appear to be many rich French here and the water front is alive with yachts, dinghies and other water sports, (including some kite surfing) the most popular clearly being the outrigger canoes which are a modern version of the traditional craft.

Anyhow, I have had 3 appointments at the dentist, each of about an hour, to get a root canal done and am feeling much better. The dentist was very nice, he had a great sense of humour and he made me laugh even as he prodded the nerve endings! He had top of the range equipment and was very thorough. I think I was very lucky to have him do the work. Thank Heavens it’s over!

The other good things about Tahiti are that we got our propane tanks filled and the Carrefour supermarket has everything you might need. Some things are even cheaper than in Panama! We paid the same price for a crate of French beer as we paid for the Bilbao in Panama!

We will be moving on tomorrow or the next day to explore the rest of Tahiti and the other Society Islands.

Pacific crossing to Hiva Oa

4th May 2009

09.48 S 139.01 W

After leaving Galapagos without a breath of wind, it took 21 days to cover the 3170 miles to Fatu Hiva, in the French Marquises. We had checked the weather prior to departure and knew we would find some wind after motoring for a couple of hours. In fact we had wind all the way, mostly between 15 and 20 knots, which was very lucky. We did hit one patch of ‘weather’ and had a horrible night of squalls between 40 and 45 knots accompanied by thunder and lightning. Andy stayed on watch for most of the night, handing over to me only when the worst had passed, which was very considerate but frankly, staying below was like being inside a washing machine so there was no rest to be had that night. The weather system stayed with us for a couple more days but the squalls gradually diminished and the sea settled, and soon we were back to normal with no ill effects.

We trailed a fishing line for most of the passage and, after losing 5 lures, we managed to catch one small fish! Yes, in 3000 miles we only managed one! Good job we had loads of corned beef on board. We did get one other small but tasty treat. Each morning we would find flying fish on deck, mostly they were tiny but one was big enough to eat (well, big enough for one very small person anyway) so Andy grilled it for breakfast. It was delicious but, sadly, barely a mouthful.
We kept in touch with our friends on Kachina and Happy Spirit throughout the passage, using the SSB radio. I looked forward to our chats, twice a day, even though there was little to report, and it was good to know that someone out there knew exactly where we were and would be there if needs be. It was also really nice to get a birthday greeting from my son, Tim, via Happy Spirit’s email.

We decided to make our first stop at Fatu Hiva which was a great choice. It was the most spectacular landfall imaginable, with huge, naturally sculptured rocks lining the anchorage. The bay used to be known as ‘The bay of penises’ but missionaries changed the name to ‘The bay of virgins’, that didn’t change the appearance of the rocks though!

There are 2 small villages on the island joined by one road, and only a few hundred people. The rest of the island is mountainous and inaccessible. The houses are mostly of the prefabricated type, similar to ‘Park Homes’ with others are breeze block, so it is quite modern despite being so remote. I guess that is the French influence. There is one small shop, about 4m sq, where they sell basic provisions and a van brings baguettes from the other village each day. The church and the football field are the focal points of village life, both in use every day, and there is a village hall where people can get together. They were rehearsing traditional songs and dances for an upcoming festival during our stay.

It was a fun stop as we had no local money but were able to trade with the islanders who were more than happy to take us into their homes to show us their wares. We exchanged an old mooring line and a pair of sun glasses for a ‘tiki’ a traditional wood carving. We also got a huge supply of citrus fruits for some pencils and note books. Wine and rum are also popular trade items as alcohol is frowned upon in the village and not available, except from visiting cruisers. Certain of the men folk like to visit the boats at the weekend and share a beer!

We did a couple of hikes up the mountain, one to the waterfall where we bathed in fresh mountain water and I got nipped by a fresh water shrimp! The other was up to the top of the hill on the way to the other village. It was very hot and steep but part way up there was a natural spring with a shrine built around it. We filled the water bottle with the best tasting water you could imagine and gave our thanks. Nearby mangos and papayas were growing wild so our bag was quite heavy on the way back.

Our stay was all too short as Fatu Hiva is not a port of entry so we have sailed up to Hiva Oa to check in and get in touch with the world again, stopping first at Tahuata where manta rays swim in large groups to feed. I have also been able to visit a dentist here as I have been suffering toothache for the past few days. I had an x ray, an anaesthetic and a temporary filling for free! An unbelievable service on such a small island, trouble is I have to get to Tahiti within the next month to complete the treatment. That will keep us moving.

Galapagos

13th March 2009

00.53 S 089.36 W

The trip to Galapagos took 7 days and was fairly uneventful, apart from crossing the equator of course, when we broke the rules and had a can of beer with which to toast Neptune! We had mostly light winds, although we had one day with up to 30 knots, and the last day we had 0 knots and had to motor. For me the surprising thing was the cold nights. How come that as we are sailing close to the equator the nights are feeling colder?

We saw a few dolphins on the way and a pod of 3 whales close enough for us to hear the blow from their spouts! We arrived at San Cristobal, one of the Galapagos Islands, on Friday. It was fabulous coming down the coast. The island is volcanic and we could see several craters of various sizes. The land looked pristine and there was no sign of human habitation until we arrived close to the town and anchorage at Wreck Bay. We were pleasantly surprised when we arrived by the very warm, friendly atmosphere and the quirkiness of the buildings, most of which are unfinished, we think because they have to pay tax once work is complete. Despite Galapagos having a huge tourist industry there is no sign of large resorts or hotels and the anchorage is largely occupied by fishing boats with a small number of yachts and tourist boats. The regulations for yachts are strict, we cannot go to any other anchorages and we are only allowed to stay for 3 weeks, probably a good thing or no one would leave!

One of the first things we noticed, as we looked for space to anchor, was the seals sunning themselves from some of the other boats. On some of the fishing boats there were possibly a dozen or so! And one of the yachts had 2 in residence on their swimming platform. Once we were set we were able to watch as some of them played in the water beside the boat. They are as agile as dolphins as they dive and leap out of the water and their speed is unbelievable.

We did an island tour on the first day. After driving almost the length of the island and walking around the reservoir, a volcanic structure which provides most of the island’s water, we visited the Giant Tortoise Sanctuary where they have a captive breeding programme to try to ensure the survival of this dying species, for which the Galapagos are named. The young tortoises are kept in pens to protect them from the feral cats, dogs and rats who find them to be a tasty treat. The larger ones roam freely on the surrounding land but tend to keep close to the ponds provided by the sanctuary, where they can drink and find shade. Some of them are huge and grow up to 90 kilos! They are amazing creatures and, it seems, a little grumpy. We witnessed one or two incidents of tortoise bullying, where the big boys threw their weight around and moved others on with much clashing of shells.

We went on to see the marine iguanas down on the coast and on the nearby beach we found young sea lions playing in the shallows. This beach is about 3 miles from town so we have been back a couple of times, in the early evening, to swim and snorkel, usually with only a couple of other people around. The young sea lions seem to enjoy coming out to play and swim around, nipping our fins and performing their aquabatics within touching distance! Priceless!! Fortunately the big ones keep well away – otherwise I think we would have to! As if that isn’t enough the bay is also home to turtles and we have seen up to 20 in there at one time, they come in all sizes with deep shells up to about 4ft long. They seem unconcerned by our presence and carry on as though we were not there. I expect we will walk out there a few more times before we are done.

We have been hiking up the volcanic paths, along the coast, to see the birdlife, particularly the Blue Footed Boobies who can be found on the rocks, usually in pairs. Their feet are a beautiful shade of light blue and very distinctive. We also went on a dive at kicker rock hoping to see the hammer head sharks but sadly visibility was poor and we were disappointed. A second dive at Isla Lobos had us back in the water with the seals and it was fun as they were attracted in large numbers to play in our air bubbles. There were also marine iguanas under the water feeding on the grassy rocks.

Galapagos has been a wonderful stop but, unfortunately we won’t be visiting the other islands in the group as we would need to buy a special permit, I expect we will sail close by on our way out though and see as much as we can from the sea.

Our next passage is 3200 miles to French Polynesia and we expect to be at sea for at least 3 weeks, maybe more as the winds will probably be light. We are looking forward to it, but we still have another few days here to enjoy before then!

Panama Canal

15th January 2009

09.20 N 079.54 W

We arrived in Colon to prepare for the transit fully expecting to have to wait some weeks before being allocated a slot. However, we found that there was, in fact, little waiting time and within a week we were booked to go. We had to find 4 line handlers to help us through and were delighted when ‘Happy Spirit’, who we had first met in Grenada, turned up and offered to help, in exchange for our help on their crossing. Along with Richard, from ‘Kachina’ we left Colon at about 5.30 in the evening on 23rd January. We were quite excited, and a little nervous as we set off. We transitted with 2 other yachts rafted up together, with us being on one side and the centre boat being in control. We went into the locks behind a large ship and the transit began. It is a little worrying to have an unknown skipper in charge of your boat’s safety, particularly when he and his crew are wearing little more than thongs, and there were a couple of tense moments, but all in all it went well. There are 3 locks going up, each taking us up about 30ft, to Gatun Lake where had to tie up to a buoy for the night.

In the morning we set off to motor across the lake, which took about 4 hours. There are another 3 locks going down and into the Pacific Ocean. I can hardly believe it!! A couple of days later we caught a bus back to Colon to do the transit again, as agreed, with ‘Happy Spirit’. It was a more relaxed affair for us, as the responsibility was theirs this time, and we had a lot of fun.

Our first Pacific stop was at La Playita, a couple of miles from the canal, where we needed to stock up for the long journey ahead. After arriving in a very positive frame of mind we were quite disappointed to find that there was a lot of unrest in the anchorage, with the dinghy dock owners refusing to allow dinghies to tie up. They charged $5 per day for the privilege of using the dock, but as so many people had not been paying and the dock was overrun with dinghies they decided that they didn’t want us there. This meant that we were virtual prisoners on the boat for a few days. There was no other way of going ashore apart from the marina around the headland and the weather was too rough for that to be an option. We just had to sit tight whilst the dock owners tried to find a solution to the problem. It was a bit expensive to go shopping there with the dock fees and taxi fares but we eventually got all that we needed (I hope!!) and headed off as soon as we could with Chinook wallowing a couple of inches below her normal waterline, with the weight of full tanks and several months supplies.

Las Perlas

14th February 2009

08.36 N 079.04 W

From La Playita we headed for Las Perlas Islands, a largely uninhabited and unspoilt group of islands just off the coast of Panama. They were a real treat after the hectic time in Panama and although we did a lot of hard work on the boat in preparation for ‘the longest passage on the planet!!!!’ we still enjoyed the islands. Our first stop was behind a huge rock at Isla Pacheca, which served as a colony for pelicans and frigate birds and each evening, as they all came in to roost, we were entertained by bright flashes of scarlet as the breeding male frigate birds inflated their crop (on the neck!) to attract the ladies. Very impressive! We stayed for a couple of days and it was here that we discovered the huge reduction in the sea temperature since the Caribbean. It was only 22 degrees!!! We had got used to 32 degrees! Anyway it’s too cold for me, although the dolphins who came to play in the bay didn’t seem to mind. I believe the temperature is due to the Humboldt Current, which comes up from Antarctica.

From there we sailed down to another group of small islands, the wind was so light it took us 6 hours to travel 11 miles – it felt like we were still at anchor! Anyway it was worth it as the sea was so flat and the scenery so beautiful. It was almost like being back in the UK (specially with the sea temperature) as the vegetation looked so similar from the boat and, being dry season, many of the trees had shed their leaves and some of the remaining ones were wearing autumnal colours. The ocean here, unlike the Caribbean, is tidal so we also found the shore to be riddled with rock pools and this too felt like a taste of home.

The water is teeming with life here and it was a common sight to see hundreds of birds in a feeding frenzy.
We anchored at Isla Casaya. Our friends, from Happy Spirit, turned up after a couple of days, and anchored nearby, so we spent some pleasant evenings in their company on the beach, where we built a fire and made a barbeque. One evening, as we waded back out to launch the dinghy, we noticed patterns of phosphorescence as we disturbed the surface of the water. On the way back to the boat we drove round in circles to watch the wake sparkling behind us and then I kicked my feet over the side of the dinghy to watch the explosions of light, like fireworks in the water. It’s just as well that this was so entertaining as we had forgotten to put the anchor light on and had some difficulty finding the boat in the dark!!

We had one more stop on Isle de Rey before kicking off to the Galapagos. Here we found the shore to be rich with fruit trees. Our fresh produce was getting quite low by this point so we were very happy to collect mangos, coconuts and almonds for the journey. Yummy.

San Blas and Portobello

12th January 2009

09.33 N 079.39 W

We left Curacao on 19th December to be in the San Blas Islands for Christmas. We had a pretty good sail apart from meeting ‘green monsters’ as we passed the coast of Cartagena in Columbia, noted for its terrible weather conditions, always at least 10 knots more wind than anywhere else in the Caribbean, and horrible seas. It was a bit uncomfortable but at least it picked up our boat speed and got us into the islands a day earlier than expected, just. We had a mad dash for the last few miles trying to make it in before nightfall. It was looking good and we arrived with an hour to spare, except that at that point the sun disappeared behind cloud and didn’t come out again that evening! We had to anchor quite cautiously in deep water rather than risk the reefs in the half light, but at least we were tied up safely for the night.

As we were rushing to get in we saw dozens of dolphins leaping in from all directions, making their way towards a boiling sea just ahead of us, where hundreds of sea birds were screeching and swooping as they feasted on a bounty of fish. Whilst we watched this feeding frenzy a large fin appeared ominously amidst the melee, moving slowly through the pack, taking his share of the spoils at his leisure. We looked on in awe and when he had had his fill this 20ft whale shark slid elegantly away, passing down the side of the boat within 10ft!!!! The patterns on him were stunning.

The San Blas islands are gorgeous; small, coral islands with palm trees, surrounded in reefs teeming with lobster and crabs. Sadly it was overcast the whole time we were there, but that couldn’t spoil the experience and we had some great snorkelling, meeting several stingrays and nurse sharks on the way.

The local population are the Kuna Indians who tend the islands and fish the reefs. Many of them travel around in small dugout sail boats. It takes several hours for them to cross the archipelago and so they have small camps on some of the island where they can spend the night. The women make beautiful ‘molas,’ which are hand stitched, reverse appliqués, depicting their history and the creatures of their land. They are very beautiful and irresistible!!! From time to time they came around to the boats to show them to us. We were also surprised to find that the Kunas come round twice a week selling fresh fruit and vegetables and wine!! Amazing!

Our first stop on the mainland was at Portobello, where the privateer Francis Drake is said to be buried. They have a slightly different view of him here! Portobello is a lovely little town surrounded in forts which protected the bay and the gold warehouses which, in days of old, held huge amounts of gold and silver from Peru. I really enjoyed scrambling around the ruins here and would have liked to spend more time exploring the area.

With Colon and the canal transit waiting for us we have rushed this part of the journey a bit but, nevertheless, it will remain a special place in our memory.

Puerta La Cruz to Bonnaire

4th November 2008

12.09 N 068.16 W

It took over a month to get to Bonnaire as the cruising in Tortuga, Los Roques and Los Aves was superb, despite the millions of mosquitoes who held us captive below on many an evening. There isn’t enough bug spray in the world, believe me, and I have become a dab hand with the electric mosquito zapper!

Before we left Puerto La Cruz we topped up the fuel and were outraged to have to pay $3 US for 90 litres!

Our first stop was at El Barrocha which is a tiny island known to be the home of vampire bats. We sat in the cockpit in the evening and could hear the bats all around us as they bounced their sonar off the boat, in their search for food. As night drew in so a thunder storm began and the lightening cracked overhead, adding to the slightly spooky atmosphere...hahahahahaaa...... Anyway we kept the screens in place at night just in case!

We had a rolly sail from there to Tortuga, where we found about a dozen French boats had beaten us to the pristine, white sandy coral beach. Still it was beautiful and the water crystal clear. After a couple of days in the main anchorage we moved round to Cayo Herradura – Horseshoe cay – which is about a mile long and was very quiet... until the weekend when suddenly we were inundated with local power boaters from the mainland. On the way out to the reef one day we had a bit of a mishap in the dinghy, we got caught in a breaking wave and flipped over; suddenly I was upside down under water. Bit of a shock but no problem; except for Andy who had to strip the outboard down to get all the salt water out....ooops!

From there we went on to Los Roques where we spent a couple of weeks exploring various atolls. The water was clear turquoise blue around the reefs and it reflected on the underside of the small, white sea birds, giving them an exotic glow. The clouds overhead also picked up the green tint. Very strange.

Our first stop was Noronsqui, where we sheltered from stormy weather for a couple of days as Tropical Storm Omar passed nearby. Noronsqui is made up of 3 little islands joined by reefs which completely surround the anchorage and whilst there was no escape from the wind the reef stole all the power from the sea and kept us safe. It was so well protected we decided to stay a few days and do some boat maintenance, stopping just before sunset each evening to snorkel in the shallows where the turtles came routinely to graze.

Whilst each place we stopped had its own beauty the other most notable one was Elbert Cay. The snorkelling was fabulous. We came across a shoal of over 40 large parrot fish, each one over 2’ long! Parrot fish are common on the reef but usually only about 1’ long, when we do see a large one it is usually alone and will disappear as soon as it becomes aware of us. I suppose it was because there is safety in numbers that these stayed around, their curiosity gradually bringing them close to us. Later, in the same area, we spotted a sandbar shark of about 5-6’. We watched him as he cruised the reef, disappointed as he moved away. Then he turned and came back in our direction. He spotted us and approached to within about 10’ keeping his eye on us as he passed by. I confess I tried to make myself invisible whilst dropping back behind Andy.

After a couple of weeks out, with empty tins piling up on the back deck and the thought of corned beef and mixed veg giving us nightmares, Andy began to have some hunting success and we supplemented our processed diet with fresh fish and lobster. Delicious. One day, whilst trawling a line we caught half a mackerel! Something else got to it before we could reel it in. The tail was gone and the body was covered in teeth marks. We are not proud, the leftovers still made a good meal. The next time we were luckier and Andy pulled up a barracuda which fed us for 3 days.

We had a few days in Los Aves; same old, same old – more gorgeous sandy beaches, blue seas, sunshine....... before heading on to Bonaire. We have been here a few days and have done lots of diving, the corals have been lovely and we have seen spotted eagle rays. It has also been nice to buy fresh vegetables and meat. It has been a bit expensive though so tomorrow we are moving on to Curacao, where we can do some maintenance, get anything we need sent out and enjoy a well earned break from paradise!!

Cubagua to Puerta La Cruz

1st October 2008

10.17 N 064.45 W

After leaving Cubagua we saw only one other cruiser in a month, probably because of the reputation Venezuela has for the attacks on boats. There are many stories of yachts being robbed at gun point and of cruisers being murdered in these attacks. In fact whilst we were out we believe there were at least 2 such incidents, one at an anchorage we had been at only days before. However, these attacks are random and, whilst we were cautious, we decided to stick to our plans and do it anyway. And we are very glad that we did.

First we headed for the Golfo de Cariacou. We sailed in changeable winds towards the coast of mainland Venezuela, shrouded in dark clouds. As we entered the Golfo it was clear that we would have to take the first anchorage as the darkness was deepening. We ducked into Puerto Real just before the rain began and spent a comfortable night there before moving on in the morning to Laguna Grande.

Laguna Grande is a lagoon about 2 miles long, surrounded by hills. It is pretty dry and the bare hills are in shades of red and orange with only cactus and gorse adding splashes of green on the slopes. Clusters of flowering bushes gather wherever the infrequent rainfall cuts a path through the landscape. It is stunningly beautiful and completely protected from all weather. It was only surprising that there was no one else there. We had the whole lagoon to ourselves, apart from the goatherd who came every day to check on his stock. He always had a cheery wave for us as he passed and it was lovely to watch the goats coming down the hills to meet him as he called to them from his pirogue, on his way to shore.

We left Laguna Grande reluctantly after a stay of a couple of weeks and headed into Mochima, which is thought to be a sunken valley and is the beginning of a large National Park which extends from here to Puerta la Cruz. The inlet reaches 4 miles into the surrounding hills and is gorgeous, but couldn’t quite match up to where we had just left! Here there is more rainfall – despite it being only a stone’s throw from our last anchorage – and the hills are much greener. There is a small, pretty village which provides for the many tourists who visit the area but sadly not for those of us needing fresh food!

After Mochima we stopped at El Occulto, which means ‘Hidden Bay’. It is on the mainland but hidden by a group of islands close to the shore and it felt like being back in a lagoon. This truly is paradise. The water is so startlingly clear that we could see the anchor on the bottom in over 40 feet of water. Again we had the place to ourselves, with only a couple of local boats stopping by at the weekend, and only one of those staying overnight.

The snorkelling was unbelievable. Thousands of Christmas tree and feather duster worms inhabit the reef and their blues, purples, reds and yellows give the appearance of baskets of dried flowers. There were so many fish of every variety that it would be impossible to describe them, and each part of the bay provided something different. I even saw my first sea horse, which I have looked for on every dive I have ever done! One of the highlights was the appearance of an octopus. I spotted him as he came up from under a rock. First one tentacle emerged, feeling for an adjacent rock, then, in a flash, the rest of his body followed and wrapped itself over the surface. The stretched out membrane of his body was almost translucent, then, gradually it began to change colour to blend with its host until it was almost invisible, only the occasional movement of his eye gave him away. After a minute or two he quickly turned back to his octopus shape and disappeared once more under the rock until he was ready to start the whole thing over again. We watched for some time as he made his way across the reef, totally mesmerised by this strange behaviour. We are truly blessed!

We moved on with heavy hearts, intending to get to Puerta La Cruz but as we passed the next island, Caracas del Este, about a mile into our journey, the view up between the islands just kept calling to us so we had to go in and investigate. Again we were met with outstanding views and just had to stop another night. Another deserted anchorage, more gorgeous views, more fabulous snorkelling. Sometimes life is tough!

Finally we got away and with more than 50 dolphins keeping us company we headed west and stopped at an anchorage just outside the city on the island of Chimana Grande. It was nice, with some interesting and dramatic rock formations, but having been totally spoiled and with civilisation in site in the distance we were perhaps not in a sufficiently positive frame of mind to really enjoy it. We upped anchor early in the morning and came into P la C. Well we are pretty desperate for fresh supplies. It is a huge culture shock, loads of people and pollution; shopping malls and restaurants; and lots of noise. Help!!!

Margarita and Cubagua

12th September 2008

10.56 N 063.49 W

After Los Testigos we went on to Margarita where we could check in to Venezuela. It was quite a contrast from Los Testigos with hundreds of boats at anchor in the large bay at Porlamar and many more tourists enjoying the beach and its restaurants. Pirogues, jet skis and power boats raced by, caught up in the excitement of resort life. As we arrived on a Friday we had to wait until Monday before we could complete the formalities and so we settled reluctantly at anchor. In no time at all we realised that we had several friends already in the anchorage and it was a real treat to catch up with them – particularly Andy’s friend Bruce from RPhurst, with whom he had sailed 10 years ago in Malaysia.

The main benefit of staying in Margarita is the shopping, you can buy anything you need and the prices are good. It was a good chance to stock up on fresh produce, meat and beer for the next part of the journey.

From Margarita we did the short hop to Cubagua. It was a beautiful downwind sail with the Jib poled out. The lighthouse flashed as we rounded the northern point of the island and made our way down the coast to the anchorage where three French boats already sat in front of the small, quiet fishing village. Passing fishing boats waved cheerily welcoming us to the island. In the morning, we snorkelled on a wrecked car ferry, which lies on a shoal, less than half a mile from the lighthouse. The clear water allowed us to see down to about 40 feet, our vision clouded only by the thousands of fry dancing as one beneath us. The ferry was wrecked in the 70s and the rusty, steel bones of its carcass still jut from the water whilst its rotting innards lie below. One can make out the winches and capstans; gas cylinders and trolleys. Huge numbers of fish inhabit the wreck and it would have been a very nice dive site. It is said that cars can still be seen in the hold but we didn’t get down that far and doubt that any bodywork has survived this long in the salt water.

Los Testigos

9th September 2008

11. 22 N 063. 08 W

After a beautiful moonlit sail, from Grenada, in almost ideal conditions we arrived at the remote islands of Los Testigos. Here time has stood still. There are only a few dwellings in this small fishing community which is accessible solely by boat and travelled only by foot. The people here do have their own school and church but shopping and medical care necessitates a trip to the mainland. The sea is clear and sparkling blue and the light is pure. The air is filled with the songs of cicadas and the occasional outboard on a passing fishing boat. Hundreds of frigate birds silently ride the thermals, gliding so high they become mere specks in the sky.

We arrived at this unspoiled, tropical paradise on a fiesta day! The quiet village on Isla Iguana Grande was inundated with visitors. A campsite had taken over the foreshore and the Polar beer tent hosted guests from the mainland and locals alike. Music and laughter blotted out the peace and tranquility. Pirogues raced round the islands as their passengers squealed in delight. Revelers spilled out to Isla Langoleta where they cooled off at Playa Real, sipping cold drinks as they stood waist deep in the cool waters of the Caribbean Sea. As the last light of the day faded an explosion of fireworks filled the air, promising a night of celebration. But as darkness descended peace returned to the anchorage and, thankfully, the promised party failed to disturb us.

The following morning we set out to explore Isla Langoleta. The rocky islands are mostly scrub land, harshly pruned by the goats that roam there, and littered with thousands of cacti. We followed a goat track to the top of the hill where we enjoyed magnificent views towards Isla Conejo with its nesting birds. We soon discovered how the prickly pears were spreading so effectively across the landscape, their barbed spikes gripped our skin, forcing a section of plant to break away and be carried to a fresh area. A task normally performed by the goats, I assume. As we clambered back down, startled hermit crabs froze in their tracks, waiting for the danger to pass. Dozens of them were gathered in the shade of a tree, all sporting stylish snail shells in matching colours. Further along the shore an imperious iguana surveyed his rocky outcrop as sea birds flew above him, unaware of his obvious importance.

Later in the day we took a dinghy ride over to Isla Calentador, a rocky lookout for pelicans and boobies. Here we tied up to a buoy marking fish traps and donned our snorkel and fins. The impressive fan coral garden was a delight and a multitude of various reef fish hurried about their business. Visibility was about 20 meters in the pristine water and it was clear that this would be a beautiful dive site. Sadly, however, scuba diving is banned in this area and we had to satisfy ourselves with snorkeling and free diving.

Sadly we were only allowed to stay a couple of days as we had not cleared in to Venezuela but, should the opportunity arise, we will be back!

Grenada

26th August 2008

12.00N 061.45W

We motored just about all the way to Grenada from Trinidad. It was a dark night with only a small crescent moon, millions of stars twinkling above and, apart from a pod of dolphins coming out to bid us ‘farewell’ in Trinidad, it was fairly quiet.

We anchored first at Prickly Bay and checked in but it turned out to be quite rolly, so we moved round to Hogg Island and then Clarkes Court Bay. It was really nice to be able to swim in the sea again – after the dirty water in Trinidad – and we went snorkelling at every opportunity. Unfortunately, in his excitement at being cruising again after the long stay in Trinidad, Andy dived into the water for a midnight swim. (I seem to remember a bottle of rum being involved somewhere!!!) He came up with jellyfish tentacles wrapped round his neck and shoulder which left angry red welts where they touched. Over the next few days these became worse and it was clear that he had had an allergic reaction to the stings. With medication he was soon sorted out but I don’t think he will do that again in a hurry!

Back at Prickly Bay Andy ran in to some people whom he had met in Thailand on his way to England from Australia 10 years ago! They all enjoyed catching up and swapping memories of people and places they had known.

One of the sad things about Grenada, I felt, is the huge amount of development that is going on, mostly, it seems, for holiday homes and retirement homes for rich westerners! Since my visit 2 years ago a huge number of buildings have gone up and on Hogg Island, a previously untouched piece of land, the plots for another new development are marked out. At St Georges Bay the new marina is growing fast and we were told that a number of local people had been moved out of their homes to make way for it. They now live on a steep hillside just outside town and are very unhappy about it. Oh well, I am sure someone is making a lot of money somewhere!

Away from this madness, though, Grenada is still a lush, green, rain forested island, where hiking is a pleasure. We enjoyed driving out to the waterfalls, passing heavily cultivated areas of bananas, cocoa and other vegetables and hiking in the hills. The market was also fun and there was plenty of banter with the local ladies selling their herbal potions ‘to make you strong, sir!’