Currently we are with the entire v family on the way to the San Blas archipelago.

The wind is back and blows with 4 – 5 Bft from NE – ENE.

We started from Turtle Cay Marina and run already the 3rd time to N to tack. When we have a BTW of 115 deg we’ll tack and sail on PRT tack.

People on board are mostly okay until now. Only Sen fed fishes. Fra looks at the horizon and is fine.

The other ones took an anti motion sickness pill in the morning and are fine.

Changing crew in Turtle Cay Marina was the best decision. The marina has much quieter water than Linton Bay Marina. Although staff in Linton Bay Marina ist very friendly, Turtle Cay Marina has also on respect to staff a very friendly atmosphere.

We left at before 0800 and had right away the trade wind blowing on our nose. But that’s fine and normal at this time of the year we will drop the hook again between the main islands of the Chichime Cays.

Before I write on the changes, a note about our last 1/2 day at Salardup island.

The day before Gio talked with the 2 Kuna friends about cooking for them at their very simply cottage at the island. So he brought all he needs at land. We also brought again 25 l of freshwater.

So he cooked and we had a special Italian linguini lunch at an Guna Yala island.

After a bit of swimming and enjoying the marvelous sandy beach, we had to take off.

We went back to the Chichime Cays just using the engines as the wind was too weak. This to shorten the distance back to Linton Bay Marina next day.

There in the Chichime Cays anchorage we saw a manta and a shark several times; even when it was already dark and only moonlight and surrounding lights combined with later bright patches of sand enable seeing the fishes. Once they were discovered we used or flash lights. An interesting experience.

Then during the night, I suddenly was hit by a flash. Maybe it was a wing beat of the mantra just under my cabin. I should have gotten this idea already when I was the first time in Turtle Cay Marina.

For changing crews Turtle Cay Marina is better then Linton Bay Marina. First the water in the marina is much quieter than in Linton Bay Marina; Linton Bay Marina eats fenders. Second the distance to San Blas is much shorter.

Also I had arranged the taxi already for Linton Bay Marina, I tackled the task to change the destination from Linton Bay Marina to Turtle Cay Marina.

In which way explained the change, the answers were not matching my questions. The driver, I spoke to him in person a week ago, speaks sufficient English. Otherwise I would have used the excellent DeepL translation app and machine and communicate in written Spanish.

Because of above I contacted Carlos, my first choice of taxi driver, and send him a help cry.

He understood the situation, organized a friend with a bus for at least 7 people. Within about 1 h all was arranged.

We are already on the direct approach to Turtle Cay Marina where we will change the crews tomorrow.

Wenn I arrived with the first group of people at the island Salardup, 2 of the Kuna friends showed up immediately. It was a very warm and friendly welcome. I felt being back again. However, only 2 were on the island. The others are gone to somewhere but are supposed to return tomorrow.

As a present we got a freshly cooked langostina which i had to peel. Fortunately I know how to do it. It was just a wonderful present.

I explained about my friends and they were surprised that Ron is a very good friend since 50 years.

I don’t know what triggered it, but we got pipas, the green coconuts to drink. We also got a coco, a ripe, brown coconut for making coconuts flakes fire coconuts rice.

We brought them – as one of them likes Italian food – a pack of linguini. I’m curious that the one says who was fired a while in Italy

Everybody off the crew walked around the eastern corner of the islands and enjoyed the wonderful atmosphere.

As Tim wanted to watch the guys fishing, Lil asked about the when and where. 0700 at the end of the canal from the outer reef. A place I know already. I just wonder what 0700 means for them.

Like always, we also took an empty freshwater container with us and will return it tomorrow filled up.

As an alternative to the excellent Italian food we got on board since we started, we got today my favorite Slovakian dish “Böhmische Knödel”. Incredible; getting such a dish at anchor in front of a Caribbean island.

As the longest lasting activity of the day, I backed bread. First time since July.

All the others are sleeping already and once the last bread is out of the oven, I take a shower and go to bed as well.

After a breakfast where everyone graped some food, we need the hook and left the anchorage of the Chichime Cays.

With an apparent wind from 70 deg PRT, we set sails and had a very relaxed sail to the Naguargandup islands. A place which I call a favorite one and I want to explore it more. This time I want to see a bit of the underwater world in an area where pelicans feed.

I also want to see again the people living on Salardup. It’s the 4th be time I’m here now. I’m always curious how they welcome me and the others. This time we are lucky because Lil speaks Spanish.

For the Kuna, who once was in Italy, we have some real Italian linguini. And we have our Italian cook. Let’s see what happens.

As for MaRe, she swings gently about +- 10 – 15 deg in the trade wind blowing today behind the island with 3 Bft only.

Washing machine is running and batteries get charged additionally. Thereafter we might make a first landfall with the tender b at the island.

Today some of us swam over to the island and some used the tender.

We decided to walk around the island. The path around was about half of the way just the sandy beach and later on it was a beaten, sandy track between plants covering the soil and under palm trees.

There are 4 – 5 groups of houses distributed over the island. The first one, where we landed with the tender, is a restaurant and has also several cottages to be rent out to guest. Restaurant and the cottages were build from wooden boards. But then there was a palm frond covered house with natural walls from a kind of reed with a diameter of 3 – 5 cm. While sitting in the restaurant, we could see that it was the “private quarter”. Hammocks where to be seen. From the people going in and out I got the impression that the whole family sleeps in the same room; hammocks as “beds” are the standard. Except for 1 lady, all are wearing traditional clothes. The molas at the breast and back where nice . Also the traditional “legwear” it’s used.

Maybe 200 m further was the next group. When we approached one lady offered molas, and blouses made with molas.

At every group of houses we asked for permission to pass and got it granted. One may not forget that we passed there property.

In the center of the island there is a palm tree forest. It was also to be seen that the people living there made sure that new palm trees grow up.

It was too see the erosion of the island by the waves rolling in from windward NE direction, waves rolling over the outer reef are themselves into the beach. On this island I did not see attempts of making sure the islands grows at the leeward side. Maybe there is a current building up the leeward beaches.

It was a bit disappointing to suddenly hear a generator running behind the restaurant. I had a look and there where 3 generators of different age. The running one was driven by one_cylinder diesel engine with the air intake filter being removed. Extremely noisy. We discussed among ourselves. Using the outer husk of the coconuts could be used to built sound absorbing walls around the housing of the 3 generators. This would still leave the visible pollution of the ground with engine oil and diesel fuel.Thus, the better solution would be a small “energy container” with solar panels plus a wind converter and lithium batteries. The wind blows for most of the time with 4 – 5 Bft and sun is available also. During the wet season the sky is covered with clouds which can be compensated with a larger solar panel area.

Both solutions require technical education. But the Panamanian school education is IMHO just designed to keep the rich people rich and well educated and the other, bigger group, poor and not well educated. Compulsory education is only 6 years.

After completing or pleasant and interesting walk around the island we behaved like real tourist. Most of us had a “coco loco” drink but for Aur we had just a coco without the “loco”, the rum filled in and this mixes with the coconut water.

2 of us, played “palm tree basket ball” with young guys of the island. The basket is attached to a palm tree and the playing field is around the palm tree.

At the end, the young guys were thirsty, used a pretty long rod and got there drinks from a palm tree.

It was an interesting time at the island.

Around 1700 we dropped the hook into sandy ground at 10 m, let about 55 m of rode follow, and are safely anchored between the the Chichime Cays.

The ones who got seasick recovered very quickly and had a first swim.

It was a long and bumpy ride. The good thing was that the wind kept stable from NE and MaRe ran between 6 and often more the 9 KN on the long last leg.

The last, about 2 NM we made with engines to make it through the coral and sand banks.

Then a little bit of European Christmas eve showed up at MaRe. Gio, our Italian head cook (official title on board) spoiled us with 4 course menu. Simply excellent.

Then silence felt over MaRe and only the waves crashing on the outer reef were heard in the distance.

We just tacked and are running for the 3rd time towards N. Actually it’s a bit W of N.

ETA at Chichime Cays is about 1700.

During the day, the 8 year old Aur was interesting to watch. With lifevest and harness and being hooked up to Tim she sat in bow pulpit and enjoyed MaRe’s bow going up and down, getting splashed with sea water once in while.

Just now the Raymarine autopilot said, the wind shifted. On compass we are now a few degrees E of N. Every degree in this direction helps. However when we have to go back on PRT tack I hope the wind is so nice that it turns again a bit more to W.

Let’s see!

Just when I wrote the date, i remembered what day is today.

Merry Christmas for all!

But I have that the friends also prepared something for today. It will be brought out when we are at anchor at the Chichime Cays.

Currently we are sailing with 6 – 8+ KN STW at 40 – 50 degree AWA at 100 deg COM.

The swell, sometimes 3 m but is not too bad as it comes pretty much from PRT.

In about 1 NM we need to tack an run a N course for a while.

Ron, my old friend, got seasick yesterday. He fed the fishes until he had no fish fodder anymore at all.
I think it was Tim who had the idea that it would be much better for Ron to sit in the pulpit at the bow. There he sees the horizon and the waves thus knows when MaRe gets up or down in advance. So far this strategy works. He looks good, feels good, and still has a very intensive and long morning shower – just with salt water.

Yesterday afternoon very special friends arrived. 2 of them i saw last time maybe in spring 2019, the other 7 – 8 years ago. I had small problems to understand that they are really in Linton Bay Marina and then on board of MaRe. We worked pretty hard to get MaRe ready to cast lines this early morning.

As expected – and even forecasted at least by ECMWF – we had a start wind of 5 Bft from ENE. Thus, sails up and sailing as close as possible up wind.

Once we were N enough we tacked and have currently a straight run towards Turtle Cay Marina.

Just now a group of dolphins accompanied us for quiete a while.

Today’s wind is a bit challenging.

The swell built up to level 3 , still short wavelength but we’ll above 2 m rollers are coming towards MaRe. She takes them easily.

Swell and wind come from around 110 deg.

ETA in LBM before 1200.