After 5 days of exploring Cartagena, we have found it to be a fascinating place. Leaving out the death defying street crossings, we have enjoyed it, lots of history here. We have walked the fort walls and visited the forts and several museums. Done some shopping and lots of walking around the city. Also some great beaches here if your into that.
Our oldest solar panel failed and I managed to source one in Cartagena and hope to take delivery of it Monday. Got a 90 watt panel for 345,000Pesos or a bit less than $200 dollars, very reasonable. Then Tuesday we hope to leave and visit a couple of the outer Columbian islands, nearby. Then head for the San Blas islands of Panama. There is not much civilization in the San Blas so we may be out of internet service and no blog updates until near end of December or start of January.
Dec 11 we left Catagena and motored out the main ship channel as this was on our way. We motored by the main forts guarding the entrance to the harbour, but had to pause briefly to allow a ship through the narrow entrance. Then we scooted out on his tail before another ship came in. We sailed part of the 18 miles to Isla Grande and planned to anchor but the bottom looked terrible with huge chunks of corral and we did not want to snag our anchor or chain. Then we noticed a couple of buoys near by and if we interpreted the spanish correctly they were park bouts. They had a nice thick rope so we tied up. If they dragged we would just drift out to sea.
I then jumped in the nice clear water to clean propellor and found it completely covered in a 1/4 inch layer of barnacles, this was all from 10 days in Cartagena.
The next morning we dinghyed to shore to look around. A local showed us a large cage full of macaws and Toucans. When we returned to the beach where we left our dinghy, we saw the engine was gone. Stolen! The local guy with us asked a few other people around and soon there was about 8 people involved and one guy found the engine hidden up in the bushes 50 meters up the beach. Whew, we got it back and it was okay. We then left for the island of Tintpan about 25 miles away
Dec 11 we left Catagena and motored out the main ship channel as this was on our way. We motored by the main forts guarding the entrance to the harbour, but had to pause briefly to allow a ship through the narrow entrance. Then we scooted out on his tail before another ship came in. We sailed part of the 18 miles to Isla Grande and planned to anchor but the bottom looked terrible with huge chunks of corral and we did not want to snag our anchor or chain. Then we noticed a couple of buoys near by and if we interpreted the spanish correctly they were park bouts. They had a nice thick rope so we tied up. If they dragged we would just drift out to sea.
I then jumped in the nice clear water to clean propellor and found it completely covered in a 1/4 inch layer of barnacles, this was all from 10 days in Cartagena.
The next morning we dinghyed to shore to look around. A local showed us a large cage full of macaws and Toucans. When we returned to the beach where we left our dinghy, we saw the engine was gone. Stolen! The local guy with us asked a few other people around and soon there was about 8 people involved and one guy found the engine hidden up in the bushes 50 meters up the beach. Whew, we got it back and it was okay. We then left for the island of Tintpan about 25 miles away
INFO
-Anchorage at Isla Grande, mooring balls at 10 10.17N 75 45.04W and is two balls. About 18 miles W of Cartagena, water very clear and lots of fish under boat.
-Anchorage at Tintipan anchored in 28ft at 09 47.310N 75 50.180W again very clear water here
-Anchorage at Isla Grande, mooring balls at 10 10.17N 75 45.04W and is two balls. About 18 miles W of Cartagena, water very clear and lots of fish under boat.
-Anchorage at Tintipan anchored in 28ft at 09 47.310N 75 50.180W again very clear water here
-It is much hotter in Cartagena than Santa Marta and a lot less wind. We never seem to get more than 12 to 15 knots in the anchorage, and from different directions. (December)
-Before leaving the ABC'c we had read a lot of the info available on visiting Columbia. A lot of it, I think gives you a wrong impression. We almost did not take the boat to Cartagena going by stuff we read, and that would be a mistake.
Perhaps some of the stuff written is by people who have only cruised the Carribbean or have just come from a big city in the states. In Hindsight now we are glad we took the boat to Cartagena and did not just make a bus visit from Santa Marta, especially since we had to come this way anyway. It is no hassle to clear in, just a few minutes with the agent and they do everything else. The anchorage here is fine, I don't know what it is like in the wet season, but certainly it is fine now in the dry season. (starts Dec 1). We have seen many places a lot worse on our trip around the world. For a emerging third world country, it is much cleaner that many we have seen. To visit from Santa Marta by bus would be much more expensive. As the only costs here was the extra $70 dollars for the agent and a small dinghy dock fee.
-Club Nautico, where we are anchored, is still under renovation as of Dec 6 2013. They take forever I here. Maybe it will be finished by Christmas or maybe a few more months?? We get all the water we want and garbage removal for our dinghy dock fee, which is reasonable. See last post for costs. It will be nice once the showers are working. You can walk almost anywhere here or take a cheap taxi. We have not taken a taxi yet here, just walk everywhere.
-For internet we got a sim card for our old usb dongle and it works fine in the anchorage, though a bit slow. For a week it was $15.00 for data for a week and $10 for the sim card. Got this from a street vendor across from the nearby grocery store.
-My Solar Panel I got from Energias Alternas and Fernando was the contact who speaks perfect english. He seems to have access to a wide variety of panels. He does not have a store, but a office at Calle Larga #8B 55 of 103 Is a 25 min walk from anchorage.
email: fernando@energiasalternas.com.co 313 624 8977 0r 313 585 2214
Note: This added later, we never did get delivery of the solar panel. His two days turned into 3 days then 4 days and finally we had to leave and another yacht tried for us emails from both sides bounced so if want a panel here probably have to stay on Columbia time and allow lots. Will try Panama for a panel.
Note: This added later, we never did get delivery of the solar panel. His two days turned into 3 days then 4 days and finally we had to leave and another yacht tried for us emails from both sides bounced so if want a panel here probably have to stay on Columbia time and allow lots. Will try Panama for a panel.
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