Author: Igor

After securing SV Oceanolog at Surf Beach, we hopped on Oranjestad’s charming streetcar, which offered us a relaxed and scenic ride through the heart of the city. The streetcar, with its open-air design, gave us the perfect vantage point to take in the colorful Dutch colonial architecture and the bustling life of the capital. Each stop revealed a new facet of Oranjestad, from bustling markets to quiet squares, all under the watchful eyes of those blue horses scattered throughout the city.

Our visit to Oranjestad, the capital of Aruba, was both vibrant and relaxing, with our anchorage at Surf Beach offering the perfect blend of city life and seaside tranquility. After navigating the challenging 60-mile passage from Curaçao and fixing our steering system, we eagerly made our way to Surf Beach, known for its crystal-clear waters and proximity to the heart of Oranjestad.

Venturing into the city, we were immediately struck by Oranjestad’s unique blend of Dutch colonial architecture and Caribbean flair. The pastel-colored buildings with their ornate facades and gabled roofs stood in charming contrast to the bright blue sky and lush greenery. The streets buzzed with activity, from bustling markets selling local crafts and fresh produce to chic boutiques and lively cafes.

Anchoring in Paardenbaai (Horse Bay) set the tone for our visit to Oranjestad, Aruba’s vibrant capital. The name “Horse Bay” takes on new meaning when you explore the city and discover its eight striking sculptures of blue horses. These sculptures are not just art; they are a tribute to Aruba’s history as a hub for horse trading during the colonial era. Their vivid color and dynamic poses bring a whimsical yet historical charm to the city streets.

The connection between our anchorage in Horse Bay and these sculptures added an unexpected layer of depth to our visit. As the sun set, casting golden light on both the anchored boats and the blue horses, it felt like we were part of a living story that bridged Aruba’s past and present. Our time in Oranjestad wasn’t just about sightseeing; it was about experiencing the cultural tapestry that makes this island so unique.

The 60 mile route from Curacao to Aruba was another test for both us and the boat. This area is known for its strong winds, high waves and significant currents – although all these natural phenomena were favorable to us, their combined influence caused a number of problems both in boat control and in maintaining the sails on the waves. We reached the southern end of the island by 5 o’clock, tired, but happy that everything was behind us, we decided to go to the nearest bay for a rest – the way to it was through the channel between the coral reef on one side and a huge abandoned refinery on the other – I would never have thought that there could be industrial production of such a scale on the Caribbean islands, apparently these are echoes of the middle of the last century, when oil refining gave the main profit to the island, now it is tourism and recreation. The next morning we went to the only place in Aruba where you can go through customs check – the port of Barcadero, not the most welcoming and equipped place to visit. It is very strange to see such an attitude towards sailboats visiting the island – we have never seen anything like this before! The way to the dock where the authorities are located was quite difficult – between sandbanks, docks and ships cruising in the cargo port. The concrete pier with tires for shock absorption did not promise anything good, while it was indicated that we could not move more than a beam of a hull from the dock, where the sandbank begins. Maneuvering with a strong tailwind was difficult, but the main reason became clear later – it turned out that one of the wooden blocks holding the pulleys for controlling the rudder quadrant had come unstuck from the boat’s hull (!!!) and the rudder control cables were sagging – I could hardly keep the boat on course, but when mooring it was critical, in short, we scraped the blue stripe on our newly painted hull on the concrete pier just under the name of the boat. After solving all the formal procedures, we went to the neighboring anchorage to heal our boat’s steering wounds.