Just realized that we haven't updated this blog in awhile. After our very efficient haul-out in Grenada we sailed straight to Isla Margarita. Stayed there about 3 weeks while awaiting a DHL shipment of new line for our mainsail outhaul. We could not find the correct type line in Grenada and did not want to risk sailing all the way to Bonaire with the wrong line stretching excessively when we used the mainsail. Finally received the DHL shipment after a week of customs clearance delay.

We left Isla Margarita for a short sail to Cubagua. Overnight there and then a perfectly wonderful sail to Tortuga. We flew double headsails for the first time on this passage. It was simply marvelous! Not at all rolly as we had feared. The double headsails are used for dead downwind sailing -- that point of sail when you normally cannot sail. Having 2 headsails poled out to either side works exceptionally well when the wind is directly behind the boat.

Overnight at Tortuga and then a 23-hour sail straight to Bonaire. We poled out the genoa and flew the mizzen (no mainsail), and had a very fast passage. This is when we learned that our GPS has a "high speed alarm" that sounds when the boat exceeds 11 knots. Scared the heck out of us!

We were sailing along nice and flat and fast when an alarm started sounding loudly. We couldn't figure out what it was or where it was coming from. After the third time the alarm sounded, we found that the GPS screen was flashing "high speed alarm." We have no idea how fast we were going at the time because neither of us looked at the speed indicator, we were too concerned with the screeching alarm. But we later figured out that this alarm sounds whenever the boat exceeds 11 knots, which is probably the theoretical hull speed. We never felt any loss of steerage so everything was okay. It was fun to sail so fast. We know that there was a 1.5 knot current in our favor which assisted in this great speed. Just a lot of fun.

We arrived in Bonaire on 9 July. Family will be visiting us 30 July through 14 August. Then friends hope to visit us 21 August through 28 August. As soon as all guests depart then we plan to sail to Curacao for a week or so, then down to Cartagena. We are both looking forward to seeing Cartagena, but neither of us is looking forward to the rough 450+ NM passage to get there! Supposed to be a very rough trip.

So for the next month or so we will be sitting on a mooring here in Bonaire. Bill hopes to do some diving. I hope to read a lot of books. There is a weekly dominoes game at the nearby marina and occasionally a cruiser pot luck. Other than those few activities, Bonaire is a quiet place. Crystal clear water for diving or snorkeling.