Curacao
23 September 2014 | Santa Cruz Bay
Ange
Thursday was a quiet day getting PANNIKIN ready for our trip to Curacao (Koo-ra-sow) & then to Aruba. Just picked up a couple of things that we needed & tidied up a bit. We also said goodbye to Andrew & Claire on EYE CANDY – not double we will see them in the Pacific next year.
Friday morning was Steve’s last dive with Jeremy & Susie at Kalli’s Reef. After lunch we had a game of dominoes over a few drinks & then a farewell dinner of ribs from Bobbiejans. A couple of tears were shed when we said goodbye to the crew from JOY, but we know we’ll see them again someday, somewhere. They’ve been wonderful friends & cruising partners & we will miss then terribly. Take care Jeremy & Susie!
Saturday we were up early & on our way to Curacao. We started with the spinnaker & had great fun racing across the bay (9 knots) until we had two round ups & decided it should come down! We continued to Curacao under headsail & arrived into Spanish Waters around 4pm. We anchored in the lagoon – it is a tight squeeze with lots of boats anchored in the 2 designated areas & had a beer.
Sunday we went into Willemstad (the capital) to check in with Immigration & Customs. Willemstad is a colourful town with plenty of history & wonderful buildings. We spent a while wandering around & then caught the bus back to Spanish Harbour.
Monday we jumped on the free bus that takes cruisers to the Vreugdenhil Supermarket. It was plenty big enough with heaps of variety – even had its own bakery & butcher. We did a couple of days worth of provisioning & had a quiet afternoon on PANNIKIN.
Tuesday saw us back in Willemstad to check out & then we sailed 25nm up the west coast to a lovely bay called Santa Cruz Bay. It has a small beach with a restaurant (we think) & a great little anchorage with clear water. It provides a great spot to start our sail to Aruba tomorrow.