Last night, while heading to the cockpit to respond to a large wave, I felt something squishy underfoot. I was shocked to find it was a live sardine in the middle of the salon (aka our living room). The fish had come into cockpit via a wave and then jumped inside the salon to relax for the evening. I tossed the live fish back into the sea and laughed that I had never seen that one before. Plenty of flying fish land all over the boat only to be discovered as dried out relics in the morning. But a live wingless sardine in the salon is a new record. Now I have to clean some fish scales off the floor.

Another new experience is Cartagena Port Control’s AIS warning messages. The messages instruct the large ships to contact port control but they make a startling noise on Two Fish’s chart plotter. Another modern feature of Colombia is their use of virtual buoys. They are created using a GPS broadcast message via AIS and show up only on our chart plotter. Cool.

This leg has been safe but not the most comfortable. The wind has been 27-32 knots and the seas have built over the last 24 hours. But I have used the opportunity to learn more about sailing Two Fish. First lesson was stow the main early. We dropped her 10 minutes into the 2 day trip. Second lesson is when the autopilot oversteers keep adding reefs and comfort will follow. At one point last night we were on the “4th reef” in the genoa. At dawn we returned to 2 reefs. Nice to know the genoa furler is in great shape after James and to a much lesser degree I improved the bolts retaining the foil.

Food service has been suspended as there are no takers of my fine reheated Gail cooking. In preparation for the canal crossing I have been listening to the book Path Between the Seas. I am enjoying it as the author finds no detail too small.

The water temp has risen 5 degrees as a welcoming clue the San Blas islands are near. I hope the winds abate as reef crossing in this weather is not a good idea. We snuck away from the rally a couple of days early because I wanted more time in the San Blas and less in Colombia. We were chided by rally control for missing the fancy dinner but the trade off worked for our goals. Looking at the weather the rally boats may hold back a day or two in Santa Marta as the breeze is forecasted to be 35 knots with 3 meter seas.

Kuna, pronouced Guna, are the inhabitants of a chain of islands off the coast of Panama. Generations ago, when the Spanish invaded, they fled the mainland. Kuna Yala (aka San Blas Islands) are an obvious stop for canal crossers. We did a bit of research and decided to go 60 miles south of the main anchorages. We would face more difficult navigation in an area known for boat-eating reefs and useless charts. The Bauhaus guide of Panama is an amazing resource to navigate this area. To make his charts easier to use we cut out and scanned the charts. Then using a free application called Map Cal I made them into raster charts. This is a must for the southern San Blas Islands.

We walked onto the island of Mamipitu and fell back in time. The small lanes, communal kitchens and lack of utilities are signs that this island life is a world apart from life on Two Fish. Many of the residents are bilingual (Kuna and Spanish) but we found that the women are better Spanish speakers. We had a hard time communicating with some men who were relaxing at their fishing port. There was plenty of boat traffic; all were dugout canoes powered by stubby paddles. The passing canoes were transporting a few coconuts, a log, of which we were unsure of its purpose, jungle fruits and a pair of rubber boots. The boots seem misplaced but they may be used on the mainland or in the rainy season. The kuna people are small in stature with a deep brown skin and very white teeth.

The village has a few solar panels but no electric grid. There were a couple of stores that had a tiny inventory of lollipops and sugary sodas. Kids were playing a form of tag in the village lanes with laughing as a key element. Gail invited some of the locals to play in our dinghy as we were leaving. One kid borrowed Gail’s glasses and pumped up his chest in a macho pose. I wonder if the little guy has a headache now. They would have stayed with us until dark when non-kuna must leave the island. After dark they have a meeting led by the chief and issues are dispatched. We gingerly navigated the dinghy away from the island avoiding a few hazards and thinking how lucky we were to see another culture. We were still excited by the experience as we ate Gail’s tasty tofu stir fry and watched the setting sun from the cockpit.

Before we anchored here, the second day of the passage to Kuna Yala was much like the first. It became a fun game to control the boat speed for a sunlight arrival. At one point we were down to 4 reefs in the Genoa. The winds are usually light this close to Panama but the 35 knot winds in Colombia are creating havoc. The World ARC fleet have been held up by the Port Captain in Santa Marta. They hope to leave today. The Coast Guard chased down one boat and forced them to return to port. I am happy we snuck out early.

A couple of folks have asked why the photo quality has dropped on our posts. We are now posting using our Iridium Go; this is as fast as the formation of coal. So please bear with the low quality – at least we don’t have to wait weeks for wifi. As an aside, I am very happy with the Iridium Go. I can get text-only email and weather with little effort while lying in bed. In super rough conditions sitting at the nav station is headache-inducing. Also the Iridium GO consumes almost no electricity versus the KVH. The ARC Rally gave us Yellow Brick tracker, which does a bunch of things from email to tracking. After a bit of beta testing we like it but I prefer the Iridium Go. May be a future post on our extensive communication strategy.

Off to play.
Jason
www.twofishcat.com

1) A bunch of rumors were stirring on various chat forums about fees for the San Blas. Here is what we paid.

205 USD for a 1 year cruising permit.
125 USD per person (20 of which is for Kuna Congresso)
20 USD per boat (Kuna Cogresso)

2) We entered in the south at Mamitupu. The South is much nicer because there are fewer boats. However, one should NOT use C-map charts. They are useless. The Bauhaus chart book is the way to go. Better yet, scan your own Bauhaus guide and use it in SeaClear II with an external GPS puck on your PC.

3) We checked into Panama/Kuna Yala in Porvenir. It can get crowded in the anchorage, but we had good holding in 13 meters. You need to spend time with four government departments. They are all in the same building. There is a dinghy dock nearby. You need to bring your passports, three copies of your crew list, an original and a copy of your Zarpe from Colombia and your ship’s registration papers.

a) Cruising Permit: They take only cash (US dollars) and there is no ATM. They will give you a fist full of papers. They will also stamp a bunch of these papers. Cruising permit, 2 Zarpe forms, 2 receipts.
b) Kuna Congresso: Quick process to pay the $20 per person and $20 for the boat. They give you one receipt.
c) Immigration: They will stamp your passport into Panama. Check to make sure they have done the stamp correctly. (i.e. dated, signed, your boat name, duration of entry and a tick in the tiny box). They gave me two receipts.
d) Police: They seem to write your passport numbers down but do not demand any money. No paperwork given.

The process can take one hour but you might need to wait longer if there are other boats checking in.

We have a more fun post written with plenty of photos but waiting for big lights and wifi of the canal in order to post.

Jason
www.twofishcat.com

At first light the clattering of our anchor chain could be heard as it returned to its locker. Two Fish was escaping from Balboa, Panama and heading off to explore Panama’s Las Perlas Islands. We used our motors to thread through 40 ships waiting for their turn to pass through the lock. Ships pay more for express passage so I suppose most of these were on the discount program. Busy season for the locks is in advance of the Christmas shopping season. We are in the middle of low season, a good time for sailing yachts to pass through. The anchorage has large wakes that mercilessly tossed Two Fish side to side. This forced us off the boat to explore a charming old town and a vibrant city. Confession: we spent one afternoon at a modern mall. Panama looks like a nice place for Americans to retire since the prices are decent and the weather warm. We joined the pizza night for “regular” cruisers instead of the Rally’s party bus. We met boats heading to Easter Island and Thailand. Also heard the story of a boat who cleated their line to the wall while in the lock. The line became extremely loaded when the water left the lock and they could not un-cleat it. They cut the line, causing the boat to become lopsided and touch the concrete sides of the lock. Thankfully we had great line handlers.

Thirty minutes after raising anchor, we were able to turn off the engines and propel ourselves to Isla Bayoneta. The breeze built so much that black fish (schreecher) was doused and the genoa rolled out. The breeze topped out at 30 knots causing us to reef the main. Promptly after reefing, the breeze declined while the current pushed us off course. As we approached the island, the wind dropped to a kind 10 knots and we sailed slowly down the coast watching various birds play. While we tried to find the right path in the reef, we reduced our speed to investigate twenty birds floating in the water. Were they just floating or were they on a reef? We gathered up the courage to approach and realized there was plenty of water. The algae are blooming currently so it is impossible to see the bottom. We cautiously approached our anchorage and found a good spot in a large area with only two boats. Balboa’s anchorage was filled with forty boats, two of which had dragged when the breeze rose to a meager 20 knots. I felt excited to have escaped from Balboa.

We have a week in Las Perlas before we head towards the Galapagos. We will spend the next week circumnavigating the island chain before catching up with the rally.

The route to the Galapagos is often blanketed with light breezes. Our hope is that the “gap wind” from the Caribbean comes over the isthmus and propels Two Fish for the first few days. Worst case, we will use our 900 miles of fuel to get to Darwin’s islands.

9,000 miles as the crow flies until Australia. Can’t wait for a kangaroo sandwich, does it come with fries?

Jason
www.twofishcat.com

Sometimes we get a break from long sails, boat repair and crew floggings. Today we bobbed at anchor and enjoyed doing very little. Gail paddled me to the nearby island. We looked for a trail that would lead inland but none were to be found. Instead, we walked the varied coast line which is comprised of hard sand, large boulders, and mud flats. Each surface required a different technique since I was wearing flip flops. I must remember to wash my flip flops or the smell of the sea will become permanently bonded to them.

While strolling down the beach I pondered what I would be doing back in the “real” world. Market volatility would have created a busy work week. A winter Saturday in NYC might include skipping over slush puddles on the way to the gym. This day beats the old life hands down.

We have become lazy about tidal flows since entering the Caribbean. In New England and the ICW knowing the tides is as important as knowing the weather. We arrived at Isla Bayonetta in the earl afternoon yesterday. The chartplotter showed that we were in 6 meters of water and this would rise to 10 meters as the tide returned. Visual inspection of the nearby rocks also indicated low water. So we let out 50 meters of chain to have a scope of 5 to 1 at high tide. By supper time the water had dropped, not raised. The chartplotter was wrong so Two Fish was super-securely anchored with a 9 to 1 scope. Once again, indications that we are outside the usual cruising grounds.

The tides made our walk possible since the far side of the island is thick with mangroves. Only when the tide is out can the island be circumnavigated. After the circum-island navigation we took the paddle board downwind to enjoy an idyllic bay with white sand. The cost was a tough upwind paddle home.

We do have a few chores sitting on the to do list. Deck wash and laundry are dependant on making some more water. The pipe that connects the two watermaker pre-filters needs some extra sealant. This is not an urgent job since the leak is very tiny. I want to do my homework before accidentally disabling such an important machine. Black fish, the screecher, was stowed improperly and the bottom fitting might still need some adjustment. Unlike real work we can postpone these jobs until we reach the next harbor.

Tonight Gail will produce another galley miracle, this one is named chicken-tofu stir fry. I will then screen a short movie on Hugo Chavez, the former leader of Venezuela. Tomorrow we have planned a nice 4 hour downwind sail to the southern end of the largest island in Las Perlas.

Jason
www.twofishcat.com

We had planned a busy day, so we weighed anchor at first light. We rolled out the screecher and enjoyed a brisk ride in 20 to 25 knots of breeze. Black Fish, the screecher, pulled us along at 8 knots, which is much faster than an ox cart. The Eastern side of Isla del Rey is windswept and pounded by waves, so affords no anchorages. During the downwind trip we were entertained by black clouds of birds. The tern, the pelican and many more which I could not identify swarmed over Two Fish. Their success in diving for fish teased us, as our rods were not able to summon dinner. Pasta tonight for the failed fisherman.

Our goal for the day was the wreck of a very early submarine. The sub was built before man understood the effects of pressure. Many of the crew died of what was diagnosed as the flu. The sub was then used in pearl diving operations, killing more crew. The sub was then wisely abandoned and years later people thought it was a WWII wreck. Much later, a historian figured out the true history. I was excited to go explore the wreck. However, when we reached the reef, I realized the day’s weather would prevent a close-up examination. The day anchorage had short steep waves, two knots of current and puffs over twenty-five knots. When we got close enough, I ran down for the camera. I changed course and headed north. We had spent the first half of the day sailing south on the eastern side. Now it was time to go north by motoring upwind on the western side of Isla del Rey. The first bay was wind swept and all of the anchorages looked uncomfortable so we pressed on. We were hoping to reach an anchorage sandwiched between two islands. The entrance at springs low water (or in American low low water) was charted as one meter. We need 1.2 meters. The guide book reminded us that the bottom in Las Perlas is hard rock. I slowed the boat and we passed over on a rising tide in over two meters of water. Resumption of breathing allowed. Gail was great at coaching me through the gap using our digitized Bauhaus guide.

This anchorage is fairly remote and we are sharing it with just one boat. But the boat is a mega yacht! Their dinghy has AIS and passed us doing 18 knots. They also have a fifty foot sport fishing boat rafted along side. They are too big to get far into the anchorage, so we have some privacy.

As soon as we were safely anchored, we swam, paddleboarded and ate. We are still struggling with figuring out the tides in Las Perlas. Once again, we laid out tons of chain to be prepared for a rising tide. Looks like the Navionics tide module is fairly good. The Furuno is completely confused so I will investigate if it is confused because it is on Zulu time, or if it is just off. We will stay in this anchorage for two nights, so you can expect plenty of goofing about on Two Fish.

Jason

www.twofishcat.com