Yesterday, 3/6, we'd planned an E-Z 10-mi. sail from Isla Linton to Green Turtle Bay. Weather was fine, NE winds12 kt., NE swell 4'-6'. Sadly, Green Turtle Bay = untenable due to NE swell so we sailed the extra 35 mi. to Porvenir in the San Blas islands. About 8 mi. out, rain squall reversed…
3/4: Arrived yesterday, 3/3, motorsailing easterly 12 mi. from Portobello. Forecast was for NE winds 10-15 kt., NE seas 4'-6'. We actually got NE winds 15-23 kt., seas 5'-8' on a 6-sec. period. Equals, rough water for traveling E like we are. Isla Linton anchorage looks like it might be nice — but it's hard…
Left Shelter Bay Marina/Colon @ 0800 Fri., 2/25. No wind – motored 17mi. to Portobello (09deg.33.5'N/079deg.40'W), found by Columbus in 1502; later, the port from which the Spanish shipped much gold & silver from the New World. It is indeed a beautiful port. 40 boats here, most our size, most from Europe. Ruins of 500…
We hadn't planned to go there. We'd plotted a gorgeous rhumb line from Puerto Lucia, Ecuador, to one of the southern anchorages in the Perlas Islands in the Gulf of Panama. Sure, this rhumb line put us about 200 miles off the Colombian coastline at one point, but the weather was fabulous: 10-20 knots from…
Perlas Anchorages Guide books show lots of anchorage choices, but the reality of squirrely weather keeps us bouncing from one to the next & back again. Example: Isla Espiritu Santo is practically an all-weather anchorage w/ easy entry & lots to do & see, & is generally bug-free at least in Dec.-Jan.; yet in flat-calm…
Notes from Underway – Islas Perlas, Panama Lots of anchoring choices here in the E Gulf of Panama. Now in a beautiful, protected anchorage on the SW side of Isla Espiritu Santo, hard by the E side of Isla del Rey. Heavy jungle on larger islands & islets, many rocky reefs & submerged rocks, &…
Arrived in Balboa, Panama on 12/20. Internet connectivity very spotty. Entry was a prolonged ordeal but successful. Balboa Yacht Club on Panama Canal is entertaining w/ freighters just yards away from mooring field. Provisioned, did business, now ready to cruise the LasPerlas islands – leaving tomorrow 12/24. Details later. Merry Xmasto all! m
Ecuador to Panama Dec. 14 – a very sporty 24 hrs. in Gulf of Panama. A norther from the W Caribbean began, N-NE winds 22-33kt., seas ~7' at 8 sec. Bailed on plan to sail NE to Islas Perlas, instead headed 60 mi. ENE to Bahia Pina, Panama's southeasternmost anchorage. Arrived late p.m., with foresail…
Mon., 12/13 – slowly closing w/ Panama. Position: N06deg.20'/W079deg.16'. Deep in ITCZ w/ confused seas, rain squalls, SW winds 18-23, decreasing to 12-15. Rolly & choppy, wet but all's well. m
Notes from Underway – Ecuador to Panama Left Marina Puerto Lucia 9.Dec.2010 at 0845. Destination: Panama. Current position is S00deg.06'/W081deg.25', about 65 mi. off Ecuador's north coast, heading north. Overnight breeze was SW to S, 10-16, w/ SW choppy rolly swells. Gradually decreased this a.m. to now, SW 7-12kt., SW swell reduced somewhat. Partly cloudy;…