Milestone

After an overnighter from the San Blas Islands, we arrived on April 15th at the big harbour of Colon and the entrance to the Panama Canal. We checked into Shelter Bay Marina, the only one on the Caribbean side which is on the west side of the harbour and sits all alone surrounded by dense tropical jungle. The busy town and port of Colon are across on the other side.

Jungle walk

Panama and its Canal are like an hourglass and the cruising sailor is like the sand. The Marina is where they all gather while waiting clearance to transit the Canal. There is a certain happy excitement in the air especially with first-timers to the Canal transit. The Marina facilities offer poolside breaks from the heat and boat chores and events like potlucks, jam sessions (which Jordan took part in), yoga, and even free shuttle to the far side of the harbour for groceries, etc.

Right after our arrival, our first chore was to find an agent to take care of all details and scheduling relating to the Canal transitting.

Smiling Stanley

To contact Stanley for your transit, his cell is (507) 6523-3991 and email is navierastanleys.a@gmail.com.

There are a lot of tasks and coordinating of people and time before a boat can transit the Canal. Stanley of course handled it all. So when it was time to go, our boat had all the necessary large fenders and 4 long lines, and a Canal Advisor, which is a low level Pilot, all provided by Stanley. The main task for us was to provide 4 designated line handlers which we found happy volunteer sailors to do (with me being 1 of the 4).

The Canal transit from the Caribbean involved entering a set of 3 locks that raised us about 90 feet to Gatun Lake. From there we motored about 30 miles across the Lake and over to the Pacific side of the Isthmus where 3 more locks dropped us into the Pacific.

We learned that the Canal has operated for over 100 years, non-stop 24/7, with 35 to 40 vessels per day, among other interesting stats

Our transit date was April 24th when we entered the first lock around 16:00 with a large freighter in front of us.

Approaching first Gatun Lock

Slowly raising up

View from behind as water raises (30-ft difference in water levels)

At about 19:00, we were in Gatun Lake and tied to a large concrete mooring with another sailboat for the night. We had for the most part prepared hearty meals and menus for our crew in advance.

Mega mooring

Many thanks to our 3 volunteer line handlers

Early the next morning, we were joined again by our Advisor for the remainder of the transit. After about a 6-hour motoring, we arrived at the locks on the Pacific side where we were lowered back to sea level by 15:30 on the second day. Through each lock, we were nested (rafted) to a large catamaran in the center and another monohull on the other side. A large and somewhat intimidating freighter also shared the locks with our nest, but this time behind us.

Sea Turtle on starboard side of catamaran (bottom far left)

A graphic animation

A closeup of the daunting companion behind us

For most world cruisers, to transit the Panama Canal and see just how large and incredible an undertaking it was leaves a lasting impression and serves as a notable milestone for the log. For us, it was particularly excitingly significant as upon exiting the Canal on the Pacific side and going under the Bridge of Americas, we crossed our track that we had laid down almost 10 years ago, making us official world circumnavigators!

Opening the doors to the Pacific!

Bridge of Americas

Our next passage is going to be our longest, Panama to Victoria, and we may be at sea for as long as 60 days. That's when we will arrive back in our home port after 10 years and having sailed well over 50,000 nautical miles...

Anchorages:
N09°22.028' W079°57.042' Apr 15 Shelter Bay Marina
N09°22.187' W079°56.297' Apr 24 "The Flats" (waiting to transit)
N09°15.654' W079°54.165' Apr 24 Gatun Lake mooring
N08°54.585' W079°31.538' Apr 25 Isla Perico (south side)
N08°55.198' W079°31.733' Apr 26 Isla Perico (north side)

PANAMA San Blas

We had a relatively uneventful 7-day passage from Gilligan's Island of Puerto Rico to the San Blas Islands of Panama. We had wind on the beam and on the port quarter that peaked at about 20 to 25 knots as we passed about 150 nautical miles off the coast of Venezuela/Columbia. The waves were exceptionally high and steep given that wind speed and it made for an agitated ride for awhile. But the winds died and for the last 2 days we had to motor while the seas died down.

The pleasant sight of dolphins was noted a couple of times as well as a corona around the sun that was directly overhead. This was the first time I had ever seen this interesting celestial display!

Chanty could again hear nightly arrivals on deck of flying fish. Her highlight of the day would be fetching an early morning stinky fish breakfast off the deck.

We made an early morning arrival in the San Blas Islands where we chose one of many secluded small palm islands to shelter in. Our first order of business was to jump in the ocean for a refreshing swim to abate the heat. We walked the paradise island and found a couple of coconuts for breakfast but sadly saw plentiful plastic refuse that had washed up on the windward shore.

Daydreaming in paradise

These islands are part of Panama and the peaceful indigenous people called Kuna are allowed a certain amount of autonomy. They have been able to keep their tranquil way of life and habitat unchanged for the most part. They are proud of their culture and are eager to show and sell their craft, that being their intricate hand-stitched mola fabrics, throughout the islands and area.

Lola, a colourful Kuna woman with Judy

Perfect end of day

The next morning, just as we pulled anchor, a Kuna man stopped by in his boat to see if we were interested in purchasing any of his molas. We quickly reset the anchor and invited them aboard to have a look.

Venancio and his young helper Natalio started hauling molas aboard Sea Turtle. It was impossible to see them all, but after a period of time, we finally made our decision.

Boat-to-boat mola sales

So up came the anchor again and it was off to Islas Maqui. This was a very pleasant stop other than the pesky no-see-ums. Jumping in to snorkel the nearby reef, we were disappointed that we left the camera on the boat as we were not expecting much. So we missed getting pics of 2 large sting rays half buried in the sandy bottom and getting snaps of swaying purple coral, not to mention the intricate patterned GIANT brain corals!

Back on Sea Turtle, a local came by selling fish; we purchased 1 as our fishing attempts had been fruitless lately. When asked if he had any lobster, we were delighted when he pulled out 2 big ones for $5 each!

Low-tech sailing

Then yet another Kuna man, Victor, approached us asking for the $10 fee for 1 month for anchoring in the San Blas waters. Seemed strange but he did have an official receipt. He next asked if we wanted any mangoes or avocados and again we said yes, yes, and bananas. So off he went, paddling his dugout canoe.

When we realized he was heading to an island about a mile away we jumped in the dinghy and towed him there. We followed him into the jungle that acted as his orchard where we picked ripe avocados and mangoes off the ground while he whacked down a bunch of green bananas. He didn't want any money for it but we insisted with a few dollars.

Later in the day, we dinghied over to a little island close by where a few native's huts were their homes. There we met Victor again and his family and welcomed us to stroll their neatly kept beautiful island. They even gave us some lovely conch shells to take.

Munching a mango

The whole island was a coconut palm grove ringed with fine white sand beaches and protected by an outer reef that served them bounty from the sea.

Island tranquility

Back on board we finished a wonderful day over a delicious lobster dinner!

Next morning was our final San Blas stop at Chichime Island where we anchored inside the small lagoon. Later we went ashore where we found more molas, less expensive, but not as good quality in our opinion. We pulled out of there at sunset for an overnighter to Shelter Bay Marina near the entrance of the Panama Canal.

Chichime merriment

San Blas anchorages:
N09°28.862' W078°40.167' Apr 12 by Mangles Canal
N09°34.934' W078°40.463' Apr 13 Islas Maqui
N09°35.273' W078°52.877' Apr 14 Chichime Island

Ponce and Gilligan's

A real change of scenery was anchoring at the Port of Ponce (pronounced Pon say) along the south coast of Puerto Rico where our view was not island beaches but a bright orange freighter. It was a calm quiet area except for the slight drone of the freighter's engines day and night.

Our view

Town center was a ways away so we were initiated into the world of Uber for transportation that proved an efficient and reasonably cheap way to go rather than taxi.

The Town's focal center is the pleasant central park and fountain that is surrounded by restored classical architecture that is juxtaposed by the gaily painted old firehall.

Lion Fountain

Firehall of 1887

Classic architecture

Elegant bank

We broke up our time aboard with a few activities that Townships provide, the cinema for one. We saw a sad but true movie about the Pakistan terrorists that besieged Hotel Mumbai and several other locations all at the same time in 2008.

The next evening we attended a very exciting local basketball game that the hometown team barely squeaked through with a win of 112 to 107 to the roar of the crowd and the team's mascot, a lion.

Even though we did our official check out of Puerto Rico on April 3rd, we made an overnight anchorage at Gilligan's Island, also known as Cayos de Cana Gorda by the locals. It's being called Gilligan's as it apparently resembles the Gilligan's Island on the TV series of the same name.

Leaving at 08:00 on April 5th was for a passage to Panama.

Final Puerto Rico Anchorages:
N17°57.929' W066°37.133' Mar 31 Ponce
N17°56.835' W066°52.294' Apr 04 Gilligan's Island