Culebra December 2014
After lunch and emptying the engine bilge yet again we head
for shore. The main issue is to see if we can get propane. You can’t call it
gas out here – that’s what they call petrol! In Bonaire we took a cylinder to
be filled just before we left, and they had run out, so we only got 3lbs
instead of 8lb and we had to change it at Puerto Patillas. If we do not get
propane here we will only be able to stay a day or two and then have to head
for St Thomas because we know we can get it there. The 8lbs normally lasts
about a month so we should have over a weeks’ worth, but we do not want to be
without.
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| Dinghy dock bar |
We tied up at the Dinghy Dock Bar, colourfully painted, nice
and low and in company with several other dinghies. Paw Paw is here too, but not
on board as we pass. We walk round town over the no longer lifting bridge over
a canal cut by the US Navy to link Ensenada Honda with the west coast.
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| Street scene Culebra Town |
Town is
very colourful if a bit ramshackle. Students are painting murals all over own,
some buildings are in use but on several the art works cleverly disguises what
would be ugly derelicts.
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| Painting the Murals |
Christmas decorations are also being put up all over.
Some are really 'Mickey mouse'!
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| Decorating the town |
We eventually end up at the ferry dock, on the west coast,
with no sign of propane anywhere. Tourist Information is here so we go in and
ask and are given a phone number, which does not work. We go into Culebra
Divers for a look around, meet Julie, the owner and mention propane. She sends
us back over the bridge, down along the canal to Milka, a supermarket. She says
they do it. It is quite a small building but a remarkable stock, floor to
ceiling, probably anything you need, including fresh veg and a butcher where
later we buy the best steak we have ever had.
At the till we ask the proprietor and he says they don’t do
it but Pipi does and he phones him for us! But, Pipi has a new number which he
has not got. So, he sends us back all the way to the ferry dock to the gas
(petrol) station, where Pipi’s wife works! She is not on duty, but the other
lady phones her and gets Pipis number for us! This is just how kind and
friendly we found everyone here.
By now it is after 5pm so we decide to phone Pipi tomorrow
and head to the Dinghy Dock for a Happy Hour beer. Paw Paw are there so we join
them and end up having a very nice dinner there. In the water are 4ft Tarpon
that are fed on all the leftover fish and bones from the diners, so occasional
feeding frenzies take place all evening! If this is not interesting enough, a
bit later bats fly up and down, occasionally dipping into the sea to catch
small fish with their feet!
The next morning Richard phones Pipi and they arrange to
meet at the dock in 10 minutes. I stay on board and eventually decide that
Richard must have had to go with Pipi to fill the cylinder. Nearly an hour later
Richard returns, Pipi did not show, and he did not have the phone. Richard phones
again and a conversation of “where are you” in broken Spanish and English
ensues, Pipi agrees to be at the Dinghy Dock in 15 minutes.
This time we both go, as I can go shopping while Richard
waits for Pipi. We wait outside the Dinghy Dock Bar for about half an hour,
still no show. So I head off for the vegetable market I saw yesterday and
Richard waits. The market is closed, so I go to Culebra Divers to buy a pink
octopus for Elise. Julie tells me the market is only Tuesday and Friday.
Richard appears a bit later. Pipi came, took the cylinder
and brought it back, “10 minutes” he said, about ½ an hour later we have a full
cylinder for $15. Result! This just shows that in the islands nothing is
straightforward, but patience and perseverance are usually rewarded.
Now we have propane so we don’t have to rush to leave, which
we are rather pleased by because Culebra is charming and we want to see more. We have just heard that the Gas station is
now out of gas (petrol).
On Sunday we have arranged to go diving with Paw Paw in the
marine park on the west coast.
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| The no longer lifting bridge |
After exiting the cut on the west side it is
about a 15min ride to the dive site. The National park authority have laid moorings
as it is a no anchor zone, we tie up and try to find the site. Fortunately a
local boat ties up to the next mooring so we swim across and ask them. The dive
is the reef we have just passed. We are advised to keep close to the shore to
avoid the current.
It is a shallow dive less than 10m, there were lots of
corals, sponges and invertebrates, we saw two turtles a southern stingray and
jellyfish as well as the usual reef species. The visibility was not as good as
we were expecting and was nothing like as spectacular as Bonaire, but still a
very pretty tropical dive.
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| Always beautiful |
Tuesday is Rowena’s birthday so we arrange to have a ‘hire
car’ for the day. This is not actually a car but a golf cart! Lots of these are
seen around the island used by the locals and visitors alike. It doesn’t take
long to travel the length and breadth of the island.
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| Looking East from Dakity |
By lunchtime we have
pretty much travelled all of it and decide to spend the afternoon on Flamenco
beach, (formally a bombing range for the US Navy).
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| Reminders of the military are everywhere |
It is now a beautiful horseshoe
beach used as a nesting site for Leatherback turtles, a laid back camp site in
the dunes and pretty much party time for all at the weekends!
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| Life's a Beach! |
We will not leave until Saturday as we want to visit the museum;
it is only open Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The small museum is worth a visit
and charts the inhabitants from the early Taino Indians to the Spanish settlers
and the arrival of the US military in the early 1900’s. The locals really did
have a hard time they were almost under military occupation. Finally a concerted
campaign in the 1970’s including a mass picnic on the bombing ranges drove the
military out (so they went to Vieques instead!).
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| The Museum - an old munitions store!
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Culebra really does have a laid back feel, a place to come
and chill, enjoy the beach or just hang out. We will be sad to leave but the
weather looks good for us to actually sail (not motor!) to St Thomas on
Saturday.
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| Looking across the anchorage |
Yes! We can actually sail to St Thomas, we will have to put
a tack in but we manage to sail from Culebra to Brewers bay St Thomas USVI,
wow! It is our first proper sail in about 3 weeks.
Brewers bay is fairly deserted of boats, we are pleasantly
surprised, two other cruising boats and a few locals on moorings, plenty of
room to anchor and have a swim, pity about the airport being so close but it is
not too intrusive and closes down at night. We will go round to Charlotte
Amalie on Monday as we need to get; you’ve guessed it, Propane! Our 3lb fill in
Bonaire lasted exactly 7 days, the filling plant here have always given us a
good fill so we are not worried about not getting any propane here. We will
also do mundane tasks like shopping and laundry.
