Had to bring OBM to the airport yesterday. I’m looking forward to her return down in the Southern Pacific. Until then I’ll be looking for a small crew. If someone is interested please contact me.

Preparations of the transit are rubbing we’ll. Got s good team of 4 line handlers together. And wait now for the time information for the start day on 17th.

This morning the admeasurer came to measure and check the boat. All OK.

A while later our agent came and we discussed among other things, the possibility to transit on the 12th so OBM can join. Just now I got the information that the earliest is the 17th. It’s s pity but there’s nothing we can do. Canal authorities decide on the schedule.

A few sailors I know here in the marina offered to be line handlers. 4 are needed. I assume that this issue is solved with a few conversations. Worst case, I need 1 line handler from the agent. Thus I have a good fall back scenario.

Next days I will do all kind of preparations and enjoy also the last days with OBM.

We lifted the hook before 0700 in the morning. Easy job as there was only a very weak wind blowing.

But the anchor was dirty like hell. S black mud was attached to the anchor and also to the line for the anchor buoy. OBM slowly steered out of the bay so first the anchor was cleaned by the streaming water. When everything was up, i needed about 10 buckets of water to clean the rest.

Thereafter, we set the autopilot to track mode and moved towards the eastern entrance of the Panama Canal. There was not much commercial traffic, thus we got immediately from Cristobal Stn. permission to go inside the breakwater.

Docking was a bit tricky because i had maybe 1 m space at the bow and the same at the stern to turn MaRe into the slip.

But once I was in the slip all was fine.

A sailor I met when i was in die the first time it’s still around. First contacts made with other sailors are developing. It’s all a big community.

Tomorrow the agent for the canal transit will come. Let’s see how things develop.

We made it comfortably in time into the bay of Puertobello.

Dropped the hook at about 10 m and are hanging at 50 m of rode safe.

Wind went down to 1 – 2 Bft

Had a great sunset dinner in the cockpit and discovered also ruins of an fortress built by the Spanish. They used this bay to load their ships with stolen gold and other valuable things and then took off to Spain.

Tomorrow we will leave early.

Sailing in the San Blas archipelago and the sail to Cartagena was very good time.

So were the days in Turtle Cay Marina. A quiet country side marina. Pretty good protection from the swell. Refueling is possible as well. It’s my favorite marina in Panama, Atlantik/Caribbean coast and I hope that on my back to Europe I can sail to this marina and the San Blas archipelago again.

Docking for refueling was a bit tricky because the wind came with abeam from the side we needed to dock.

After refueling we just took off. Good bye was said to almost all of the small community.

When we just entered the narrow exit channel, someone jumped into the water at the most narrow spot. I admit, I used a 4-letter word from the deepest of my heart. A swimmer at a place where I have not more than max 1 m to the other side.

Thus I honked my truck double horn and Makiko waved him to go right, which meant out of the water. As this spot was immediately at the end of the restaurant building, the guests and staff understood and help us that the swimmer left the water. He was out in time, waved an apology and I thanked him with an okay.

While passing we bit a farewell to the restaurant staff, who served us last night our last dinner there for the next years. They are wonderful and friendly people as well. They fit to this marina.

After we were out of the marina we immediately got a 2 m swell from around 60 deg. Until the first WPT we simply used the engines and then changed to the genoa. With every WPT the wind changed more from abeam via broad reach to running direction. With only genoa we made good speed. SOG was in average just below 6 KN.

Later then, in the vicinity of Linton Bay Marina, the fender-eating marina due to the strong swell inside, we needed to jibe. Additionally the wind started resting, To reach our anchorage in day time, we had to start the engines. And now, we simply hope the wind comes back again.

Or should we start using a better wind proposing weather model?

Feel free to send us your comments to skipper-cat-mare@myiridium.net.

On 220103 we left the Naguargandup Cays and sailed the the first part of our way back to the Chichime Cays. When we departed, the Kunas’friends waved a farewell and we waved back. I feel previleged having made their friendship.

It was nice and fast sail NE – ENE winds of 4 – 5 Bft.

When we arrivedbt Chichime Cays, there were quite some boats at anchor already, but we found quickly a good spot. About 10 m of water and 55 m of rode. Perfect hold on the sandy ground. MaRe was secured.

A short while later a small sailboat from Les Sable d’Olon anchored beside us. The skipper needed to pull up the chain once for a better spot and did it with his hands. No windlass! Chapeau!

Later we met them at Uchutupu Pipgua island where we went to for snorkeling.

At the island, the underwater ground was completely different. The sandy beach had after only a few meters a steep, maybe 40 deg drop. No corals but plenty of fish from less than 10 mm long to bigger sizes including again a barracuda.

Again, it was a nice island. We asked the people if we may go on land of their island and received a very friendly “yes”. Fra had the idea that Bar gives a few of his little toy cars to the kids of the family. He agreed and when the cars arrived he brought them to the kids living there.

But we also saw the dark sides of the island. They offer beer, and soft drinks to people coming to the island. As a result there are hundreds of cans lying around in heaps or are stuffed into plastic sacks.

In the previous evenings I spent in the Chichime Cays, I saw they most everyday lit a big fire close to the beach. Now, I saw the remains of these fires. They burn plastic bottles and aluminum cans. Although the wind blows the smoke out on to the sea, the kids and adults will get some of this unhealthy smoke into their lungs. Money paid for by health. What a great convenience driven industrial society we are!

Today we left Chichime Cays with 4 – 5 Bft from NE to ENE. The French couple was out and waved farewell. A good feeling after our long conversation of yesterday.

We set main and genoa. First, we had an AWA of 100 deg, and it was still a bit bumpy. Later the AWA went more and more towards 120 – 130 deg STB. At the end, we sailed only with the genoa, pulled out with a barber hauler and an AWA of around 150 deg. A very comfortable sailing in a swell of around 2 m but less than 3 m.

ETA at the Turtle Cay Marina is indicated with 1400.

Today we even saw a bigger group of dolphins following is. Jes listed very emotionally up all the things seen and experienced. I was happy watching him and listening to him.

Once we dock in Turtle Cay Marina, a wonderful sail is at it’s end.

On the last day of the last year we left Chichime Cays after everyone had s swim and a breakfast for the Naguargandup islands.

Also there seems to be a possibility to go through the reef in the north, between Salardup in the E and Archuduo in the W but even with the Bauhaus guide map I don’t dare to go through it. I prefer the safe passage in the SE.

The wind was only of a weak 2 Bft, thus we simply used the engines for the 11 NM sail. With this Sen and Bar got their chance to steer MaRe. Changing from an “Opti” beginner sailboat to an almost 44 ft catamaran is definitely a challenge, which they did very well.

We dropped the anchor in the vicinity where I dropped it before. After a while we took the tender over to Salardup to say hello to the Kuna friends I know them already from several visits. It turned out that only Armando and Grifo where there, the other were still off of the island. It was like always a warm welcome and introduced to them all people on board.

We spent the afternoon on the island, walking around and swimming. As we are 8 people I needed to go twice with the tender back to MaRe. When I approached the island for the second time, it turned just 18:00 at the island but back home in Europe it was midnight, thus “Feliz Ano Nuevo”. It was an incredible moment of joy. Then we returned to MaRe.

Next day, we wanted to go to the eastern corner of Archudup but had a problem with the outboard motor. Plans changed. Fra rowed all over to the S shore of Saradup where they explored the SW corner of the beach. I, on board had to deal with the outboard motor.

Next morning, wind increased to 6 Bft, changed direction by almost 90 deg and someone started to dump water from heaven down on us. The forecast did not show a consistent rain pattern, thus the useless. After a while the sky in windward direction became lighter, the first indication that the end is coming.

At the end of the rain we took the tender and moved over to Archudup island to snorkel at it’s
E corner.

Snorkeling was really good!

As expected the current in the gap of the reef brought food in and there was a lot of life. Beautiful corals, fishes, and shells. With Sen, we saw even an approx 1 m long barracuda. Because Sen wanted to go down with me and look at things closer – the real beauty of the surface of corals shows up when looking at closer distance to them.

We started going down. With the fingers we showed each other the counting 1, 2, 3 and then descented. She hold my hands and released it whenever she felt like going up. After a while she descented very well, which included easing the pressure from her ears. The deepest (I guess 5 m) she went down was when she wanted to make a bundle sea-anemones to close. She achieved it. Should she start learning Apnoe diving, I would not be surprised.

They all liked the day.

At the end of the day a few of us went over to the Kuna friends to bid farewell. We all were moved. Shall I cross the Panama canal as planned from E to, i will take a few days to sail to Saradup to say hello.

Dinner on board and preparation for departure next morning.