December 1996 - January 1997
We returned to Trinidad at the beginning of December and found "First Light" waiting patiently for us -- pretty dirty, but otherwise no worse for our five month absence. Trinidad was great, with friendly people, low prices, good repair and supply facilities and loads of other cruisers. We spent three weeks (two weeks longer than planned) hauling out and otherwise ticking off some of the major jobs on our list.
Once we finally got underway, with new bottom, shiny topsides, new lockers in the main saloon and a fresh coat of varnish, we headed west to Venezuela. The coast there is beautiful, but there have been numerous instances of theft and in some cases physical attacks against cruisers, so we stayed pretty much in the offshore islands. We were in Isla Margarita on Christmas Day. It's a big resort for Venezuelans, complete with high-rise condo's and hotels.
Las Roques is a a group of small islands and coral reefs about 70 miles offshore that is a national park with dozens of great anchorages and good snorkeling. We spent New Year's eve in Las Aves, a group of islands that are a bird refuge -- just us, two other boats and a couple of thousand booby birds. It wasn't Times Square, but pretty nice.
The sailing was great -- all downwind with consistent breezes of 12 - 20 knots. Andy even convinced Jill to let him set the (cruising) spinnaker for one all-day passage! The boat's performance (average cruising speed 7-8 knots) has easily met our expectations, and Jill's diligent efforts have added numerous creature comforts to our floating home.
We left "First Light" in a small marina on Bonaire. This is a Dutch island about 80 miles off the coast of Venezuela. It is neat, clean, secure and quiet, with outstanding snorkeling and diving. Our plan is to return at the beginning of April. Andy has given notice at work, we have sold the house and we are getting ready to move aboard! From Bonaire we will sail about 600 miles, through the San Blas Islands and the Panama Canal. After that, it will be a left turn to the Galapagos Islands and then on to the Marquesas and the rest of the South Pacific. We hope to be in either New Zealand or Australia next November. (We may be looking for crew for various legs. If you are interested, send us an e-mail and we'll talk.)
Our cruising plans are pretty open-ended. If things work out, we would like to be in Auckland for the America's Cup in 1999-2000 where we hope to rendezvous with "Glory Days" and "Dolphin Dance." Maybe we will continue all the way around. Or maybe not. That's the great thing about cruising -- no schedules.
|
Copyright © 1996 - 2001 GoFast Marine. All
rights reserved.
Other products and companies referred to herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of
their respective companies or mark holders.
Revised: May 17, 2003.
