Lara shot this photo from the little island. This family was on their way out to the larger island nearby to "clean up" and harvest coconuts.

On th subject of ship wrecks

one can not look at a chart without seeing a symbol for a wreck. One can not sail any where without seeing a wreck. They come in all forms. the last few nights we were in spectacular spot off a tiny islet in the Coco Banderos. On the far side of this tiny islet, the ocean side, there was a small black object sticking out of the water�... the very top of a cabin roof of a fishing vessel. Further out and east of us was a huge prow of a ship pointing up toward the sky as though it was still struggling to stay off the reef that had broken it years ago.

The other day as we were entering the West Lemon Cays from the north I lined up on what appeared to be a huge rock on the shore of the island ahead, thinking that clearly this was what the boats had used as a landmark before the age of GPS�... as we sailed closer a form emerged. Isobel said, "I hope our corse will change before we end up beside that boat." That boat was on its side, on the reef, with the deck facing us, stripped of everything, leaving gaping holes where the hatches had been. Water peacefully lapped against it, washing in and out. We turned into the anchorage before we reached the reef the boat sat on.

Most people don't talk much about the wrecks, unless it is to say something as Isobel did, quietly summing up the dread and fear. Or, if something is said, it is a simple explanation, such as: "clearly, they were out of the channel" or often, "Oh the poor boat." On land, when there is a car crash, the cars are towed away quickly, the glass swept up and oil spilt sopped up. If there is anything, there is just a tire track or a dented guardrail. No sorrow is left.

For me, I wonder what happened. First I think of all the problems that could have lead to the wreck. Then I think of the struggle to get the boat afloat and at what point one gives up. Then I think of the despair and anguish when it is realized that there is not hope of being afloat again. The home lost, all the hard work and sweat that kept the boat in order�... lost. All the mementos and belongings that are left to be pawed through by those who salvage wrecks.

Some wrecks do have simple explanations. There was a boat in Prickly Bay, Grenada that had sunk because its scuppers had plugged with debris and rainwater had filled it. We heard of friends that were sailing with a boat, whose engine stopped while they were under sail. Rather than sailing the boat through the cut in the reef, he went below to diagnose the engine. With no one at the helm, the boat sailed onto the reef. Another boat sailing "off-shore" between Grenada and Bonaire ran on the reef at Los Aves while the couple on board were both asleep below!

In one of Malcolm Gladwell's books, he discusses the cascade of errors that occur in most disasters: The over ride valve fails, the signal light bulb is covered by a sticky note, the buzzer has been removed for repair, and the operator stepped out for a cup of water. If any one had not happened the problem could have been averted. When I see a wreck, I think about what series of unfortunate events occurred to wreck the boat.

I wanted to write about this thing that no one likes to talk about�... and for those of you who want to know what we do to avoid wrecking...

Here is what we do to avoid running on a reef: 1) We always have at least two electronic charting systems going. For much of our trip we have had C-Map on the Chart plotter and Navionics on the Ipad. Here in the San Blas, the electronic charts on the plotter and on the Ipad are very imprecise. Someone has scanned all the charts found in Eric Berhaus guide to Panama and tied them to GPS coordinates. We run a Open CPN (charting software) with these charts. 2) we always have visual watch. In the San Blas, this means that you only move when the light is good and have a constant eye on the water as one can see by color how deep it is. At sea, there is always someone awake and on watch 24 hours a day. We also use AIS and Radar when at sea to make sure we see ships. 3) We always have paper charts and a compass. If we are going further than 5 miles we plot our position on the paper chart periodically so we can establish where we are should the electronics fail. We heard of one boat in the Pacific who came on a yacht who had lost all electronics and had not made a log entry nor fixed a point on a chart since they left�... They we clearly relieved to see another boat! 4) We always plan on something failing�... so we sail on the windward side of the channel, we take the sail cover off even if we are motoring a short distance or running downwind with the genoa only. We clear the decks of toys and stuff even when we expect a short quiet down-wind sail. And Isobel is tethered whenever we are underway. I won't go into all the safety gear we have on board.