AlexandrA comes home

(I can only surmise that with time on their hands going to Galapogos they decide to write more on the blog. If they are out or order, thats how I get 'em folks! - Brodie)

Well having made it through the canal we dropped off our adviser and Eric or line handler. We found the two main marinas full so took anchor inside the headland to the city with a fleet of others whom had done the same. The skyline of the city was different than I had expected however I did not know what to expect. Like surfers paradise with all its apartment buildings so too was Panama City. As night had drawn a large led billboard like Times Square and Tokyo was flashing away. With binoculars one could see the advertising, an on going add for the manufacturers, Panasonic. The morning came and as I ate my corn flakes in the rear cockpit a pelican dived into the water fishing in the shadow of the boat, I mean 1m away. We had a very large school of bait fish pooling in our shadow. Obviously this was the same at all the anchored boats and the pelicans must have their breaky this way each day. The shadow gives the bait fish protection for the larger fish below as they cannot see them from above, definitely good for the pelican as his beak that can hold more than his belly can. The last chance for us to find a berth was to return to the river and check at Balboa yacht club. First we had to catch up with our agent, Roy as when we left Shelter Bay Marina he was late and as out time to leave approached out departure paperwork for Panama had remained in his possession. He called to advise his arrival at Flamingo marina and we lowered the dinghy into the water. Shit, flooded the outboard, I ripped at the starter chord to no avail. I could smell the excess fuel and knew that until it evaporated there was no chance. We upped the anchor and motored the cat to flamingo marina and then rowed the dinghy to the dock from the breakwater. Returning with all our relevant paperwork, along with 6 Pepsi's, when came back to the cat, off now to Balboa. Finally being able to start the Mercury outboard at Balboa I motored, thankfully not rowed this time to their dock, two moorings available, beaut, one was ours. What a great set up here, no berth to walk off and on to but a 24 hour tender service from the dock to you boat. The dock is very busy. There are approximately 12 pilot boats that operate from it. The boats deliver crew and a lot of provisions to the ships as they leave and enter the canal. The channel is approximately 100m from our mooring and the pilots are 24 hours rendezvous with the ships. Its incredible how small the wake from the ships is as they pass in the channel. They are only doing 8 knots but only make a ripple. in contrast the twin engined pilot boats upon reaching the last moored fleet, us, sure do make a big wake as they power up when leaving. Balboa yacht club we had previously read had burnt down, a new open restaurant and bar was now on shore as one walked off the jetty, a thatched roof structure with high ceilings, hanging fans and a large deck surrounding. Well patronized each evening the bar would fill and meals were ordered. i had a few burgers with Texas chilli as an extra, lovely chips hand cut with their skin still on.
We met the world’s best taxi driver here on the jetty’s end, Garcia. a gent in his 50's with an older taxi with plenty of not normal noises coming from the front steering and suspension, the usual seat belts that don't work, but that’s all normal for taxis we have seen so far. With little English for the next 2 days he took us to chandleries for supplies, machinists for alternator modifications, apple store, groceries and the like. We bought him lunch each day and enjoyed his company even though much sign language and pictures were required. The godsend really being a previous chandlery catalogue we had to show him proper pictures of what we were looking for. We obviously saw much of the city in procuring our goodies which was a great added extra. As I write this we have reach half way from Panama to the Galapagos. Continually trailing 2 fishing lines i hooked up shortly after leaving Panama but the steel trace broke after whatever had taken near all the line off my reel. Bum. Up until dinner time last night I had caught nothing. While having casserole with mash in the rear cockpit, bang, a bloody flying fish hit me in the chest and was flapping in my lap. at least I have caught a fish now, I let him go and finished my grub. Bon appetite.