Healthy communities have people all age ranges including kids in school. The floating community in the marina set in the jungle next to the Panama canal meets in one. Small children dangle off their mother’s back as they are carried around. Grammar school boys scramble across the decks of boat and plop themselves in the nest of sails neatly put away. THIs prompts a quick response from their parent. Pre adolescent humans rush to class in the morning then huddle around the shadows of surrounding picnic tables in the fading light. The older men with long beard, limps and long hair make the senior cohort.

In this sailing community here we are newbies. These community members left on voyages 2,3,4 or even 12 years ago. Some are close to reaching some, some are debating how long to live a pelagic life other are drifting. The community hails from around the globe from Chile to Japan to France. A community held together by their shared comfort on sleeping in a bed about 3 feet away from the salt water and their willingness to look over the horizon and try and go there. In the morning the range of life =styles is evident. Coffee is made on induction stoves, on propane burner with an expresso pot or with water from a hose and a burner outside on the deck of the boat. Walking around in the predawn of evening light ou get gllimpses in to the global community each with their own customs.

At dawm today I walked the docks, strolled thee dge of the jungle recording the howler monkleys earlyu morngin discourse listen to the tropical birds. At last I reach the end of the marine where I csee straight to the entrance of the harbor. With the sun emerging from the cloud the arrival of the Korean car carrying ship at the hole in the breakwater is the start f another round of dancers on the floor. The Korean car ship was one sailed from Kingston straight for the canal on its way to Auckland New Zealand. Our planned pathway – although will pause and travel a bit more slowly.

The measurement process is uneventful. 3 minutes with a tape measure and the Panama Canal Authority has our length and width recorded. Caesar, the measuring specialist, explains that the reason we have seen so few container ships and the car carrying ships is that they pay a premium to be able to just drive straight through. “They are our best customers” as these companies pay a premium for the speed. The tankers and bulk carriers wait for a slot. SO the stuff we buy at the store and the cars we use re shipped from across that pacific barreling right through the canal. The oil we use and material used to make things is more patient and less in a hurry. These products can afford to wait at anchor.

Clearly our pelagic community of boats can afford to sail, this community does not pay a premium to the caller of the contra dance. Patiently we and others wait for the measurement and the 72 hours after. Time to shop, prepare food relax a bit before it is time to transit to a new ocean.