Onwards
to San Andres with a beam reach all the way into the entrance at
midday the next day. For the last 60 miles we had a 2 knot north
setting current which meant we were touching 10 knots boat speed from
time to time.
The
two mile channel into San Andres is clearly buoyed in the American
system of 'red right returning'. We anchored in 4m at 12°34.58N
81°41.85W which is in the area designated for fishing boats because
it looked the yacht anchorage was full with fishing boats!
Our
agent Julian Watson met us at Club Nautico. He had arranged for
Immigration and Customs to come to us at the club. All simple and
easy. San Andres y Providencia levy a visitor tax of $43 per person
and insist yachts use the services of an agent to do your paperwork.
For us this was a $90 fee. The agent in Providencia will charge $100
for processing our paperwork. Sneaky charges that soon add up.
Club Nautico wanted to charge $6 a day to use their dinghy dock and
facilities – swimming pool, showers and Wifi, no bar or restaurant.
The alternative 'yacht club', Nene's half a mile south by the Texaco
petrol station is $2 a day or $10 for a week with a WiFi signal
strong enough to reach us at anchor.
Although
we were tired from our overnight sail, one night is too short to to
adjust sleep patterns, we were ready to go out for dinner. We'd
found a restaurant we liked near Club Nautico, but on the way there
found a little gem at the hotel next door. They have a buffet –
soup, salad, three mains, desserts, tea, coffee, water and two
glasses of wine for £10 a head. It was perfect; I like to pick at
bits and pieces, David likes desserts; we both enjoy a glass of wine
with dinner. If you're coming this way it's the Hotel Sol Caribe.
We
both slept very well.
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