The list of things delaying our departure has been legion, but we are finally free. We cast off the lines @ 1312 and left discovery Bay for the Zapatilla Islands, about 12 nm. and a perfect staging place for our departure for the San Blas. We still don't have the watermaker. It failed on the way back from the San Blas a year ago. The past year has been a long sad saga. I did various diagnostic tests on it; performed the suggested maintenance even though it only had ~1/2 the hours on it that should require it being done; I purchased (for $600!) a new set of seals and installed them; I did more tests; finally I sent the ETD (the high pressure part which is what is not working) to Yacht Services, the Sea Recovery authorized repair facility in Panama. They charged $660 and sent it back to me exactly like it was. I returned it to them (no other options) and they are still "working on it." We waited and waited and finally I decide that IF they ever DO, in fact, get it fixed, they can send it to us in the San Blas as easily as in Bocas ( there is on postal system so everything goes by air freight on regularly scheduled passenger flights). Hopefully they will get it fixed and we can have water. If not, we will catch rain and get water at those few islands that have it. The day was flat calm, so we motored all the way to the Zapatillas. It requires a very tortuous path to stay in deep water and avoid shoals, but we had created a Track on our way in last time, so it was no problem following it back out. There was another boat anchored off Zapatilla #1 so we continued to #2 and anchored with the whole island to ourselves. The anchor is down and secure, I have had a swim, the sun is setting and I have a mojito in my hand and a nice breeze through the cockpit. Not a bad way to start a journey! Today is also Deb's birthday, so later on we will have champagne and presents. I'll bet she never imagined this is how she would spend her 55th birthday.