Los Roques: Buchiyaco

Monday, October 29, 2001

011-46.680 N
066-34.680 W

Did the overnight from the Tortugas to Los Roques last night along with Stormy Petral. We've been on the same route for a week or two now, and it's been really nice getting to know Ken and Bonnie. It's also been nice to have another boat to sail with, especially on the overnight. While you don't expect anything to happen, you just never know...

Anyhow, the sail was very good. Actually too good. We estimated 14 hours at 6 kts, so we left at 18:30 and estimated an arrival at 08:30. Well, the problem was that the wind was blowing 15-17 kts right on the beam. I put double reefs in and had the main luffing and I was still doing 7+ kts! What made matters worse was that there were 3-5' seas on the aft quarter and we were rolling like crazy. Having the boom all the way out just made matters worse. I didn't want to take the job down as I figured that I'd need it later, so I finally tightened it all of the way down to the mast and that slowed the boat down to less 5+ kts. We pulled into the enterance right around 8:30.

For all intents and purposes the Roques is a fairly continuous reef that's about 20 miles x 10 miles with a very shoal, uncharted interior. There are channels which run along the reefs. In many places you anchor behind the reef looking out at the open ocean crashing into the reef. The reef takes out most of the wave action.

Buchiyaco is such a location. When we pulled in a boat named Asylum was there, but they immediately pulled up anchor and left. I guess that the neighborhood just went down hill! After sleeping for a while I went out to the reef near a wrecked trawler and explored. While the inside reef was nothing special, the outside reef was spectacular. It was completely alive with lots of varieties of coral and BIG fish. A couple of 4-5' Baracudas kept a wary eye on me, flashing their teeth occasionally. There was bread rising back at the boat and I needed to get back, so I left, planning on returning the next day. Unfortunately the wind and seas picked up, so that wasn't to be.

Tomorrow it's on to an anchorage named Francisquis.

Log ID: 118