Canons
26 October 2011 | Portobello, Panama
Denny/90 degrees air, 80 degrees water, raining
When you enter Portobello you can't help but think of the pirates, and war ships that entered thinking they would take this place. Their are at least 40 canons pointing at us from both sides of the bay, and the shores are protected by shallow reefs. Even so, Captain Morgan was able to enter this bay with his crew of 465 men and take Portobello with only a small fight. He did this at Fort Sherman on the Chagres river as well. I think the Spanish built these great forts and then with time under maned them making them easy to attack. If your going to protect you shores with an army you need to always be ready to fight. The history from the 1500's we have seen in just the first three places we have cruised in the Atlantic is amazing. I am looking forward to moving up the coast and in visioning all the great battles that must have been fought while exploring and protecting the lands of Central America.
Becky and I got in the water and cleaned the waterline of the boat yesterday. We will have to wait until the next port to take the hooka out and do the rest. The water has lots of sediment in it making it hard to see. I'm getting pretty spoiled, picking only the clearest water to swim in. One thing about cruising that most people find is you sail less than you thought you would. I try to sail at least 50 percent of our miles while going from Island to Island, more if it's a passage. Most people we meet sail much less than that. Keep this in mind when planning your extended cruising, fuel is expensive and it's need cannot be avoided.
Life is good on Kokomo
Denny