Panulirus - tortuga

Panulirus
CR and KN Williams
Sun 17 Feb 2008 21:03
10.57N 65.14W
 
Sunday, 16th Feb 2008
 
Keith,
20hr sail from Margaritas to Tortuga, arriving at a very civilised 10am. Very little rain overnight, NO breakages! Seas a bit high but not too uncomfortable. Tucked into a 'snug little anchorage' ( how I hate that phrase! ) with only a small airport nearby to which very rich people come in their light aircraft to spend the day. In Blighty they'd be breathalysed before the trip home! Clare sez we're going west to Las Roques tomorrow, a longish trip of 90 miles, fingers crossed on the breakage front!
 
Clare
Good to have left Margarita and headed off to the islands. Only one man found dead in his dinghy the night before we left. Allegedly a heart attack because he had to pay 200USD to clear in because his papers were dodgy. Fantastic sail with the wind behind us. Got up to 8 knots but then reefed when it got dark as there were a lot of squalls. With distances of 60 to 100 miles we have to go overnight to be sure of arriving in daylight. There are only a few lights and apparently only about 2/3 of them work.
I had a quick panic when some harmless fisherman suddenly appeared out of the night and even got K up. If they had got malicious intent we might have hooted our ( now working ) horn or let off a few flares but basically I'd just have given them what they asked for.
This place really is stunningly beautiful and if you didn't have the Williams horror of sand you could walk and swim off miles of beach. I prefer looking at it while sipping cold beers and eating tandoori chicken. (keith can find the ingredients anywhere.)