LAS PERLAS TO THE GALAPAGOS

Our stay in Contadora was brief.  We arrived in the evening, anchoring in Galeon Bay but the next morning were asked to move on as our mast was causing interference for the small planes landing at the tiny airstrip behind the beach.  We weren’t sorry to head off to Isla Casaya, 11 miles away, as there was too much rubbish floating in the water to warrant a swim.  On exploring around the headland we also saw a pipe taking “effluent” out into the bay, not very appealing!  The beach there, lined with the derelict remains of more than one fairly substantial resort hotel and an abandoned ferry, had a spooky atmosphere and we wondered what had caused its demise.

With a great sail to our new anchorage we finally had a taste of the Las Perlas we were expecting.  There are innumerable picturesque uninhabited islands capped with trees and fringed with white beaches. The name is from the pearls pilfered by the conquistadores in the 16^th Century and a 31 carat “peregrina”  adorned Queen Mary Tudor.  For somewhere so close to Panama City, the area feels very remote and we were surprised to lose our mobile phone reception and with that our GPRS internet connection.  

We explored by dinghy, visiting a gorgeous beach, where we finally swam in turquoise clear water, and pressing our way up a narrow, mangrove-lined river.  All our repair problems seemed far away, for a moment or two.  Our run of bad luck with a multitude of things breaking or ceasing to work continued with the wind instrument giving up the ghost through corroded contacts.  The challenge was met and it was repaired with a sewing needle!

Our final stop was at Punta Cocos on the southernmost tip of Isla Del Rey.  Very rolly, we anchored the dinghy off the beach and swam in to be met by a couple of policemen.  Our worries that we were going to be asked for papers (we were already checked out in Panama City) were quickly dispelled by a friendly welcome and concern about the dinghy which they thought was floating freely.  We walked to the old WWII airfield and a beach on the other side.  The spectacular views were spoiled by the lovely sand littered with plastic, the scourge of our times.

Our neighbours in the bay were a huge vessel called Pacific Provider which is a “fishing resort”.  They are based their permanently and guests are flown in and stay onboard and use their army of smaller boats to go off sports fishing.  There was also an Australian boat, stuck with engine problems (what is it about boats?!). We invited the family onboard for a drink and the opportunity to fill up their jerry cans with water from our watermaker.

The next morning we set off early for the Galapagos, relieved to be departing “Spanama”, so named for our run of bad luck.  As if to herald the abundant wildlife we are expecting to see there, we saw a passing sea snake, turtles and a multitude of dolphins including one massive pod of at least 100.  For quite some time after leaving the mainland we had the ubiquitous plastic floating past and a good selection of enormous logs which made useful rafts for the seabirds.  At night we were surprised to have a group of seagulls swooping and soaring around the sails and navigation lights.  They seemed to prefer green light to red but, if they were using it to fish, they were rarely seen to dive into the water.  During the day our sentinels were happy with some squid thrown up to them that had landed on deck.

We hooked a tuna on day one and were left with only its head after a shark decided to have it for dinner.  Robin also caught what looked like a 6’ marlin but it freed itself before it was reeled in.

The 900 mile upwind passage to the Galapagos is not a comfortable one but we were fortunate to have calm seas and 10-15 knots winds and be able to sail most of the way, if on a curly course.  Slippery-hulled Spiip took 4½ days when many cruising boats take 9-12.  We encountered a lot of rain, the oncoming squalls playing havoc with our wind angle, and both the air and water temperatures dropped as we approached the islands.  We are all happy to be back to “life on the level”.  Overcoming the challenges of” life on the lean” proved interesting for Nic and me in a double bed making for some restless nights.  There’s no opportunity to share a bed on Irony with one of us always on watch.

And, highlight of our passage, we crossed the equator!  As the only 0˚ virgin onboard, I had a surprise visit from Neptune.  Miranda tapped into hitherto hidden talents as a fashion designer making a very fetching, not to mention revealing, costume for Robin out of kitchen foil.  He performed his role with aplomb squirting me with washing-up liquid while Nic turned the hose on me.

MOVING ON, FINALLY!

We were beginning to believe we would be stuck in Panama City forever but today we finally set sail for Las Perlas, a series of islands lying about 30 miles south east.   We plan to spend a few days exploring this area before heading off to the Galapagos.

The winches eventually arrived by courier on Wednesday night.  After such a long wait for them, we were devastated to find they needed modification and servicing.  Nic and I took the parts off to a turners shop braving a rather unsavoury area of the city where armed police and military were out in force.  The turners did an incredible job while we waited and by the end of the day Spiip once again had her full complement of working winches.

With a series of things breaking down or needing repair and attention (watermaker, generator, steering cables, etc) I was beginning to feel we were back on Irony!  It doesn’t seem to matter how expensive the boat is, the problems are the same.  Fortunately all parts required arrived by Saturday evening so we refuelled and were able move on this morning.  On our way to Isla Contadora the mainsail was re-attached and we sailed for the first time in about a month.  It was a fantastic feeling to be doing 11 knots and see Spiip fully back in action.  We even managed to catch 2 fish on the journey - first an albacore tuna and then a beautiful mahi mahi which was a real treat for dinner tonight.  It was sad to kill such a magnificent fish which was a vibrant green as it came out of the water, paled to silver as it died and then blushed back to a jewel-like blue. 

SHOPPING FRENZY!

Late Friday night the technician from Halls arrived to do the carbon fibre repair on the boom.  Poor Bill endured a bit of an ordeal in customs and immigration and we finally had to get our Canal agent, the very helpful and resourceful Eric, to make a phone call and get him released!  With perfect timing for the job, the weather has changed bringing violent thunder and lightning storms and torrential rain so we have had to put a tarpaulin over the boom to facilitate the work.  We’re still awaiting winches that are doing a very roundabout journey from Spain to France (everyone wants to get involved) and don’t expect to see anything here for another week.

We had a short interlude at Isla Taboga, a small atoll about south of Panama City and a popular weekend haunt for Panamanians.  The island has quite a history...ransacked by both Henry Morgan and Sir Francis Drake, it is steeped with tales of buried treasure.    Later it became a base for the Pacific Steamship Company, a refuge for canal workers, a temporary home to Paul Gauguin and even an internment site for German POWs.  The seaside town is very pretty; its hills are lined with colourfully painted houses brimming with flowers.  There is a very strong Roman Catholic element because there seems to be a little shrine in every corner.  Spanish ships setting off to plunder the Incas gold were blessed from the church, reputedly one of the area's oldest.

Back at our anchorage at Las Brisas we have been exploring the shopping opportunities in Panama City.  We visited the Artisans Market and were tempted by the exquisite baskets on sale.  They are very tightly woven, enough to hold water, and beautifully decorated but the prices were very high; $90 for a small one.  Miranda bought some the molas, panels of material, finely appliquéd and originally sewn for the Kuna Indians costumes.  Perfect for cushions they come in an array of colours with traditional designs, each one unique.

At the other end of the scale we hit the huge shopping malls here – acres of shops filled clothes at bargain basement prices.  Miranda and I have renewed our bikini wardrobe at $5-10 each and bought some lovely tops and dresses.

The highlight today was a trip to the fruit and vegetable market.  It stretches across a huge area and is housed in warehouses and outside stalls.  There are enormous mounds of pineapples, papayas, mangos and melons, crates of giant avocados, peppers and root vegetables and sweetly smelling herbs in massive bunches.  We struggled to carry our bags and a whole bunch of bananas out to the taxi!  

WE'RE IN THE PACIFIC!

We completed the second half of our canal transit yesterday and are now anchored off Panama City at Las Brisas.  The last few days have been a whirlwind but we escaped unscathed from the locks and are finally in the Pacific.  Although we now have to wait here for boom repairs and are still trying to get some replacement winches, it is very exciting to think we are finally close to being on our way.

With Spiip’s owner imminently arriving we left Portobello last Thursday to go back to Shelter Bay Marina, twice!  We had completed most of our 2 hour journey when we realised we hadn’t got the necessary zarpé (permission to move from anchorage to anchorage) from the port official.  We had to turn around and go back.  Not to waste valuable time, Miranda and I hopped on a diablos rojos and headed off to do the food shop while Robin and Nic returned with the boat to Shelter Bay after completing the required paperwork to move 10 miles along the coast.  Oh the joys of third world bureaucracy!

We exited the supermarket with a brimming trolley pushed by our bag packer; even he was overwhelmed with the flurry of attention from locals wanting to help get us in a taxi to the marina.  Apparently not many foreigners are seen at this particular supermarket because everyone wanted a piece of the action. It was dark by the time we approached the marina and we were surprised to see lots of cars parked along the normally deserted road.  We soon realised the locals were out catching crabs for their dinner.

The next day was spent in preparation for the owner's arrival.  That night Nic and I enjoyed listening to some fantastic jazz in the marina by a group from Cuba called Havana Jazz.   They were exceptionally good and played a variety of music but sadly there was a very small audience in comparison to the concert they gave in Panama City the night before for 1000 people.  It was interesting to finally meet the owner of the boat we have spent the last month on.  He flew in with his daughter just to do the canal transit. We have really enjoyed his company over the last few days.

Saturday, Nic and I embarked on a long hike to Fort St Lorenzo, 9 km away.  The fort was originally built by the Spanish in the late 17^th Century, then conquered and destroyed by Henry Morgan soon after. 70 years later it was rebuilt by the Spanish and overrun and razed by the English again.  It is perched on a cliff overlooking the mouth of the Chagres River which was the conduit for the Inca gold pilfered by the Spanish from Peru and later channelled all the spoils of the Californian gold rush.  On our return walk to the marina we detoured to a little beach and were greeted by friendly locals who offered us carrot cake, orange juice and shots of “seco”, a traditional alcohol made from distilled sugar cane and usually drunk with milk.  Along the way we saw capuchin monkeys, agouti, toucans and bright blue Mariposa butterflies, the size of small birds.

We were all nervous in anticipation of our journey through the Panama Canal having heard lots of horror stories about how difficult it could be and been told that 1 in 100 boats are damaged.  Our agent, Eric, seemed pretty organised and all our dealings with the Canal authorities gave the impression of an efficient operation.  On Sunday morning Spiip was ready for her ordeal with the requisite long lines and her sides decorated with 16 tires in addition to innumerable fenders.  We left the marina and anchored for lunch awaiting the arrival of our pilot.  There was some confusion over whether we would be “nested” with a much smaller Australian yacht but finally we were rafted with a large motor boat who handled the starboard side lines while we only had to worry about the port lines through the Gatun locks.

As we entered the lock, 2 line handlers threw monkey fists (knotted balls of rope) with lines onto the deck.  We then had to attach our own thick ropes with a bowline and feed them back.  The guys onshore then walked, and at times jogged, until we were in place.  On day 1 we were behind a big cargo ship.  The huge metal doors, original from the building of the canal, closed and we had to keep our ropes tightened as the lock filled, creating a witches’ cauldron of swirling water around us.  Once we reached the correct level, the gates ahead opened and we moved on through 2 further locks, finally motoring out into Gatun Lake.

We celebrated the first successful leg with champagne after a refreshing swim in fresh clear water (not without concerns about crocodiles!).  We went to bed early as we expected the pilot at 6am the next morning.  Having watched dawn break over the lake, a beautiful sight, he didn’t arrive until 8.30am.  Under his guidance, we motored nearly 20 miles through the most stunning scenery.  The lake was artificially flooded when the canal was built and one can still see the tops of trees poking above the surface of the water between little grassy outcrops of islands.  It is a protected area with no development and very peaceful.  I was struck by the strange sight of enormous ships passing us occasionally in the channel, very incongruous in such natural surroundings.

There were 3 locks to negotiate on the second day taking us “downhill” to the Pacific with rather precipitous views ahead before the locks emptied.  This time we were on our own and handling all 4 lines; 2 other sets of nested yachts went through with us.  It all went very smoothly and we emerged under the Bridge of the Americas and into the Pacific, no longer Panama Canal “virgins” and toasted our arrival with a very good bottle of champagne.