So, I know, we haven't blogged for some time. But those NY resolutions sometimes come in handy. So here we are. A new year, and what a year it promises to be.
Having returned to Laros in Grenada at the beginning of November, we spent 3 hard weeks putting her back together ready for the westward passages. Great friends Catherine and Dick from Liverpool came to visit for 2 weeks. We toured Grenada by land and sea, then sailed to the Grenadines for a week. Lovely islands once again, but the winds blew strong and the nights at anchor were rolly!
Then it was time to take off west. Getting back into longer passages took its time and toll. In big winds Laros performed beautifully so that we completed the 280 miles to Bonaire in 2 days. Bonaire is nothing short of a divers paradise and seems to have been preserved almost exclusively for diving. We moored on buoys along the Kralendik seafront, glorious waters and easy access to the main town. Cruise ships galore though, which transformed the port almost every day, from quiet local bussle to hectic tourist shopping. We were able to spend time with Venezuelan friends, and managed a wreck dive too. In credible. Bonaire, Bonaire!
Sadly we had to miss Curacao out due to time. And so to Aruba. A totally different story. More cruise ships and American style hotels. Aruba is dominated by the US influenced tourist market. We stayed in Renaissance Marina over Christmas and NY with Debs and Fred, great friends from Northampton. Still strong winds but we managed a night at anchor on a northern beach. Northampton Debs managed to stay calm! Aruba is consumed by firecrackers and fireworks all day New Years eve. A cacophony of noise and flashes, making NY 2015/16 one of the most brilliant ever. Great food and company, and a carnival parade thoruhg the main streets on Saturday night, made this one to remember.
On 4th January forecast winds abated to a nice 20-25 knots. We checked out on the 5th (first place I have ever been required to present Laros physically to C&I both in and out!) by midday and sailed 2 days to Santa Marta in Colombia. With slight trepidation we arrived after a mostly smooth sail to bright Thursday morning sunshine and a very warm welcome. We sailed in distant company with the OCC rally touring the western Caribbean bowl and have made some new friends sporting the flying fish. Our experiences are nothing but superb here, the first time we have set foot on South American soil. And what a great place. We plan to see some of the mountainous countryside in the next few days.
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