Playa Yaque, La Blanquilla,

Venezuela
11.50.173N
64.38.816W

The winds finally picked up during the night and we made good time to LaBlanquilla transiting the 93 miles in 14.5 hours. When Dale came on watch at 5am, I had taken the suggestion of the guide book and positioned us square between the 6 little islands of Los Hermanos, having first checked to make sure that we could go between them. Orpailleur had chickened out and went around all of them (Gerry’s description, not mine). Dale took over at this point and he tells me that when the sun finally rose, there wasn’t much to see.

Even our final destination of LaBlanquilla, is a desert island with hardly a sole on it. However, as we pulled into the anchorage at 8:30 am to join the 3 other boats, the monthly Wind Jammer Cruise line came in and anchored behind us, depositing about 100 people on the shore for beach walking and snorkeling. They had no sooner dropped off a dozen loads of passengers, when they started rounding them back up again. They were loaded, with anchors stowed and gone by 11:30am.

Dale had gone down for a nap, when the LaBlanquilla GuardiaCoasta came to call. A loud knock and a hasty call down the companionway from me had him up. Five young men representing Venezuela came along side in their panga and asked if we spoke Espanol. Oh boy, here we go!

We secured their boat to ours and for some unknown reason all 5 boarded our boat and sat in the cockpit. The one who spoke the most English (and looked like a Martin Sheen offspring), led the conversation. For the next hour, they used all of their English and we used all of our Spanish to complete what appeared to be a safety inspection. They never actually descended into our living quarters but simply asked the questions and we answered. They were all very polite and seemed impressed with having ice in the water we provided when asked. Once our paperwork was completed, they thanked us and left. Considering some of the officials we’ve met in other countries, these guys were great.

Gerry radioed over later asking if we would be willing to continue on to Tortuga tomorrow since there really wasn’t much to see or do here. So, what little exploring we did, was done in the after noon with a dinghy ride around the leeward side of the island dotted with caves, as far as what is called Americano Bay.

According to the cruising guide, an American by the name of Blankenship built himself a house on the cliffs overlooking a beautiful bay. We found what was left and decided that he must have been a bachelor and this was his little honey spot. The house (from what we could deduce) was mostly patio and bar with what may have been changing rooms and showers. It overlooked the ocean, the bay and a grotto at the base of the arch in the coral leading from the ocean to the bay. I wish we had snorkeled there but we ended up snorkeling in the rocks on the beach in front of our boats. The water was very murky and we quit pretty quickly. We’ve been spoiled.

Tomorrow morning at 6 am, we’ll head south to Tortuga. We’re doing this to break up the long transit to Los Roques and it provides a better angle on the wind. We’re anticipating a fast sail and the way the wind is howling at the moment, I doubt that we’ll be disappointed.