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Log 44F Off to Venezuela
Written at :Porlamar, Isla De Margarita, Venezuela, Aug. 26, 2007
Sunday August 20, 2007 we had an enjoyable get-together and meal aboard Wind
Dancer, with the couples from Sea Witch, and Hummingbird. It was a last
gathering of the group of us as we and Hummingbird were to leave Hog Island and
Grenada in the next couple of days.
We planned to leave Tuesday evening the 22nd, and so checked out on Monday with
customs officials at Prickly Bay. We got a ride over there with John from Sea
Witch as he was driving us into town to pick up the trolley we were donating to
the Woburn Medical Clinic. The donations by the cruisers went well, with over
$400 EC collected at the pot luck dinner Saturday and Roger's barbecue on
Sunday. We also did a grocery run as we were planning for at least four days
before our next stop in Porlamar.
We had heard that the official exchange rate in Venezuela banks was only 2100
Bolivars to the U.S. dollar, but unofficial rates (black market) from bars,
marinas or taxi drivers could be up to 3400 to 3600 to the dollar. We could get
the official exchange rate with our credit card from the banks, but would need
the cash if we were to get it "unofficially". So, Judy went in Tuesday morning
to the bank in Spiceland Mall to get U.S. dollars, but was unable to do so as
she did not have two pieces of photo identification with her. (The bank machine
at that bank which could dispense U.S. dollars as well as EC was not working.)
She went in after lunch, about 2:30, to find the banks closed at 2:00. Damn!
That meant that if we wanted to leave with the good weather window that evening,
we could not get the good exchange rate. I was so frustrated that I initially
said, "Let's go anyway!" However if we were going to be there for a month or two
the lower exchange rate would have cost us several hundred dollars more using
our credit card, so I finally gave in and agreed to leave the evening of
Wednesday Aug. 23. Of course the weather predictions were for heavier winds of
15 to 25 knots that evening, but they were to be at least in the right
direction, easterly for a passage southwest.
We had some money left over from the donations and we knew the clinic wanted a
examination lamp, but we did not know where to get such. Instead we bought a
couple of high powered LED headlamps from the local chandlery that should
suffice. We went over to Anykine Marina to do our last E-mail, and found out
that a good friend of mine, a neighbour from Espanola, where we used to live,
had died, and another friend was going in for radiation treatment for cancer.
This is one of the unfortunate aspects of cruising, that we are not there to be
with our friends in their times of difficulty.
Our plans were for an evening departure before sunset for an overnight passage
of 85 miles, estimated to take between 16 to 20 hours, so we would arrive in
daylight at our destination, Los Testigos, a group of islands about 55 miles
northeast of Isla De Margarita in Venezuela. After a fierce afternoon thunder
squall, we had Veleda ready for sea before an early supper, after which we
started the engine, raised the double reefed mainsail, and hosed down the anchor
chain as we weighed anchor at 1715, heading off into a threatening overcast sky.
The heavy winds expected did not materialize, and we motorsailed in light force
3 breezes for an hour, then sailed for a few more hours with light winds astern.
Not bad, but the overcast sky with occasional lightning and thunder on the
horizon continued to be a threat!
However, when we were about 18 miles offshore, the wind died and I tried to
start the engine. It wouldn't start! We had had periodic trouble with the
solenoid which engages the starter motor, but after a few tries it usually
engaged and the engine would start up immediately. This time - No Go! We were
afraid we would drain the start battery by continuing to try. We removed the
steps for access to the engine and tapped the solenoid hoping to activate it. No
luck!
What to do? Options were to sail slowly towards Porlamar 120 miles away, but
downwind, or turn around to sail against the wind the 18 miles back to Grenada.
We turned around. We did not have enough wind to alter into and through the wind
directly and so had to turn away from the wind and gybe around to our reciprocal
course back to Grenada. We knew it would be an all night slog, tacking into the
light breezes to return to Grenada. Against Judy's wishes, because of her
concern about running down the start battery, I tried it a few more times. It
finally caught and started! Hallelujah!
Now where? Back to Grenada, or on to Los Testigos, or direct to Porlamar? We
elected to head for Porlamar as it is a large city and should have the necessary
chandleries or repair facilities to replace the solenoid. However, we would not
stop the engine until we were in, as if we stopped before then we were not sure
if we could get it started again. Then a couple of other complications
developed!
As we were altering course under engine power, our topping lift (a line from the
mast head to the outer end of the boom to support the boom) got caught on the
flag hoist on our aft stay, and we could not free it. We would have to be very
careful with our sail set, as if we accidentally gybed the pressure of the
topping lift on our aft stay could break it and we might even lose the mast! We
wung the boom out to starboard and secured it with a preventer so it could not
accidentally gybe. As we were adjusting the traveler to let out the main sheets
we realized that one of the cam cleats had a defective spring and would not hold
the traveler sheet. OK, we could always cleat it down to suffice for the trip.
So on we limped. The winds were still light off our port quarter. Now the
problem was, could we reach Porlamar, another 120 miles away, in daylight? It
was now 2130 (9:30 pm) and sunset next day would be at 1830, 21 hours to sail
120 miles! We have done night anchorages before but would rather not.
On we went at good speed, motor sailing with the wind astern. In the morning the
wind shifted easterly and we went wing on wing with the whisker pole out to
port. It collapsed a couple of times as it was damaged with couple of feet of
the inner sleeve broken off in our Atlantic crossing from the Cape Verde Islands
last year, and will stay extended in only one or two of the five remaining
slots.
As we passed Los Testigos, our original destination, we called our Canadian
friends on Gypsy Blue who were with us at Hog Island and now were anchored
there, to inform them of our changed plans, and indicated we would meet them in
Porlamar in a couple of days. On we went, with our E.T.A. 1800, a half hour
before sunset, if we could keep up a speed of six knots for the next 55 nautical
miles. It would be close!
We managed to drop anchor in Porlamar, 10 56.98N, 063 49.71W, by 1750 and had a
quiet supper and an early bedtime to compensate for the long night watches. We
were in Venezuela.
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