60. Bucuti

High winds are forecast for another week, so today I decided to move to Bucuti; getting there is very tricky, along a very narrow unmarked channel by the side of the mangroves off Renaissance Island. Everyone says don’t go right in the middle ‘keep a third to starboard’… wait, what? And then there’s an even narrower one to go across to the anchorage next to the marina and yacht club. All made harder by the still massive winds (gusting to 30 knots), strong 2 knot current and little fluffy clouds, which when they passed made it impossible to see the bottom, and their shadows made dark spots on the water, like reef.

Touching Down (taken from Bucuti)

On the way I passed right by the airport runway lights (somewhere you’re not allowed to anchor because the airplanes passing over are just about to touch down and may clip your mast), just as a flippin’ big Boeing was coming in to land. It was amazingly close; I could smell the exhaust and feel the hot blast.

Anchored near Baucuti Yacht Club

I thought I could see where I was supposed to turn 90 degrees to port. I checked the coordinates on the GPS (which was showing the whole area as red and white lines, and a warning: unchartered waters, depths from 0 to 7 feet), and according to the guide I wasn’t there yet. But I saw markers, so I followed them anyway, in a big S and went up and dropped anchor near the other boats.

Arubaville bar and restaurant (lovely) in the background