Panama

The sail to Panama

We leave Isla del Coco on Wednesday December 11th  in light southwesterly breezes punctuated by large low clouds that, in contrast to most my experiences,  remove or somehow block what wind there is!  I've named these backward squalls "sllauqs", we have to motor through these.   This is around 5 deg. N of the equator and it is very hot even though we are way out at sea, and its so hot in the engine room we have to motor with all the engine room doors open, making it even hotter for us!  The 2nd day out, the wind goes even lighter and behind us and slatting becomes a problem, so we again have to motor sail.  Of course we now are on our last tank of fuel so we know full well we have to do some sailing!  The next morning, the wind comes from a new and completely unexpected direction, north!  We are sailing, although beating, but at least we are sailing.  That night we begin to round Puntamala, to enter the gulf of Panama in heavy ship traffic and spend the last day hard on the wind on port tack.  But I'm not complaining, we're sailing and quickly too!  This boat loves to go upwind and hauls ass!  Also, to my surprise, the boat self steers doing this with just a small line pulling the tiller up against a little weather helm. It is wet though, Fred Huffman was right,  water taken over the windward deck goes into the cockpit more than it goes overboard!

   

Arrived in Panama on Sunday, December 15th, late evening, proudly and relieved (and with brandy)  as we did not have a detailed chart, we contacted Flamenco Control who sent us to the yacht anchorage at the base of their island, attached to Panama via a causeway.

We had a lazy day on Monday, launched the dinghy and had a look around, and on Tuesday moved to Balboa Yacht Club, a couple of miles closer to the canal.  We were given a mooring, checked in and now have the use of their "water taxi" for ferrying to and from the boat.  It is all pretty well organised; Dave remembers how it was ten years ago, before the original club bar burned down.  There is now a replacement, but he says it is nothing like the original, which was called the Star Wars Bar because of all the characters who frequented it!!

The next few days were spent restocking the boat, obtaining spare parts in the city, and setting up a mailbox for the delivery of parts from the States.  It is necessary to take taxis everywhere, the city is very spread out, and unless you know it well, impossible to find your way.  People are very friendly and helpful, and taxis plentiful.  However, you need plenty of patience when shopping for spare parts!!  We also found the YMCA in Balboa from where we can e-mail and telephone.

December 24th

Dave went shopping, I went sight-seeing with some cruisers; Old Town, and the canal which I had already seen having helped take a catamaran through the previous Sunday!

What a trip!

    

   
Views from the 47ft catamaran "What's Up Doc"

This is in Old Town of Panama City, Plaza de Francia, the French Embassy on the left, the monument to all the French who participated in the original design and work on the canal.



Old Town, old colonial buildings crying out to be developed!!


The old and the new!  Panama City in the background

We spent Christmas Day in the traditional way - smoked salmon scrambled eggs and Mimosas on our boat with other cruising people and later a bus load of us went off to Pedro Miguel Boat Club in Miraflores Lake, in the canal, for a wonderful traditional turkey dinner, all laid on by the club.  We were just asked to bring a side dish, fruit, or something.  It was great fun, we even had mince pies!!