We had booked a slip at Santa Barbara Marina for our stay in Curacao and were very happy there. We arrived on the dock midday and were immediately whisked off to customs and immigration by one of the marina workers. The clear in process here is somewhat less convenient than we have seen elsewhere but we were back to the boat after almost 3 hours. It would have been a much longer trip had we taken the bus.
We had opted for a slip at the “Barbara Beach Marina” which was just beside the hotel and beach. As a marina guest we had use of the pools along with beach chairs and towels, very nice perks! Our dock fee was based on a single slip and was not too bad. We really enjoyed the amenities and would consider it again. It is quite a way out from things so we rented a car. Well, actually, a wreck, but it served our needs quite well for the duration of our stay.
Our inverter had failed two weeks prior, and was luckily under warranty, the replacement was being shipped to Curacao. Our water maker had slowly diminishing output and Jeff had narrowed the problem to the “Clark Pump”. He ordered a rebuild kit which was also in transit to Curacao. Both packages finally arrived after delays due to shipping to the island, customs, holiday parties, etc. Every thing always takes longer in the islands… Jeff soon had both systems back in order, the water maker now working better than ever. We now hope for a few months of small projects!
Suzie Too was staying at the marina too and we were happy for the opportunity to get to know David and Suzanne. They were quite familiar with Curacao having spent several months there and were a great resource for us and all the rally boats. There were “sailor’s dinners”, beach parties, random meetings and holiday parties which allowed us to get to know several of the boats in the rally.
Our group includes boats from several different countries; Great Britain, France, Canada, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden, the US and possibly a few others. Luckily for us, English is the language in which we all converse. Although Jeff says it’s interesting learning English and we often have to clarify the meaning of words the British use. When I’m asked to contribute “pudding” to a gathering I make sure they’re looking for dessert.
We met for lunch on Christmas Eve as a group then again on December 28th for a “Welcome Party” and planning session. We have also had various get togethers with each other as time in Curacao passed. It is an interesting and fun loving group of people and we look forward to getting to know them better over the next few months.
Curacao has been a curiosity to us since we first learned of it from our friends on Havkatt. Last spring we had never heard of it and we were pleased to visit the island. It’s a Dutch island with a history of Arawak and Spanish eras. The Dutch West Indian Company brought slaves here and traded throughout the islands, similar history to Stacia. The population today is a mixture of African, Latin American and European with Papiamento and Dutch as the most common languages although you do hear Spanish and English quite often.
We have been remiss in taking our own pictures lately and had to resort to lifting these from the group Facebook page. So photo credit to our fellow rally members.
We took some time to explore the island as we did boat projects and stocked up on provisions as we head off on the rally. It is a beautiful island with a bit more commerce and industry than many. Willimstad was quite pretty with all the Christmas decorations and historical areas.
Fire works are a large part of the New Year celebration and they were everywhere that night. We participated in a “Safari Dinner” that evening with several other boats. We started at Ocean rainbow for starters, Makani the main course, then to Echo for “pudding” and firework viewing. It was a great evening and fireworks all around!
Another thing I forgot to mention…we met a guy from Detroit in Grenada. We started talking just outside the IGA and some how the conversation came around to the fact that he and Jeff went to the same elementary school. We reconnected with Lawrence in Bonaire and intended to get a picture of he and Jeff but never got to it. In any case, Lawrence lived in the same neighborhood, went to Cooke School and to Redford for a few years before moving. It’s a small world amoung cruisers but that was a especially very small world connection!
We left Curaçao at dawn New Year’s Day and had a nice sail to Aruba. We actually had a fish on the line! Unfortunately it got free before we landed him but we’re cautiously optimistic that our luck may be improving in this area.
Suzzie Too’s OCC Rally has officially begun!
~ Jeff and Mary
Bon Aña!
Wow! Jeff can fix anything .
Happy New Year and fair winds.
It’s a very good thing that he enjoys the fixing part! Heading back to Mexico? Fair winds to you too!
Missing your faces in person but so grateful for the images of the two of you so happy…and flipping tan! =). Fair winds and safe travels.
Miss you too Dave – thinking of your mom too…