Log # 60 – Curacao to Cartagena, Columbia

 

                The best laid plans in cruising are always changing – that’s why we call them “jello” plans – and true to form we did not go from Spaanse Water, Curacao to Bahia Honda, Columbia as previously stated we intended, but rather from Spaanse Water to Westpunt, Curacao on the northern end getting to use the jenniker all the way.  We spent the night in a pretty little bay and got buzzed by the Curacao Coast Guard in the morning.  Two other boats had travelled up there with us, Migo and Hannah Day, and the Coast Guard circled us twice in their helicopter and left.  We never saw them again.  We had gotten permission to anchor there from the Port Captain in Wilemsted though the girl in the office said they don’t issue formal permits for that bay.  There was supposed to be mooring balls there, but we didn’t see any.  Migo had rented a car from Wilemsted and gone to the restaurant there and said it was mediocre to poor, so we opted to stay aboard and eat our own good food.  Migo caught a barracuda on the sail up which they cooked so they had bragging rights for fishing that day.

 

                The next day, November 27, Thanksgiving Day, we pulled the anchor about 9:00 in the morning and headed out.  We had put ½ tank of fuel in the tank in Spaanse Water and another ½ tank’s worth in jerry cans on deck (finally finding a use for the wind surfer! – see picture) but the fuel tank was leaking into the bilges and stinking up the boat so we decided to motor the first part and use up some of the fuel so the tank would stop leaking.  The wind was directly on the stern at 16 knots true and the swells were no more than 3 – 5 feet with a long period and little to no wind chop (info for our sailing friends).  The clouds faded and the trip – one people tend to dread as it has a bad reputation – was boring.  Okay, not boring – beautiful.  We did meet up with a “magnetic anomaly” off Aruba that had us going for a few minutes.  The first occurrence was during Jim’s watch and the auto pilot sent out a “course lost” alarm.  We reset the auto pilot and a short while later it did it again.  At that point I remembered seeing on the electronic charts (copies of the Admiralty Charts – old, but useful) a notation about that anomaly between Aruba and Cape Roman on the Venezuela mainland.  By the way, the notation does not exist on the Imray paper charts.  We had one more occurrence and figured the anomaly caused the compasses to spin – though we didn’t see it happen – causing the auto pilot to panic.  Once past Aruba it never happened again.   We do know that these anomalies do occur all over the earth (“Bermuda Triangle”, for instance) and so weren’t upset once I remembered this was to be expected in this area. 

 

We did get to play tag with some commercial ships and had a huge commercial fishing boat cross in front of us and go up and down both sides of us.   I called Jim early from his rest period the first time he cut in front of us, rather closely to my thinking, because I couldn’t decipher his lights and thought he might be towing a barge that I couldn’t see.  By the time Jim came up he had turned and we could tell by his signal lights that he had restricted maneuverability (towing nets) not towing a barge.  He was far enough away the nets were not an issue.

 

By the next morning, Friday, November 28, the weather was beautiful and we turned off the engine and put up the jenniker.  Soon after the fish began to hit.  During the morning we lost two tuna – one Jim was bringing in and the knot holding the leader untied and one I was bringing one in and he slipped the hook, we threw back two tuna as too small (one was 8” and one was 10” – I keep thinking if these were bass from the lake behind our house in CT they would be keepers!) and one 33” mahi mahi we kept and one large tuna we kept.  Shadow got involved with the mahi mahi, wanting to get in her “licks”.  We saved some pieces for her.

 

Shortly after the tuna was on board we needed to take down the jenniker and make the turn into the anchorage at Cabo del la Vela, Columbia.  Note that I had filed a float plan with the Columbia Coast Guard saying we were going to Bahia Honda, Columbia.  Whoops.  Okay…the jenniker.  Recall that this is the big blue and white sail made from parachute silk – okay, light weight nylon – that has been in previous pictures.  To “douse” it, I let out on one of the sheets and Jim pulls down the “sock” over it.  It’s all very neat and tidy and we have done it many, many times without a problem.  Well, we did have quite a few problems years ago learning the technique, but nowadays, never a problem…until today.  I’m letting out and he’s pulling and nothing’s happening!  I tried turning the boat to hopefully collapse the sail, but, wouldn’t you know, the wind had kicked up and the sail wouldn’t collapse.  After having the sail grab the SSB antenna (no damage) and try for the wind generator (didn’t get it, ha ha!) and having the other sheet unhook itself from the sail and try to wrap itself around the prop (nope – didn’t happen! – I got the errant little thing back aboard in time) I finally stopped turning the boat (I was looking for a point where the sail would collapse) and put it into idle forward as we were near reefs and I didn’t want us blown into them, and went up on deck and Jim and I proceeded to get the jenniker in the old fashioned way.  I lowered the halyard (line that takes the top of the sail up the mast) and Jim tried to gather it in onto the deck.  The sail is huge and, of course, part of it went into the water.  Then it wrapped itself around the keel and we had a time trying to get it free.  In the meantime, some fishermen in their tiny boat just off from us were having the time of their lives watching the Keystone Cops run around on deck!  We did finally get the sail aboard and tied down and got the boat going and made the anchorage. 

 

First order of business was to clean the tuna, then attack the sail.  Turned out the pulley at the top that lowers the “sock” had broken.  Jim found parts and fixed it, so the jenniker will live to fly again!

 

 

The other day, before we left Spaanse Water, Curacao, we received, from several different cruising friends, an account of an incident that happened recently – around November 9th as near as I can figure.  Since many people have asked us if we are afraid cruising, Jim and I would like to address that issue with this incident in mind.  Briefly, for the non-cruisers who wouldn’t have heard the story – it seems that two boats travelling together had gone to a small island off the Venezuela coast near Puerto la Cruz.  Puerto la Cruz has a large sailing community and we have several friends who have spent hurricane season there.  It seems that these folks stopped at one of the Borracha islands (there are 3) and while the occupants of both boats were on one of the boats they were approached by locals.  The details are rather sketchy, but the result is that one of the men was shot and killed on the spot, the other was shot but will recover and they managed to scare off the intruders with their own gun.  The Venezuelan Coast Guard and American Embassy are involved. 

 

This incident is sad and scary and since we were not there we cannot presume to read anything into it more than what has been published.  Therefore, we won’t address this specific incident, but rather crime and piracy in general.  First of all, crime exists everywhere.  We don’t not go to New York City because of its crime.  We try to stay out of the high crime areas and take precautions when we pass through them.  We feel the same way about cruising.  There are certain places we just don’t plan to go.  Another precaution is to travel with friends – safety in numbers – though that didn’t seem to help in this case.  Additionally, we have a rather fatalistic view of the whole thing.  We don’t want fear to keep us from experiencing our chosen life.  They say the definition of safety is getting all the factors on your side that you can.  We try to do that, and then forge ahead.  Many people have gone before us without incident, and many more will follow.  If a nasty situation occurs, we’ll try to deal with it, try to defuse it with words and hope for the best.  But we are not going hide from our dream.  If the worst happens, everyone will know that we chose this life and enjoyed every minute of it. 

 

So, enough said.

 

 

 

                On Saturday, November 29 around 1:00 pm we left Cabo del la Vela, Columbia and headed to Five Bays, Columbia, specifically Bahia Guayraca.  Jim pulled up the main before we got off the anchor and with the wind behind us we skipped over the water toward Bahia Guayraca.  As Jim was putting the first fishing line in the water he got a hit.  While there was a second there where he wasn’t sure whether it was the speed of the boat taking the line out so quickly or a real hit, it turned out to be a small tuna – a “throw back”.  Ten minutes later a larger tuna was on the line but he managed to get away.  Then another “throw back” and then the keeper hit.  Now, we have read about how people go through this elaborate ritual of slowing the boat down and taking down sails before reeling in a fish.  Well, with the wind behind us, and noting that we have a preventer on the main (rope tied from the back of the boom to a cleat to keep the boom from slamming over to the other side of the boat – called a “jybe” by those sailing folks) so that would have to be untied, the boom would have to be sheeted in then the boat turned 180o to get it into the wind so we could lower the main.  By this time we would have run over the fishing line and probably lost the fish.  So, suck it up, Jim and reel it in.  Of course, as soon as I said that the other line hit and I was doing the same thing.   We pulled in two 7 lb 22” tuna and called it a day.  By the time Jim got them cut into steaks the freezer was full and we were exhausted! 

 

                Jim put the required (by me) reef in the main as the sun was setting.  It was a good thing he did as the wind kicked up during the night along with the seas.  Nothing spectacular, but enough that we changed course to head toward shore to try to find calmer water. 

 

                The next morning as we were approaching the Five Bays area of northern Columbia, the Columbia Coast Guard approached us in an open boat.  Now the seas were a tad rough, but they indicated they wanted to come aboard.  Okay.  We took down the sails and put out bumpers.  There were 4 guys aboard.  As one drove the boat towards us, two of them made to jump onto our boat.  You’ve got to be kidding!  You only have to look at the pictures to see how rough it was.  Not bad to sail in, but to jump from boat to boat?  Please!  Jim got it across to them that we were going to go to the third bay to anchor and they decided they would wait until then to board us.  They followed us for over an hour to get into the bay then hung by while we anchored.  Finally the two guys came aboard.  They told us they needed to “inspect” (I read that as search) the boat.  Jim chatted with the head guy, who said they needed to see the engines (that, of course, means ½ hour of clearing stuff out of the stern cabins to get at the engines) while I accompanied the younger guy around the boat.  Well, they saw all our pictures of PJ and Tim, the cat, we freely gave them our papers and passports and then the “clincher”, Jim gave all four of them popsicles.  Well, that was it.  No need to take apart the cabins.  After calling and telling their commanding officer that we couldn’t possible have drugs or guns aboard they left.  I wish I had taken a picture of the 4 of them (the 2 on the boat came aboard) sitting in the cabin with big grins eating the popsicles! 

 

                On Monday we invited Hannah Day and Swan Song, a power boat that came in the day before, over to our boat for cocktails and had a lovely party.  Of course, torrential downpours occurred, but with the enclosures up for the cockpit we were warm and dry.  Of bigger concern is what they call “willywas” and what Jim says is really katabatic winds in “weather speak”.  We will be sitting here in dead calm and wham – 30 knot winds – for 10 seconds!  Then calm again.  Makes hanging laundry out a tad tricky!  Last night we were sure – and Living the Dream and Hannah Day concur – the winds got up to 50 knots.  Woke us all up, but the bay is huge and though we found the next morning we had dragged about 125 feet, it presented no problem.

 

                We were supposed to go into the local restaurant on Tuesday night for dinner, but the cook didn’t show up, so six of us:  Dave and Sydney on Hannah Day, Ann and John on Living the Dream and we went in last night for dinner.  There were no menus or choice and no electricity.  Romantic lighting was provided by a regular taper type of candle in the base of a cut off soda bottle that kept blowing over.  After the first round of beers we all lined our empty bottles around the “candle holder” to keep it upright.    Dinner consisted of fried whole fish, fried plantains, rice and an onion and tomato salad.  We ran them out of beer with the 3rd round.  Cost?  $10 US per person.  Since it was good, we couldn’t complain.  However, since the beers were $2 US a piece rather than the advertised $1, we kind of feel we were a little taken advantage of.  Oh well, it was still a cheap and good night and that’s what counts.

 

                The “Master of Ceremonies”, so to speak, around here is Renaldo.  He arranged transportation for Ann and John and us to go into Santa Marta the next day, Thursday, December 4.  The “taxi” was a 4-wheel drive pick-up with a back seat and it was a good thing.  It turns out that this is a national park – Parque Nacional Tayrona and the roads are not much more than mud trails in the jungle.  After a 40 minute drive we arrived in Santa Marta where we found the Museo del Oro which has artifacts from the Tayrona, Kogi and Arhuaco Indians.  They also have the layout of the “Ciudad Perdida” or Lost City.  This was just found in 1975 and to go see it requires a 3 day hike in and a 3 day hike out.  I would love to do it!  Don’t know how we’re going to work that one out.  The day was excellent and we really enjoyed Ann and John’s company even though we had to pay park entrance fees to get back to our boats!

 

                On Friday, December 5 we all (Dawn Dancer, Hannah Day and Living the Dream) decided that despite the absence of the Weather Guru (Chris P. had medical issues preventing the broadcasts) that we would head out for Rodadero, just around the cape from Five Bays and a Columbian Resort.  Swan Song had left the day before and was waiting there for us.  Hannah Day and Living the Dream headed out leaving us with enough room to recalibrate our ship’s log (speedometer) which required an unobstructed 1 mile run in 2 directions.  They all took the advertised cut through the “big rock”,  Aguya Cut, and the mainland, but by the time we  were ready to go the winds had kicked up and we took the long way around.  Along the way somehow the head car on the main broke causing the next car down to also break.  Now the main sail was not attached to the mast at the top.  After arriving in Rodadero we had to take off the main to get at the broken cars.  Jim was able to repair them and we re-installed the main.  We are really getting good at pulling off and putting up the main!

 

Upon arrival in Rodadero we also found Swan Song, who had gone over the night before, had had a good time with the locals.  It seems that at 0600 that morning Dave became aware of someone climbing up his anchor chain.  Seems the guy had swum out from the shore.  He got on deck and opened a forward hatch, which turned out to be the chain locker, and climbed in.  We think he though he would find treasures in there or maybe a way into the interior of the boat.  Dave slammed the hatch shut and locked the guy in.  By this time the other cruiser guy on board, Peter, came up.  They opened the hatch and the guy came barreling out mad as a hornet.  Somehow, and we’re not really sure how, he ran into the winch handle, not once but twice, causing extensive bleeding, and then fell back into the chain locker again!  When they let him out this time he was a bit more contrite.  They showed him the sea and invited him to “walk the plank”, okay, no plank – just jump in.  They did keep an eye on him and confirmed that he did make it to shore where he sat for over an hour recovering.  Guess it will be quite a while before he tries boarding another cruiser’s boat!  By the way, we had no problems anchoring in the same place that night.

 

                On Saturday we were scheduled to sail to Punta Hermosa which takes us across the “dreaded” Rio Magdalena.  We have read several accounts of this leg of the journey to Cartagena.  Some accounts are benign while others are wild, bordering on dangerous.  We had no input from Chris P. and Jim couldn’t get the SSB to download Buoy Weather, but, heck, Jim says the ancient mariners didn’t have those advantages, why should we hesitate?  Pointing out that a lot of them died just didn’t impress him so off we went. 

 

                We pulled anchor at 0225 (yeah – 2:25 in the morning) and had one reef in the main.  The genoa roller reefing jammed and we couldn’t get it out but it was a following wind so we probably couldn’t have used it anyway.  We were making 7.2 knots over the ground and the wind was a sustained 20 knots.  By 0600 Jim put in the second reef, only the second time we have ever done that!  (The first was when we got caught in the numbered storm off Cape Hatterus a few years ago.)  Of course, by that time the two broken/repaired cars had re-broken.  At the same time the genoa decided to cooperate and we had a very small amount out to stabilize the bow. 

 

                You can see the difference in the water as we entered the run off from the Rio Magdalena and we were 7 miles out from the mouth of the river.  By 0835 the seas had climbed to 10 feet with a 4 second period.  Fortunately they were on the stern so we weren’t pounding into it.  We were in constant communication with Swan Song who had left at midnight and Hannah Day and Living the Dream, both of whom had left when we did.  Ann on Living the Dream, said she now knows what they mean by the horrible seas off the Columbia coast!  We do recommend that anyone coming this way prepare for an addition 10 knots of wind and 5 feet of seas over the predictions while crossing the Rio.  Swan Song is a power boat and they kept telling us it was fine and to come ahead and we would be out of it soon.  They continued on to Cartagena and only after we arrived did we find that they were rolling from gunnel to gunnel and all their shelves unloaded and Nancy lost all of her mother’s china.  Hannah Day and Living the Dream had a harder time of it than we did as they’re monohulls.  Living the Dream broke their genoa pole but that was the only major damage for them.  They only debris we saw as pods of grass.  Nothing major even though the recent rains upriver had caused mud slides.  We did hear from Migo who went direct from Aruba to San Blas that they encountered debris 50 miles off shore a couple of days earlier.  Some of that was trees as big as their boat.  Night watches for them consisted of walking around the deck with spot lights to locate and avoid trees that could hole them!  (They made it just fine.)

 

                By 0905 we were past the cape and could make the tack to head southwest.  As soon as we got down below the cape, the seas dropped to 2 feet with an 8 second period and we pulled the reefs out of the sails.  What a drastic change!  While the auto pilot had a hard time holding with the following seas, it kept trying so we didn’t have to totally hand steer like Living the Dream did.  By 1000 we were pulling down the sails and putting up the jenniker!  Since everything was going so well at this point we passed up Punta Hermosa and continued on to Punta Canoas (along with Hannah Day and Living the Dream) which staged us only a couple of hours out of Cartagena.  (If we had continued on we would have been entering Cartagena after dark which we try never to do.)  We put down the anchor at 4:20 in the afternoon having traveled 92 miles since leaving Rodadero averaging 6.6 knots an hour.  Instruments clocked the max wind speed at 36.9 knots and the max boat speed at 12.3 knots – and that was when we were double reefed!

 

                The next morning, December 7, we pulled the anchor at 0820 and put the jenniker out.  Luckily it was jenniker weather as with the broken sail cars we couldn’t raise the main.  Two hours later the wind totally died and we engaged the iron jenny (engine) for the remainder of the trip.  We made the 13.6 mile trip in 2:50 and put down the anchor just off the old fort in Cartagena right next to old friends, Nick and Deanna from Caribbean Soul.  Hannah Day and Living the Dream beat us in and Swan Song was already here.  We all got together to compare notes at the Club Nautica pot luck supper that night.

 

                We have been in Cartagena for four days and love it.  It is a wonderful (and cheap – lunch $2-$3 US depending on how “upscale” you want to go – but still really nice dinner restaurants also) place to be with a lot of history and things to see and do.  Also, we’re finding it a great place to get work done.  The guys just left after spending 2 ½ hours fixing the holes in the bottom of the dinghy (they did it on board!).  They still have to do the finishing work.  So far no bill, but I’ll let you know what it is when we get it.

 

                So, we’re going to be here well into January.  Plan a vacation!  Come see us and Cartagena!

 

                I am going to go ahead and send out the written log without the pictures.  As soon as I get them prepared I’ll send them along.

 

Regards,

Roxanne, Jim, Shadow

s/v Dawn Dancer

roxanne@farrell.fm (no pictures please, and when you reply, please delete everything below your reply – thanks)

 

               

Log #60 Photo Gallery