Captain's Corner - 'A few repairs and ongoing maintenance' Colombia

This is it! The last piece of the Caribbean before we go through the Panama Canal, and get squeezed out into the Pacific…….Australia bound! The year to date has been extremely different to our past cruising lifestyle, in fact we have only sailed, or motored, about 8 days.

You've seen this before.....Forest Gump??

....and the skaters, Californication??

We started with a stopover in LA, or Santa Monica to be exact. Remember Californication, yep that’s the one. Riding bicycles down the beach to Venice, cycling around the canals, watching the skaters. It was just like you see on tv. A couple of days saw us take in New Years Eve, some great lobster and truffle sauce ravioli (twice), and the obligatory LA sightseeing tour! All whilst being jet lagged but we did have a great apartment across from the beach with a huge bed, bathroom and a little kitchen – perfect.

Willemstad, Curacao, the rest is so so!

Pablo and Picasso - kept the spirits up!

Our arrival in Curacao was a step back into reality. The work that was scheduled to be done to Zenna upon our return to Curacao was carried out by the boatyard, Curacao Marine, while we were in Australia, against our instruction. This had led to considerable damage to Zenna thereby requiring our schedule of work, and costs, to be revised. No point in crying over it, we found a great place to stay for a couple of months, The Ritz, at a good rate until we could move onto the boat. We then adopted a 5 day work week with occasional overtime, and knuckled into it. Our visas, which could not be extended at the time, were valid for only 3 months so our time to get repairs done and the boat in the water was limited, not assisted by the reluctance of Curacao Marine to make good the damage or compensation for Zenna despite our numerous letters and discussions. The matter is still not resolved. Unfortunately the whole ordeal tainted our view of Curacao, though we did manage to meet a couple of nice people which made the time, a week short of 3 months, bearable. This was also helped by ‘Pablo and Picasso’ (who painted Zenna) providing some calm amongst the storm at Curacao Marine.

Marion's birthday lunch at 'It Rains Fishes', Bonaire

Bonaire sunset.

After our troubled time in Curacao, and an overnight stop on a deserted island Klein Curacao it was great to pick up a mooring in Bonaire. We had heard the diving was good so we bought some ex-rental gear and dusted off our old face masks. It was great and for nearly 3 months we dived every other day or so during the week for a bit of exercise, sometimes straight off the back of the boat. We soon realised we were getting enough exercise by just doing the shopping which saw our trusty Brompton cycles come into action once again. Lots of good, if not excellent, supermarkets and restaurants saw us relax into this quiet little island. A few fantastic sunsets and meeting up with new friends led to some excellent sundowners.

Mark getting a few last minute pointers!

Bonaire yacht club dock.

 

One of our Sunday lunches saw us ride over to the windward side of the island as we had heard their burger specials and atmosphere was not to be missed. We were not disappointed, not so much about the burgers, but the location was amazing. A reef about a quarter of a mile off the shore meant the wind was constant with the lagoon inside the reef having smooth water being no more than 3 foot deep! Excellent conditions for windsurfing, with rows and rows of windsurfers for rent by the burger place. We vowed to return and windsurf, which i did twice, riding our trusty Bromptons to get there. The pink flamingos along the way made the one and half hour cycle each way all the more worth it. It was sad to leave Bonaire, but after a few repairs and ongoing maintenance, we knew it was time to move on.

Our short stop back in Curacao to pick up the new outboard for ‘Abi’ (a new AB Inflatable dinghy) was highlighted by a real live Miami Vice episode. The coast guard in numerous vessels had chased, fired upon, and caught all but one of the four jet ski lads on the run with 182kg of cocaine in large plastic wrapped bricks stashed inside. Front page stuff. It was quite surreal being that close to the action! It just wraps up the type of island Curacao is however, so, time to pick up the new outboard and ‘get outta ere’ I say.

Our crossing from Curacao to Colombia was our first real sail for some time. Winds were at times favourable though became quite blustery around the infamous Cabo de Vela. Oh, and that’s right, this is where there is a 6m deep patch right in the middle of the sea…yeah, we found it and went straight over it with Marion poking her head up from the nav table saying, “I wondered why the sea was a bit rough there”. We planned to go around it with a 2m swell and our 2m draft!..... We had a pod of dolphins follow us for a couple of hours one morning performing great air-o-batics, excellent!

Aerobatic dolphins, always a good show!

Marion and I have agreed a piece of our hearts will be left in Santa Marta, Colombia. We heard the music coming from Santa Marta when we were 5 miles out to sea, before we saw the light from the lighthouse for Santa Marta at 2 miles! We docked gently, with the assistance and welcome by the marina staff at midnight. As our luck would have it the marina had an event on, a new up and coming DJ ‘Paris’. This suited us fine as after a crossing a few beers, snacks and rums is always obligatory so the dancing on the back deck lasted till we dropped shortly after. This was a top class marina being right in the middle of the old town. With again good supermarkets, fantastic restaurants and great people we explored all Santa Marta and its surroundings had to offer. We had a special rate at the marina so without a chandlery nearby we experienced some of the most affordable living we have done on Zenna! We took a long weekend holiday and caught a bus to Cartegena for some time off from, “few repairs and ongoing maintenance”. It was all very touristy in Cartagena but nice to get off the boat and out of the marina for a change. We managed to get berthed next to some Aussies, Paul and Kate on Iolea, and Brits, Andy and Sue on Spruce, which ensured we never had a dull moment in the marina. Thanks Sue for all your help with the guitar!

Santa Marta marina, Sierra Nevada in the background.

Not sure what he thought of this! 

We managed a further 10 days out of the marina anchoring in the nearby Tayrona National Park which saw the boat whipped around by ferocious winds, though never really pulling on the anchor chain as they were more like mini tornados. We did manage to rip an eyelet on our forward canopy/rain catcher, which has now been hand sewn back on. On our way back to the marina from the park we stopped a couple of nights in the up and coming bohemium Taganga (reminiscent of the Escobar era!). A few rough edges once you got off the waterfront street; we were warned by numerous people to be back on the waterfront by 4.00pm – it wasn’t safe. We took this seriously and were back on the boat by 5pm! (The advice was confirmed the day before we left Santa Marta with a boat being boarded by armed assailants, the captain was bashed requiring 18 stitches to his head, and the boat ransacked). There is a strong police presence in Santa Marta with one on every street with AK47’s and after our departing chat with the marina manager I believe Taganga will rid itself of these undesirables. A ‘few more repairs and ongoing maintenance’ were completed before our day out to Cascada de Valencia to cool down. A great series of cascades down a hill in the jungle was fantastic. If you didn’t like the pool you were in, or there were people around, walk up to the next one, brilliant. Our visas were running out and although we were able to extend we knew we had to keep going or we would miss our slot through the canal. We had a quick look at our landfall south of the San Blas in Panama and prepared to stock up the boat for provisions for our time there. It was time to head off, though not without saying a few teary goodbyes.

The crossing from Santa Marta to Panama provided some of the most interesting sailing we have done to date. There was little wind so it was motor all the way with the sail up to help steady the boat, and provide a bit more speed. It all started when we saw dark clouds either side in front of us on our first evening. Lightening began so no point in hanging around, we upped the revs and got old Zenna going, straight through the gap. As we got to the other side the lightening could be seen coming down and spider webbing under the clouds, which were now going in our direction. Keep the revs up and get some distance between us I said. A few minutes later we encountered counter currents causing unusual wave and swell motions, which hampered our speed but we managed to stay in front of the formation to calm our nerves. You hear about it but never really know what it is like until you are out on a flat sea with serious lightening and thunder clapping going on…….and you are sitting at the bottom of a lightening pole, being the mast (not very smart I would say!).

A sharp eye was kept on this storm during the first night watches. I managed to get an ear infection while cleaning the hull before our departure so Marion took the first watch. My watch saw a dark sky but the storms abated. About 3 hours into my watch, well, my eyes were mostly open, I saw the largest lightening strike I have ever seen. You know those series of posters, ‘Natures Wonders’ or something, where there is a yacht at sea with huge billowing clouds above and a huge lightening strike ahead….that was it! Well my eyes widened quickly enough and put the boat 90 degrees to starboard. Exciting yes, but I am not that bloody stupid! I chased around the edge of this storm cell for about 2 hours till Marion finally surfaced. Marion checked the track on the plotter and yelled up, “you are way off course”. I asked if she would like to join me up in the cockpit, she soon understood. We got out of this one but an hour later, just before I was going to get some kip, we got hit with a storm, 30 knots on the nose. We had two reefs in already but no time to put in another, we pulled off the wind a bit and let Zenna take over. Like a mare to the stables! The rain was driving in, I was drenched holding on, Marion was dry below, and Zenna was picking up speed charging through the wind over tide seas at 7 knots. An hour later, with a severe chill causing the onset of a man cold, it abated. We mopped up and settled back down to business. I now had the ear infection, and a cold!

The next night saw me have the first kip again taking over from Marion around 11pm. I was not feeling too well but the storm cells were in the distance and I promised to wake Marion up should the need arise. I really wasn’t well for within the first half hour saw me visit the head to have a rear end cleansing experience followed by a head in bucket job in the cockpit. I still don’t know how Marion slept through it all. So now, ear infection, cold, and food poisoning! All this coupled with the tense pressure of dodging the storm cells meant I was really beginning to enjoy this. Marion awoke around 4am and relieved me quickly, I have never slept so well on passage. I awoke a few hours later to see Panama on the horizon.

National Geographic San Blas.

A quick and uneventful, except for my gingerly stomach, check into Panama near the border of Colombia in the south west of the Caribbean and off we went to anchor in Puerto Perme, 2 hours motor away. Not many cruisers get this far south so it is a real treat to meet the indigenous Kuna Yala people, both for them and us. Not the easiest of bays to get into with us drifting slowly in to navigate the rocky outcrops which could only be seen by the reduced depths on our instruments, we had to reverse a couple of times! The whole ordeal was made worse by the fact there was a Colombian trading boat already anchored inside the sheltered bay, which was no bigger than two football fields! In the morning we could see the rock outcrops and were amazed we had made it without incident. It was Sunday morning and the trading boat was in so all the Kuna from the village were out in their little hand made canoes to barter for what they could get. One of them, Andres came over with his two sons after Marion gave a polite wave. “Great” I said, I haven’t even had breakfast yet and here they are scrambling on the boat! Usually we would be concerned about a boarding like this but violence and criminality is not known by these people, they were just being inquisitive and took Marion’s wave as an offer to join us.

Inquisitive Kuna family.

So, a quarter piece of toast each and a few introductions led to some interesting conversation with the atlas coming out to explain how big an island Australia is, Andres had never seen where or what it is! I went downstairs to get a magazine to show them and before we knew it they were inside the boat…looking everywhere! Now, I am one who is extremely careful not to influence indigenous locals (as the son of Virginia McKenna’s (Born Free) son will confirm after my debate with him about bringing pygmies from the Amazon to the UK to drink pints of beer was not the best way to protect their lifestyle and rainforest!) but it is a very fine line. Just by being there we are changing their culture; the youngsters are seeing what we have and are now curious as to why they don’t have electricity, a bowl to eat out of, or a mattress to sleep on. We have decided to stop entry to our boat by these curious locals, but I can’t say the same for those cruisers following us. It will happen, they will change,…..and it will all be lost forever!

$4US a lb, take your pick!

First Kuna village, tricky bay!

I must stop here, we are on the move again, back into island hopping while dodging coral heads, eating fresh lobsters at US$4/lb, and trying not to influence the locals too much…..and not forgetting the all important ‘few repairs and ongoing maintenance’.