Cruising Days in San Blas
16 November 2012 | Waiasaladup, San Blas, Panama
Sunny, min 78F, max 88F, water temp 80.5F, Wind NW@5-12
Jeannie & Silar (Chief) Julio
Well, we have settled in nicely. Getting back on "Cruisers Time" has taken a few days, but we're pretty much back on it. That means in bed shortly after sundown and up at sunrise... lots of sleep! So yesterday we were up just after 6am to a perfect San Blas day. Breakfast at 7am while listening to VOA news on the SSB, was fruit and yogurt with toast and coffee.
Then listen to the first net of the day, the SW Caribbean net. It is a safety net for cruisers doing passages. Weather forecast followed by check-in of boats underway. Cruisers on an offshore passage give their position, speed & direction, number of persons on board, destination and an "all's well" and thats it. Next, listen to Chris Parker for weather at 8:30 then the Panama Net, for local cruisers in San Blas. By 9am we are ready for the day.
We went ashore on Waiasaladup, where we are are anchored, went for a walk and then snorkeled over a very nice coral patch. Back aboard for lunch, a few minor boat jobs and then ashore again, this time on Acuakagarna, the other cay we are anchored by. We strolled the windward beach. Protected by the off-lying reef only small wavelets remained from the off-shore swell. Except that lots of garbage makes it ashore as well. Dominated by plastic, it consists mostly of water bottles, soda bottles and shoes! In some areas the locals try to clean up and burn the stuff, but sadly it's a never-ending job.
Then back to Waiasaladup to pay Julio, the Sailar (chief) a $10 anchoring fee. We also chatted with him and his wife, us using our very bad Spanish and Julio using his equally bad English. We also gave him a few mechanical pencils, some topical antibiotics and a magazine.
The natives always ask for magazines. For a while we assumed it was so they could look at the pictures and try to learn English. But yesterday it dawned on me that they probably wanted it for the same reason the old Eaton's catalogs were used in a recycling mode.
Another snorkling in a different reef where we saw some beautiful fish, including a Spotted Drum, a relatively rare fish, and two Lionfish, a voracious non-native species that is quickly spreading throughout the Caribbean. Then back aboard for showers and its 4pm, time for before-dinner drinks. Dinner was BBQ chicken with salad and BBQ potatoes. With dishes done by 7pm, we're ready to call it a day