Panama City

Panama City highlights

Jan 25th
- Justin took dingy into Flamenco Yacht Club to see port captain and entered us into Panama
- Went in on the dingy to get showers at Flamenco Yacht club, to fill up diesel containers, and to restock beer
- Moved boat to Isla Perico anchorage as all the marinas were charging way too much for our tastes
- Raised Panamanian flag
- Went to Balboa Yacht club for dinner and to find out some information on crossing the Panama Canal
- My brother Gerard messaged me to let me know that Vada had gotten into a fight with a coyote back home in Cape Breton (What!!!!), but has been to the vet and is fine

Happy crew heading to shore to see Panama City for the first time

Raising a courtesy flag while

Jan 26th
- Went to Authority del Canal de Panama and scheduled to have our boat measured the next day
- Justin and Mitch went to Balboa yacht club to find lines, fenders, and an extra line handler
- Nicole and I went to Albrook mall for groceries and a bus pass
- Met up at Balboa yacht club and had chicken wings and beer

Justin at Authority del Canal de Panama

Fenders and lines on board

Nicole, Mitch, Myself, and Justin enjoying wings at Balboa Yacht Club

Jan 27th
- Justin and Mitch stayed on the boat to wait for the inspector
- Nichole and I went to Balboa Yacht Club to do laundry and I posted pictures on facebook
- Justin went to bank after inspection at 2 pm to pay for canal passage but office was closed upon arrival

Boat is inspected and god to go for the canal

Jan 28th
- We all went to the bank first thing in the morning but ACP was closed because it was Saturday,  so could not pay.  We had to wait until Monday
- Walked via slums to Casco Viejo.  Just before exiting the slums, Tourist police warns us not to walk through slums
- Walked around Casco Viejo (Old town centre)
- I got ice cream
- Went to History of Panama Canal Museum
- Walked around Paseo las Bovedas, a sea wall built by Spanish to protect city
- Walked along boardwalk on waterfront

Walking through the "slums"

Justin in Casco Viejo

History of Panama Canal Museum - Saving money by only renting one audio guide

Justin made a friend

View of Panama City

Markets on Paseo las Bovedas

Nicole, Justin, and Mitch exploring Paseo las Bovedas

Monument to commemorate the French contribution to the canal

Two worlds colliding in Casco Viejo, the old and the new

Our top of the line transport back to the boat

Jan 29th
- Nicole and Mitch took bikes and biked around Panama city
- Justin and I walked the causeway by the Panama Canal entrance on the Pacific side and went to the biodiversity museum

Panama!!!!

Biodiversity Museum

Myself and Justin at the Biodiversity Museum

Jan 30th
-Went to bank first thing to pay for canal passage
-Went to Miraflores Locks and watched  a couple of container ships and a few tour boats go through the locks
- We went through the museum at the Miraflores Locks and I bought post cards at the gift store
- Justin called the scheduler and found out we were booked to go through the canal for the 7th

How we got around in Panama

Arriving at Miraflores Locks

Miraflores Locks

Nicole and Mitch at Miraflores Locks

Justin and I at Miraflores Locks

Miraflores Locks

Jan 31st
- We slept in (Yes!!!!)
- We played cards and board games and were thoroughly lazy
- Justin and I cleaned the boat

Just Dreamin at Anchor with Panama City in behind

Feb 1st
- Justin and I went Balboa Yacht club to refill propane bottles and posted blogs and had lunch while waiting
- I napped and did yoga in afternoon
- Mitch and Nicole got me a birthday muffin!!!!!
- Walked around Isla Perico
- Went for birthday drinks and dinner at Mi Ranchitos

Nicole and Mitch surprised me with a birthday chocolate muffin

Justin after tying up our dingy

Birthday drinks!!!

Mitch saved $2 by making his own cocktail

Feb 2nd
- Wrote post cards for Mom, Da, and Mandy, Gerard and Kali, Jessie,  and Vanessa.   Justin wrote post cards for his Mum and Dad, Anthony, Dave and Pat, Dave and Felicity,  and Lindsay.
- Justin practiced guitar
- Tried to visit Panama Viejo but arrived too close to closing
- Justin and I went out for pizza

Justin catching up on some rest

Postcards for family and friends

Feb 3rd
- Went to Panama Viejo (second time is a charm), which are the ruins of the original city which was sacked by pirates

Justin in Panama Viejo

Justin in front of convent in Panama Viejo

Justin in convent in Panama Viejo

Justin in cistern in Panama Viejo

Cathedral in Panama Viejo

Archeological dig in process in Panama Viejo - yes, those are human remains

Myself in the Cathedral in Panama Viejo

Justin and I in the cathedral in Panama Viejo

Feb 4th
- Another beautifully lazy day
- We played cards and games
- I read
- Justin went into town to advertise for line handlers
- Mitch and Nicole arranged ride through canal

Feb 5th
- Mitch and Nicole left to go through the canal
- Justin and I went to Balboa Yacht club to do laundry

Feb 6th
- Moved the boat in preparation for canal passage
- Justin visited the port captain and signed out of the country
- Justin  picked up a few groceries
- Ran the water maker
- I cleaned
- Got our departure time from the schedulers
- Justin contacted the line handlers with times

Finally, it's time for the canal!!!!!

San Juan del Sur to Panama City

We (Mitch Heath, Nicole Muscoft, Justin, and I) pulled up anchor (Mitch manually did this since the electrical wench was broken - welcome back Mitch) on Friday, the 13th of January, and set sail just at sunset after a busy day in San Juan del Sur.   We had 25 to 35 knots of wind,  with occasional 40 knot gusts of wind, and 5 ft waves.  The autohelm couldn't handle the strength of the wind and the waves, so Justin had to hand steer for 4 hours.  We made excellent tome, cruising at 8 plus knots and hitting 9.7 knots when surfing the crests of the waves.  We passed the Nicaraguan / Costa Rican boarder that night.

Adios San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

Nicole isn't phased by the prospect of rough weather

Mitch and Nicole saying goodbye to land

Justin taking us out to sea

We traveled 3 days straight to Panama.  The wind died down a bit the first day,  causing us to motor a few times.   But for the most part,  we sailed at a steady pace.  We saw dolphins and sea turtles.   We trolled for fish, but had no luck.  We played cards.  We would jump off the boat to cool off when it got too hot, and grabbed a rope trailing behind the boat.  I got in some yoga on the bow.  I started drawing a picture of Vada. On the third day, we made an assembly line and did some laundry.  Nicole put our contact information in a bottle and we gave it to the sea at the Costa Rican / Panama boarder in hopes that someone might find it and contact us one day.  We anchored at 3 am in the Parque Nacional Golfo de Chiriqui.

Nicole and Mitch enjoying the sea life

Dinner up on deck

The first sea turtle we saw on the trip, but not the last

Mitch trying out the laundry system

Nicole giving the laundry a go

Justin supervising the laundry assembly line

Nicole reading in the shade

How we cooled off

Dragging Nicole and Mitch behind the boat

Picture I started of Vada in progress

Justin climbing up the side of the boat to get out of the water

Mitch using a halyard as a swing

Nicole taking a turn at using the halyard as a swing

Now Justin's turn

Our message in a bottle

Nicole letting loose our bottle

We island hopped for the next 6 days.  The first day,  we anchored in a bay of Isla Parida.  Nichole,  Mitch, and I took the dingy to shore.  We explored the island.   Nichole and Mitch snorkeled.   I read on the beach and climbed rocks.  We ended the day with flips off the boat and a game of Yota, which Nicole won even though it was her first time playing. 

Myself exploring Isla Parida

Mitch and Nicole taking the dingy to check out the next bay

Nicole beating us at Yota

Being anchored in sheltered bays allowed me to do some cardio in the morning.   Normally cardio is too much of a hazard with the boat pitching around.

Justin fixed the electric wench for the anchor the next morning,  much to Mitch's delight.  We then sailed to Isla Baca Brava, seeing sting rays along the way.   We had to approach the island very slowly under motor as there were so many underwater rocks.  We anchored with no issues.  Mitch, Nicole, and Justin took the dingy to Baca Chica to restock on groceries.

Nicole, Justin, and Mitch heading to Baca Chica for groceries

Market in Baca Chica

Fish from a local fisherman

Myself getting a bit of yoga in now that the boat is a bit more stable

Just Dreamin in Bocas Brava

On the following day,  we went to Bocas Brava Hotel for lunch.  They had 3 dogs and a pig , Lucy,  who pretty much thought she was a dog too.  Justin and Mitch went kyte boarding during the afternoon while Nichole and I went exploring with the kayak.  We joined the boys later.  Nichole and I took a turn steering the kyte.

Lucy the big holding her own with the dogs

Everyone at Bocas Brava Hotel

Myself and Nicole out exploring in the kayak

Myself at the keyhole rock formation

Nicole at the keyhole rock formation

Myself at the keyhole rock formation

Nicole trying to steer the kyte

Mitch flying the kyte

Justin as we passed him in the dingy

Mitch retrieving Justin

On the 20th, we lifted anchor and traveled to see some reefs at Isla Monitas, where Nicole,  Mitch,  and Justin did some snorkeling for a couple of hours. We then continued on to Isla Brincanco of Islas Contreras to anchor for the night.   We saw some bats when we anchored;  they must have been drawn to our lights.  We shot off some expired flares.

Nicole shooting off an expired flare

I continued drawing Vada the next day as we cruised to Isla Coiba national park.  Coiba island was a penal colony until 2004 and now is a UNESCO site. Nicole and Mitch kayaked into shore.  Justin and I took the dingy to shore.   We hiked Sendero "Cerro Gambute" to the top of the hill and then we snorkeled.

Anchored at Coiba National Park

View from "Cerro Gambute"

Mitch and Nicole kayaking

Justin pulling Nicole and Mitch

We spent the next day snorkeling with sharks at Isla Granito de Oro.  There were hundreds of hermit crabs on this island.   We left that afternoon to make our way to Panama City.  Mitch finally caught a fish.

Nicole, Mitch, and Justin snorkeling

Mitch's hard won prize

We sailed the next 2 days. We played cards and I drew a bit more, finally finishing my drawing of Vada.  We all read; Mitch finished his first book since probably grade school.  Mitch also got into tying knots.  Nicole caught 5 fish on the 2nd day of sailing.

Mitch's knot tying skills

My picture of Vada completed

Nicole with one of her five fish

We arrived in Panama city on the 25th at 1:30 am.