DESTINATIONS
 

Venezuela: 
A Flotilla Voyage 
to a Much Maligned Mecca
 

by Roger Marshall

This article seeks to dispel many of the negative perceptions that some of the yachting community have of Venezuela - a friendly and much-maligned Mecca.
Having visited Venezuela before and having been so impressed with what it had to offer (see Compass November 2001, "Margarita, Merida and Mochima"), we had a yearning to re-visit the country. Friends already there were discovering that life after the strike had much to offer and were encouraging us to come.
In Trinidad we were aware of the many yachties who wanted to expand their cruising experience by going to Venezuela but were hesitant to visit the country for any number of reasons - not least of which were the negative perceptions being publicized. We decided to "test the water" by calling a meeting to see who was serious about visiting Venezuela, and Puerto La Cruz in particular.

The attendance at the meeting was a full house and the enthusiasm for a visit was overwhelming. On the strength of the support for a flotilla, I contacted the management of Bahia Redonda Marina in Puerto la Cruz with a view to making it especially inviting for these cruisers to visit. In days gone by, one could safely anchor in the bay off PLC waterfront, but the declining economy has led to boats at anchor being broken into, making it wise to use one of the marinas. Bahia Redonda's response was very enthusiastic and attractive rates and conditions were agreed for all yachts participating in the "Infinity Flotilla Scheme" (named after our yacht). Peter York, a marina director, went out of his way giving advice and facilitating a smooth and safe trip to Venezuela. Boats registered as part of the flotilla commenced their voyage in small groups in August 2003, and in total, 48 flotilla vessels logged into Bahia Redonda Marina by the time the offer officially expired at the end of the year. I am happy to say that no one registered any serious misgivings about having embarked on this adventure.
Cruising to PLC

Because the Paria Peninsula was deemed a danger zone, all flotilla boats therefore enjoyed the hospitality of Blanquilla, Los Testigos and Margarita en route. Our passage, which was in the company of Sovereign 2 and Windswept, took us to Los Testigos where we spent three idyllic days just unwinding after the hustle and bustle of boat work in Trinidad. Then on to Margarita through the gauntlet of fishing boats where an exciting week was enjoyed, all the more enjoyable because of the opportunity it afforded us to see old friends again. At the time Margarita was experiencing a spate of dinghy thefts. No flotilla boat suffered a loss, but others visiting did. I am pleased to report that steps were taken by the local business community to eradicate this menace and have from all accounts been successful. A meal at Jak's restaurant is a must for any visitor to Porlamar.
Our passage from Margarita to Puerto La Cruz (PLC) was via the Mochima National Park where we had such fond memories from a previous visit and wanted to share this wonder waterworld experience with our cruising companions Ernie and Julie of Sovereign 2 from Australia and David and Deanna of Windswept who hail from Ohio. Their enthusiasm for the underwater wonders eclipsed even our enthusiasm and bore testimony to the magic it has to offer. I need to stress at this point that at no stage did we feel threatened in any way. In the light of the dinghy thefts in Porlamar we did a night watch the first night, but soon concluded that it wasn't necessary as the risk of theft was no greater than in any other anchorage anywhere in the Caribbean. To give readers a balanced perspective I must advise that a few days later Soul Dance, a flotilla vessel en route to PLC via Mochima, was the subject of a boarding and some loose items on deck were pilfered. The skipper did stress that he was not harmed and was in no way threatened.
On our arrival in PLC we were greeted by the Dockmaster Arnaldo's assistant Edgar, who professionally escorted us to our slip and made sure we were well secured and comfortable before moving on to the next vessel.

Leaving the Boat
During our four months in Venezuela we have got to know more of the country and its peoples and what it has to offer as well as some of its shortcomings. To start with, we have come to realise that the monster myth that the country is very unsafe is no more a fact than it is in most other countries. To be sure, there are no-go areas and if you go to them, chances are you will be mugged or relieved of your possessions. In the marina we have very little concern for our safety or for the security of our boat. We made a two-week trip back to the UK and left Infinity in the care of the marina and weren't worried about her well-being for a moment.
The same applies when going inland for excursions. The country has much to offer and so far we have visited Los Altos, Merida and Mochima. Of these, Merida was again the highlight where Gioia, "The Yachties' Hostess", saw to it that we saw what we wanted to see, did what we wanted to do and ate what we wanted to eat. Merida is a must for anyone visiting this country. We didn't visit Angel Falls, but many of our colleagues did and raved about it. We have it to look forward to. In summary, Puerto la Cruz is an ideal springboard for ventures into the entire South American continent.

Caracas
I have left Caracas to a section on its own as we went there reluctantly and only because Frankie wanted to have elective eye surgery. As is so often the case when one does something with trepidation, the reality is the antithesis of the expectation. Apart from the seedy downtown area, which one finds in every major city, we found to our utmost surprise an attractive city served by a clean and efficient Metro system and blessed with nice shops and some very good restaurants. We walked around at night without any form of molestation or annoyance.
The mountains surrounding the city give it a superb backdrop and its altitude gives it a wonderful climate. In all our travels we have never seen a city with such a plethora of magnificent trees and our three-star hotel overlooked a beautifully manicured park. Endless so-called experts had advised us against flying in or out of Caracas, but we found the Simon Bolivar airport no more daunting or dangerous that any other large city airport. In fact it was far less frightening than Miami. Our friends Karl and Mary Lou of Starlight Dancer, who accompanied us there, have vowed to return to Caracas to further explore what it has to offer.

Boat Work
Apart from sights to be seen, places to visit and people to meet, Venezuela has much more going for it. To start with, almost everything is very affordable for visitors, thanks to the weakness of the Bolivar against hard currencies. We can safely report that marina fees are well below what is available in most of the rest of the Caribbean and that services (such as stainless steel fabrication, carpentry, canvas work - we had a perfectly fitting dinghy cover made for US$180, paint jobs and fibreglassing) are in the main of a good quality and very reasonably priced. One of the flotilla boats had a sugar scoop extension done to his boat and the quality of workmanship was excellent.
Also worth noting is that the infuriating practice of promising something and not delivering is not nearly as prevalent here as it is in some places. To quote one yachtie who went home and left a list of work to be done on his boat in his absence. "When I got back, everything I wanted done had been done to my satisfaction and at the cost quoted."
I must hasten to balance this by saying that there are cases where inferior work has been done, but this is usually corrected. Regrettably there are also those who are overpaying and some casual unskilled workers in the marinas are being paid rates higher than skilled and qualified workers in Caracas, let alone PLC. Get quotes and references. Another word of advice for those contemplating having boat work done in Venezuela: check on the availability of the parts and supplies you'll need beforehand, in case there's something you'll need to bring with you.
The climate here is superb and temperatures are constant. Daytime temperatures in Centigrade reach between 30 and 35 in the day and 20 to 25°C at night. Puerto la Cruz, where most marinas are, gets very little rain most of the time and so is an ideal place for paint or fibreglass jobs.

Other Services
Medical services are close to the heart of most of us yachties who are getting on in years. We have personally used the services of dentists and dermatologists in PLC, and the eye specialists in the Centro Medico Clinic in La Trinidad Caracas. These were all very professional and supported by high-tech equipment. Best of all, the cost was reasonable. One has to be selective, however, as not all facilities or services are of a standard we would accept.
There is no rail service in Venezuela and transport is either by road or air. Air conditioned buses are inexpensive and mostly reliable. US$10 gets you from PLC to Caracas. Taxis are plentiful and inexpensive: US$1.50 will get you to most places in the PLC area and three to four dollars will get you anywhere in Caracas.
The supermarkets are generally of a good standard and most necessities of life are readily available, but from time to time basics such as sugar are out of stock.
The cost of fuel is unbelievable, with diesel costing as little as 15 US cents per gallon and petrol 25 US cents per gallon.
Politically the country is volatile as it goes through a transition in governmental style. During periods of such volatility it is of course possible that unrest could erupt, but at the time of writing this does not look as though it is inevitable.

In summary, is Venezuela worth visiting? Very definitely, as it is a lovely country populated by mostly nice people, it has a wonderful climate and your cruising kitty will go further than in most places. You came cruising to see the world, so don't miss this much-maligned Mecca. You will love it, and will stay longer than you expect!