Islas Los Roques
Simanderal
Michael Hughes and Ger White
Tue 8 Dec 2009 22:07
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Well I think we've just found sailors'
heaven!! These Venezuelan islands--Los Roques-- are 70 miles off the
coast and you could spend long happy days sailing amongst these deserted
islands--good breezes, but flat seas as all protected from the ocean
swell by a large coral reef on the Eastern side--beautiful beaches on coral
attols--lovely water colours telling you where is deep water and where is
shallow or coral reef. And the chart plotter is about half a mile out, so it's
back to good old navigation principles--first time I've used the hand held
compass in ages!
We set off from Grenada on Saturday
morning--6th--sailing for Bonaire and still debating whether we should stop at
Los Roques--which is bang on the route-- given it is not a clearing in port
for Venezuela. Sad to leave Grenada--we've been 4 times now, using the Phare
Bleu marina--and I guess it's unlikely Simanderal will be there
again.
So some 45 hours later--290 miles averaging over 6
knots in a brisk easterly with some nasty squalls on the 7th and a lot of
familiar rolling Atlantic style--we approached Los Roques and moored off Grande
Roque--the only inhabited island amongst dozens--to see if we could visit. First
off Coastguard--no English and our Spanish ain't much--and we managed to
negotiate 2 days transit visit--then cleared with the Civil Guard, the Park
Authority and someone else. Then up anchor and off to a beautiful
anchorage surrounded by beaches and coral reefs, flat calm but good breeze to
keep us cool--did I enjoy that cool beer--or two--and a great dinner on
board--tuna sashimi followed by pork chops. And a bit of swimming and 12 hours
sleep to make up for that lost on passage.
Then this morning we had a wonderful 20 mile sail
through the islands to West Key--the most westerly group of islands
where we are now anchored in splendid isolation having just enjoyed a great
lunch and a swim.
Plan is to go to the Aves islands tomorrow--even
more remote!-- and then on to Bonaire and back to
civilisation.
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