In my last update, Phyl and I were about to leave Arcadia I at Marina Barilles in El Salvador. We did leave together on the 10th of February. When we got home, I was pleasantly surprised to find that my family had taken care of things beautifully in my absence. I had a only a moderate to do list facing me after being gone for yet another month on my adventures. Hallelujah! I’m beginning to enjoy the feeling of being loved and missed, but not desperately needed, while I go off on my own “victory lap”.
On Sunday evening, the 21st of February, I met with Rudy Prendiz and Keith Bridges, (Both are LAFD crash truck drivers at LAX and long range tuna boat aficionados. They proved to be good company each, and a great crew for the trip.), We left LAX on the American Airlines “Red Eye” to San Salvador, arriving at 0645 on Monday. We were met by Francisco, the Marina Barilles driver that has been so helpful throughout the time we’ve been moored there. We went to the boat immediately and found all in good order. Arthur, another cruiser staying in the marina, came over and charged the batteries every few days while we were gone, (and caught up on his computer work in air conditioned comfort not available on his boat). That afternoon, we fueled up, (240 gallons of fuel for the 340 miles since Huatulco, with the generator running most of the time). We could have easily gotten to Panama without fueling, but I like to keep Arcadia I’s black iron fuel tanks nearly full to prevent corrosion in them.
Wednesday we awoke to mill pond conditions off the Gulf of Fonseca, shared by El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua. We brought the paravanes in and stowed them on the boat deck to clear the cockpit for fishing. We had two dorado aboard by noon. Keith made a great meal with one of them.
Thursday, the 25th, we continued along he coast of Nicaragua. Weather Bob had given us a good forecast, so we set a course that passed well offshore through the dreaded Papagallo slot off Lake Nicaragua. As with the Tehuantepec, the transit through this area was a non-event in calm seas. This was, again, in marked contrast to the miserable time my brother, Paul, and I had when we passed through here several years ago on the Princess J. We caught and released a sailfish off Cabo Blanco. Later that afternoon, we hooked up to a nice marlin and got him close enough to the boat to get a good look at him before we lost him. About 1730, off Quepos, we brought in a nice Wahoo that Keith and Rudy barbecued for an outstanding meal.
Monday, the 1st of March, the gale continued. The seas, while not very high, were right on our bow at short frequency, making for a very uncomfortable ride until about 0400 when we got into the lee of Islas Bona and Tobago. The seas abated, but the wind did not, for the remainder of our trip into Panama City/Balboa. At 0700 I contacted Flamenco Signal Station, sort of a control tower for the Canal Zone on the Pacific side, and was directed to an anchorage, (Playita), behind a breakwater to the Northwest of Flamenco Island. We were at anchor there by 0830. By about 1030, we had the dinghy launched and headed ashore to complete our entry formalities into Panama. In contrast to our experience in El Salvador, entry into Panama is sort of a game of blind man’s bluff. Our taxi driver, (trying to help I’m sure), made it more complicated than it had to be. I think it all could have been done at the nearby Flamenco Marina, but we trooped around town instead. We got our passports stamped in a hole in the wall immigration office at the Balboa Yacht Club, we got the Port Captain to sign us in at the Container Port, but it was then too late in the day to get our cruising permit for the boat, which would enable us to get our visa to allow us to stay more than 2 days.
On Tuesday, we completed the formalities and obtained our cruising permit and visas. We then went to the Miraflores locks visitor center to watch several “Panamax vessels” (largest size that can go through the locks), as they transited southbound through the locks into the Pacific. It is truly an impressively choreographed ballet. There is a very nice museum at the visitor’s center in which we spent several enjoyable hours, before we headed back to the boat. On the way, we stopped at a large, American-style supermarket to re-provision the boat.
Thursday, I made my daily call on Flamenco Marina. No slip available, but they’re beginning to greet me like a customer. The north wind was pretty fierce in the afternoon, so I moved the boat closer to Panama City, where he wind waves were smaller, (most of the bay is less than 50 ft deep, so you can pretty well anchor wherever you like outside the areas reserved for big ships).
Saturday, Phyllis and I spent the day sightseeing. We went back to the Miraflores visitor center. This time, I got to watch several yachts go through. I’ve been hoping to get a ride through with someone that needs a free line handler, but watching it was almost as good.
On Monday, March 8th, we were ready to go on the Travel Lift by the appointed hour of 0830. They slid another boat in ahead of us, so we didn’t actually get into the slings until 1000. By the time we were actually set down on blocks, (still in the slings), it was 1100. We set to work, and had the zincs all replaced within 45 minutes. The yard had charged me to rent their pressure washer but only had one. It apparently had also been rented by the yacht that came in before us. I pleaded with the captain of that yacht to let us have it for an hour, since we only had that long before the tide would drop below that which would allow us to re-launch that day. He was remarkably uncooperative, so I had to make a scene with the boatyard people. We finally got the pressure washer with only 30 minutes time to use it. However, the anti fouling paint I put on in Bellingham has been remarkably effective, so we really only had to spend much time washing slime off the keel cooler, hull fittings and the prop to get a pretty clean bottom. We were back in the water, (with only 6” of water under the keel), and out of the slings by noon. We set a course immediately for the las Perlas islands, reaching a nice anchorage spot South of Isla Pacheca before dark.
Tuesday morning, we moved to South of Isla Contadora, where we found a good cell phone signal. We stayed there until after noon, catching up on phone calls. We then moved to a beautiful spot, (through what turned out to be some pretty treacherous shoals, that we got through without making contact with), South of Isla Casayeta.
On Wednesday, the 10th of March, we moved again to another even more beautiful spot just South of Isla Cana. We tried our luck at bottom fishing but had no success. About dinner time a couple came by in a panga, fishing within 100” of us they caught fish. Swallowing our pride, we paid them $5.00 and two beers for two nice pargo. Oh, well. They seemed pleased with the transaction. Maybe we’re supposed to spread the wealth.
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