14 October Arrival Curacao

Not what you want. On the day we have to leave Bonaire, because we’d reached 90 limit on our visitor visas, there is no wind to sail. Instead we motor in flat seas and reach Spanish Water early afternoon.

In the blurb Curacao is noted as ‘hurricane free’ and then Spanish Water as an ideal ‘hurricane hole’? Bit of a dichotomy there. The bay is reached through a long channel so there’s no exposure to swell making it a popular spot for yachts to spend hurricane season. The designated anchor zones are busy and it takes a while to find a spot that satisfies being outside the channel and with swinging room to the boats around us, but we do.

Willemstad swing bridge

A change this year is a new Customs and Immigration office has been built and opened next to the channel dock, easily accessible by dinghy. However, to pay our harbour master dues we still needed to take a bus into Willemstad. We’ve been before so knew to walk over the swing bridge and into the controlled dock area under the high road bridge. It was quick, a simple U$25 fee for 3 months. We are aiming to leave as soon as we have a favourable and safe window to allow us to sail back to the north east Caribbean.

Greenpeace visiting Curacao