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.