After we left Gran Roque, we headed for Noronqui. Paul and Joyce were staying behind for Joyce to do some diving, and we wanted to get out and explore some of the islands. Noronqui was about a 2 hour sail from Gran Roque and only here did we really realise how badly off our chart plotter was. To get to this anchorage you have to thread your way around a small peninsular and through some reefs and according to the chart plotter, we steered our boat directly across the peninsular - right across the land. So getting in and out, P had to stand on the bow and guide me through the reefs - a little tricky but on the whole, not too bad as long as the sun stayed out so you could see the shallows and the reefs.
Noronqui was a deserted island apart from a permanent wooden "gazebo" on the beach, and when we arrived there were lots of day trippers ashore, loads of beach umbrellas that had been erected, and one other sailboat with more day trippers on it. It was a very steep anchorage so as we motored in towards the beach, we were in about 35 feet of water and not even 10 feet away, a swimmer stood about chest high in the water, looking at us. So that's how quickly it got shallow.
At night all the other people left and it was the first time that we were the only boat in the anchorage. We knew nobody would be coming in at night so we turned off our anchor light (which is in our cockpit and not at the top of the mast) and just enjoyed the night with no lights other than stars and the moon. It was wonderful. During the afternoon we snorkeled on the shallow reef, which didn't get deeper than 4 feet so the marine life was abundant but tiny - and all within arms' reach. I saw a tiny moray eel hanging out with a fish that was bigger than he was, but they weren't scared and didn't even try to move away - and they were about 3 feet from me.
In the photo above you can see the wooden gazebo.
A storm came up the following morning, so we waited until about 11 am to leave (normally we like to leave an anchorage at first light).
Leaving Noronqui I just followed the track from the day before on the chart plotter - it still took me over land but as I knew it was a safe route in, I could trust that it would still be a safe route out.
