Left Panama @ 1600 on 3/28.Good sailing winds of 10-20 kt. NE but w/ rolly beam seas to 6'-8' 3/29 gave us a couple boarding waves into cockpit. Now easing to 6' or less. Our 3/30 0800 position = 12 deg. 40'N/081 deg. 00'W. 1014mb, winds NNE 035, 12-15kt., sea 1.5m-2m @ 6sec. Course =350T,…
No satellite connection thus no trip report for a while. Waited out approx. 8 days of enhanced trades w/ strong breeze to high-20s/low 30s when daily squalls passed over. Had a few days of sun & calm water when the snorkeling was excellent. Very crowded everywhere, about 200 boats just in the western San Blas.…
Yeah, this. You're looking at a helicopter buzzing past a ketch anchored behind us in Portobello, Panama. Click to enlarge. Because of the TV camera we saw mounted to the bottom front of the helicopter…and the fact that it was setting up and then "chasing" a guy and a woman riding full speed in a…
Considering that we've already visited Portobello twice since we transited the Canal, a photo essay is overdue. Portobello is located about 20 miles from Colon/Shelter Bay Marina, so depending upon when you exit the Panama Canal, you could go straight to Portobello and start your Caribbean cruise at once. The mostly-jungle-covered bay has a wide-ish, deep-ish…
3/12: after consulting Total Yacht Works/Mazatlan & Nigel Calder's manual, GB lowered the raw water intake on engine thru-hull by about 2". Cutting hoses was involved. No leaks, no apparent prob's tho we'll know more once we're beating to windward & heeled over. 3/13: left Chichime, 12 mi. later anchored next to s/v CYNOSURE at…
Apropos of absolutely nothing, here are three small things that make the boatin' life easier. 1. Stern or mast reflectors. It is generally very bad practice to enter an anchorage at night, but once every 15 months or so we've found ourselves having to do exactly that. We've always had a choice of entering a fairly well-charted anchorage with a…
Yesterday, 3/11 was 1st sunny day on Dark Side (Caribbean). Arrived at Chichime Is., 09deg.35'N/78deg.53'W. All San Blas anchorages have far more boats than we were used to on the Pacific side but snorkeling visibility=great. No big fish seen, just 1 spotted eagle ray but the usual small reef fish are here in brand-new species,…
"Hey, Dude – thanks for replacing the impeller. The engine sounds really happy now." "Yeah, it seems to spitting a lot more water out of the exhaust. It's all good." "I'm going to take a picture of the disintegrated impeller and all the bits you removed from the engine. I want to write a blog…
Yesterday, 3/10, 0720: sailed close-hauled 45 mi., from Isla Linton in NE winds 8-15, but very lumpy NE swells 4'-7' at 5 sec. Bounced in to Isla Porvenir, San Blas/Kuna Yala @ 1700. Today, 3/11 = check in w/ officials, make general inquiries, then explore other anchorages. Skies are partly-clear, morning breeze = NE 10.…
3/9: This morning at 0700 we saw calm seas and light breeze in Portobello Bay, despite the forecast for area winds getting into the high teens/low 20s – which for exiting Portobello and heading north and then east means steep, choppy seas and not much fun. So, we took advantage of the flattitude and promptly…