Sailing on Stap Isi

April 8 & 9 – Isla Contadora

Finally the day had come to raise anchor and start west into the Pacific. We had purchased all the provisions that we could afford and that the boat could hold, the various boat projects were done, and it was time to go. Tom and Kathy Crafton on Nueva Vida were going to accompany us as far as the Galapagos so we waited a few extra days for them to complete their preparations. At last though, both boats were ready.

As soon as it was light enough to see, both boats raised anchor and proceeded out towards the ship channel. Kyle called the canal control station to get permission to go into the channel and they informed us that it was OK; there was no shipping in bound at the time.

Our destination for this first day was Isla Contadora located about 40 miles southeast of Panama City. One of the projects that we had not been able to accomplish in Panama City was to dive on the hull to clean it and the prop thoroughly. It is important to keep the hull and prop clean as a few barnacles and weed growth can knock a lot of speed off a sail boat. Unfortuantely, the water at the anchorage in Panama City was just too dirty and polluted for us to consider doing it there so we decided to stop at Contadora where the water would be clear and warm enough for us to accomplish this last task.

The morning was absolutely windless with the sea smooth and calm so we motored south among the 50 or so ships anchored waiting to transit the Canal. Soon, however, we were beyond the ship anchorage and it was just us and Nueva Vida cruising along in the morning light on a glassy sea.

The biggest event for this first day was our first sighting ever of a whale. As we were approaching the north side of Contadora Tom radioed over that they had seen a whale. And sure enough, as we watched it surfaced about 200 yards off to our starboard side. What an amazing sight to see a creature that big. Made our boat look small by comparison.

By 2 PM we were nearing the anchorage. Kyle decided to check the cruising guide for the area to see if there were any anchorage instructions or warnings. It was then that we discovered that our chosen anchorage happened to be located off the clothing optional beach on Contadora. Well this could be interesting. As we rounded the point we did not know exactly what to expect. Even though it was a Saturday afternoon, however, the beach was deserted. Excellent.

There were four other boats already anchored there so we had plenty of company that first night. It has amazing us to see the number and variety of cruisers making this journey. Someone has estimated that at any given time there are around 500 boats in the process of circum-navigating the globe. Given the numbers we saw in Panama, that might be a bit conservative. There were many boats from New Zealand and Australia as well as the US, Canada, and Great Britain. There were others from more esoteric places. The most unique was a 20 foot homemade boat from Khazakstan. The owner/builder/captain had sailed off on his way to a solo circum-navigation. His boat was too small to transit the Canal so he had it put on a flat bed truck and taken across to the Pacific. By the time we got there he had already left for the Marquesas where we hope to see him again.

As soon as we were anchored we took time to rest a bit. Kyle noticed something swimming a few feet from the boat. It looked like a turtle had come by to check us out. Kathy came to look and thought it was more like a small ray swimming at the surface with seeing only the tips of his fins slowly rising in and out of the water. Sure enough that was what it was because later that day and for the rest of our time here the rays swam and jumped around us every where. They weren’t very big; maybe 3 feet at the biggest.

Soon Kyle got out his snorkeling gear and got to work on the hull. It was amazing how many barnacles had managed to attach themselves to the hull in the three weeks since we had last cleaned it. It must be the nutrient-rich waters coming out of Lake Gatun that cause such rapid growth. Anyway, the project took longer than we had anticipated and by the time he got the first side done Kyle was pretty well spent. So we decided to take an extra day at Contadora so that he could finish the project on Sunday.

That evening was wonderful. After the noise, commotion and rolly anchorage in Panama City and Colon, it was great to have a quiet, secluded, and still place to spend the night. As the sun went down, God’s sky show appeared and we enjoyed some time of star gazing through the binoculars.

The next day, as soon as breakfast was over, Kyle got started on the other side of the hull. He used a 12 inch long piece of teak 1×4 as a scraper for the barnacles. The barnacles were not stuck on too strongly so the teak quickly knocked them off. Once the hull and prop were cleaned, there was one more under water job to do – replacing the zinc anode on the prop shaft.

Any time you have dissimilar metals in water electrolysis will occur in which a current flow is induced between the metals causing one of them to disintegrate. With our bronze prop on a stainless steel prop shaft we had a perfect situation for electrolysis to occur. In this case it would be our prop that would disintegrate over time. The solution to the problem is to put a piece of zinc on the prop shaft. Because zinc is more anodic than either stainless or bronze, it will be the metal that disintegrates, leaving the prop and shaft undamaged.

It was now time to replace the zinc. That is a fairly straight forward task on land but under water it takes a bit more effort. Kyle’s biggest fear was that he might drop it before he got it secured and since we were in 30 feet of water there would be no retrieving it again. He took the zinc and tools and with a big breath he dived down to the prop. First dive and it was on, but it took about 15 dives to get the zinc securely bolted onto the prop. We were good for another year.

April 10 & 11 Isla San Jose

The next day we raised anchor and headed south about 30 more miles to Isla San Jose. This was the southern most island in the Las Perlas group and we decided to overnight there and start early the next morning on our passage to Galapagos. With a little later than normal start, it was mid afternoon before we arrived at the anchorage – a beautiful bay on the eastern side of the island.

Isla San Jose is entirely owned by a Panamanian who owns a construction company. It is a large island, 6 miles by 4 miles, so we are guessing that the construction company must be doing quite well. The owner has limited development of the island so most of it is in its natural state. A couple of caretakers are usually the only inhabitants on the island.

We anchored in 20 feet of water and sat and watched the hundreds of pelicans and other sea birds fishing in the bay. That afternoon Kyle called Tom on the radio. All of us were feeling pretty tired already after the push to get ready for the trip and the two days working on the boats up in Contadora. Why not take a down day in this beautiful place to rest up before starting the passage? Tom was enthusiastic about the idea and had, in fact, been wondering how to broach the subject with us. It was a unatimous vote by the captians and their crew to stay here an extra day.

Early the next morning we assembled our dingy so that we could go to shore and explore a bit of the island. Kyle went over to Nueva Vida to pick up the three kids and row them to shore. There was a bit of a surf so they approached the landing carefully. We had watched the waves that morning and it appeared that three large waves would be followed by four or five smaller ones. The idea was to wait just beyond where the waves were breaking until a set of three big ones went by. Then Kyle would row like mad for the beach. While they approached the area where the waves were breaking the first of the large ones went by, then the second. As the third approached, Kyle told the kids to be ready. As soon as it was past us we would be off.

It went by and Kyle started rowing. But as he looked back he saw a fourth big wave, the biggest one yet (It was only about 3 feet high but that is pretty big when you are in front of it in a small dingy), rearing up behind the dingy. It was too late now – they were committed. Kyle yelled for the kids to hang on and in seconds they found themselves sitting high on top of the wave, surfing towards the beach. “Hey, this is great! We will be on the beach soon.” Suddenly, however, the wave caught the dingy and turned it sideways and before they could react the wave had flipped it over throwing kids, and gear, and oars everywhere. Kyle found himself under the dingy but only in a foot or two of water. The wave had brought them almost all the way to the beach. He held the dingy up so that all the kids could get free and then got up to survey the damage. The dingy was fine, no gear was lost, and the kids were clamoring to do it again.

Kyle made another trip to get Kathy and Tom and Kathy and row them to the beach. Fortunately, his surf landing skills were improving rapidly and no further mishaps were experienced. The beach was wonderful. It was strewn with beautiful shells and lined with scrub and coconut palms. Shore birds scurried back and forth and a zillion small crabs fled as we approached. We spent most of the morning exploring and then returned to the boats to get ready for tomorrow’s departure. It was a wonderful day off.

April 12 – Day 1, Dolphins and Whales

A northeast wind had come up in the night and that would be perfect for the early part of our passage to the Galapagos. The idea was to head mainly south for a couple of days until we were through the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). The ITCZ is where the northeast trade winds of the northern hemisphere meet the southeast trades of the southern hemisphere. It is an area of calms traditionally called the doldrums. It could also be an area where storms developed. By heading south we would punch through this area at a right angle, decreasing the amount of time we would spend in the ITCZ. On the other side we hoped to find southerly winds which would carry us nicely to the Galapagos.

At first light we raised anchor for the last time in Panama and headed south. We put up our large light wind jib and were soon making over five knots. This was going to be wonderful. It was only a few minutes, though, and part of the jib caught on a hank and tore the sail. So Kyle took down the large sail and put up the next smaller one. Stap Isi was still making 6 knots on this jib alone so that is how we sailed for the rest of the day.

We saw dolphins a couple of times during the day and once a pod of them swam along with the boat for a few minutes. What amazing creatures. Tom and Kathy radioed over that they had caught a 20 pound sea bass so Kyle rigged his fishing gear and started trailing a line. No luck today however.

April 13 – Day 2, Continuing South

Checking our plots we found that we had made 121 miles that first day. That is wonderful for a 30 foot boat. We continued south in north winds and by noon it looked like we were beyond the ITCZ. The wind shifted around to the east and we continued on at about 5 knots.

We were still in the shipping lanes leading to the Canal so we had to be on our toes and keep a careful watch. We saw ships all night but none approached close enough to be of concern.

Today Kyle put out two fishing lines but again came up empty. The fishing around here is supposed to be excellent but none seemed interested in what he was offering.

At about 6 PM the wind, which had been favorable the past two days, laid down completely and we had to take down the sails and start the motor. We motored all night at about 4 knots and by dawn had made only 98 miles. Motoring means hand steering. And with hand steering we take shorter watches and no one gets much sleep. That night neither of us got more than about three hours of sleep.

April 14 – Day 3, Turning the Corner

By 9 AM the wind had filled in again from the east and we were able to sail again. Since we only had enough fuel on board for about 350 miles of motoring we were going to have to start conserving fuel. Another night of motoring would be about all we could do before getting closer to the Galapagos. We sailed south all day towards the island of Malpelo at about 5 knots.

Kathy did laundry today and we repaired the torn light wind sail. Laundry was done in buckets on deck. She washes the clothes in salt water to conserve our limited supply of fresh water. Then she rinses in fresh water. The clothes get clean and she can do several days of laundry in about two gallons of fresh water. Bathing is done the same way. We haul buckets of salt water on deck and take our baths in that. Joy dish washing liquid lathers nicely in salt water so that is our bath soap. Then, using a plastic garden sprayer we rinse off in fresh water. Two can bathe that way and use less than a gallon of fresh water.

By 6 PM we were approaching Malpelo. Here we planned to turn the corner and start heading a bit more towards the west. Malpelo is basically a small rock in the middle of nowhere. It has a small Colombian military presence and a few fishermen living there. As we made our turn towards the west the wind died completely again. Another night of hand steering under motor. ARRGH! This was going to be the last night we could do this. Not only were we going into severe sleep deficit, we were going to have to start conserving fuel.

April 15 – Day 4, Leaving Nueva Vida

After motoring all night the wind picked up again at about 8 AM from the east at about 5-7 knots. Stap Isi was able to make 4-5 knots on a southerly heading. Obviously we were now out of the shipping lanes. We had seen no other ships for over 36 hours but suddenly a tanker appeared on the horizon. The best we could make out it was heading more or less for us so Kyle got on the radio and called them. The captain replied that he had us in sight and was altering course to pass us astern. That was awfully nice of him. Often we get the impression that they are aiming at us.

We are no longer in sight of Nueva Vida. After turning the corner at Malpelo, they continued on a more SW course while we decided to make a more southerly course. They are out there 30-40 miles away and we maintain regular radio skeds with them at 8 AM and 8 PM. It is nice to touch base with them and to hear how they are doing. Besides talking to them we also check in on the Panama Pacific cruisers radio net each morning. Most of the other boats that check in are heading towards the Galapagos. It appears that there are 8-10 currently making this passage.

Like clockwork, as the sun went down the wind began to lay down. This time, however, when it got too light to sail we just dropped the sails and drifted in the current. At least the current was going in the right direction and even drifting we were able to make about a knot towards the Galapagos.

April 16 – Day 5, Wind Shift

Since starting out from Panama we had been looking for the southerly winds. This would signal that we had entered the southern hemisphere trades. So far we had experienced northerly and easterly but no south winds. As we drifted slowly southwest, at about 4 AM, we saw a line of clouds stretching across the horizon. We have learned that a line like that often signals a wind shift. As we got closer and closer we could feel an occasional puff of wind. Then as we drifted under the cloud bank it was as if someone had thrown a switch. The wind filled in from the southwest and we were off again. Finally we had our southerly winds.

Yesterday our duet became a trio when the boat Orinoco Flow caught up to us and joined Nueva Vida and Stap Isi. We had met Rob and Gem of OF when we were in Panama City. Like us they are on a fast passage across the Pacific, in their case to Australia. Gem, who is Australian, is a nurse and Rob, an American, hopes to get work there as a surgeon. The fact that he actually is a surgeon should help. It is nice to have another boat near – especially one filled with trained medical professionals. And we’re sure that Rob and Gem are comforted knowing that Stap Isi is close, with a trained linguist and artist on board, should they need help with a crossword puzzle or a doodle.

Still dragging a lure along behind the boat with zero results. The problem may be that the swindler at Zeke’s Bait Shop and Wedding Chapel who sold us the lures gave us nothing that looks at all like anything a fish would actually eat. Instead all the lures look like something left behind when the mother ship returned to planet Xorgon. Kyle figures that he has probably just created a 400 mile long swath through the Pacific of terrified and traumatized fish.

April 17 – Day 6, Roughest Day Yet

We sailed all night for the first time and throughout the night the wind continued to increase. By 6 AM we had SW winds at 10-15 knots and 4-6 foot seas. The wind increased more so that by mid-afternoon we were in 15 knots and 5-7 foot seas. Given the wind direction we could only maintain our course towards the Galapagos by sailing as close to the wind as possible. Most monohull sailboats are able to sail 45-50 degrees off the wind. Stap Isi can do about 40 degrees but it does not go very fast on that point of sail (called sailing close hauled.) Because sailing close hauled is sailing upwind it also means sailing against the seas. This makes for a bumpy ride whenever the seas are up. Still that is the only way we could make our course.

The boats to the south of us were reporting winds of 25 plus and were having no fun at all. It is amazing to us that just 50 or 60 miles can make such a huge difference in winds but we have seen that throughout the trip. As the boats report in on the net each day there can be widely varying conditions reported from boats that are fairly close to each other.

April 18 – Day 7, Entering the Humboldt Current

The wind lightened up during the night and by dawn it was down to 8-10 knots. The seas settled as well and even though we were still close hauled it was more comfortable sailing. Kathy decided to bake bread this morning and soon the boat was filled with the smell of fresh bread. Sleep deprivation must have caught up with Kyle because he spent most of the day sleeping while Kathy did most of the watch keeping.

The boats ahead of us had been reporting south to southeast winds and we had been hoping to encounter them soon. That would allow us to broaden our point of sail and get some more speed. It would also make the sailing more comfortable. Finally at about 6 PM we noticed that the winds were shifting around to the south. This would enable us to comfortably sail the last day or two to Galapagos.

We also noticed a significant change in temperature during the day. It appeared that we had entered the Humboldt current. This cold water current comes us the coast of South America and at about the latitude of Ecuador begins turning towards the west. As we got further into the current our temperature dropped from the normal 80s down into the 60’s and 70’s. Soon we were scrambling to find our sweaters, jeans, and sleeping bags. Actually the cooler weather is nice. Makes it much more pleasant during the day and makes for good sleeping at night.

April 19 – Day 8, Finally, a Fish

Kyle had been dragging a lure or two all the way from Panama and finally at 11:30 the reel began singing as a fish ran off with some line. “Fish on!” he yelled and Kathy came running up to help get it onto the boat. We headed the boat into the wind to take off some speed while Kyle reeled in the fish. From the feel of it, it was not overly large, but at this point we were not going to be particular. Kyle got it along side the boat and Kathy scooped up the 3 pound bonita tuna. A perfect size for two people.

Now to kill the thing. Several people had told us that the quickest way to kill a fish was to pour a shot of liquor into its gills. That was supposed to knock it dead instantly without having to beat it to death, getting blood and yech all over the boat. With that in mind, before leaving Panama Kyle went looking for a couple bottles of the most vile, cheapest whiskey he could find. He finally found something called Kentucky Cream, a brew so evil that it managed to insult the fine people of Kentucky, moonshiners in general, and the entire dairy industry with a single product. But at two dollars a bottle it was about the right price for killing fish.

With the fish thrashing around in the cockpit, Kathy scampered below to find the Kentucky Cream. She returned with the bottle and a small glass into which Kyle poured about a shot of the whiskey. He poured it on the fish and presto, it stopped thrashing and laid there twitching a bit. Then it shook off the effects of the booze and commenced to thrashing again. Hmmmm. Must be an Irish fish. Hit him again. Kyle poured another shot into the glass and let the fish have it right in the gills. Again the fish quieted down for a few seconds, shook off the whiskey, and started doing the thrash again. Finally the third shot of Kentucky Cream did it. The fish twitched a couple of times and died. I am guessing that three shots of KC would do that to about anything.

Kyle cleaned and filleted the fish and that evening Kathy fried it up in Cajun fish fry. Absolutely wonderful.

April 20 – Day 9, Crossing the Equator and Sighting the Galapagos

A big event in sailing is the first time one crosses the equator. We had been looking forward to making the crossing for the past couple of days. At midnight we were only about 7 miles north of the equator so it was obvious that we would make the crossing soon. Kyle was on watch and when we got to within a half a mile he woke Kathy so she could watch the GPS turn all zeros. Finally at 3:12 AM the GPS came up all zeros and the N latitude turned to S. We were now in the southern hemisphere. Traditionally one is supposed to have an elaborate ceremony to commemorate the crossing. At 3 AM, though, our ceremony consisted of a kiss and hug and then Kathy went back to bed while Kyle continued on the watch.

We were getting close to the Galapagos now and both of us scanned the horizon for any sign of land. The GPS has taken most of the guesswork and uncertainty out of navigation but still the first sight of land after a long passage is exciting. At 1:20 PM Kyle looked up saw the outline of Isla San Cristobal in the haze. “Land Ho!” Our passage was almost over.

It was clear to us though that we would not be able to make the anchorage before dark and we have a hard and fast rule that we do not enter an unfamiliar anchorage at night. The sun set as we were still about 10 miles from the anchorage so we got things squared away and took down the sails. We would simply drift through the night and at first light continue on into the Wreck Bay. The night was beautiful. Since we were in the lea of the island we had almost no waves. Both of us were able to get a fairly good night sleep for the first time in days.

April 21 – Day 10, Arrival and Checking In

At 5 AM Kyle started the engine and made for Wreck Bay. The current had pushed us about a mile north in the night so we were now about 10 miles off. As the sun rose we could see the buildings around the bay and by 8 AM we were coming into the bay. Some seals came out to escort us in and it was awesome to see them swimming and jumping along side the boat. Nueva Vida had come in the day before and as we motored by Tom and Kathy were up to say hi. It took us two tries to get the anchor to set properly but by 9 we were firmly hooked up.

Tom had waited for us to come in so that we could do the check in together. Wreck Bay has a water taxi service for the anchored boats so we did not have to put our dingy in the water. Rather we just had to flag down a water taxi and for 50 cents a person they would run us in to the dock. At 9:30 Tom came by on a taxi and Kyle jumped on to go in and start the check in process.

The first stop was immigration. There we filled in some forms and got our passports stamped. That went fairly smoothly and only cost $30. We found that none of the officials here know any English at all. That made it a bit more difficult but it is amazing how much communication can be made through sign language and pointing.

The next step after immigration was to get our cruising permit. If you arrive in the Galapagos without a cruising permit, you are limited to staying in the anchorage where you check in. If you want to visit more than one island, you need to arrange in advance for a permit. Tom and Kyle had applied for permits while we were still in Providencia so they now had to go and find the agent and pick them up. He had them ready for us and having paid $50 each for his services we left with the permits in hand. The last stop now would be the port captain’s office. Here is where the boat is checked into the country. Again we struggled a bit with the Spanish, but finally we got our paperwork and paid our port fees. The fees are calculated based on the boat’s gross tonnage. Stap Isi at 8 gross tons cost $97. Nueva Vida at 26 gross tons cost Tom twice as much. Sometimes having a small boat is a distinct advantage.

Checking in took a fair bit of the day and it was 3:30 before Kyle was able to get back to the boat. By 7 PM we were both in bed for the night looking forward to a nice LONG uninterrupted sleep.

April 22 – Tour of Galapagos

We do not intend to stay long here so we wanted to do a bit of sight seeing asap. We decided along with Tom and Kathy to book a tour of the island for today. A local tour agent (a New Zealander who had married a local girl) arranged a truck to take us around to see the sights. First we went up to a reserve where the giant tortoises were kept and bred. They had a one year old baby tortoise that was about the size of a soup bowl. Then further on we saw several of the big ones. They weigh as much as 300 pounds and live to be 180 years old.

The next stop was to the summit of a volcano. The crater was now a lake and with the mist blowing across the top of the summit it was quite a sight. Finally we went down to the ocean to see the marine iguanas. We found a group of 5 or 6 sunning themselves on the black volcanic rocks. They did not seem to be intimidated by us in the least, allowing us to get within a few feet for pictures.

The other wildlife to be seen are the seals that are everywhere around the anchorage. They swim up to the boat and check us out and follow the boats into and out of the harbor. They climb up on any boats with a low enough transom and several of the fishing boats around have what appear to be semi-permanent residents.

It was a great day and we are glad for the opportunity to have seen at least a few of the high points of the Galapagos. Next week we will refuel and buy a few more provisions and hopefully by Wednesday be on our way to the Marquesas.

February 27 – March 3 – The Paperwork Cha-cha

Note to self: When departing under less than ideal conditions, make sure to check the holiday schedule for your country of destination.

After getting hammered most of the way from Providencia to Colon, we were more than disappointed to discover that we had managed to arrive just in time for the three-day Carnival festivities. EVERYTHING would be closed until Thursday. We were warned that after three days of debauchery the office staffs would not be performing at their usual high level of efficiency even then.

Finally Carnival was over and the offices reopened. Getting checked in to the country required visits to three different offices: immigration, visa, and port captain. The immigration office was conveniently located at the marina and the nice lady put a stamp in our passport indicating that we had actually arrived in Panama. The stamp cost $20 per boat. The next step was to get a taxi to visit the port captain to check into the port and get a cruising permit. Even if one is not planning to actually cruise in Panamanian waters but is just transiting the canal, you need a cruising permit. Cost – $70. Then it is off to the visa office taking another taxi, where another lengthy form, fingerprinting, photos, and $20 will get you a Panamanian visa for some indeterminate amount of time. We never did figure out how long we could stay in Panama on the visa.

But the entry process was only half the fun. We still had to make arrangements to get through the canal. The first step was to get the boat measured. On Wednesday, even though it was still Carnival, we were able to get to the admeasure office to make arrangements for someone to come and measure the boat. They said that someone would come out on Thursday. Thursday we waited all day at the boat but no one came. A quick trip in to the marina (a mile rowing in in our dingy) and we phoned the office only to be told that it would now be Friday. We had arrived at the high point of the yacht traffic through the canal. When we first arrived there were 25 boats waiting at anchor. That number soon swelled to over 50 and the canal authorities were only taking two boats a day through the canal. The wait was over three weeks and growing longer with each day. We were feeling desperate to get on the list as soon as possible.

Friday morning at 9 AM we heard the pilot boat outside and soon the man from the admeasure office jumped aboard. It took him only a few minutes to measure the length and beam of the boat. Then he filled out a few forms and instructed us to pay our fees at the Citibank in Colon. Before the wake from the departing pilot boat had settled we were in the dingy and rowing in.

Here is where things got expensive. The transit fee for a boat our size was $600 with an additional refundable buffer of $850. The $850 would be returned if we did not cause any delays or damage anything on the way through. We hurried over to Citibank, paid our fees, and returned to the marina. The admeasurer had said that we could call the evening of the day we paid our fees and they would tell us the transit date. So we waited all day at the marina and at 6 PM called the scheduling office. The scheduler looked through the list, found our paperwork and calmly informed us that the earliest he could get us through would be the 29th of March. Today was the 3rd. Twenty-six days of waiting in Colon, arrrrgh.

March 4 – 21 – The Interminable Wait

After we got our transit date we waited. Colon is probably the most desolate city we have ever been in. The buildings are crumbling, evidence of poverty and high levels of unemployment are everywhere, and crime is rampant. One of our guide books warned that if you had been in Colon a week you were muged once; two weeks – twice. The marina was surrounded by a security fence and only those who wanted to prove the guide book right ventured out on foot. Other more timid folks (including your’s truly) took taxis.

To make matters worse, the anchorage where those of us who could not find or afford space in the marina were forced to wait was a real challenge. The wind blew incessantly, creating waves that competed with the wakes from the passing ships to see which could roll the boat more. The smoke from the ships and the shore-side insinerators soon had the boats covered with black nasty grit and dust.

Our life between arrival and transit would be a daily dingy trip in to the marina to check with the scheduling office and the occasional foray out to town for groceries. The marina had a small restaurant with inexpensive hamburgers so at least we could grab the occasional dinner out. Also it was fun getting to know the other cruisers. We were amazed at the number of couples making the trip across the Pacific. There were many boats from New Zealand, Australia, the US, and France and we saw others from places like the Czech Republic, Khazakstan, and South Africa. We look forward to seeing many of these boats again along the way.

On March 17th, while we were sitting at the marina restaurant, another cruiser stopped by and informed us that the canal authorities were moving boats up on the list. He had just got his transit date moved up to the 19th and he suggested we give them a call. Within 2 minutes we were on the phone with scheduling and were told that yes there were some additional slots available – how would the 22nd work for us? Absolutely no problem we replied. So he put us down for the 22nd, thereby cutting a week off our wait.

Each boat going through the canal was required to have, besides the captain (me), four line handlers and a canal advisor. The line handlers would be responsible for tending the lines with which the boat would be tied in the locks. The advisor would guide us through the canal, communicate with the lockmasters, and basically make sure we did not do anything stupid. We had already rented the required four – 125 foot lines but we still needed three more line handlers. Kathy would serve as one of the four. Many cruisers use volunteers from other boats for the line handlers but since so many boats were being moved around on the schedule right then we decided we would hire some guys from the marina staff. That way we were able to schedule our line handlers on the date we needed without worrying that a schedule change might cause us to lose them at the last minute. Also these were guys who had served as line handlers for years and knew the drill well. That might come in handy if anything went wrong.

March 22 & 23 – Transiting the Canal

The last few days before the 22nd were spent buying provisions and getting everything ready for the transit. Finally the morning of the 22nd arrived. Kyle went in the the marina to confirm our date and time with scheduling. He was told that we were still on the list and the advisor would come out to the boat at 6 PM. It was not unusual for a boat to be bumped at the last minute so we would not be sure of our transit date until the advisor actually stepped on board.

The rest of the day was spent getting ready to go. The second anchor was brought on board and stowed. A quick trip to the grocery got the supplies we needed to feed the line handlers and advisors for the two-day transit. With an evening start, we would get through the first set of locks and tie up to a buoy for the night in Gatun Lake. The first advisor would leave and the next morning another would come aboard to continue the transit.

At 3 PM Kyle went back to the marina to get the three Panamanian line handlers. By 4 everyone but the advisor was on board and we were ready to go. We made a quick radio call to the scheduler and were told that the advisor was still scheduled for 6 PM.

At 5:30 Kyle decided to start the engine. He had ran it a bit that afternoon just to make sure that it would start but now, 30 minutes before the advisor was scheduled to come aboard, when he turned the key there was nothing. No sound, no starter, nothing. In all the time we had run the engine it had never failed to turn over – until now. We tried not to panic but we knew that if the advisor arrived and the boat was not able to make the transit, half of our buffer fee would immediately disappear. Kyle got the cover off the engine and tried to find the problem. A loose wire hanging there would be nice – but everything looked fine. He wiggled some wires and asked Kathy to try again. Nothing. He wiggled some more wires and finally when she turned the key the engine roared to life. Thank you Jesus. We soon had the anchor up and were motoring out to where the pilot boats typically transferred the advisors.

There were five sail-boats scheduled to transit with us on the 22nd. Six o’clock came and went – no advisor. Finally at 7 PM we saw the pilot boat heading in our direction. It dropped advisors off at three of the sail-boats and they were off towards the canal. Then it started to leave. We flagged them down and asked about our advisor. Another boat would be bringing him out “any minute.” Hmmm. This is how boats get bumped. They normally are not informed until the pilot boat drops off the advisors and they are one or two short.

At least they said that one was coming so we continued to make our little circles in the anchorage while 8 PM came and went. No advisor. Finally at about 8:30 we saw another pilot boat heading in our direction. Please God, please God, please God! They hailed us and asked for our boat name. “Stop Isi” we called back and the pilot boat turned towards us. Oh thank you!

Our advisor jumped on board and instructed us to head for the main ship channel and turn towards the first set of locks. What a relief it was to finally be starting the transit. As we neared the locks we saw the fifth sailboat tied to a buoy. The other three had already gone through. We tied up to number five and waited for the arrival of the small freighter with which we would be locking through. Soon we saw it coming up the channel so both sailboats untied from the buoy and as the freighter passed we followed it into the channel. There we tied the two sailboats together side by side. That is how we would go through the locks. Two lines would be led from our port side to the lock walls and two would go from their starboard side to the lock walls. Since they were the bigger boat,(43 feet) they would use their engine to power us along.

A bit of a hitch developed at the entrance to the first set of locks when the freighter somehow dropped its anchor. Someone must have hit the wrong button. It took about 20 minutes but they were able to get their anchor up again and they moved into the lock. Once they were in and secured, our little two-boat raft went in.

Men on the side threw small lines with weights on the ends down to us and our line handlers tied on our heavy canal lines. These were then hauled up and secured to huge cleets on top of the side walls. Our line handlers then tightened up the lines so that our boats were centered in the chamber and pointed in the correct direction. The first three locks would take us 85 feet up to the level of Gatun Lake. These locks are joined to one another so after the first was filled we would just motor into the second and then the third. Each time the process was repeated the men on the side would tie our lines up to the cleets, the lock doors would close and the water would flood into the locks. Uplocking was the most difficult because of the turbulance. Not only was 50 million gallons of water suddenly welling up under the boat, but because fresh water from the lake was coming in under heavier salt water, additional turbulance was created as the fresh water tried to force its way through the salt water. This was where we were glad to have hired some big strong line handlers. The force on the lines increased as the turbulance tried to move the boats from side to side. And while the water level rose the line handlers had to take in the slack to keep the boats aligned. In just a few minutes though, the turbulance subsided and we reached the level of the second lock.

With the late start it was midnight before the lock doors opened and let us motor out into Gatun Lake. Most of the Panama Canal is actually a huge lake that was made by damming up the Chagres River. It was utterly peaceful and calm on the lake as we made our way through to the mooring buoy a mile away. There we found the other three boats along with one that was making its way from the Pacific to the Caribbean side. Soon we were tied up and after a late supper at 1 AM we all tried to catch a bit of sleep. The next advisor was supposed to board at 6 AM – just five hours away.

Kyle was awoken at 5 AM by the sound of howler monkeys on the shore a few hundred yards away. What a weird sound. If one did not know what they were, you would never associate that noise with a monkey. By six we were all up, the engine was started, and we were ready to go. Finally at seven the pilot boat appeared with a gang of advisors on board. They started going down the row dropping advisors on each boat in turn. Finally they got to us and our advisor jumped on board. Unfortunately there was one other boat still waiting and only then were they told that they would have to wait another day in the lake. While we felt sorry for them, we were overjoyed that we would actually be able to finish our transit on time.

The next set of locks was 21 miles away and our advisor informed us that we were scheduled to go through at 10 AM. Our boat only does a bit over 6 knots with the motor so those numbers were not exactly adding up to get there on time. We gave it full throttle and hoped that some delays might move our transit time a bit later. Within the hour the lockmaster informed our advisor that our time had been moved to 11 and then a few minutes later it was 11:40. That gave us plenty of time. So we could relax and enjoy cruising through Lake Gatun.

What a beautiful place. No development was allowed around the lake so it was pristine jungle almost all the way through. We enjoyed the green of the jungle and the occasional flash of color from some tropical bird or another. We all hoped to see some monkeys or other large animals but nothing made an appearance.

Soon we were into the Guilliard cut. This was a wide channel connecting the Pacific locks with the lake and was the hardest part of building the channel. It was here that we were able to cross the continental divide via boat. Once through the cut, we arrived at the first lock. Unlike the Atlantic side, on the Pacific side the first lock is separated from the second and third by a small lake. We rafted Stap Isi up to the same boat as the night before and made our way into that first lock. Down locking was much easier. Here the water flowed out of the locks and there was no turbulence at all. Soon we were into the small lake and we left the two boats tied together for the short trip to the second set of locks.

There is a web cam on the final lock and we had invited our family and friends to watch the internet to see if they could see the boat. Unfortunately as we were entering the second lock, the heavens opened and we were buried in a tropical downpour. Those of us who could, huddled under a tarp while the line handlers on the bow got completely drenched. And because of the rain it was impossible to make out the boats on the web cam.

Finally, we were into the last lock. The 70 foot lock doors closed, the water flowed out, and the doors on the other end opened onto the Pacific Ocean. In the distance we could see the Bridge of the Americas, the huge span connecting North and South America across the canal. Soon a pilot boat came and our advisor left us. We dropped our three line handlers at the Balboa yacht club and continued on down the ship channel to an anchorage a few miles south of the bridge. We dropped anchor and enjoyed the feeling of putting the Panama Canal behind us.

March 24 – April 6 – Preparing for the Pacific

From here we get into some serious cruising. The first leg is going to be the 8-10 day passage to the Galapagos Islands after which we have our longest passage, 25 days or so to the Marquesas. Fortunately this side of the canal has some wonderful stores from which we have been working to get all the supplies and provisions needed for the next leg. There is a modern mall, a couple of stores like Sam’s club, and several marine stores.

There were still a couple of repairs to be made that could not be undertaken in the Colon anchorage so we have also been working on those. Our goal is to have everything ready to go by Tuesday the 5th and try to be on our way by the 6th. The biggest problem with leaving this side is not too much but too little wind. There have been a few days since arriving here that the wind did not blow at all. After the rough conditions in the Caribbean it seems weird to be praying for wind.