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local Wednesday 5 July 2023
Don’t forget to visit Aruba’s famous Red Anchor

At the south east coast of the island, mooring location for ships await- Superintendent of Lago’s Labora- from the management of Valero
standing alone on a windswept ing orders, etc. The weather was tory; and Mr. Willie Davis – Owner Aruba Refinery to help maintain the
and barren land stands a popular rough with strong current. The nor- of Filtec at Zeewijk in San Nicolas), monument. The Valero Aruba Re-

Aruba landmark – a large anchor. mal procedure is that they would were having a conversation with finery, graciously sandblasted and
It overlooks the sea just beyond, walk out three shackles (about 90 Mr. Charlie Brouns Jr. at his famous painted the anchor and poured a

watching over the shipping lanes. feet) until the anchor touches the Charlie’s Bar and Restaurant in concrete pad around it. On April
It stands there in memory and in bottom while the chain must rest San Nicolas. Charlie, who was a 17, 2005, the anchor monument
honor of all seamen who have lost on the bottom. Subsequently, they visionary and had dreams for de- was rededicated “To All Seamen”
their life at sea. will walk out some extra shackles veloping the San Nicolas area, told in a formal ceremony in memory of
and when the ship starts to swing these gentlemen that he would Charles Brouns Jr.
Where to Find the Anchor? or lean on one side, the anchor is like to come up with something in-
The anchor is a “must see” land- properly set. Because of the rough novative for the San Nicolas area Today, the anchor stands both as
mark when you visit Aruba. It is weather, unfortunately they did to draw tourism to the area. memorial to all seaman who have
among the most photographed not get the time to walk out the lost their lives at sea, but also as a
historical landmarks for the island. extra tackles and because of the The “anchor”, which at that time silent reminder that Seroe Colora-
You want to make sure you add tension exerted on the winch, it was being stored at the Oranjes- do is part of San Nicolas and that
this stop on your itinerary when broke, and they lost the anchor tad harbor, was suggested as an San Nicolas is still a vibrant and im-
your visiting the south coast of Aru- and its chain.“ option. Charlie liked the idea! He portant part of the island of Aruba.
ba. The bright red anchor against then contacted the President of
the backdrop of the deep blue Story 2: Lago for permission to acquire the The Best Time to Visit
Caribbean sea and the azure blue “Mr. Curiel also said that at one anchor. He was granted permis- When your planning your visit to
skies, make a great backdrop for time a small tanker with a Korean sion and the anchor was then re- the south end of the island, you will
your vacation pictures. crew, while lifting their anchor also located to its present location and want to include in your itinerary the
lifted another anchor near the in- dedicated “To All Seamen” on the many things to see and do there.
The anchor is located at the en- ner harbor. When the ship asked occasion of the closing of the Lago The anchor will be just one of these
trance to Gate 6 to the former for assistance, he went with his tug- Oil Refinery on March 31, 1985. stops, (keep an eye out for our fu-
Lago Colony. It is on the outskirts of boat along with a barge, to help. ture editions, we publish our rec-
Seroe Colorado, on the south east But eventually they had to cut the Through the Years ommendations!).
point of the island at the “T” junc- chain and let the anchor go to the Through the years the Anchor was
tion to Baby Beach. bottom because they could not slowly weathering from the wind With that being said, I have to say,
Depending on where you are stay- untangle them. ” and salt. As time passed, sadly the if you enjoy catching a sunrise, the
ing on the island, follow the signs origin and purpose of the anchor anchor is one of the best places on
that indicate the way to Baby How Did The Anchor Become a slowly faded away from people’s the island to catch the sunrise. But
Beach. Once you reach the T-junc- Landmark? memories. in reality, anytime is a good time to
tion, it will be right in front of you. Sometime between 1980 and 1985, visit, depending on your personal
three gentlemen (Mr. Wim Marti- After Charles Brouns Jr died on Sep- schedule.q
About the Anchor nus – the Harbormaster of Aruba; tember 15, 2004, his friend Mr. Sam
Size Mr. August Genser – the ex-Division Speziale, requested assistance
It will be hard to miss the anchor,
it’s huge! The anchor that weighs
21,772 kilos, is approximately 10
feet 6 inches wide and 15 feet, 6
inches tall.
On the anchor there are some
numbers. The 4112 and 4115,
which are believed to be the serial
numbers that refer to the “fluke” or
horizontal and vertical parts of the
anchor, respectively. The number
21772K refers to the weight of the
anchor in kilos.
This type of anchor was manufac-
tured by Hoesch Dortmund Horde,
at a foundry located in Germany.

Where did the Anchor Come From?
There are a number of stories as
to the origins of the anchor, which
one do you think it was? (Unfortu-
nately the mystery has never been
solved, so your imagination can
pick which one you think it might
be!)

Story 1:
“According to Mr. Manuel M. Cu-
riel, an ex-Lago Tug Captain, a fully
laden VLCC (Very Large Crude
Carrier) was seeking a mooring
at the 15-mile anchorage, known
as Bara, on the southern part of The Red Anchor situated at the entrance of former Lago Colony in San Nicolas
the island. This is the usual shallow