It often doesn’t work out this well, but our timing along the Colombian coast is perfect. Just as the sun begins to dip below the horizon, Oso turns the corner into the protected waters of Puerto Velero, Colombia. Even though this bay would have been easy to enter after dark, it’s always highly preferable to approach a new landfall while it’s still light.
One well-earned night’s sleep later, the anchor is up again and Oso is underway again. The tradewinds wrap around the coastline here, and we fly downwind along the coast with the main and poled-out genoa.
Mid-afternoon finds us in Cartagena. While the Spanish occupied the city, they built an underwater wall across the entrance to the harbor to protect against invading ships. Today, a small opening has been blasted in the wall, just wide and deep enough for Oso to navigate through after requesting permission from port control.
Skyscrapers line the beach, and as we enter the first of the small powerboats providing day trips on the water speed by, all blasting music at top volume and all uncomfortably close to us. We motor the mile or two into the harbor and settle into our berth at our home for the next several weeks – Marina Club de Pesca y Vela.
Welcome to Cartagena!
