Western Caribbean 2018: Aruba to Panama
Aruba, Columbia and Panama, including the San Blas Islands
Aruba 12 – 17 December
Skipper Bill met me at the airport in Aruba and we made our way back to the bay where the boat was anchored. Happy to be afloat once again. Just an hour+ after arrival at the boat, we were off for a beachside happy hour and to meet some of the others on the Suzie Too rally from Bonaire to Belize. Bill joined the rally initially to be able to get marina space in Santa Marta, but it turned out to be a wonderful group of folks. Many are native German speaking, so I am practicing my German as well as looking forward to exercising my Spanish again once in Colombia.
We enjoyed a few days in Aruba, walked about, provisioned – even a Costco-like store which I took full advantage of! Although I must say, Aruba isn’t the awesome picturesque tropical paradise I had envisioned. Cruise ships are packed in and the port is full-on retail tourism with “duty free” shops from designer to t-shirts… the usual and not very interesting. We checked out on the morning of the 17th for a 3-day / 2-night passage. At the time, I didn’t realize that this was considered one of the 5 most challenging passages in the world – crossing the continental shelf with winds/waves/swells/currents to contend with.
Just hopping aboard, it was a little like trial by fire. Lots to learn and get accustomed to, along with Bill’s expectation that I would be “more polished” (as he said) and ready-to-roll, as soon as I was aboard. Every boat and skipper have their quirks and differences. Plus, he wasn’t hiring a paid professional, and since I was his first crew on board, I knew he’d have a hard reset on expectations with anyone coming aboard.
The first two days were fine but on the third day we had some real challenges and we both weren’t happy with our own or one another’s performance/behavior. No need to go into the details, but we got over that trauma and motored the few hours to where the anchorage was marked on Bill’s cruising guide chart by another cruiser. We later found out that this wasn’t even marked correctly… it was the wrong bay entirely, yikes! When we got into the bay, we realized too late that the depths had been called out in meters and not feet. We thought we could nose our way close into the beach, and there came the second drama… we’ll leave out the details here as well. Suffice it to say, that didn’t work. Bill was ready to retry anchoring and I suggested that we not do that, but head another 2 hours into the harbor at Santa Marta, which I knew was an easy entrance even at night and reasonable depths over sand. He agreed. Coming out of the bay, it was blowing 32-35 knots. We were worried about the wind and anchoring in the bay at Santa Marta. The really good news (and we both needed some by then), was that the wind in the harbor died down to about 5 knots, so we even needed to reverse using the motor to set the anchor. That said, we had arrived and arrived safely. Whew! Hopefully the next legs will be calmer.
Santa Marta, Columbia 19 December – 3 January
We called into the marina for assistance in docking, and after some language issues with the inexperienced skiff driver and three changes of fenders (starboard, port, starboard), we were guided into a slip on the C dock. Luckily, the wind was only about 3-4 knots (very unusual) so we had good conditions for entering the marina. Unfortunately, the fairway between B and C is very narrow, and maneuvering wasn’t that easy. Still, we made it in without a problem – getting out again with this wind will be a challenge though! Once I recovered a bit from the trip over from Aruba, I was delighted to be in Santa Marta once again, and this time for the holidays. I had been there for a month in June for a potential sailing adventure with John on his lovely yacht, but he decided he needed to delay the trip to take care of some personal business back home, and so we didn’t leave the dock but enjoyed the local delights for a bit before each flying off. As much as I love adventuring and visiting new places, there is something to be said for arriving at a place you know… where the supermarkets are and what they have, fresh fruit markets and ATMs that actually work, great places to eat and where the best local ice cream is to be found. We enjoyed some time with the rally crowd, but neither Bill nor I are big socializers and we drink very little. Most people are ready to gather at 5pm daily for sundowners and happy hour. Bill and I went walking through town instead. John also had just returned to Santa Marta and arrived about the same time we did, so I caught up with him a few times at marina dinners. We didn’t do that much in town, but somehow the days slipped by and I felt that we were always busy.
Above, Santa Marta’s “Hop on / Hop off” bus and decorations for the holidays! There was also no shortage of entertainment on the streets and alleys – break-dancing and great music!
The Marina is quite nice and the Suzie Too Rally – Group 2 enjoyed some of the lovely views and yummy pot lucks. Noteworthy was the gorgeous home/boat-made cake for Christmas, below. Another benefit of joining the Suzie Too Rally was the unexpected delight of Spanish lessons provided! A local instructor was engaged and you could sign up for either the beginner or somewhat more advanced (though not quite intermediate) level. It was great fun and I was able to dust off the Spanish I knew and make some good progress. Muchas Gracias, Suzie Too Rally!
New Year’s Eve was a different sort of celebration but a fun one. We decided to skip the pot luck and meander around town instead. There wasn’t much of anything going on, as this is more of a family holiday than one for going out with friends. We got thirsty and found a mini-mart that was open. We noticed that there were stacks of plastic chairs and a couple were sitting in the mini market. We decided to help ourselves to two chairs and put them out on the sidewalk to watch the world go by. We were blocking sidewalk traffic of course, but that seems to be the thing to do here in Colombia. So, we celebrated in local style with our non-alcoholic beverages and a great enjoyment of the neighborhood. Neither of us are night owls, so we were back on the boat and asleep prior to midnight… more like “cruiser’s midnight”, which is 9pm. We did eat our 12 grapes each, making a wish with every one of them for good luck. This is a Colombian tradition, so we’re starting off the year well.
We were planning to sail out with the rally on Jan 3rd, but with the high winds during this time of year, we wanted to get off the dock a day early and anchor. The fairway by our dock was VERY narrow (why did they put us all here?) and there was no maneuvering ability. Bill woke me at sometime (turned out to be just after midnight) when the winds calmed and we prepared to head out to the anchorage. By the time everything was set to go the winds had picked up a bit and it was a pretty tough exit from the slip. The dock hands didn’t know how to handle the lines properly and the wind immediately took us onto the next boat. It took three of us with fenders and legs to keep us clear. We finally (with much adrenalin) got out and anchored in the bay.
Puerta Velero 3 January
The forecast on the GRIB files was for moderate winds and waves, but we wound up with gale force winds and pretty big seas. It was a very tough sail and we had to do quite a lot of hand steering to avoid broaching (the boat turning sideways to the waves and potentially rolling), or, to do an unplanned jib (putting the winds on the other side of the boat and having the mainsail/boom slam over from one side of the boat to the other). We were both stressed and tired. We got into the anchorage at about 2pm and realized that we were on the brink of a very shallow spit. There was a man standing about 50 ft behind the boat at less than waist level. Then, he walked along parallel to the boat (and way too close for comfort) back to shore. When we lift the anchor tomorrow, there was no room for error… steer forward and to the right or risk being beached.
Cartagena 4 – 14 January
After resting up, washing up, and getting settled, we discussed the plan for the following day. The rally was scheduled to go to Isla Rosario which was almost 70 miles away. It was also past Cartagena and there was precious little information about anchoring. We decided we would skip Rosario and go directly into Cartagena. The sailing conditions were much gentler, thankfully, and we rolled into Cartagena before dark.
Once anchored off the Club de Pesca marina in the heart of Cartagena, we were amazed at the show – full on noise, lights, music, and a variety of boats to-ing and fro-ing (most with music blaring)! Bill and I had some mis-communications and stress along the way and we needed to talk a few things through. I felt that getting off the boat and taking an Airbnb room would be the best solution. I wanted to get re-centered. We talked the next morning and cleared the air on a number of things where communications were not received and interpreted as sent or meant. In the end, we both felt much better but I decided that having some time to myself was still a good idea. The plan was that I would return to The boat a week later.
It really was a good decision for a number of reasons, as my room and hosts were great (though they both have the flu so I am trying to stay healthy!). Ana Melena, roommate of the actual Airbnb host Adri, was adorable and although she didn’t speak any English, we communicated in Spanish with a little help from Google Translator and charades. We shared meals, she preparing yucca and a few other assorted items, and me sharing the sugar-free cookies and granola I had discovered. I’ve done a lot of walking, shopping for inexpensive made-in-Medellin (Colombia) clothing, which is both inexpensive and fits me well as the Colombian women are shorter therefore tops are cut shorter
Isla Rosario 14 January
Although the official date for the group 2 rally to leave Cartagena was the 17th, people seemed to be fractioning off and deciding on alternative plans and timelines. Many decided not to do the final two stops in Colombia (San Bernadino and Isla Fuerte), due to the probability of having little or no wind, while others decided to leave earlier and just spend more time elsewhere. We decided that heading out sooner would be better so that we could maximize our time in the San Blas islands. Everyone else would have almost a month to meander through but we’d only have a week at best.
We arrived at Isla Rosario at about 2PM but it took us three tries before being able to get the anchor set. The plan was to rest up and sleep for a while, but then leave at midnight for the 36-hour passage to the San Blas Islands. Tired, we prepared ourselves and set out. We have forecasts of winds to 25 knots and seas 7-10’, which turned out to be pretty accurate, except the waves were more like 10-12’. The wind and waves were from our starboard rear quarter, and autopilots don’t love following seas. We wound left, then right, then left, in a lazy pattern that didn’t consume too much battery power. The tighter the response setting on the autopilot, the more energy it requires. There were some times that we needed to correct course and disable the autopilot, if a big wave overtook us and the autopilot couldn’t bring us back on course. But for the most part, it did an admirable job keeping us going. We had current pushing us north for the first half of the trip and south for the second half, so by the time we were within a few miles of our waypoint, we were right on course. It was two very dark nights and I felt pretty tense. I got swamped once with a big wave of salt water – only 5 minutes after starting my watch, so sat in soggy shorts and shoes for four hours. We split the watches, first two hours, then three, and then finally we each had one four-hour rest before arriving in the San Blas islands.
East Hollandes, San Blas Islands, Panama 15 – 18 January
We meandered our way through the reefs and anchored in a nice little turquoise bay. We spend a few days there, resting up, enjoying the flat water, and really enjoying the quiet… no more blaring music and party boats as in Santa Marta and even more so in Cartagena.
The biggest handicraft/souvenir from San Blas (and maybe all of Panama?) is “moles” (pronounced molahs), which is hand sewn embroidery using multiple layers of fabric and multiple colors of stitching. They were selling some on the tiny little island we were anchored next to (only four houses in this little village), and I told Bill that I didn’t think I really needed one of them. We looked at the ones the local women had made and I said I would think about it. Once back on board, a long boat came alongside and two guys wanted to show us their moles… one was a master mole maker. Well, his turned out to be quite amazing, pretty expensive, but lovely. In the end, I decided that I really did need a mole (or three, lol!) and spent $200 for three large and 5 tiny ones. I am going to have the larger ones sewn into throw pillow covers that you can zip open to remove the stuffing. This way, I can bring them along with me and just buy a pillow to stuff them with and have a little bit of home (like having my tiny sailing companions Frech Dachs and the African Hippo) wherever I go. One is a turtle eating a lobster… beautifully sewn with much detail. The second is of two birds and some flowers, also beautiful. The third was more of a geometric pattern, but will go well with the other two. The 5 small ones were made by Vinancio’s niece and are well done and very sweet. Not sure what I will do with them yet, but I’m sure it will come to me. 😊
Chichime Cay 19 – 21 January
After Three days, we were ready to press on. We met up with cruising friends Jackie and David on their Amel. I sailed with them through Indonesia and haven’t seen or spoken to them since 2013 when we made that passage. Wow, small (sailing) world! They gave us some great information about checking in to Panama and so we updated our plans and decided to stop at Chichime Cay before continuing on to Linton Bay, our final destination. It was a beautiful sail, about 3 hours in all. There were some tricky reefs we needed to navigate, but we made it through without touching anything!
We were anchored for only a short time, when a long boat came alongside selling live fresh lobster!!! Change of dinner plans tonight, with lobster now on the menu. It wasn’t cheap ($20 down from $25 asking price), but it’s huge and this one will feed us both. They said they are here every day and I told them we might be in the market for another one in two days or so.
We swam over to the little island of Chichime Cay and found it to be much more “occupied” than Hollandes East… there were several groups of huts and tents for backpackers and travelers. It is quite organized, with boats to-ing and fro-ing carrying passengers from the mainland. As we walked around yesterday we encountered a small “establishment” with 3 pineapples on a table. Yes, for sale. And there were other items. We got one pine, two tomatoes, and a huge cuke. We also placed an order for bananas to be retrieved today. In Hollandes, I bought a bunch of green plantains. Bill tried one and didn’t like it – admittedly, it was bland as prepared, but I have since fried up several more with a bit of salt and some garlic, and they are quite tasty.
The plan is to leave tomorrow morning for Linton Bay while we still have a good amount of wind. The follow day the wind is supposed to die down some and we don’t want to make it a motor boat ride.
Linton Bay Marina 22 – 30 January
We left at 7am on the nose, as planned, and made our way west to Linton Bay… the last leg of our trip together. The waves were pretty big and I got swamped twice along the way. Although Bill tells everyone that the activity we engage in is called “fishing” and not “catching”, as we haven’t been successful in the later, we actually did manage to catch a small dinner-sized mackerel on the way. We arrived at about 2pm and anchored. We took the dinghy in to the marina and checked things out, preparing to come in the following morning. We got our slip assignment and headed back to the boat. Bill prepared the fish and it was excellent! He uses a thermometer and that must be the trick to cooking things right and not over cooking – nothing worse than over done dry fish.
We took the local bus into Portobelo to clear immigration, and I must say, they are just as colorful as in Colombia. Here’s one of the more elaborate paint schemes, and they are all different!
We are in the marina for a week before heading to Panama City and flying out. I must say that I am glad to have a little time to unwind and de-stress. Plus, as an added bonus (the Universe provides all sorts of unexpected opportunities), I recognized a Swiss-flagged yacht also docked here in the marina. I had been in contact with the skipper Alex over a year ago, before deciding to join Willem to cross the Atlantic, and we had stayed in touch on and off. He was already in the Caribbean at the time and had other crew on board, and I was intent on crossing the Atlantic, so I didn’t pursue the conversation at the time. But here now, I went over to introduce myself. We have been getting to know one another a bit over the last few days… dinner aboard and a dingy tour to the next island, which was very nice. Alex is heading to Guatemala, Cuba (oh, I’d love to sail to Cuba!) and then up the East Coast of the US, but will eventually come back to the Caribbean and head into the Pacific. We both think we would enjoy sailing together and agreed we’d like to do that sometime in the future. For now, he has crew coming next week and I am going to India with my best friend Michele and then flying back to Panama to head through the canal, Galapagos, and French Polynesia with Willem. Stay tuned for the next sailing adventures!
Thank you Bill, for the opportunity to sail with you in these lovely parts of the Western Caribbean. Also for giving me the opportunity to join the Suzie Too Rally with you and meet that nice group of cruising folks.