Cabo de Vela... the Gateway to Colombia

After four and a half years of cruising the windy Eastern Caribbean chain, the Starship is finally returning to the mas tranquillo waters of the Western Caribbean. It has been a month and a half of waiting for the right weather window to go west and studying every weather model we can find. May is suppose to be a transition month , a time when the tradewinds decrease and traveling the trecherous Colombian coast and around windy Cabo de Vela becomes somewhat easier. Only March decided to stay until May this year and again Don and I hear what usual weather the world is having. A discussion with some local kite boarders who were very excited that kite boarding season is about to begin and so the promise of MORE wind, the captain decided we had to go west...NOW. Picking the best window available and avidly listening to Chris Parker the weather guru, the anchor was lifted at 03:00am and we headed out into the inky blackness of a moonless night. Under sail for the first five or six hours in 6-8 foot following seas and a brisk 20 knot wind at our backs, all on board were excited to finally be on the move.

Trolling along at 8-9 knots took us through a school of small Mahi Mahi and Mike scored us some lunch and dinner fare. These dorado were very small and after several hits the lines were pulled in as our stomachs and freezer could only accommodate so much fresh pescado. 

Cabo de Vela is the dividing line between the Eastern and Western Caribbean and on the boarder of Venezuela and Colombia. This passage from Aruba to Colombia is known as the roughest in the Caribbean and Cabo de Vela is considered one of the five windiest Capes in the world. 

Predictably as we approached the wind picked up to 25 knots and gusting higher. Though the wind was at our backs the seas picked up as well and the Starship was surfing her way down 10-12 foot swells, averaging 10 knots and sometimes hitting 15 on the downside of the swells. Our new autopilot was no where near capable of steering in such large seas and hand steering with some help from the engine made for a quick albeit nail-biting passage. 

As we turned the corner making our way into a protected anchorage tucked just under the Cape, all on board were happy to drop the hook at sunset and make the appropriate sacrifice to King Neptune for our arrival. 
Below is Don’s description of our trip via email and we both agree that this passage lived up to its dreaded reputation. 





Tied up to a Marina, spent the morning washing the boat to rid it of all the crusted dirt from Bonaire to Aruba. Aruba being the worst. We waited in Aruba for 3 weeks for a weather window and none came, then a small window where the winds died to 20K with 25K gusts and 8' seas so we went for it.  The wind right now is blowing 25 with 32K gusts for the next few days, and we got in right before it picked up.What a ride, the Cape is one of the 5 worst wind places for sail boats traveling around the world, and it lived up to its rating in my book. Had to hand steer all the way, even the new auto pilot could not handle the 8' seas which actually were 3 meter seas which is really 10" and then there are the swells that go much higher, where did they come from?????? Left at 3:00am and the first 60 miles was easy, but then as we approached the cape it picked up with 3 meter seas and higher winds, average of 10 knots for the day, as we passed Cabo Vela right near dusk the wind kicked up another notch and the seas built to over 3 meters so I headed in to the Cabo and anchored for the night.  Left the next morning and sailed most the day then the wind died and motored the rest of the night around to Santa Marta. Many times surfed  down the waves at up to 15 knots, had to run the engine a lot to control the boat from breaching, two jibs up, and we made it.  I will never ever ever make that trip again, and that was a good passage.  Now it time for sleep, have not had much in the last 4 days.


Cheers and have a cold one for us!

Starship

We are very grateful for our beautiful and well-founded boat Starship who has repeatedly delivered us safe and sound over thousands of miles and thru all types of weather. A quote from our favorite on board film expresses our sentiments exactly ....”She is not an aged man-o-war......no....she is in her prime!”