Arrival in Curacao

                                                                                                            29/10.2012

A taste of Holland in Willemstad

The entrance to Spanish Waters wasn’t exactly where it was supposed to be….Our Navionics charts indicated our track as having gone roughly through the foyer of the Hilton Hotel on the right of the charted entrance. (The warning on the Raymarine does say that it should NOT be used for navigation, so they are in the clear!!) In their defence, I must add that the small print on both the Garmin and Open CPN make reference to the fact that there are known errors of x amount on the electronic charts of the western Caribbean.

We motored slowly down the channels and anchored on the edge of section B. That we were too close to the edge of the buoyed anchorage, was brought home by two V8 powered racing boats roaring past on either side of us at about 60 knots. There are no speed limits in Spanish Waters! We quickly moved to the back edge, safely out of the way of the speed merchants, and started making plans for our check-in procedures for the next day

This involved catching a bus to Punda, a section of the very attractive capital of Willemstad. We walked passed the “floating market”, where Venezualan merchants bring in mountains of fruit and fresh produce by boat. The brightly coloured buildings, pavement café’s and restaurants, up market shops give the city a very First World and European feel. 

Willemstad

The restored Queen Emma floating bridge, built in 1888, adds to the charm of the city, along with some typical Dutch lifting bridges, and one high and impressive road bridge which goes over the harbour below it.

The elegant road bridge over the harbour and Immigration!

The customs were friendly and easy. We then had to walk about two miles over the floating bridge, to the scruffy harbour below the road bridge, to find Immigration and Port Authority. Here the single official actually working hated the job, worked at a snails pace, in a less than suitable office. This step took about an hour, as the official first had to explain to the applicant in front of us, that he could not get a visa extension, and would have to leave. The applicant would not accept having to leave in the face of Hurricane Sandy, and the fact that Hurricane season only ends on 1^st December. In the end he walked out saying he understood that he had to leave, as soon as possible, and that as far as he was concerned, that would be 1/12/2012! He is still here a week later. We had also seen him in Bonaire, where he had gone specifically to restart his Curacao 90 day visa. The woman he was dealing with, had a big thing about that meaning 90 days in any one year. The other Immigration people don’t seem to mind in the least.

Stave and Chris from "Scott Free" checked in with us

A local here, from whom one buys wifi, told us that she is known as a bit of a problem, a woman on a crusade. They tried transferring her to the airport, to stop messing the yachties around, but she caused so much chaos at the airports, delaying flights etc, that they sent her back to the harbour. Why don’t they just fire her, I asked   “No you can’t fire anyone in Holland!” he replied.

The Queen Emma floating bridge fully opened

Getting legal here entailed filling in the same information as we had done in  customs, despite having given the photocopies of the same, and  then having new photocopies made for us to present to the Port Authority. And yes, once again, in a totally inadequate cubicle of an office we had to fill in the same information , hand over our photocopies from Customs and Immigration,  pay $10 anchoring fee, and wait for copies of their rules . Another grumpy official who hated her job made this a less than joyful experience.

 3D beautifully painted artwork brightens a simple alley! 

The difference between the simplicity, efficiency and friendliness in Bonaire, and the tedious bureaucracy in Curacao is quite amazing!

Floating Bridge opens half way for smaller vessels

                                                   

Sitting down for a well earned beer, watching the Floating bridge open and close for ships, Steve and I compared our Port authority rules. They were completely different pages!  Apparently Aruba is getting even more complicated, requiring the temporary import of foreign yachts, and mandatory usage of customs agents. Noonsite (a cruising information website) reports that RSA Customs are embarking on the same scam, trying to tax and fine non complying vessels in Durban, despite SARS denying it all!

The mustard colour of this church seems a Dutch favourite!

                                                

 I somehow managed to break my 3^rd tooth since we left home.  I used Skype to phone Dr Chong’s Dental clinic to make an appointment. The little Chinese receptionist who answered asked for my name and number. “Rod, and I am using Skype because I don’t have a Curacao phone, and am on a yacht”

“Aah-so,.. Lod ,u on a boat? Where u flom?”

“South Africa, Cape Town”

“Gee…. U say AWE that way…?  I mus see u…. Aah u black or why ? Ooh…shudn arse that…. Ok I make appoinmin for eleven ok Lod?

I duly arrived at 10.00, hoping to be fitted in early. The different receptionist on duty could not find the appointment for “Rod at eleven”. I suggested she looked for a “Lod” at 11.00.  “Yes, now I see, Lod!

Well, after an x-ray and a thorough check up, “Lod” had to make a 2 ½ hour appointment for the following week for a tooth reconstruction….. so its baby foods for the next week. At least we are in a safe and pleasant anchorage! 

Dawn over Spanish Waters