After leaving the Elefante anchorage, we sailed to the Carti Islands, specifically to a small island called Tupile. Our goal was to pick up our laundry, fill our water tanks, and see a little bit of the island.

We had arranged a couple of days ago on Banedup with Glomindo, known as Mr. G., to have some laundry done, and he had indicated we could also get water on his island of Tupile, one of the several small and densely populated islands close to Carti on the mainland. Of course, the saying "the best laid plans of mice and men" came into play. After all it's the "dry season" in Kuna Yala, and we are looking for water.

After anchoring at Tupile the first evening, we went in the following morning to land at the dock, which turned out to be a tricky cross wind and cross current docking against an immovable high concrete pier, immediately adjacent to a reef with very shallow water and an even stronger current pushing toward another reef. Our first approach was problematic and quickly abandoned, our second we needed to release because the stern line was not attached quickly enough and the current took us away from the dock, and on the third attempt we nailed the landing with white knuckles.

Having arrived, we are told there is no water and we will need to wait until the big water tank is filled from the waterfall where water is piped in from the mainland. Apparently there has been a water pressure problem on the island.

After several hours of waiting we are told that the water tank is full but still there is no water pressure. Two hours later, we receive an update that they have located a break in the water line, and several men are working on it, digging up the old line and replacing it with new water pipe, and then a replacement of the main valve is required. Finally we learn that there will be water, but when we hook our hose and run 100 feet of it to the boat, there is no pressure.

By this time we have been waiting for 8 hours, and it's clear the root problem has not yet been found. So we have two 5 gallon water bottles, which we begin to use to fill the tanks. Our tanks hold 140 gallons, and we fill each of them 5 gallons at a time, with one guy who fills a jug, carries it over to the boat, hands it over to me, and then I fill the tank using a funnel. The front tank of 75 gallons was no problem. Meanwhile, a line is forming at the water faucet so the guy helping us explains to those who are forming the line that we have been waiting for 8 hours and we are going to finish. It takes a little hustle to keep the jugs moving, but we complete the job about 6PM and leave the dock back to our anchorage.

All in all, a good lesson in the value of water, and how fundamental it really is. Being from western Kansas where rain is scarce and essential to growing a good crop of wheat or maize, I should have a clear appreciation of this, but I have to say that this was an excellent reminder from the Kuna Yala that water is actually more important to have in reserve than gold.