Stravaig's Travels

CURACAO A long time since our last entry! Whilst in Culebra and expecting visitors to come and stay, we took the opportunity to completely make over the port hand side of our main cabin. Without this enterprise our poor visitors would have had nowhere to sleep! We began the project by blanking out the side windows, then re cutting them to what we think is a more pleasing shape. The head liners and insulation were installed and all the windows were re-glazed. Everything was duly painted and now looks clean and inhabitable. The aft part of the main cabin on the port side we completely gutted and created a very pleasant chart table with storage shelves behind, the most of which being closed by sliding frosted Plexiglas doors. Behind all of this a large storage cupboard was retained for visitors bags etc. and other plunder! Beside the chart table a new seat was build onto the back of the settee and a computer table now faces the seat. Time for the visitors!! Mir

We are happy in Culebrita, working hard and having fun as well. Still together with our friends Robbie and Pete and Bob and Claudia. We will be here till the hurricane season, then plan to go back to Curacao. Here's what has happened since leaving Cartagena. We made a decision to spend Christmas with Bob and Claudia ( S/V Flashback) in Culebra in the Spanish Virgin Islands. Leaving Cartagena with the “promise” of a weather window of light winds and reduced current we sat of up the coast past Barranquilla with its dangerous river outflow of debris and on up to Santa Martha for a quick rest in Rodadero Beach. Just around the corner of the coast from there lie the famous 5 Bays which offer good protected anchorages while we waited for favorable winds to carry us along the 120 mile stretch to Cabo de la Vela. We were unable to sail and were reduced to motoring into nearly 30 kts of wind with and adverse current. Eventually reaching Cabo de la Vela, we gratefully anchored under the p

Here we are in Puerto Rico! Most of you will have read our New Years letter, but I will do a short version next week. We arrived in Culebra, Spaninsh Virgins, the day before Christmas, together with our friends Robbie and Pete from PR2 after a hard trip from Curacao. Just in time for a big Christmas dinner with old friends Claudia and Bob from Flashback and a big group of cruisers! We have been here ever since, anchored behind the reef and are having a wonderful time. We ae now working hard again on the boat to try and finally get all the big jobs out of the way whilst also doing nice things like snorkeling and visiting with other cruisers. Pictures will have to wait till next week also when computer comes back from service!