We have weighed anchor, and are now leaving the West Indies, where we have been stuck for more than a year so I could finish my schooling – validated in Martinique – and finally get the baccalaureate under my belt.
Our catamaran had to be hauled out in Trinidad for some work. A little spruce-up which has done it a lot of good, before we set off again towards the horizon. And which one have we chosen this time?
A slightly worrying horizon whose name alone is enough to terrify numerous leisure sailors, who however have no idea whatsoever of what can be found there, as they have never been...and this is nothing new.
Published 20/09/2018
We must admit that what people were saying about Venezuela started to seriously worry us, to the point of having doubts about stopping there. The Captain was lost in his thoughts… To convince him, I reminded my adorable dad that if we had listened to everyone since we left, we would never have gone to the Philippines or Madagascar or Papua, countries in which we had some incredible adventures…
This little reminder was enough. Aboard our catamaran we only listen to the crew, and we judge for ourselves, from our own experiences, and not those of others.
Therefore with our hearts once again open to encounters and experiences, we have set a course for Islas Los Testigos, a little more than half a day’s sail from Grenada. We are leaving in the middle of the night, to swallow up the 85 miles and arrive in the early afternoon under a leaden sky, in which hundreds of frigate birds pirouette.
Everything seems mysterious and a slightly anxious feeling grips us. After having heard so many stories about Venezuela, the fear of meeting trouble is very present.
We anchor between Testigo Grande and Pequeño, both joined by a narrow strip of beach. We notice boats on the beach, and people who are starting to move. Suspicious, we watch them leave…but in our direction. They pass us, saying hello, indifferent…all these stories had worried us for nothing.
Ashore there is nothing but cacti and goats. The landscape is quite rocky and prickly! We don’t venture into the middle of the island without shoes, and preferable ones with a double thickness sole if possible!
Thousands of birds have found an easy refuge in this little spot, cut off from everything…
To see – to do:
There is nothing better than taking a trip in the dinghy along the very rocky coasts. The gannets nest on the cliffs and are not really frightened by our presence. With care, you can also walk along the cliffs ashore. You won’t be disappointed by the scenery.
This is a calm stopover, there is just the occasional fisherman here; apart from resting and going for walks, there is nothing else. But what happiness!
Anchorage:
There are anchorages protected from all wind and swell directions. The islands are quite high and protect quite well. We anchored as far west as possible between Isla Grande and Isla Pequeño, perfectly protected from the easterly wind. Position: 11º23’.026N / 063º08’.130W
Perfect holding in fine, compact sand. There are no reef dangers, but the charts are not very accurate, so be careful when sailing at night.
Weather check:
This area is outside the hurricane area; there are no particular precautions to be taken regarding the weather.
The prevailing winds are easterly; leaving from Granada, we were almost on a run. Passages are surprise-free, calm and pleasant.
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