Bonaire, Netherland Antilles

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   In January 2010, we left Los Roques and sailed to Bonaire in the Netherland Antilles.  We spent three weeks at the island.  It is a fantastic location.  You can take a secure mooring for about $10 USD a day and you can scuba dive and snorkel straight off the back of your boat into the marine national park.  There are literally dozens of excellent dive sites all up and down the west coast of the island and on the nearby Klein Bonaire.  Provisioning is great at Bonaire, with a great array of fresh foods and a lot of European favourites being flown in regularly.  Hire cars, scuba equipment, tank fills are readily accessible, along with good bars and restaurants.  You can easily explore the island and there is a great national park in the north.  A video slide show is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATKaI1PKtEA

Edited by SparxSea - 12 June 2011 at 08:33

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SparxSea Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Lieutenant Commander Joined: 06 January 2009 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 75	Post Options Post Reply Quote SparxSea Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Bonaire, Netherland Antilles Posted: 12 June 2011 at 08:28
	In January 2010, we left Los Roques and sailed to Bonaire in the Netherland Antilles. We spent three weeks at the island. It is a fantastic location. You can take a secure mooring for about $10 USD a day and you can scuba dive and snorkel straight off the back of your boat into the marine national park. There are literally dozens of excellent dive sites all up and down the west coast of the island and on the nearby Klein Bonaire. Provisioning is great at Bonaire, with a great array of fresh foods and a lot of European favourites being flown in regularly. Hire cars, scuba equipment, tank fills are readily accessible, along with good bars and restaurants. You can easily explore the island and there is a great national park in the north. A video slide show is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATKaI1PKtEA Edited by SparxSea - 12 June 2011 at 08:33
	'Sunboy' Hanse 470e Crusing to infinity and beyond!!

MarcoC Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admiral Joined: 23 April 2009 Location: Sweden, Stockh. Status: Offline Points: 1617	Post Options Post Reply Quote MarcoC Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 16 June 2011 at 07:45
	I can only agree with you that the diving is very nice and the concept od dive-n-drive gives you a great opportunity to dive in places where no one else have been daving...kind of. The standard dive sites are all marked with stones with a number and they are found on the dive mapsyou get from the dive shops. How was the winds there regarding to mooring? As I remeber it was windy every day but that that time of my life we did not sail so winds were not somethig that we thougt so much about.
	"Älva" Hanse 370#671 Stockholm, Sweden www.wesailhanse.se big wheel, deep draught iron keel, 3 cabins,Yanmar 3JH4E, Sparcraft rig.

SparxSea Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Lieutenant Commander Joined: 06 January 2009 Location: Australia Status: Offline Points: 75	Post Options Post Reply Quote SparxSea Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 16 June 2011 at 14:18
	Hi Marco, the mooring area we were in was nice and protected. Having said that, we did not encounter any days or nights of strong winds. At the time of the year we were there, the winds seemed to be all from the east so being on the west coast was good for us and also good for the windsurfers on the east coast. Your right about the dive sites, lots you can reach from your boat if you have a good big tender with a big engine and as you said, you can also drive to many of them in a hire car. Lots of dive shops for people to get tank fills from and also good place to learn to dive, prices are very good and conditions are ideal for beginner divers with the opportunity to increase skills in deeper water if they want to.
	'Sunboy' Hanse 470e Crusing to infinity and beyond!!

Clivian Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Captain Joined: 11 August 2004 Status: Offline Points: 264	Post Options Post Reply Quote Clivian Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 22 June 2011 at 11:13
	Seeing this piccie remind me of our time in Bonaire back in April - only we were there by cruise ship and not our own boat (i just do not have the confidence to do that rather long crossing to the Carribean) We dived and would agree that the diving is very good - it is also very good in Curaco. Ohhhh memories....

MarcoC Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admiral Joined: 23 April 2009 Location: Sweden, Stockh. Status: Offline Points: 1617	Post Options Post Reply Quote MarcoC Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 22 June 2011 at 11:49
	Oh, yezz, too many good memories. Curacao reminded me of dangerous driving... There are hughe oil destillerys (right word?) that sends out lot of smoke and when it rains, the smoke get cought in the raindrops, lands on the streets and make them slippery as h..ll since the smoke contains oil recidue. Makes life suddenly very exiting when you are not preparde to have the car sslipping around. I liked one dive site especially. it was the old car dump. They had dumped cars from the 50's and 60's in one place with lot of other metall junk. It was like diving in a underwater car museum, something to recommend. Just remeber that it is around 40 m of depth but very clear water.
	"Älva" Hanse 370#671 Stockholm, Sweden www.wesailhanse.se big wheel, deep draught iron keel, 3 cabins,Yanmar 3JH4E, Sparcraft rig.

franko Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Rear Admiral Joined: 24 June 2004 Location: Sweden Status: Offline Points: 597	Post Options Post Reply Quote franko Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 22 June 2011 at 21:48
	Ha ha ha, Good one Marco. I think you mean 'Refineries' as in Oil Refinery. A distillery produces something just as highly taxed but which tastes much better. Skål !

MarcoC Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admiral Joined: 23 April 2009 Location: Sweden, Stockh. Status: Offline Points: 1617	Post Options Post Reply Quote MarcoC Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 23 June 2011 at 07:48
	franko, you are absolutely right I'm sure that I was thinking about the Curacao liquer more than about the oil refineries
	"Älva" Hanse 370#671 Stockholm, Sweden www.wesailhanse.se big wheel, deep draught iron keel, 3 cabins,Yanmar 3JH4E, Sparcraft rig.

Clivian Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Captain Joined: 11 August 2004 Status: Offline Points: 264	Post Options Post Reply Quote Clivian Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 23 June 2011 at 11:48
	Yep - did the car pile. Re the driving as we were only there for a day we didnt notice that problem...



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