02/13/2011, Isla Linton
The morning dawned overcast with brief showers. I took dink into town to use the internet one last time (still trying to configure my modem so that I can use it to get internet from San Blas, but so far, no luck unlocking it). As I was about to leave the internet cafe it really down poured, so I waited a few minutes and the sun came out! Back at the boat, we weighed anchor at just about 11:00 and sailed slowly out of the harbor with just gennie under a gentle breeze. I knew that once we cleared the inlet, we would have plenty of wind, probably from the N. As we cleared the harbor, we raised sails and set a course between the mainland and Salmedina Reef. Then a squall hit with 23 kts of wind, right on the nose. I quickly threw in a double reef in the main and then rolled up half of gennie, all the while being blown closer to the reef. We got back under way in plenty of time and with the shortened sail made good progress to windward even in the 20+ kt wind. The wind was more NE than N and we were actually able to make rather good and comfortable progress to N. Of course we wanted to go NE, but we could go out a ways and then tack back in. About that time I noticed another cat (also a Fountaine Pajot, but probably a 38) sailing with just gennie also going to the N but waking little way. As we got closer, they raised their main as well and made similar progress staying just barely ahead of us. The wind dropped to mid teens and I thought of shaking out a reef (after all the definition of a race is two sailboats in sight of each other). Given how blustery the day had been so far, I chose to unwind a bit more gennie and leave the main alone. Good choice. The other boat tacked back towards land. (I was thinking about it, but needed to make a bit more N before tacking. Can't figure out where he is going.) Then we were hit with another squall, this time with winds to 28 kts. The other boat quickly dropped its main and under gennie alone sailed towards Portobelo. I'm not sure if they came from there and decided to return (I don't remember them in the anchorage, but there were quite a few cats there.) or if that was were they were heading all along (strange route if so), but anyway, no more race. We plodded on with double reefed main and less than half gennie and the wind rose and fell going from 13 to 23 and back several times. Finally we tacked and headed due E (the best we could do in this wind). As we neared the coast again, I rolled up gennie, fired up the port engine and motor sailed to NE. After a few miles, we were able to shift a little more E, but not enough to sail. We were approaching Linton where we would turn 90* to the S so I again unrolled gennie and began sailing. I had just turned off the engine when we got yet another squall, this time with winds to 30+ kts and blinding rain. Since the pass down the W side of Isla Linton is pretty narrow with rocks and reef to the W, I rolled gennie back up, turned into the wind and dropped the main the rest of the way. No way to secure it now, that can wait for after anchoring. With both engines we motored slowly down the W coast of Linton and into its lee. The change was dramatic. No howling wind and the seas flattened right out. As usual, the anchorage was full. It is 40' deep in most places until it rapidly shoals to 3' with reef. We wandered around a bit and then ended up within feet of where we anchored last year, in only 30'. The place even had the same derelict boat "www.floatingneutrinos.com" anchored in the same place. I doubt it has moved in years. There is also a very sexy looking trimaran anchored near us (well, actually we anchored near him) Probably 40' with swoopy amas, a flat deck and little bubble cockpit - very racy looking. By the time we anchored, the wind was down and the sun back out. It was only 2:30. Although I had eaten underway, I was cold and hungry from the drenching in the squall. I took off my soaked shirt and enjoyed the sun and a beer (home made, I brought 2 cases with me - and 6 cases of Balboa) and some cookies. Quite a day for only a 13 nm sail! Porvinir (the port to check in to the San Blas) is about 40 nm away. We made it in a day last year, but we are in no hurry this time and I think we will stop at a little place called Bahia Escribanos. It looks a bit tricky getting in (guide book says 1.5 meters in one spot, we draw 4.2' which would give us 2-3" at low tide, so no problem, right?) But the snorkeling is supposed to be great and it is very well protected so I think we will try it. Unless, of course, the wind is just perfect for a run to Porvinir. We'll see.
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02/12/2011, Portobelo
We are now safely anchored in Portobelo. It was quite a night. Because we had made such good time during the day, we needed to slow down during the night to avoid arriving before dawn. This was especially important as the hours just before dawn would be moonless. I took in a reef in the main and then a second and then rolled up most of gennie. Eventually I got our speed down to 4 kts which would put us arriving in Portobelo about 7:00 AM. The wind continued to build, however, and soon we were back up to 6 kts even reefed way down. A rain squall brought winds of 25-28 kts. I rolled up more gennie. By the time Deb relieved me @ midnight, I had our speed back down to 4 kts and moving quite comfortably. Of course after less than an hour she had to wake me as our speed fell to 1 kt! After trimming the sails and letting out more gennie, I returned to sleep. Our speed built to over 8 kts., but Deb didn't want to disturb me and eventually it settled down to ~4 kts again. When she woke me at 4:00, we were still ~ 6 nm from the Canal Zone, but the AIS was already displaying 98 "targets" some of which were directly in our path. I checked the data on each one that would be close to our path and most were moving either N or S and would present no problem. (We were well N of the designated anchorage by design.) One ship was disturbing, however. "MSC Olga" was a cargo ship 1000' long and "Not under Command." It was moving @0.9 kts in a SSE direction that crossed our path. Now frequently we see ships that are "At Anchor" making 26 kts. or "Under way using engine" at 0.1 kts. as that data is input manually and people forget to change it. Ships at anchor frequently display speeds of 0.1 kts or even 0.2 kts as they swing. But I had never seen a ship display "Not under Command" before and 0.9 kts was too fast for swinging on anchor. Was it adrift so close to the Canal??! As we neared it I clearly made out two red lights arranged vertically one under the other - one of the few signal lights I remember, "Red over red, Captain dead". Its superstructure was well lit up and it appeared not to be moving. I hailed her, but got no answer. (First time I have ever hailed a ship at sea and not gotten an answer.) As we approached, a spot light came on and clearly picked us out, but still no answer to hailing on VHF. Given the wind angle and our course, I more or less had to pass in front of her which I did with fear and trembling that at any moment she might pick up speed across our path. I could turn and run parallel to her or even turn greater than 90* and run back away from her port, but I didn't need to. We crossed about 1/4 nm in front of her as she lay apparently motionless in the water. I could not detect the 0.9 kts movement if it was real. It took an agonizingly long time to pass her and finally be clear, but nothing untoward happened. I resumed course and proceeded on our way to Portobelo. That was our only "encounter" of the night and the rest of the watch was highlighted by dawn over the mainland which was cloaked in clouds, quite spectacular. Deb got up just before I was going to wake her for the approach to Portobelo harbor and anchoring. We anchored very near were we did last year in soft sand that was shoaling rapidly at the end of the harbor. Then we both went to bed for some REAL sleep. This afternoon we will go ashore to the town which is a quaint and funky sort of experience. Tomorrow we continue on toward the San Blas.
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02/11/2011, Somewhere West of Portobelo
Today has certainly offered up a variety of conditions. I awoke to a beautiful dawn over the Booby Islands East of Veraguas. The wind had dropped and shifted somewhat to the South and with less wind waves, the NE swell was wrapping around the island and rocking us gently. Given that we wanted to go ENE, a SW wind was just fine, even if it was a bit weak at only 8 kts. I cut up a papaya for breakfast and it was just perfectly ripe, sweet and tender but not yet mushy. With a little fresh lime squeezed over it, it was perfect. We weighed anchor by 8:30 and motored out until clear of the Eastern reefs of Veraguas, then we assumed a course of 78*M that would take us the next 110 nm. to the entrance to Portobelo. We popped the spinnaker and killed the engines and enjoyed a leisurely sail at 3-4 kts. - hey, we don't want to arrive at Portobelo in the dark,so we don't need much speed and the shute sure looks pretty up there pulling us along. By 10:30 however, the wind died and we had to motor. Oh well, making 5.3 on one engine and making up for the slow spinnaker run. And then by noon, the wind was back, but this time more Westerly, over the port stern this time. So the spinnaker went back up and we sailed along at 5+ kts this time. Slowly the wind continued to the W until we were sailing @120* Port. Then rather suddenly, the wind clocked another 30* and was coming from the NW! Down came the spinnaker and up went the regular sails. Now we are sailing on a close reach @ 60* Port! Not at all what was predicted, but I've learned to take forecasts as "suggestions" as to what might happen rather than gospel. Anyway, wind is up to 13 kts. boat speed up to 7 kts through the water and 5.6 made good (bucking a 1.5 kt adverse current). Seas are a bit confused with wind waves of ~3' and very short interval coming at nearly right angles to the long period NE swells that are 5' or so. We get about 3 NW waves to every NE swell, but the boat handles it well. We spotted a weather plane flying past (the kind with the big dome above the fuselage) and no sooner did I point it out than they hailed us on VHF 16. It was aircraft "Orion" and he wanted to know our departure point and destination. I, of course, told him and wished him a good day. He appeared to be leaving and then circled back and aske what our hailing port was (having probably not found a s/v Always in his database for Bocas and noting our US flag). We told "Hancock, NH, USA" and he thanked us again and disappeared. Hey, it broke up the monotony of his day and ours! Deb has still been a bit sea sick - of course once again she had started smoking and chose our departure date (and her birthday) to quit. I'm very glad for her to quit again, but I'm sure the nicotine withdrawal adds to the "mal de mer". Tonight is our one overnight and as long as she can stand midnight to 4:00 or even 3:00, I can manage the rest. We will get into Portobelo in the morning and anchor and then sleep before going into town later in the afternoon. The AIS is working fine. It picked up a ship off our port beam that I couldn't see even with binoculars and then I realized it was 24 nm. away. Guess we'll have plenty of warning for ships crossing on their way toward the canal! Deb has made stew for dinner as that is easy to eat underway and it looks like we might even get a sunset into the water. All for now, more tomorrow.
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02/10/2011, Escuda de Veraguas
We have been dirt dwellers too long! Even behind Zapatilla #2, the motion of the sea was apparent. It rocked us to sleep the way a bed on land never can do. We both slept wonderfully. Of course, being tired from all the work of packing and carrying everything down to the boat may have also had something to do with it, but being at sea is magical. This morning we are headed for Veraguas, a lovely little island off the coast. We are under sail, making 7-8 kts with very gentle seas. Couldn't ask for a better first day at sea. The sky is mostly ovbercast with the sun breaking through every now and then, but that keeps it cooler. Probably won't hit 85* today (eat your heart out New Englanders!) We made Veraguas by 1:30. The wind direction makes the anchorage a bit less than ideal as it is essentially parallel with the shore so the island does not provide a wind break. Wind only 8-9 kts now anyway, so no big deal. Since it is still overcast and spitting rain occasionally we'll spend the afternoon getting everything ship shape. Tomorrow we head for Portobelo, 130 nm to the East. That will mean about a 24 hr. run depending on the wind. It is the only overnight we do on this trip and the only concern is crossing the traffic for the Panama Canal in the dark. We have a waxing half moon so the night will be light until sometime after midnight, but we will cross the canal traffic nearer 5:00 AM. Hey we are a sailboat so we have right of way over all those big tankers and container ships, right?! Well, we DO have AIS so each of the ships will show up on our chart plotter better than with radar. The AIS signal gives the ship's name, speed and bearing, and the closest point of approach to us as well as the time to closest approach. If it looks like they will come closer than 1/2 nm., I hail them on the radio just to make sure they have seen us. So far every ship we have encountered has already been aware of us and has changed course sufficiently to avoid us by more than 1/2 nm. Let's hope we are as lucky this time.
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02/09/2011, Zapatilla #2, Panama
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.
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