Awesome Aruba

 My sister's birthday September 26th, 2025 seemed like a good and memorable day to start our cruise to Aruba. We had been watching weather and planning timing to make sure we arrived in the daylight and after 6am when the customs and immigration offices open. Finally at 16:23 we tossed lines as a huge rain squall blew in. The wind was so heavy that had the security guy not been there to throw me the lines I don't think I could have gotten onboard. The rain dumped and the wind gusted and we thought, "what the hell is this and should we be leaving?" I looked like a drowned rat by the time I came inside from cleaning up lines and fenders but amazingly enough within 10-15 minutes we were past it and the skies were cloudy but rain free. What a departure. The 342.8 mile passage went smoothly. We saw lightning in the distance but none in our path. Winds blew to 20mph but didn't affect the seas much as we never saw over 4 feet of wind waves or swell. By day two we got into our rhythm and settled into our preferred shifts. At 10:30am on September 28th we pulled into Aruba Harbor and tied up at the customs and immigration dock. Both officers were friendly, helpful and welcoming and the whole process only lasted about 15-20 minutes. We were a combination of excited and exhausted all in one. The marina office at Wind Creek Marina is closed on Sundays but fortunately the Dockmaster was nice enough to give us our slip assignment and photo of our dock in advance. Jeff slid the boat in and two very nice charter fisherman came to help me tie up. And that was it. We were now in Aruba. We could hardly believe it. 

Rain Squall Just Outside Santa Marta 

Cruise Ship In Front Of Aruba 

Tied Up At Customs & Immigration Dock Aruba 

Approaching Wind Creek Basin 

Our Stern View- Wind Creek Marina 

Docked at Wind Creek Marina- Aruba 

We were exhausted once we got tied up and settled in and thankfully it was Sunday and all we had to do was lay around and watch football. After a much needed shower and pjs we settled into the couch and recuperated in our new surroundings. 

Monday morning we were refreshed and relaxed and ready to explore and see the paradise we were in. We checked into the office and met everyone there and they told us about the marina and explained how we get to use the Renaissance Resort Hotel which has pools, beaches, a gym, spa and private island. All which we got to use free of charge. Amazing! We decided a resort day was just what we needed. Immediately we walked across the street to see the resort. They gave us wrist bands to wear while at the resort and then we took a little tour of the facilities. Everything looked very nice and for the first time in a very long time we felt like we were on a fancy vacation. Jeff decided we should have a pool day and just relax and get acquainted with our new surroundings. I had no objections so we went back to boat changed into our bathing suits and hit the pool for some happy hour celebratory cocktails. 

Renaissance Resort

The Resort's Beach

The Gym

Happy Hour At The Pool 

Cheers To A Successful Passage 

Sunset From the Stern 

The next day it was back to reality. Jeff scheduled a plumber (do they call them those on boats?) to come and work on the master head. A pipe needed to be replaced and it was a 2-3 man job. And a smelly one. This disgusting task managed to take all day while one of the guys dropped the hose spilling the contents into the bilge. I can still smell and taste it as I type this. The worst smell I've ever smelled in my life! 

Only one more issue to address- electronics. For some unknown reason our auto pilot stopped working twice while underway. This was a bit scary in the dark. Jeff again has someone coming to look things over and of course they couldn't find a thing and the boat was able to steer and follow a course. Love when that happens. We decided to take a little stroll around and see what we could see in our neighborhood. The basin receives weekly cruise ships so there are a ton of duty free stores both high end and kitschy. Drivers are actually kind here and allow you to cross the street without gunning for you and honking the horn which is a nice change of pace from Colombia. The stroll wasn't long but we got a sense of where we are finally. 

By Cruise Ship Dock 

Casino and Outdoor Mall Off Our Bow

Now that all the boat issues had been address we felt like we could change into tourist mode and start seeing Aruba. We started with the city the boat was in- Oranjestad which is also the capital of Aruba. Right outside the marina we were able to walk to the Parliament Building, the old fort and the archeological museum not to mention a really good coffee shop that I insisted we stop in. After our touring we decided we needed to hit happy hour again at the pool and to cool off from all of our hot walking around all day. 

Parliament Building 

The Old Fort 

View Of Town From The Fort 

Wall Of The Fort

Old House In Oranjestad 

Shops And Old Buildings 

Town Trolly 

Archeological Museum 

Having thoroughly exhausted our area we decided to rent a car and drive around and see the rest of the highlights of the island. Conveniently the hotel has a rental car desk right inside and it made renting a car super easy. We picked it up at 10 and were on our way. First stop- the famous lighthouse. Just a short 20-30 minute drive to the point of the island which I would think would be north but who knows since the island is situated however it is. Regardless, when we arrived there were several rental ATV's and cars there. But despite the crowd we had the stairs and the lighthouse landing to ourselves which was really nice. The views were gorgeous and well worth the climb. Back in the car we continued our trek around the island this time ended up at the old chapel. Once again ATV's and tour buses were there so we knew we were hitting all the highlights. The chapel itself was small but charming and we walked the parameter for a few extra steps before loading back into the car. Next we made our way to the national park which if you had a 4x4 vehicle (which we made sure to rent) you could access the swimming cove. This long (which felt like forever) 30 minute drive within the park tossed and threw us all around our rental small sized suv. I kept saying to Jeff, "this is 4 wheel drive? are you sure?" In what felt like a wild milkshake ride to hell finally came to an end when we saw the cliffs and other vehicles. We grabbed our stuff and made our way down this long stair path to the swimming hole. We had to climb over slippy rocks and I was sure I was going to eat shit in front of everyone but fortunately there was a nice park ranger there to hold my hand until I was seated and slipped into the swimming hole. There were a ton of fish swimming around and I stood paralyzed while Jeff swam around a bit. Ok. Been there. Done that. After several minutes we hauled back up the steps and continued our drive around the park. We drove past two more beaches but these you couldn't swim in so we just looked at them from the car. Our final stops in the park were two old caves which you walked into for a little bit and looked around. We were underwhelmed. Finally around 3:30 we got to O'Niels for lunch which came highly recommended by several other boaters. The food was good - local Caribbean food - I had curry and Jeff had fish, both which were good. Before heading back to the boat we decided since there was a Costco on the island and we had a car that we better stop in. You never know what you may need. It was packed per the usual and we picked up a few things before returning home. 

The Lighthouse 

View From The Top

The Chapel 

Inside Chapel 

Inside State Park 

Swimming Hole In State Park 

Cave In State Park 

Cave 

Our original plan was to stay in Aruba for a month then make our way over to Curacao and Bonaire but you know what they say about plans. Right at this time tropical storm Jerry was making its way to the eastern Caribbean which meant that there was going to be a significant weather window to head east to Grenada which would be our final destination. What we came to learn after being in Colombia and other places it that when a tropical storm or hurricane goes by it sucks up all the wind and waves with it making the outer areas calm and with very light winds. After consulting with Commander Weather on the east coast we all agreed that if we had any intention of going against the trades and making our way east now was the time and there might not be another opportunity again. That did it for me. Time to go. Jeff took a little more coaxing but with the constant communication with the weather service he too agreed it was time. 

Before we left though there was one last amenity we had to take advantage of - the resorts private island. After a slow morning we caught the hotels panga (which departs the dock every 15 minutes) to their private island to spend the afternoon. The boat ride was fast which always makes me nervous but the captain was good and we trusted his skills. When we arrived we were told there was a family beach and an adult only beach. While normally the adult side would be a no brainer the family side was much more charming so we opted for that. We found two lounges nestled under some trees while pink flamingos walked by. We ordered some rum cocktails and a snack then floated together on a raft in the water. It was so peaceful and relaxing and we really felt like we were on a luxury vacation. What a wonderful marina we ended up at. Around dinner time we took the panga back and settled in on the boat. A great last adventure in Aruba. 

Family Beach On Private Island 

Huts For Rent 

Panga Escort To Private Island 

Cutting Loose From Cartagena

While we absolutely loved our four months spent in Cartagena, Colombia it was more than time to move on. On September 19th 2025 at 0853 we tossed lines and waved goodbye to our summer home. We were so excited to have the boat ready and to be cruising again. The winds were calm 5-8mph with small 1 foot swells. We found one rain squall but the rest of the 61 mile journey to Puerto Valero was perfect. We chose to make one stop en route to Santa Marta, Colombia so we could time the crossing of the Magdalena River for daylight. At 0341 we pulled into Puerto Valero and dropped the hook. There really is nothing to speak of here except for a place to sleep in calm protected water. We visited by land a couple months ago to check out the marina and other than having docks they didn't offer much else. 

Adios Cartagena 

Puerto Velero Anchorage 

Puerto Velero

Sunset at Puerto Velero

After a good nights sleep at 0610 we up-anchored and made our way the 70 miles to Santa Marta, Colombia. This day brought several challenges some excepted some not. When crossing the Magdalena River we had to dodge full trees, plants and endless trash which flowed out from the river into the Caribbean Sea. This much we expected and were on heightened alert during our watches. The seas were a little washing machine like which never makes for a comfortable ride. Finally at 0212 after debris dodging and tossing around we entered the basin outside the Santa Marta Marina and I hailed them on the radio to ask for our slip assignment. When I called I was told that the office was close and we would have to come back tomorrow. I explained that I had a reservation and that I knew the office was closed and we just needed our slip. The guy left us waiting for a long time and Jeff just ended up hovering next to a side tie while we waited. After several more back and forth and Jeff getting involved they said that they can't give us a slip until the office opens in the morning. We decided to drop the hook right outside the marina and turn the boat off for a while until this situation got handled or until the morning when the office opened.  Fortunately our friend Skip on his sailboat Rajja was already in the marina and I called him and asked for his help. He explained (in Spanish) our situation to the security guy and told them we didn't need customs or immigration just a slip. Somehow this is what they needed to hear and after the dockmaster called me from his home  and had me send him photos of our passports we were then issued  the same slip that Jeff was hovering near. Once again after up anchoring we made our way into the marina where a team of guys and Skip was waiting to help us. By now we were more than ready for a drink and invited Skip on board for a thank you/ welcome shot of rum. Shew! After getting the boat tidied up and taking showers we met Skip for a. nice dinner at the Asian restaurant right outside the marina. The food and company was good and we were happy to be at our final stop in Colombia. 

Passing Logs Magdalena River Crossing

Approaching Santa Marta

Sunset Santa Marta

Going to Dinner With Skip

The next day was Sunday which for us means p.j's and football which was perfect after our early morning the day before and the marina drama so we just hunkered down and were happy to be in Santa Marta. 

Since our plan was to get to Aruba at the next weather window we made sure to spend the following days seeing and doing everything you are supposed to when visiting Santa Marta. From the marina we walked to the melacon, Boulivier park, Lover's park and the cathedral. It was really nice that a lot of the tourist attractions were within walking distance. 

Walking the Melacon 

Bouliver Park

The Cathedral 

Everyone we told that we were in Santa Marta (including Skip) told us we have to visit the town of Minca. It's an hour drive up in the mountains and it's so charming they told us. So we figured we better do this. A guy at the marina had a friend who is a taxi driver who said he could drive us there and back. We thought this sounded good and booked it for the following day. Jeff made sure to ask that the taxi had both seatbelts and air conditioning. After some of the Ubers we rode in in Cartagena those two things were not a given. The driver confirmed and arrived at 10am to pick us up. From the minute I saw his "taxi" I should have known this wasn't going to be good. It was a little piece of crap something that looked like it could fall apart at any minute. Trying not to be judgy I got in the backseat while the driver insisted Jeff sit in the front. The inside was sweltering. I assumed it was because it had been siting for a bit and again tried to remain calm. Jeff asked the driver to turn the a.c. up and when he did I felt the hot air blasting. I began to sweat a lot. As we cruised along the taxi driver yapped it up with Jeff as I noticed him wiping his sweat from his forehead while I sat suffocating in the back seat. Finally I asked if the a.c. could be pointed more to me worrying I might pass out in my long sleeve sun shirt and pants. They attempted to do something but it didn't work and I pulled my handheld fan out of my bag. As some point as we made our way up the steep hill to Minca the car started to sputter and I noticed the driver turn off the ac and roll down the windows. It was starting to smell like burning and I was still dying of heat in the back seat. Finally the poor car had had enough and stopped all together. The driver was able to get it off to the side of the road and we saw smoke coming out of the hood. The driver said nothing but got out of the car and popped the hood. We got out as well in disbelief and annoyance. There was no cell service and no wifi and I imagined us stuck there for the day. Several cars passed in either direction none stopping to ask if we needed help. The driver continued going from under the hood to cranking on the ignition. I was really annoyed. Why were we out of town in an incapable car and why was the driver not saying anything about it. Finally after about 30 minutes on the side of the road the driver got it to start again and we were back on our way. He still did not acknowledge that anything had happened or apologize or anything which made me even more annoyed. Get me out of this car!! At some point we made it to Minca and I lept from the car. 

Our plan was to stroll around this charming town, have a nice lunch then head back down but after about 10 seconds of seeing the town we knew this was far from the case. We were  very confused about what all our friends saw in this town that warranted it as cute and as a must see. The only thing we could come up with was maybe they didn't come into the town but hiked and saw waterfalls outside of the town. The two short streets took us less than 10 minutes to see. There were a few restaurants, none of which you would want to enter and a couple tourist shops. I told Jeff if we left now we could have lunch on the boat. He agreed and we nervously got back into the taxi. Jeff assured me going down hill would be easier on the car and we shouldn't have the same problem again. Thank god he was right and I've never been more happy to be back on the boat. 

Stuck on the Side of the Road

View Driving to Minca

Church in Minca

Minca 

Having seen all the highlights and then some in Santa Marta we had our eyes set on Aruba. We watched the weather and worked with Commander Weather, a weather routing service we got from our friends on Long Windid. We all watched for what would be good conditions (less than 20knots of wind, under 5 foot seas with a decent period)  to make the 595 mile run to Aruba. Jeff changed oil, I readied the interior as we were in daily contact with Commander Weather. Finally we all decided that September 26th (my sister's birthday) would be a good day to depart. 

That's A Wrap

 This has been quite the bizarre season for us. Between constant boat issues, canal crossing, Christmas wind delays, slow starts, fire and more boat issues we felt a little shorted this season but such is boating. 

At 10:00am on May 16th we pulled anchor in Snug Harbor and started out on our 208 mile journey to Cartagena, Colombia. The passage couldn't have been better. Calm 1-4 foot swells with only 3-9mph of wind and an 85% full moon that was with us all night long. One of our best passages to date. We made our way though the shifts as the sun began to set and we were afforded a gorgeous sunset sending us into the night. By 8am on the 17th we had Cartagena in sight. Finally AIS started filling up, CPA alarms ensued and we made our way through the busy harbor to our marina at Club de Pesca. Coming in two weeks prior to our scheduled June 1st date we were given whatever empty slip they had. If you can call it that. We backed in between to poles to a six foot finger that is almost impossible to use to get on and off the boat. Needless to say, sleep deprived and anxious I was not happy. Our fenders actually touch the fenders and the boat next to us. But assured on the first we could move I tried to accept and be grateful for the slip we were given. So here we sit until at least October when we hope to leave and make our way to Aruba. We are lucky to be in such a nice city with lots to see and do and plenty of good restaurants to try. So that's a wrap until next season. 

Adios Guna Yala People 

Crossing Thur Some Seaweed 

Cartagena In Site 

Making Our Way to Club De Pesca 

Cartagena 

Shitty Slip