This blog entry is being written while on the 42 mile passage from Bonaire to Curacao. Our bearing is 266 M and the wind is due easterly so we are running flat off under main only in about 15 knots of pressure and a clear blue sky. Several ships around but no other yachts.

We finally departed Grenada on Saturday 10th January in a rain squall but quickly got under way with a reefed main and full jib. The passage was 429 miles and we arrived in Bonaire 50 hours later in the early afternoon. We had mostly 18-25 knots on the starboard quarter and then about 100 miles to the NW of Bonaire we gybed onto port and laid to the SE corner of Bonaire but just as we came up the west side of Bonaire for the final 8 miles on a broad reach we got hammered by a decent rain squall but did have some fast sailing in flat water.


Rounding the southern end of Bonaire

The passage was uneventful despite the fact the wind gear is not working, the newly installed gas monitor burnt out by the look of the circuit board and we found a lot of diesel in the bilge. With no gas (we did not have the brass fittings to bypass the solenoid) for two nights the electric frypan was put into service (generator running) although on the first night a good portion of Pam's homemade pumpkin soup ended up all over the galley - what was left was good though!

The diesel in the bilge was tracked down to the inspection hatch on the port tank not being tightened at all and additionally the sensor gauge cable was placed under the inspection plate so it was always going to leak particularly as the tank was full and the seas were quite heavy on occasion. The company on Grenada responsible for that piece of crappy workmanship is Palm Tree and I would not recommend them to anyone in future.

After all this we then realised that the main engine alternator was not charging so it will be to the boatyard in Willemstad, Curacao for a repair.

As for the rigging debacle, which has gone on for several months, I am going to post more details of this on the cruisers net and also this site but I strongly recommend anyone reading this NOT to use Turbulence rigging/sailmakers in Grenada for any work whatsoever. They are entirely unprofessional, totally disorganised and abuse the monopoly position they have on the island in my opinion. For rigging work go to Trinidad or Antigua.


Good news was they missed us by about 50 metres

Bonaire has since 2010 being a province of Holland and after this happened the population jumped from 17,000 to 21,000 as immigration from Holland was encouraged. The southern end - salt pans and pink flamingos, the NW end national park. The middle the main (actually only) town of Kralendijk with a cruise ship wharf and around 40 moorings laid for visiting yachts to pick up. The island is a famous dive destination and it is not possible to anchor anywhere in Bonaire.


Dinghy bar on Bonaire waterfront.

What we have found is that because of the location all the yachts here are serious blue-water sailors. No charter boats or weekend sailors! Consequently we found many of the other yachts would come over for a chat as most are heading west to Panama so many common interests. We had three nights in Bonaire, an excellent dinner at "Its Rainin Fishes" one night, on board one night and then collected by Roger and Steph (who did the 2012 ARC with us on their Amel 54) to go to the restaurant/bar at the nearby small marina for happy (2) hours and hamburger night - a regular Wednesday night deal that many of the cruisers attend. While Bonaire is only a small island we have had different cruise ships in every day so tourism and diving are a huge part of the local economy. Fresh fruit and vegetables seem to be brought in twice a week by boat from Venezuela, only 60 miles south.

Pam has just produced some scones from the oven so time for morning tea!

Cheers for now
Pam & Keith