PASSAGE AROUND CAPE CHICKEN

MAY 16, 2014

SUNSET OFF ARUBA

It's Perfect arrived in Cartagena on Wednesday at noon 100 hours after leaving Curacao.  Our departure was uneventful.  We were soon out the entrance of Spanish Waters and back into the deep blue waters of the Caribbean  Sea, the day was overcast and the winds were light, we motor sailed the first half of the day.  Getting settled into the routine of life on the open water takes awhile.

The wind picked up to 15 to 20 knots as the sun set, Aruba was visible on the horizon  and the Southern Cross was bright in the sky.  A lesson we have learned along the way is get the boat in order before the sun goes down.  The last thing you want to be doing in the open water is to make a trip to the bow.  While underway we both wear a harness and are clipped to a hard point at all times on deck.  After dark the person on watch does not leave the cockpit without telling the other person.  Safety is always a concern and we take it very seriously.  As I took the watch about 1am the lights of Aruba passed to our port, the wind was cool and the night slipped by, not much traffic. 

Sunday the sun rose over the water and about mid morning we were joined by a  pod of what appeared to be Melon headed whale .  They didn't ride the bow waves but rode the swells beside the boat in a rows of 8 to 10 and appeared to be on the hunt.  The winds were steady at 20 to 25, skies partly cloudy.  With following seas it has been a bumpy ride and makes you very unsteady on your feet.  Things rattle in the cabinets and anything not secured well is in the floor below.  Little by little we are getting things under control. Night fell and the moon lit up the sky.

MELON HEADED WHALE

Monday we have finally begun to settle into the rhythm of the boat.  Today we rounded
Punta Gallinas also known as Cape Chicken, the northern most point in South America.  Later in the day we had our first sighting of Colombia on the horizon, a big accomplishment in our book.  During the day watch is loose and we sleep when possible.  I was asleep this morning and Rod had pilot whales off the port side.  Life is not boring while underway.  The winds were steady 25 to 30, we sailed under reefed jib and mizzen.  The radar shows rain squalls and we are sometimes successful in dodging the worst of them.  We have a current going with us about at 1 knot and are averaging over 6 knots.  As night fell  the wind held steady with gusts of 35+ knots and the moon was full in between the clouds.  The swells and waves were 8 to 10 feet.

PILOT WHALES

Tuesday and the days seem to run together, traffic is increasing.  The wind is back down a bit 20 to 25 knots and the seas have settled down.   Today a small pod of Spinner dolphin joined us to play in our bow wake.  Huge container ships show up on radar about 20 miles out and on AIS at 8 to 10 miles.  We often change course in order to maneuver safely between or around them as they pound past us in the black night at 12 to 19 knots.

Wednesday dawned hazy with light winds 15 to 20.  We are past ready for this passage to end.  With confused seas and heavy traffic sleep has been hard to come by. About 10:30 we turned past the first buoy into the channel to Cartagena, Colombia.  From the looks of it we could be coming into Miami, the high rise buildings of the city crowds the shore line.  The bay is very large and the anchorage in front of Club Nautico sits very near a huge shipping dock.  We wind our way around the anchorage looking for a spot with the depth less than 35ft.  It was just about noon when we dropped our anchor, It's Perfect in Colombia, South America.   Time for a drink to celebrate our arrival and a much needed hot shower and a nap.  Life is good here in Cartagena.