Leaving Linton was a bit challenging. The wind was strong, wrapping around the end of the island and it howled as we sailed passed the reefs that snuggled the entrance. The wind was coming from our starboard (right) side so we decided to raise our jib sheet in case something happened to our engine as we sailed between two very close reefs - should our engine die we would most likely be crushed against the reefs. The sails gave us added power and assurance that we will make it pass the entrance.

The trip was a bit rough at first but then it calmed down a bit. Having had a couple of great dinners and ceviche snacks with the Cero fish we decided to rig our trolling line and, to our surprise, within 1 hour we caught a big-eye tuna. It was a beautiful fish which seemed to stare right at us with those big, deep and clear eyes. Our consolation was that it was food and we were not just fishing for the sake of it. It was about 8 lbs but turned out to be about 4 pounds after cleaning it. We made 2 delicious meals including sesame seed, soy sauce, garlic & onions crusted fillets.

Arriving to Colon was amazing�"a large number ships were waiting to go through the Canal or had already come through the Canal from the Pacific side. There was a large breakwater and we were to go through the southern-most entrance which was for smaller vessels. The enormity of the place was humbling as well as knowing that we where now in one of the most brilliant engineering constructions made by man. American ingenuity, orderly and quality showed in every aspect of the Canal.

We anchored in The Flats, an area south of the entrance, described by its name because it has nearly the same depth all around - about 37 feet! This was, again, a bit too deep for us to feel safe that we had good holding given the length of our anchor rode. Ideally, under calm conditions vessels should have a ratio of no less than 4 but more like 7 feet of rode for every feet of water depth. Counting our freeboard (the height of Kikuyu from the water line to where the anchor chain holds the boat) we just had a ratio of 4 and this was not safe given all the wave action in the anchorage caused by swells but mostly by the large ships transiting the area. We had no choice but sleep with this rode ratio for 3 nights until we could get a spot at the Panama Canal Yacht Club which was just around the area.