Thursday, July 31, 2014

Isla Catalina, Casa de Campo and Isla Saona. March 2014

 

Dear friends,

We left Boca Chica in the afternoon, with a stiff breeze on the nose, but managed to get out the harbour and motorsailed towards La Romana. At day break, we were close to Isla Catalina, and decided to anchor out at this beautiful location.

Lucky for us there were no cruise ships so we wondered around the island and just enjoyed a sunny afternoon. The next day was almost without wind and before we went to Casa de Campo Marina, we stopped at the NE side of the Island as we were told it was good diving there.

Tied up on a mooring and geared up. We both came to the conclusion that once you have experienced diving in Bonaire, the next place needs to be really special and something different from the norm. This was not the case…. Actually on the shallow before arriving to the drop of the coral wall it appeared to be a dumping site for all kinds of rubbish. Such a pitty. Again, we can only hope that the local governments will help to educate and improving waste management.

On our way to Casa de Campo. Indeed a very posh and exclusive yacht club. Basically for high end motor yachts and certainly not geared up for sailing boats. During the manouvre in getting Onda Boa stern to, between two fingers the gear cable of the Starboard enginge broke so that was kind of complicated. Anyway managed to tie off, but was immediately told that I could not undertake any maintenance work whilst at the dock. With the help of a kind stranger, I arranged some sturdy wire and was able to repair the gear cable.

On the yacht club grounds is also a supermarket (high end prices as well), but ofcourse very convenient.

The next day we left early to go to Isla Saona. It was a marvelous short trip and arriving at the Island, mouthwatering scenes of pristine blue water, palm tree beaches, paradise in short.

This island is visited by hundreds of day trip guests from nearby resorts. Checked out the crowds and had a nice day. Mentally preparing for the so dreaded Mona Passage between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. On the north side of the DR and PR runs a tremendous deep trench and on the passage between the islands the depth are a couple of hundred meters. This, depending on the winds can create a savage sea (and current)… Hiho, of we go…

 

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Isla Catalina…. eye candy..                                               A day at the beach

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It is just too much                                                              The good life

 

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Isla Saona                                                          Just awesome

 

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Why not stay somewhat longer?                        Never enough

 

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   The captain                                     …and ready to flow…

 

Later

Pieter

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