At noon precisely, on the 4th of February, the first leg of what’s to become a massive journey back to Asia officially started. It will be sort of an extended sea trial, as Ah Ma had been sitting pretty at the marina for a long time. Now finally she can stretch her legs and put some miles under the keel.
All preparations that could have been made, have been made. But this first leg of the journey, to Colon Panama, will be her real ‘shake down’ trip, as all systems will now have to work under real circumstances, out on the open ocean.
A few days earlier we expelled all old ghosts from the ship, dedicated Ah Ma according to ancient Masonic ritual and symbolically offered Alunui to Poseidon, as from now on this yacht will officially sail the seas under the name of her protector, the goddess of the oceans, Ah Ma. (see what’s in a name).
But first we need to get to that open Ocean. As our skipper for hire and first mate stowed away the fenders, I gently navigated the Spanish Waters up to the narrow exit at Boca 19, like we’ve done before in the past. And we stranded again, like we’ve done in the past, on the two shallows that now will be known as the ‘Ah Ma Shoals’.
This time however there was no easy way of getting off. Whatever we tried, we were stuck. A small motorboat tried to assist with a pull, but after a few tries he gave up, afraid of pulling the kleets off his boat.
Time to call the Curacao Rescue force! I called Willo, and within half an hour his 300hp Wellcraft came soaring towards us from the Curacao yacht club. He brought Jacqueline to join in the laughter and ridicule that was thrown our way, together with a pull line. Pretty soon two other 900hp boats joined the pulling party, and within 15 minutes we were free.
Willo escorted us out of the Spanish Waters for one last time, only a couple of hours later than scheduled. And after waving and goodbyes I laid eyes on Curacao for one last time wondering if I would ever return to this wonderfully weird little rock.
As we hoisted the sails and turned off the Penta, we quickly set into the rhythm of sailing. Our skipper had made the watch schedule, 2 hours on, 4 hours off for the next day or 5. Our approximately 800nm journey had started. First sailing along the South coast of Curacao finding enough reach for a single gybe that will point us between Curacao and Aruba, running as far from the Venezuelan coast as possible during the evening.
Ah Ma was in her element with the 20ish knots of wind, often topping double digits speeds, soaring through the waters like a thoroughbred.
The Sea became angrier and more ‘confused’ as we came North of Aruba, away from the protection of the islands, providing a preview of that what was to come. But we were making good way, looking at a 200+ mile day.
