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Santa Marta to Cartagena (CO)
  • svatfirstsight.com
  • svatfirstsight.com

Santa Marta to Cartagena (CO)

Although we try to always prepare for “what if” contingencies, we thought the 110nm passage from Santa Marta to Cartagena de Indias would be relatively straightforward. It was anything but that. Leia mais
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  • Inicio da viagem
    21 de setembro de 2025
    svatfirstsight.comSanta Marta to Cartagena (CO)Viajante
    After 4 months, we bid farewell to Santa Marta.
    After 4 months, we bid farewell to Santa Marta.Vicki still with her red rose from Colombia's Day of Friends & Lovers.Color and current demark the interface between the Caribbean Sea and the freshwater Río Magdalena.Uh oh - 230°F is much too high!!One of several feathered guests that hitched a ride with us.Although strangely beautiful in their own way, squalls at sea always get our attention.Nothing quite like a sunset at sea, even if the weather is a bit unsettled.The quiet anchorage at Punta Cadoas. We had it all to our self.The ciudad amurallada of Cartagena de Indias, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Entering the marina at Club de Pesca de Cartagena.

    Underway for Cartagena de Indias

    21–23 de set. 2025, Colômbia ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    We expected little wind for the 110nm passage from Santa Marta to Cartagena de Indias (to distinguish it from the Cartagena in Spain), and that it would be mostly under power.

    We were underway at 11am, almost 2hrs late due to a SNAFU with the exit paperwork. The late start mattered because we wanted to reach Barranquilla before nightfall, in order to steer around the flotsam and jetsam being swept miles out to sea at the mouth of the Río Magdalena, at 1300km the longest river in Colombia.

    To our surprise, we had a brisk breeze on a broad reach for the first 8 hours that took us to just off Barranquilla before the wind collapsed. We were just beyond the danger zone and lit off the Perkins as the sun set.

    Shortly after setting the watch at 8pm, Vicki noticed the engine temperature had climbed to 230°F (110°C). We quickly turned off the Perkins after verifying the high temp was real with an IR temp sensor, and not a gauge issue.

    We quickly switched from motoring mode to sailing mode, with just one problem. Winds were light and variable, they remained that way for the next 24 hours, and we barely maintained steerageway at 1-3kts.

    Once the engine cooled enough to work around it, we looked for the source of the overheating. After hours of diagnostic troubleshooting, we finally discovered what the matter was: a wad of crustaceans had taken hold in the raw water intake line and no cooling water was circulating through the heat exchanger. Once we reamed them out and the line was clear, our Perkins once again operated at its normal operating temperature.

    Because we would not make the Boca Grande entrance to Bahia de Cartagena before nightfall, we dropped anchor at Punta Canoas, about 12nm shy of Cartagena. We had a restful night on the hook, and then continued our journey to Cartagena the next day.

    As a result of our delays we stretched a 22-hour passage into 2 days + 2 hours.

    Cartagena de Indias is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it’s easy to see why when approaching the historic walled city from the sea.    Leia mais

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  • svatfirstsight.comSanta Marta to Cartagena (CO)Viajante
    Carmen was an excellent tour guide. She took us to all the burroughs in and around Cartagena Amurall
    Carmen was an excellent tour guide. She took us to all the burroughs in and around Cartagena AmurallGetsemaní is the hip nightlife zone in the old city. It was originally homes for the working class.We caught this photo shoot while on our evening bike tour of the old city.This upscale centro comercial was once a bull fighting ring.Carlos gave us an interesting and fun tour of old and new Cartagena.Juan, our guide at the naval history museum, made Cartagena and naval history come alive.These fitness parks are all over Colombia. I used one in Santa Marta, too.Our new teak cockpit decking.And the carpenters who made it.Yuck! Diesel fuel from our tanks shouldn't look like this.

    Cartagena de Indias

    4–16 de out. 2025, Colômbia ⋅ 🌩️ 27 °C

    Twelve days in Cartagena de Indias flew by in the blink of an eye.

    “De Indias” is often added to distinguish it from its namesake Cartagena, Spain. In fact, our first of two bicycle tours was to have been with another couple. But it turned out they were in Cartagena, Spain, but mistakenly booked an old town tour in Colombia. The upside for us was we had a private tour.

    In addition to the bike tours, we also visited the Naval History Museum, which really shouldn’t be missed.

    Our first observation of this port city is as hot and sticky as Santa Marta was, it’s hotter and stickier in Cartagena. And much more sophisticated, too.

    The foodie scene in Cartagena is alive and well, and so is shopping. Vicki bought her dress for our son’s wedding in mid-November. It wasn’t much of a shopping experience, though. First store, second dress. Voila! It’s as though it was made for her.

    In addition to sightseeing and shopping, we did some heavy lifting boat work, too. We removed and discarded 100 gallons of diesel from the port tank (again), and took great pains to clean the walls and bottom of the tank with rags. Not easy through 3 one-inch ports.

    We also added wooden decking in the cockpit, and made some minor fiberglass repairs to the dinghy.

    But when it’s time to move on it’s time to move on. So, we got our departure zarpe and our passports stamped. Next destination is Panama, but a few island stops off the Colombian Coast in between.    Leia mais

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    Final da viagem
    23 de setembro de 2025