Goodbye, Curaçao!

And just like that, how things change! We're saying goodbye to Curaçao and hello (fingers crossed) to Bonaire!

Bonaire is a notoriously difficult place to get into as a cruiser because of its popularity. Many of the marinas are booked up not only for weeks solid, but for months in advance (especially during hurricane season). Since Bonaire is a protected marine nature park, there is absolutely no anchoring allowed around the entire island. Marinas or mooring balls are the only option. Unfortunately, mooring balls are incredibly desirable and highly sought after. There are a limited number of mooring balls; not enough for the many cruisers who wish to visit Bonaire.

We've been trying to make a [mandatory] marina reservation with little success. At first there was only space available in November; then we had a slot ready to reserve for October. Fortunately for us, Paul and I met some great friends last week in Curaçao who sailed with their families to Bonaire. They told us that they'd be sure to keep an eye on available marina berths just in case something opened up unexpectedly. One of our friends, also on a Bavaria, were able to leave the marina for a mooring ball. Enter - Panta Rhei! We are going to slip into their spot just as they leave. How lucky are we?! The answer: VERY! It's a gorgeous place for cruisers, and especially for freedivers and divers. We cannot wait to continue our adventure in Bonaire!

We'll be leaving Curaçao tomorrow morning (July 31st) around sunrise, and anticipate to reach Bonaire before sunset. The distance between the two islands is about 44 nautical miles, but the winds are not in our favour. We'd either need to pound almost bow-first into the waves and wind, extremely close hauled, or, make a little detour around Klein Curaçao and tack upwards to the northern point of Bonaire. We're hoping that this way we'll be able to do more sailing, instead of being dependent on the motor. But, we might end up just heading "straight" there! Here are what our options look like:

We'll touch base once we've arrived! Remember that you can track our movements at www.marinetraffic.com and search PANTA RHEI III.

Sending hugs!

Toni & Paul