Island Hopping
Rhiann Marie - Round the World
Stewart Graham
Tue 16 Feb 2010 02:22
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Monday 15th February 2140 local 0140
UTC
12:01.19N 067:41.00W
The relentless progress west continued today when
we sailed the 50 miles dead downwind, from Cayo de Agua in Los Roques to
Sotavento in the Islas Aves.
Yesterday in Cayo de Agua we dingied over to Elbert
Cay and Bequeve before returning for one of the best snorkelling expeditions we
have ever had. It was really like being in a giant aquarium, with all kinds of
colourful fish in their thousands including the giant parrot
fish.
Since leaving Antigua we have visited El Grande
Roque, Francisquis, Noronquis, Sarqui, Carenero, Cayo de Agua, Elbert Cay and
Bequeve in Los Roques and here in Islas Sotovento we have visited Isla Ramon,
Isla Palmeras and Curricai.
All of these islands are remote and windswept
with nothing on them other than the odd fishermans camp. Round about they are
teeming with fish and birds, and today we dingied into a small lagoon where at
least 5 turtles scooted out of our way. The fishermen seem to rig up make shift
camps and live on the beaches, I guess for the season. On one island today,
Curricai, they seemed to live in a series of 5 or 6 small tents right
beside where it seemed there had been three small houses established, but which
had subsequently been burnt down. I am guessing by the authorities.
Today I made a VHF call into coastguard who have a
small station on Isla Sotavento. They did not answer my call, but 10 minutes
later they called me in Spanish of course, but I was able to understand just
enough to respond. However, just as my limited Spanish was running out an
American guy came on to translate. I'm not sure yet whether he was in the
station (hut) or was relaying to them. In any event he and they
were very helpful.
Our plan is to leave here tomorrow for Bonaire
about 40 miles away. As everything at the moment is downwind it is easy just to
drop off the anchor and set sail. We have used our engine remarkably
little really since we left Gibraltar and long may this
continue!
From Bonaire we will probably sail the 110 miles to
Aruba and stay the night before the 400 mile passage to Cartagena. This route is
renowned, around Cabo de Vela, for high winds and big seas due to a semi
permanent low based over Columbia and a high which is generally stting over the
Caribbean causing a compression zone extending 200 miles out from the Columbian
coast. This together with the equatorial current running in this direction makes
for the potential of high sailing speeds but also very bad conditions and big
seas.
I was only made aware of these weather
conditions about a month or so ago when I followed up a link on Noonsite
which gave me a contact with a couple who have sailed this passge 4 times. They
were etremely helpful and sent me an 80 page "pilot book" download. These
weather and sea conditions, which are typical at this time of year have already
been experienced by the Blue Water Rally and our friends aboard Nika, and
we expect the same. Apparently wind speeds upto 55knots were experienced by one
boat on the BWR and I think Nika had winds in the high 30 Knots.
While nobody likes these conditions, being
forewarned is forearmed as they say. So I have no concerns its just a question of being prepared for
it.
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