We arrived safely in Panama yesterday after a four-day crossing from Jamaica. We are tied up at the Shelter Bay Marina just inside the breakwater on the Atlantic side of the canal. We were really excited to arrive. It's pretty cool here (not literally!), as there are dozens of freighters and tankers just outside the breakwater waiting to go thru.

The passage from Janaica was easy, with 15 knots of wind on our beam and small seas the whole way (good weather planning always makes a difference).

Right now we're cleaning up the boat. Sima is up top cleaning off salt with a hose. I am below working on a couple of projects. We had some water coming in the back, and we identified the problem, a not-to-difficult fix.

Next to us is a 50 footer that came from Holland on it's way to Australia. We just moved from a slip where we were surrounded by 70 footers taking part in an around-the-world rally. They came in last night at 3 a.m., and one bumped us real good, waking me from a sound sleep. I thought we were being burgled!

It's starting to be a really good life. We just moved the boat across the marina, a job that used to terrify me, but it went very smoothly.

At night, we go to the bar and swap stories with all the other cruisers criss-crossimg the globe.

Remember Biloxi Blues, when he complains that "they told me it would be hot. But this is Africa hot!". When the engine is running, at mid-day, it is like that down below. But up top it's not too bad. It's Boston in July. The sun is tough too. We have to be really careful.

Good Latin music on the radio, a nice breeze now.

We are traveling by plane again next week, to go to Istanbul for a wedding. I'll be there 5 days, and Sima 10. We will be here (Atlantic side of the canal) for abot 3-4 weeks regardless, as that is the delay to get through the canal.