Santa Cruz 19/6-22/6 2016
Isabela to Santa Cruz 46.5 SM
We had to get back to Santa Cruz for to get Lars canon lens at DHL mandag 20/6 and Ivar on a plain home to Denmark 21/6. Measure for a new Elvsrøm mainsail and jib 20/6, inspecting the rig and getting diesel from the son of Irene. Nice street kitchen seafood plate were there time for the last evening with Ivar.
Isla Isabela 13/6-19/6 2016
48 SM to Isla Isabela and the town Villamil
We take the dingy in to the, very run down, dingy dock and a long walk on the sandy road took us threw Villamil to the agent James at the café Booby-trap and there exchanges information for clearance, while enjoying a cup of coffee or cola and important good Wi-Fi. A short walk from the dingy-dock take us to Cocha y Perla, a little bay in the mangrove with a lot of fish, sea-lions, iguanas, turtles and penguins. There we snorkel for a while and I get caught by the current and get saved by Lars.
The next day we rent mountain-bicycles and have a nice ride to see flamingoes at Los Humedales, turtle breeding centre ”Centro de Crianza Arnaldo Tupiza”, and beaches like Playa del Amor with a lot of marine iguanas. At the latter Lars and I got a swim with some nice fish. Also Wi-Fi at Booby-trap before and after the bicycle ride.
At the anchorage Maria swim to a yellow boy but saw only some fish having a feast on the hall of Alexandra. Lars is having a scuba dive around Alexandra but the water is not clear enough. Ivar and Lars take a tour to Booby-trap for Wi-Fi and I enjoy being alone for a while. From the boat we can see a lot of animals in the water like penguins, sea-lions, turtles and boobies hunting for fish but they are al to far away.
Before leaving Isabela for Santa Cruz again we got contact with Coolrunnings a catamaran also on its way to Marquesses. We had contact with them for most time of the crossing on the SSB radio together with MaryAnnII.
Isla Santa Cruz 8/6-13/6 2016
After a nice day of sailing jib and motor (43.4 NM, 6.4h, 5.5avg, 7.7max, wind 6.6avg 10.3max) we reached Isla Santa Cruz and Baya Academia, Puerto Ayora. Irene, Bolivars agent at Santa Cruz, came with the papers at 16 hour and we took a taxi-boat in to the city for a nice meal and wi-fi.
Darwin centre the next day was a nice waking tour from the harbour. On the way back to the village we find ODS a very find internet café serving cappuccino, fresh made fruit juice and yoghurt ice-cream per g. I had to sit with Darwin.
The next day we took a water-taxi across the harbour and a long walk took us to “Las Grietas” with to lava giant walls forming a tunnel with brackish water on top mixing with seawater deep down were we could snorkel and enjoy the fish in the could water. After that we stop at Playa de los Alemanes and snorkelled for a while in the flat not so clear water, looking at a lot of small fish.
A tour by taxi up north to los Gemelos with the huge volcanic craters, Lava Tunnels and El Chato were we could walk around with the giant tortoises. Back in town and after a 5$ budget lunch we had a nice fruit juice at Zayapa and a chat with the owner Liset.
Taxi to Tortuga Bay entrance and a long walk to the beach the next day. We were a little disappointed of the water that was muddy and unclear, but safe to bathe in. A little protected water hole had a lot of nice fish to look at. Due to the heavy swells and under current you could not bathe at the large beautiful beach that you pasted by to reach the other but surfers enjoyed it immense there.
San Cristobal 30/5-8/6 2016
After a good nights sleep we moved closer to the dingy dock with a hope to get lesser swells. Lars visited our agent Bolivar and got advice how to prepare for the clearance and the time for the groups arrival. We cleaned up and at 15 hour we had a visit of agent Bolivar, port captain, custom, immigration and health inspector. A diver inspected the hall and sad Alexandra was OK and the health lady inspected below deck. Coffey and cola was served and forms were filed and passports were stamped.
Together with the others we took a water-taxi in to the bridge with sea lions on the stairway. We went home to Bolevar were we were treated with very tasty Galapagos bananas. We had to stay on land for 3 h because of Alexandra being fumigated for cockroaches and other insects. Fumigator; 120 Volt. We have 12, 24, 220 Volt on Alexandra. It was a joke. At Casablanca we could get wifi for the first day in 8 days and celebrate that we finally reached Galapagos. When we got back on Alexandra the front window got cleaned up for old sika flex. On the bay arrived a cargo ship and a feeder ship was quickly on place to transport the cargo to Puerto Baquerizo Moreno.
A long walk to the Centro de Interpretacion and Cerro Tijeretas (Tijeretas Hill) were we, on the cliffs hoped to see the frigate bird nesting but the nests were empty.
The main sail got piked up for repair by a not professional sail-maker in the morning and we took the dingy to a little beach at the military marine headquarters. The sea lions did not like us coming so we went ten meter out and dropped anchor. Here we could snorkel around and see a lot of fish and a big turtles that Lars and Maria followed for a while.
The next day, on a walk along the harbour, we saw the beautiful hermit crab and iguanas. We got good food on-board but also lobster and delicious cold fish soup in town.
Isla Españiola tour with diving boat 6/6 2016
A one and a half hour tour to the island Españiola went quickly and at arrival we were al sailed in to land by a big rib from an other diving firm.
We saw Iguanas, Nascar Boobies, Blue-footed Boobies, Hermit crabs, Albatross, when waking around the island with our guide and dive master Santiago.
After a good lunch served on the boat we got into the water.
Scuba diving; Lars got Santiago as his “Body” and a Japanese couple dived too. They so shark and various fish on the reef and went down to 15 meter.
The rest of us, 9 people, snorkel’s to the reef together with some guys from the diving centre, one with an orange safety ring with him so he was easy to see. It was quite clear and we so a great variety of fish. Sum of us so a shark.
The day before we left for Isabela we got diesel, from jerry-cans sailed out by agent Bolivars son, for 3$ per gallon.
23-30/5 2016, 7 days and 13,5h, 1016 NM, best distance per 24h153,5 NM, Speed Avg. 5.6 kts, Speed Max. 7.7 kts, TWS Avg. 10.7 kts, TWS Max. 22.1 kts.
Upwind sailing, with different wind and current strength al the way, and a leek of water threw the forward hatch to the anchor storage, because it was not closet correctly. We sailed with a combination of motor and different sail. The mainsail had a big rift that Lars and Ivar tried to repair in Balboa but unfortunately it did not hold in this tough conditions. Good things happened too. On the third day we were visited by a lot of dolphins, for the first time on the Pacific. Also close to San Cristobal we had a couple of whales passing by and several amazing large stingray jumping for us. Galapagos Boobies flue around Alexandra night and days the last 24 hour. At 21 h 30/5 we sailed in to Puerto Baquerizo Moreno on San Cristobal and dropped the anchor.
