Pneumonia And Time Off Work

The efforts of the sailors

We . After 2 years of stay in the Lesser Antilles, we finally left for the second part of our round the world.
weighed anchor from Grenada in mid-January we hope to reach the archipelago of San Blas by the end of May.
Miles are little, little more than a thousand. It therefore remains a long time for relaxation and for a trip to the mainland.
Right now we are P.to La Cruz, Venezuela, and arrive by 2 weeks of deserted islands. Here is a brief history : With
grande emozione e aspettative altissime Kudra lascia Grenada con a bordo noi 3 e gli amici Fabio e Camilla (l’equipaggio che ha condotto Kudra l’anno scorso mentre Simo partoriva…) , mentre Ale e Moni sulla loro Nicolandra navigheranno al nostro fianco, per il piacere di stare in gruppo e per aumentare la sicurezza del viaggio (in Venezuela ogni tanto i pirati attaccano barche isolate).
Prontipartenzavia! Il 16 gennaio al tramonto salpiamo l’ancora con prua a sud ovest, destinazione Los Testigos, 3 isolette perse nel mar dei Caraibi dove arriviamo dopo una nottata tranquilla per il poco vento e il poco mare.

And the show begins. The main island, the only one to offer safe anchorages, turns out to be beautiful. A hundred meters high is covered by a vast area of \u200b\u200bsand. megaduna A passing from one side to the island and creates an incredible sight.

Between baths, walks and babysittering, there is also time for the healthy barter with local fishermen. 2 beers = 1 octopus, 1 pepsi, chocolate and little else = fish for everyone!
And history repeats itself. At sunset on Day 4 we raise the sails again, and we bow to the northwest, Blanquilla destination, a small inhabited island and low by a detachment of GuardiaCostal and a few fisherman.

the morning, moored boats in the main bay, get in touch with the Coast Guard, represented by a small contingent placed in the middle of nowhere on the island, but only the next day will be on board for controls (so to speak ...) and finally give us the "paper street" which will be used later.
At this point we change our mooring and we place downwind of the island, facing a series of stunning beaches.

Here we just have to relax and enjoy the exploration (underwater) alle passeggiate e al cibo!
Eh si, perché sia su Kudra che su Nicolandra i fornelli sono sempre accesi e le menti prolifiche delle signore di bordo non smettono di nutrirci con prelibatezze!
Che vita faticosa! Non vi dico la forza di volontà che serve tutti i giorni per alzarsi da tavola e raggiungere l’ombra della palma in spiaggia…
Per non parlare dei pericoli di cui sono disseminate le isole: iguane, pellicani e…cactus! L’isola è talmente ricoperta di cactus che, nonostante le sofisticate e costosissime attrezzature da esplorazione di cui disponiamo, i nostri prodi tornano feriti terribilmente.

All’apice dello stress da navigatori in vacanza decidiamo dunque di lasciare l’isola in cerca di nuovi orizzonti.
Ci aspettano una sessantina di miglia, andatura al lasco, per raggiungere Tortuga; ancora poco il vento previsto.
E ora parte la confessione: Nicolandra ( 42 piedi ) si sta dimostrando più veloce di Kudra (47 piedi…).
Si naviga con lo stesso passo ma quando ci vien voglia di mettere un po’ d’acqua fra le 2 barche non riusciamo a staccarci dalla rossa.
All’alba e ormai prossimi all’arrivo a Tortuga Nicolandra riesce a passarci. Scatta il tutto per tutto e, a 10 miglia dall’arrivo, alziamo spi nella leggera brezza mattutina.

And go over them very slowly and arrive "early" on Tortuga. What an effort! We still need at least 3-4 days to recuperate!
I do not know how to describe Tortuga. I only say that my digital SLR can not balance the white sand and photos are automatically overexposed!

the second day, dead tired for the movement of jaws at the table we decide to change mooring and we move to Cayo Herradura, an anonymous crescent of white sand surrounded by coral reefs and colorful fish. 'Na crap!

Here we meet a boatload of friends, young couple with 2 children born in a boat ( 9 meters). They too are moving very slowly to ovest.Sono many boats that follow this route, convenient and easy, hopping between the islands. However few are those that meet. In the bays hardly rises above the 5-6 boats.

And thank goodness, after years of West Indies where the moorings are uninhabited except!

Meanwhile, several days have passed and now the departure of Fabio and Camilla is next. We are going to last so
navigation that will take us to P.to La Cruz, where we say "hello. We go out
dall'ormeggio surrounded by reef with the first light of the waning moon, but the weather is too weak and we need 8 hours of motor sailing and walking. Boredom.
We end with a landing at La Cruz p.to this first exploratory phase.
greet friends at the start and, with eyes still full of blue ocean, we begin to organize the exploration of which promises to be full of emotions!
Needless to say, we will dispose of the enormous efforts of the previous days of treatment with sleep, plunge pool and BBQ!

Fair winds to all!

Matteo