Aruba 2025

[LanoraB]

We are a couple in our mid60s cruising with our terrier dog. It has been exactly one year since we began our journey in St Thomas USVI where we bought this Pearson 37-2, our first boat. After about six months on the dock and a few weeks on the hard, getting to know our boat and how to work on diverse jobs, we hired a skipper to get us the heck out of Dodge before hurricane season. Autopilot failed so we learned how much fun handsteering can be. We spent months at anchor in Spanish Waters, Curacao, taking a few sailing lessons on a smaller boat just to get the hang of it, then made our first solo sail, to Aruba. Still lacking in much actual sailing experience we have nevertheless learned alot over the past year, enough to know that there is still much to learn! Now we are at anchor in Aruba waiting for parts to arrive so we can continue the joys of doing boat jobs. We will head into Varadero marina soon, fix that pesky autopilot and misc. and then go on towards Panama. I am inclined to make a direct passage because stopping in Columbia does not seem that much safer, but am studying all options and welcome advice from sailors who have gone either route recently. Thanks!

 

[colemj]

We've travelled this path. Really consider stopping in Santa Marta and Cartagena Colombia. They are perfectly safe and very enjoyable. Santa Marta is just a small town, but you have the opportunity to do some inland touring of the Sierra Nevada region if you like. This is a unique ecosystem. Cartagena is a modern city with an old colonial town that you will be anchored/marina right in the heart of it. Great food, street scenes, history.

But first you have to get there. While it is all downwind from Aruba, this area has an almost permanent low system on it, and winds and seas are often gale force for weeks at a time. Particularly this time of year. It isn't a passage to take lightly, and waiting for periods of times when this low lifts up a bit will make the passage much nicer and safer.

Staying closer to land helps because that large point of land on the Venezuelan border helps cut down some of the wind and seas. There are stopping points along this route, but I don't recommend them because of safety and because you might get pinned down in a bay for an extended time. Better to get a good 2-day weather window and go to Santa Marta.

Once around to Santa Marta, and particularly Cartagena, you will be more protected by land and crossing to Panama will be easier.

The Barranquilla river really dumps a lot of stuff, even whole trees, into the ocean for many miles out from land. Some try to go way out around this, but then that puts you back into the rough conditions. Try to choose your timing to get across this in daylight where you can see large things in the water. It is remarkably unmistakable - the outflow is a dark brown river in a deep blue sea with well-defined edges. It is like someone painted a thick line on the ocean.

I must say that this passage generally does not see many new cruisers going on their first multi-day trip. Another reason to break it up into shorter legs by visiting Santa Marta and Cartagena. I can't stress enough about waiting for a good weather window. This time of year, that could be several months away, although the weather down here has been very strange so far this year. I'm in Panama and we are still in the rainy season with variable winds two months after it is usually dry and trade winds.

Mark

 

[dLj]

We've travelled this path. Really consider stopping in Santa Marta and Cartagena Colombia. They are perfectly safe and very enjoyable. Santa Marta is just a small town, but you have the opportunity to do some inland touring of the Sierra Nevada region if you like. This is a unique ecosystem. Cartagena is a modern city with an old colonial town that you will be anchored/marina right in the heart of it. Great food, street scenes, history.

But first you have to get there. While it is all downwind from Aruba, this area has an almost permanent low system on it, and winds and seas are often gale force for weeks at a time. Particularly this time of year. It isn't a passage to take lightly, and waiting for periods of times when this low lifts up a bit will make the passage much nicer and safer.

Staying closer to land helps because that large point of land on the Venezuelan border helps cut down some of the wind and seas. There are stopping points along this route, but I don't recommend them because of safety and because you might get pinned down in a bay for an extended time. Better to get a good 2-day weather window and go to Santa Marta.

Once around to Santa Marta, and particularly Cartagena, you will be more protected by land and crossing to Panama will be easier.

The Barranquilla river really dumps a lot of stuff, even whole trees, into the ocean for many miles out from land. Some try to go way out around this, but then that puts you back into the rough conditions. Try to choose your timing to get across this in daylight where you can see large things in the water. It is remarkably unmistakable - the outflow is a dark brown river in a deep blue sea with well-defined edges. It is like someone painted a thick line on the ocean.

I must say that this passage generally does not see many new cruisers going on their first multi-day trip. Another reason to break it up into shorter legs by visiting Santa Marta and Cartagena. I can't stress enough about waiting for a good weather window. This time of year, that could be several months away, although the weather down here has been very strange so far this year. I'm in Panama and we are still in the rainy season with variable winds two months after it is usually dry and trade winds.

Mark

+1

Especially looking for good weather windows.

dj

 

[Andy6789]

Hey,
I was warned of dangerous waves and tricky weather system in the area. It was hard to believe it, it's not so obvious on the charts. But I was told the same. Just my 2c

 

[LanoraB]

We've travelled this path. Really consider stopping in Santa Marta and Cartagena Colombia. They are perfectly safe and very enjoyable. Santa Marta is just a small town, but you have the opportunity to do some inland touring of the Sierra Nevada region if you like. This is a unique ecosystem. Cartagena is a modern city with an old colonial town that you will be anchored/marina right in the heart of it. Great food, street scenes, history.

But first you have to get there. While it is all downwind from Aruba, this area has an almost permanent low system on it, and winds and seas are often gale force for weeks at a time. Particularly this time of year. It isn't a passage to take lightly, and waiting for periods of times when this low lifts up a bit will make the passage much nicer and safer.

Staying closer to land helps because that large point of land on the Venezuelan border helps cut down some of the wind and seas. There are stopping points along this route, but I don't recommend them because of safety and because you might get pinned down in a bay for an extended time. Better to get a good 2-day weather window and go to Santa Marta.

Once around to Santa Marta, and particularly Cartagena, you will be more protected by land and crossing to Panama will be easier.

The Barranquilla river really dumps a lot of stuff, even whole trees, into the ocean for many miles out from land. Some try to go way out around this, but then that puts you back into the rough conditions. Try to choose your timing to get across this in daylight where you can see large things in the water. It is remarkably unmistakable - the outflow is a dark brown river in a deep blue sea with well-defined edges. It is like someone painted a thick line on the ocean.

I must say that this passage generally does not see many new cruisers going on their first multi-day trip. Another reason to break it up into shorter legs by visiting Santa Marta and Cartagena. I can't stress enough about waiting for a good weather window. This time of year, that could be several months away, although the weather down here has been very strange so far this year. I'm in Panama and we are still in the rainy season with variable winds two months after it is usually dry and trade winds.

Mark

Thanks for taking the time to give me the benefit of your experience. I should have replied sooner but have been occupied with boat work, of course! To tell the truth I have been leery of sailing close to Columbia exactly because of the conditions you described. Now we are considering going to Jamaica from here as soon as a good window appears, then on to Panama. Another option would be a direct sail to Panama but that would take us so far north of Columbia that we might as well continue to Jamaica and wait for the next window to get to Panama. We have acquired Garmin inreach, installed new autopilot wheel drive w/spare, traded our big dinghy for one that fits on Trinity's deck, and even bought a storm drogue. We'll spend some time at anchor taking day sails to test everything out before we go.

 

[colemj]

OK. Good luck. We enjoy Jamaica, and heading there and then down to Panama does route you around the Colombia semi-permanent low and keeps you on a reach.

However, that route is 1500nm, and must be done in two legs of 500 and 1000nm. There aren't any stopping points along the way.

This is compared to choosing good weather windows and completing the trip along Colombia in less than 600nm, with great places to stop and visit every ~200nm.

Quickly looking at weather models, all of next week and into the following are currently showing the Colombia low lifting off and leaving 15-20kt ENE winds with 4-6' E seas. Perfect. These windows open along the coast - you just need to wait for them.

Mark