Archiv
CW 38 2002
08.09. - 14.09.2002
It's Sunday, September 8. We're in Chacachacare / Trinidad anchoring in Sanders
Bay.
At 1pm we weigh anchor and finally turn our backs on Trinidad. It's time for
something new and we set out to different destinations.
Venezuela, here we come!
Almost 100 mile lie ahead of us and since we want to arrive in daylight -
that makes landing easier - we leave early. After all, we don't know what
the night will present us with, as far as wind is concerned.
Accompanied by rain we leave Chacachacare and as we leave the bay a few dolphins
enter it. Real Trini-dolphins, because, on weekends, Chacachacare und Scotland
Bay are the Trinis favorite destination.
In the beginning we have rough seas ahead of us. There's a strong and somewhat
strange current between the islands; one you can see with the naked eye, but
can't avoid. So we have to go through and it gets a little bumpy.
We motor-cruise for an hour before we can set sail and course.
The main sail is reefed, the foresail all out and we move quickly before a
half wind. That's sailing!
If you bear in mind that we're rather heavy right now, full diesel tanks,
full water tanks and plenty of stuff aboard, then we're really very fast.
The log shows 8.7 knots! Not bad at all!
There's one drawback to this speed though: nothing catches the hook! We're
simply to fast to fish. Well, one can never have it all.
We sail along, fly along, until 8pm, but the wind is more and more aft and
the foresail isn't filled properly any more, hanging limp. We take the foresail
down, keeping the mainsail reefed and are still doing 7 knots.
We don't see much this night since the new moon is only two days old and it's
partly cloudy. But when the clouds move away the stars shine a little and
that's also quite something.
Around midnight we've got another 30 miles to go and we'll soon get rain since
there are a few large rain clouds in the sky ahead.
At 1am we change sails. The main sail goes and we set the foresail again.
But, apparently we're still to fast: even with this sail we're doing 6.8 knots!!!
That is, too fast for our calculated arrival time. If we keep this speed up
we'll arrive during the night and we don't want that. After all, we do have
time.
So we lessen the foresail, but still only slow down hardly noticeable. We
didn't expect this much continuous wind and not this much current either.
We manage to get down to 5 knots, but we don't get slower than that.
In the meantime we takes turns sleeping for an hour or so. Well, it's not
really sleeping, but it'll do.
Just after 4am, I'm trying to catch some sleep while Thomas is on guard.
The engines started and woke me up. What's wrong?
Apparently a fisherman is getting a kick out of crossing our path back and
forth, forcing us to evade him.
The whole thing shakes me up a little. Firstly, I'd just dozed off and secondly,
this wouldn't be the first fishing boat that isn't just that.
One has to be careful around Venezuela. By now they also found out, what a
pirate is and a few incidents have taken place.
But we got excited for no reason; this is a fisherman and no one's threatening
us.
One more hour to go and we made it.
We arrive at Los Testigos at sunrise and immediately spot our friends, Julia's!
They expected us, waving kindly and we drop anchor right behind Julia.
Not really a calm place; lots of swell!
We'll still stay here for a few hours, because after a quick breakfast we
have to sing in with the Guarda di Costa.
Erich takes Thomas ashore so we don't have to get the dinghy ready just for
that.
As soon as the formalities are taken care of we weigh anchor and move to a
calmer place.
Forming a convoy we head for the islands on the other side and drop anchor
there, in Balandra Bay.
By the time we've covered our sails and got the sunshades over the windows
we've also decided to move again since there's swell here as well and we're
anchored sideways to the waves, which is rather uncomfortable.
We drop anchor closer to land and this is good.
Nothing much else happens today; a little swimming, a little sleeping and
lots of enjoying. The view here is beautiful, compared to the dull surroundings
at Chaguaramas, were we spent so much time. The climate is also totally different.
Yes, it's also extremely hot here, but the humidity is much lower and it's
much pleasanter.
After being invited for coffee to Julia's that's it for today. Dinner and
out.
Tuesday and we go ashore for a short but strenuous walk up a sand dune.
The dinghy is fastened to a tree and we walk off. Amazing, how hot and heavy
sand can be.
I have to stop a few times before getting up the hill. Wow, quite rough, and
the heat!
Between a few bushes and shrubs we see the other side of the island and a
gigantic sand beach. On our way we actually meet two small goats.
The closer we get to the beach the clearer we see what's lying around here:
thousands of shells. Unfortunately they're all broken, have holes.
And sadly, today's civilization has also left its mark: waste! What a pitty!
Ute, Erich and Julia are here already, inspecting the place.
The attempt of walking on the sand without shoes is in vain; the sand is so
hot it almost makes you dance.
So we walk along the water - much nicer anyway.
Erich discovers something not so nice: a dead leatherback tortoise lying in
the rocks on the beach.
What a sad sight! She seems to have lain here for quite some time.
For us it's time to get back since the sun is burning down without mercy and
it's time for a small midday snack.
So, back aboard we have something to eat and cool off in the water. And then
we boil water. That's what I always say when Thomas turns the water-maker
on, which he does almost every day now since we're since we're using this
water for drinking as well.
It saves lots of storage room and what we know as mineral water can't be bought
in these regions anyway.
Of course one can buy normal, still water here, but then how does one know
where it came from? One doesn't, so do it yourself and you know what your
get.
With a small sundowner this day also comes to a not so late end.
On Wednesday we'll have something else we made ourselves: bread!
Finally a dark grainy bread again. We've had more than enough of this soft
(unhealthy) white bread.
We still have good Slovenian flour aboard, grain from Styria and leaven powder.
Mixing all that well, adding a few spices, makes great bread.
Don't worry, we won't start publishing bread recipes here now. As you will
have noticed by now, from last week on we didn't give a recipe any more and
that'll be the same this week.
Some things do change and so does this logbook.
What will probably never change is the beauty of the underwater world.
We go snorkeling for a long time in the afternoon and there is a lot to see.
Unfortunately also creatures we don't care for too much: jelly fish. The current
is carrying plenty of them into the bay and swimming through these animals
isn't exactly a pleasure. At some places we can't even see a thing because
of those creatures. And as one of those things stings Thomas it's enough and
we swim back to the boat.
Later we go back to a place where I thought I'd seen a few nice shells.
Firstly they were deeper than I'd estimated, which I noticed when trying to
bring them up and secondly from afar they looked much nicer than at close.
But I still kept 2 nice ones. Better than nothing!
Before I forget: we made something else ourselves today: smiley-water!
Thomas proves his mixing abilities again and magically produces some great
smiley-water. And since a good drink tastes much better in nice company we
invite Julia's to join us.
So we spend the evening together aboard SILVER BLUE.
For Thomas and myself there's a little something left to do before we can
go to bed: we have to anchor again.
| Due to steady turning the anchor isn't holding any more and we're starting
to slip a bit. So we drop anchor again, which is quickly done, and good
night. Thursday and time to see a little more of Los Testigos. Just before noon we weigh anchor and drive to Isla Conejo, north of Testigo Grande. We have the fishing lines out for that short trip, only 3 miles, but no success, no fish bites. Now that we're on the other side of Testigo Grande we can see the sand dune in all its beauty. After just an hour we drop anchor in front of Isla Coneo. Originally we wanted to go diving here, but there seems to be a strong current and it doesn't look as if there were a lot to see. So we settle for some snorkeling. |
 |
After quickly baking a little treat for our coffee-time we weigh anchor and
set out to our next destination, the northwesterly coast of Testigo Grande,
Playa Real.
It's only a 6 miles tour. We try our anglers luck again, but it's not meant
to be. At least we can sail almost the whole way and, on reaching Playa Real
are rewarded with a magnificent view.
 |
 |
Even though it's pretty full here we find a very nice place and drop anchor
close to the beach.
After Julia's also arrived and dropped anchor we have coffee and then drive
over to the beach for a round of boccia.
Thomas and Erich play against Ute and me.
It's not an easy game for the men and the girls win. That's asking for a return
match, but it'll have to be tomorrow.
We admire the fascinating sunset and then go back aboard our ships.
During the night it rains for the first time since we got here. We quickly
close the bull's eyes and then it doesn't disturb us much.
Today is Friday the 13th. Now, now, that's no reason to become superstitious.
Things that were meant to happen will happen; they don't need a Friday the
13th.
But, we'll still have a first time today. During our entire trip a swimming-chair
was stored away securely, waiting for its chance. And today that's about to
happen, the chair will get its chance.
Thomas is still adjusting the bellows to make them fit and then … here
we go, pumping hard … and there he is, with blue and white stripes, a
drink-holder which would nicely hold some smiley water, but it's definitely
to early for that.
So we set up a holding and I prepare myself for a swim. Thomas is going to
drag me across the bay with the dinghy. That is so much fun! With all the
laughing I can hardly hold on. Keeping your posture is critically essential;
this thing doesn't forgive even the slightest movement. The drive ends right
before the beach and I simply let myself drift. Also nice!
 |
And since we've practically anchored right in front of the open sea,
only separated by a small sand bank, the current takes me back towards
the ship. It took rather long for this chair to meet water, but now it has finally happened. Of course it's a mindless game, but one has to be able to just play around now and again. Speaking of playing, our boccia return match is scheduled and this time we're not only playing to win, no, there's more at stake. We're playing to see who'll have to prepare dinner on Saturday evening. But first we're drinking coffee again and today Ute baked a tasty cherry cake to give us strength for the boccia finals. Later we make our way to the beach. |
First the men manage to brake even and then, yes, then they win.
Well, so Ute and I will be cooking tomorrow evening.
Probably because we have a camera with us today to take a few pictures of
the sunset it's not impressive at all. So there won't be any pictures.
We all go to our place for a beer and that will be it for today.
Saturday, September 14 and our last day here since we're going to Isla Margarita
tomorrow.
Actually we wanted to make dinner on the beach, with fried fish being our
first choice. But, there are 2 important facts: 1. no fish (yet), and 2 no
roast to fry it on.
The problem with the roast and the frying is solved by the weather: it constantly
rains.
As far as the fish is concerned, our saviors name is Julis, a young fisherman
from Margarita who lives on his fishing boat.
He sells three nice fish to Julia's, not very large, but with a few nice side
dishes there should be enough for everyone.
Before it's time to cook the vacuum cleaner wants to get out again and the
cleaning cloth also sees some action.
After a quick dip into the water we dress up for the evening and I spent some
time in the pantry.
At 7pm we have dinner.
It's a nice dinner with good wine and, as a nightcap, some self-made apple
schnapps from Ute's Dad at home. All in all, a pleasant evening.
So we sit together for a few more hours until it's time to say good night
and good-bye, because tomorrow morning we'll weigh anchor and set sail for
Margarita.
The trip, the reunion with our friends and what else happened …
next week here …
same time same place!
so long
Diana + Thomas
