after a brief nap we got under way around 9 pr so. as it turned out we had an amazing overnight sail over to columbia. we ended with light winds on the beam but where able to make 5+ kts on a beautiful reach. to top it off we had a full moon so the night was amazing. i did not even want to get off my night watch! we had dolphins during the day and took turns cooking such delicacies and spam fried rice and fried cabbage fritata (with bacon of course)
we stopped just before cartagena in this beautiful little lagoon. the lagoon has a narrow entrance and you pass within feet of this in water palapa huts .upon arrival we where immediately swarmed by beach boys trying to sell us everything from beer to lobster to fruit to things we could not translate. we even had two chicks paddle out in a kayak offering to give us massages complete with there massage kits. we got to practice our espaniol with terms like no mas, mas tardes, manana etc. after a few beers we went to explore the area. after much difficulty we found a little "sorts bar resort" that was open and spent way to much on beers. seth managed to change a few dollars for pesos and we headed over to the palapa bar. kirk had gone on about this place so we where eager to check it out. in the end it was a bit of a disappointment. cool set up but catering to day trippers coming over from cartagena and separating them from their money. we ordered two beers and 15 minutes later when we where done and went to pay the price had doubled. we laughed, told them we knew they where ripping us off and left never to return at least not without our own cooler full of beer!
back on palapa we had another delicious bbq chicken diner (thanks to kirks chicken). we enjoyed the ice cold Panamanian 1$ beers rather than the lukewarm beach beers. we even finally cleaned the bbq so no more fires for a bit. after dinner we relaxed with some r&c's with the columbian 11$ rum. so far the bvi can not be beet for rum prices except for the bushy's rum form antigua sold by the gallon (b-y-o-jerry jug).
the next day we sailed the 15nm to cartagena. amazingly it was down wind all the way. i have really been luck with the winds over the last few months. cant remember a day i did not get to sail a bit or god forbid had to motor into the wend. this will not last forever i am sure payback will come my day eventually. we actually sailed right into the harbor between two forts guarding the entrance and then past a giant statue of the virgin marry kind of like the statue of liberty but not quite as big! the city is very much like old san juan. seth pointed out that cartagena was never taken by invaders after the spainiards built the forts there.
as it turns out Cartagena is a real full on city but in a good way. we decided to go into a marina here given it is only $30 us per night vs the 130$ i was paying in garden grove. the mooring was a bit interesting it is med mooring and as i looked at the berth we where to go into i could see no sand lines or mooring bouy. no problem the dock dude said he would jump in the water swim down and tie our dock lines to a block below and that is just what he did.
this ended out working out quite well, other than it being a very tight getting into the slip. once docked i noticed we had 6 inches under the keel! as it would turn out the next morning at the lowest low tide we would bump the bottom but seth and i awoke to this (did i mention it was full moon). after a look around i realized we where not crashing into the dock but only the bottom and went back to sleep!
cheers
roger
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