Civilization.
13 March 2011 | San Blas Islands, Panama
Mark
Although we could have spent much more time at Los Grullos, we decided to move on and see more. The morning was quite windy (15-18 kts.) and so it seemed that Gunboat would not be a great choice even though we do want to go there. Last year we had tried it on a windy day and found that the waves just washed over the encircling reefs and left it quite rolly. So we decide to head for the Lemmons. Although they are always quite heavily populated, the anchorage is large and very well protected. AND there is supposedly internet available. Given the wind, I tucked in a single reef as I raised the main. Despite that we were soon cruising @ 7-8 kts in a nice broad reach. We reached the Lemmons in less than an hour. Getting in to the anchorage is a bit tricky. The bar that blocks the S entrance carries 6-7' only and varies quite a bit from place to place. It is just grass, but still, with the very minimal tide actually falling (and not really high again until tomorrow morning. They only have one true high tide a day here, the other is just a mini high.) we wanted to be careful. So we dropped sail and motored to the bar. As we were approaching the bar another cat approached us on its way out with sail up! (but still under power so no right of way over us). We were, of course, both headed for the narrowest and apparently deepest section. We got there first (the other cat never slowed down which I would have done in his situation as it was obvious that we would cross first) and came across with 6.7' lowest reading. I then pulled to port (they were heading to pass starboard to starboard which is also not the convention) to give them a straight shot at the pass. As they pulled alongside, our friend from Bocas, Judy, yells out and waves. She had just helped another friend deliver his boat from Bocas here and was hanging out with Tisha Baby for a week or two before returning. I gave them my depth readings for the way out and wished them well, and we continued on through the initial anchorage which is very deep and across another bar, this one even shallower and with no obvious best place to cross. We inched forward until the depth meter read 6.4' before it started to fall again. Once across there were plenty of choices to anchor although the depths ranged from 60' to 2' in little muffins (as they are called here) that rise up from the bottom. These muffins are coral as well as sand and so definitely to be avoided. We managed to drop our hook in 12' in sand and fell back to 40' but with the kellet and a total of 200' of chain out, we are well settled for a few days. Next I got on the radio about internet. Yes, the bar on the little island which had the dock and the mooring balls out front. (I thought I saw mooring balls on the way in, but figured they were just a couple cruiser's anchor marks. The Kuna are getting entrepreneurial!) $3.00/ hr. Direct cable hook-up, no WiFi and no electricity so be sure you are well charged first. While my battery was charging, we were approached by an ulu with a grouper to sell. A GIANT grouper. It was as big as he was. I have no idea how he ever got it in the tiny boat. Anyway, I could never use all of it, but he agree to take it home, cut it up and return by 1:00 PM to sell us some. He never showed up. We waited until 3:00 and then went in to use the internet. While I used the internet to catch up on gmail, investments, bills, etc., Deb walked about the island and then sat near me in the open air bar. Shortly a delightful English couple arrived with their young (?4 y.o.) son. The boy proceeded to terrorize the two dogs who appeared to be residents here a German Sheppard and a Roti, and the adults struck up a conversation with Deb which I joined as soon as I finished with the internet. We were able to share quite a bit of information both ways (they had just arrived from Bonair) as well as just enjoy the company of other English speaking adults. We ended up staying at the bar until 6:00. No happy hour today, but Balboa was only $1.50 and nice and cold. I am already preparing my list for internet for tomorrow, but first we hope to do some dinghy exploration and snorkeling.