Cruising report from JJ

TARAIPO TALES

It has been a long haul since Cumana, Venezuela.

Taraipo has been to Moshima, Caracas del Oueste where JJ had a brush with a jellyfish sting for his early morning swim on the reef. Chimana Grande where Taraipo decided to start slipping gear, on a leeshore, while JJ was lifting the anchor, a tricky escape in a growing breeze. Puerto la Cruz for a long stay, in a mega cheap marina, lots of boat maintenace, a dangerous town outwith the marina - tourist complex, which no longer has any tourists. Cayo Herradura, El Roques a stunning Marine Nature Reserve 25mls x 12mls studded with islands and reefs, and windy, a sailing and windsurfing paradise - Crasqui, Sarqui, Carenero (bug city, had to leave in a hurry before dusk, JJ was being eaten alive. Los Aves only the reef between me and the sea, a magic place - no fishermen, no coastguards, nobody, Curacao, a very protected anchorage, where we were finally able to diagnose the longstanding engine problem, a broken inlet valve in the priming pump with the help of Pim from 'Prospera' and a faulty alternator regulator.

We did not stop at windsurfing mecca Aruba, no wind, but another 200mls down the line we suffered horrendous wind and seas off the Columbian coast, so we did not stop there either and headed for the San Blas Islands, which were windy all the time, wonderful, but hazy and the pilotage was tricky as our photocopied charts were a quarter of a mile to the left (west) of the GPS co-ordinates. Taraipo anchored at Miriadup, Banedup, Coco Bandero, Nargana, Kanildup, and enjoyed the daily company of the Kuna indians who paddled or sailed their dugouts (25' logs - heavy) to fish on the reefs around us, or to bring fresh produce and yummy Kuna bread (much nicer than my homebake in the pressure cooker) For Chritmas Day I had Kanildup to myself, wonderful windy windsurfing.

The overnight trip to the Panama Canal terminated in an exciting, no turning back, downhill ride into a 'hole in the wall' where the anchor chain decided to escape through a gap in the decking, JJ managed to grab the bight in extremis, as Taraipo blew into Cristobal with 25 knots of wind in the jib.

Taraipo is currently in the Isla Flamenco anchorage, at the Pacific end of the Panama Canal. It was a great moment when Taraipo finally exited the down locks into tidal waters again (15')

Now for Carnaval in Panama, then the Darien River, Las Perlas islas, Costa Rica, Galapagos (1000 mls without wind?) Easter Island (2000ml) we hope, Pitcairn, Gambiers, Tuamotos, Tahiti,(2500ml) NZ maybe?

JJ 19/02/04