12:30.50N 70:01.99W

We left Santa Cruz Bay before daybreak and had a fast but comfortable sail wing-on-wing all the way.  Our first views of Aruba were not very prepossessing as there’s a disused oil refinery at its southern tip.  However we were soon approaching Oranjestad, the capital, which is a much more colourful affair.  At Aruba you have to clear in with Customs and Immigration before anchoring. We had some excellent information from fellow cruisers Alison and Geoff (sv Saraoni) who’d visited a couple of weeks earlier and so knew what to expect. Once again our large inflatable Avon fenders were put to good use for berthing alongside the concrete Clearance Wharf with its black tyre ‘fenders’ and we were safely at anchor just after lunch.