Thus far in our 4-year cruising career we have entered and exited eight countries. Of course each country has its own laws, and some countries are more demanding than others, but they generally all follow the same format in processing cruising boats like The Fox. At a minimum, most every Latin country wants to see your…
Bahía Piña is one of the last anchorages in Panama before you cross the border into Colombia. It is pretty and protected from northerly winds (though not from southerly wind and seas). It has a couple of anchoring options, though like many places a mooring field has crowded out the best spots in the best area. It's…
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…
We haven't had much Internet connectivity since we left Ecuador on December 9, 2010. We even had trouble making contact while underway, both then and now, through our Skymate satellite link. Seems there aren't very many satellites in this part of the world that can transmit messages. Or something. But we bought a 3.5G modem…
So, we recently anchored at Mogo Mogo, a popular island destination in the northern part of Panama's Las Perlas islands. Apparently one of Mogo Mogo's claims to fame is that one of the "Survivor" TV series was filmed here. We never saw the reality show itself, but the ads for it gave us the impression that it…
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