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Trip Report #2: On to VenezuelaFiled from Porlamar, Venezuela10 50.32 N 064 00 WJanuary 30, 2006
Photo: Sunrise over the Mochima Islands We had mixed feelings about going to Venezuela. We had so many reports from cruising friends of robberies and assaults in the islands close to the shore and pirating activities along the coastal areas. But, we have always been careful about where we anchor and we were anxious to rendezvous with son, David, who had been traveling in Peru and was on his way to Caracas to see friends and then to do some sailing with us. So, we left, determined to be watchful and safe.
Photo: Tom checks weather in preparation for leaving Trinidad We sailed away from Trinidad toward our destination of Los Testigos (the Witnesses). Planning an overnight sail, to arrive in daylight, we left mid-afternoon. The first four hours out of Trinidad were sailed into confused seas, against a 1 knot current and 18 knots of wind, building to 20+. It was not a good four hours. We did not like it and neither did our Autohelm Alpha 4400, which decided it would not work in those conditions. We deployed "Bob", our monitor wind vane, and he steered the rest of the trip. We knew that as we neared the islands we would pick up a strong current that would increase our speed toward the islands. We did not know that this current would affect us 50 miles out from the island. We began to pick up speed, making 7 to 8 knots, which would put us at the islands in dark. We did everything we could to slow up and finally resorted to heaving to. We put the helm over, shortened the main and rolled up the staysail. This slowed our speed to about 2 knots, approximately the speed of the current, and it took us a bit northward of the islands. At first light, we jibed and headed south toward the islands, by this time not a long trip.
Photo: View of the shore in the anchorage at Playa Real, Los Testigos Los Testigos is a beautiful island group with about 160 inhabitants who make their living by fishing. There are no services on the island and for shopping the natives zoom over to the mainland in their pirogues (fishing boats). There is no ferry and no airport and cruisers form the mainstay of visitors from the outside. There is a coast guard station on Isla Iguana Grande, and it is reported that the Coast Guard will check boats in and allow them to stay for 48 hours, but we were never approached, either because of the holiday or the weather. We finally arrived and anchored at Playa Real on Dec. 31, 2005. We spent a very quiet New Year's Eve, and January 1, 2006 was a lovely, sunny day. Tom used the time to fix the Autohelm. He installed a back-up activating arm (the Servo-arm), a spare backup that we have been carrying (for just such an emergency) on the boat since before we left on our trip to the Mediterranean in 1999. On the evening of January 1, however, and for the next two days, it rained buckets steadily. The weather report stated that Trinidad had 25 inches of rain on one day alone and we believe we had every bit of that. It was January 4 before we were able to leave (with a very clean, salt-free boat) and sail toward Isla Margarita. We left Los Testigos at 7 am and the wind held at 15 knots from the northeast all day. We ran wing-on-wing with the yankee and the mainsail and just as we neared Isla Margarita, we jibed and reached into Porlamar, the main city on the island. We pulled into a large anchorage at 5:20 pm, found our spot, and prepared to sail away early in the morning toward Puerto la Cruz, Venezuela. We were impressed with the size of the city of Porlamar. It is a duty-free port and many cruisers use this as a great place to stock up on needed provisions. We have no time now (and no need), but perhaps on the way back east we'll have time to stop.
Photo: The anchorage at Porlamar, Isla Margarita The anchorage began to get a little rolly around 3 am, and by 6 am, we had weighed anchor and departed Isla Margarita on our way toward Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela. Aside from a few typical, tropical squalls that we ran afoul of on our way, the sail was without problems, and we arrived at Puerto La Cruz at about 4:30 pm. We cruised into the bay, sailing past the islands in the Mochima National Park, which are spectacular, and approached the inlet to the Puerto La Cruz area. Puerto La Cruz is the center of yachting in this part of Venezuela, with 8 marinas and good yachting services. We were headed to Marina Maremares and getting there involved our navigating into a confusing array of branching canals. Photo: Canals in "Little Venice", Puerto La Cruz We had emailed back and forth with the marina staff and they were expecting us. We had emailed them from the Testigos and from Margarita, explaining that we would be a day later than we anticipated, due to weather. America Perez, assistant manager of the marina, emailed us back that we were not to worry and that they would be "waiting for us". We tried to raise the marina staff on vhf radio and realized that we do not speak enough Spanish to get instructions. Our deux ex machina was right behind us in the form of a gorgeous trawler named "Tothill" with Tot and Eddie on board, who were heading to Maremares, where they keep their boat. They translated for us and guided us into the marina, where the marina staff met us and guided us into a slip. Waiting for us on the dock were friends of our good friends, Bob & Mary Linett, Lynn and Peter on the sailing vessel, Pip, from Toronto, Canada. It is truly a small world! There is a very nice cruising community at Marina Maremares. Everyone there was so helpful to us and the marina staff is great. The marina is part of a hotel complex and all the services in the hotel are available to the cruisers - workout room, pool, laundry, ice, towels, room service, etc. One can safely walk out of the marina/hotel to a mini-market, bakery, restaurants and a shopping mall. We had a telephone hook-up brought to the boat and had internet available to us on the boat. Each evening the cruisers gathered to have a drink and chat about the day's events, and each Wednesday there was a happy hour for cruisers and hotel clients sponsored by the marina/hotel. The cost for us was $32 USD per night, including electricity, water, and telephone. This was more than some of the other marinas in the area, but the security and services made it worth the extra money. Eddie, from Tothill, took me by dinghy to the grocery store at the Plaza Mayor, and initiated me into the intricacies of shopping in Venezuela. The grocery store was a well-stocked supermarket and I could really get most of the things I needed. I had not stocked up on coffee in Trinidad for 2 reasons: we didn't really like the coffee in Trinidad and we knew we could get really good coffee in Venezuela. Just our luck, though - the coffee workers were on strike and there was no coffee available. We were finally able to get some instant coffee, which is not too bad. The best thing here in Venezuela is beef. I went to the butcher shop, La Cava, and bought, among other items, an entire beef filet. The butcher shop is very interesting, and the experience was the same at the meat counters in some of the supermarkets. People take a number and then sit around the meat cutting area at a counter, where they are served coffee. And they watch the butchers practice their art. I had the butcher trim and cut the beef filet into filet mignons and package it in meal size portions.- and the entire thing cost 28,000 Bolivars or approximately $11 USD! Believe me, we have our freezer up and running. Whenever we left the marina grounds, we were required to carry our passport and to show it if asked by the police, who do routinely check people on the streets. When we were traveling by dinghy, we needed to have the title of the dinghy and the motor, or some other proof of ownership, such as a sales slip, with us to produce if asked by the maritime police, who frequently stop and check dinghies for identification, life jackets, lights, etc. We were never stopped, but always carried the required papers. Getting around in Venezuela is very inexpensive. It is not always safe to walk, especially through some of the barrios around some of the marinas. But taxi drivers will take you anywhere you want to go for very little money. The marina provided the names of taxi drivers who were very trustworthy (not all are). Leo's name was prominent among them. During our stay, Leo and his wife, Rosealba, who is expecting their first child any minute, served a traditional chicken soup Sunday lunch to all the cruisers on the dock to thank them for their patronage. It was delicious and typical of the generosity and hospitality of most Venezuelans.
Photo: Rosealba & Leo on the dock at Maremares It took us about a week to check into Venezuela. One must have an agent to check into Venezuela and we used Kaila at the Transpacific Agency as our agent. By the time we were checked in, it was time to check out and both were done at the same time. The cost to check in was 187,000 Bolivars, or about $75 USD. There is a black market in currency in Venezuela, easily accessed. The exchange rate at banks is 2100 Bolivars (Bs) per USD, and on the black market, the rate is 2500 Bs per USD. The very best bargain in Venezuela is fuel. It cost us less than $10 USD for 50 gallons of diesel fuel and 12 gallons of gasoline. We were astounded! And wishing we were empty! We first had to go to another marina, Marina Americo Vespucio, to obtain a chit to get the fuel at a fuel dock. But it was well worth the extra step. We are now awaiting the arrival of son, David, and looking forward to a great visit with him. This is a great place to wait. 73s, 88s, love & hugs - Peg & Tom Maynard s/v Starboard Home
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Grand Daughters' web pages: Anna's Home Page, Anastasia's Home Page Isabelle's Home Page
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