July 12, 2007
Location: Bocas del Toro, Panama
Nautical Miles Traveled: 0

We’re still sitting here in the anchorage at Bocas del Toro. It’s been raining a lot here (it is the rainy season), so much so that our water tanks are always full. In the afternoon we usually get a good break in the weather so we can head to town and run a few errands. The eating is still good, our local fishing guy brought us 13 large crabs and huge Spanish lobster yesterday. David did a great job negotiating the price down to $15. We’ve also been enjoying the Red Delicous apples that are being imported from Washington state.

In the mornings we usually sit in the cockpit drinking our coffee, watching the locals in their dugouts fishing or diving for lobster, water taxis running back and forth between Bocas and Almirante, occasionally we admire the tall mountains on the mainland peaking out from behind the rain clouds. The big container ships carrying Chiquita bananas back to the US goes by us at least four times a week, the $1.00 ferry goes by twice a day full of trucks which bring the supplies from the mainland to Bocas. We also catch up on news with our friends as they stop by our boat in the mornings on their way to town.

We have most of our shopping done for our refit later this summer in the Colombian port of Cartagena. Bottom paint, zincs, cutlass bearing, lots of sand paper and paint rollers are filling every last bit of our storage. On order is our new rigging, electric windlass, wiring, charts and a few other maintenance items. While in Cartagena we’ll get new foam for all our cushions, replace the rear main seal on the transmission and install our new Shaftlok to keep the prop shaft from free spinning when under sail. Last week our Navman wind speed instrument and depth sounder displays went out. The LEDs are now blank but the backlighting and buttons still work. Just can’t see the important information. I emailed Northstar (who took over Navman) and hopefully we can get new displays under warranty.  As we do our refit we’ll be sure to keep a log and update the Boat Projects page for those of you who are interested.

The cruisers in Panama are now getting some relief from the recently passed immigration law restricting visits to 30 days. There has always been a special provision from Immigration for the commercial ships that pass through the canal or stay in Panama. The captain and crew receive a special ‘stamp’ book, similar to a passport, and are allowed to stay in Panama indefinitely, as long as the boat remains in Panamanian waters. Well, it appears that they are extending this to foreign flagged pleasure crafts as well (that’s us). When our passports are up at the end of the month we’ll have to see how it works out, or we’ll just have to leave for Cartagena a few weeks earlier.

Navigation planning for our trip to Cartagena has been good as there’s lots of information from cruisers that have already been that way. The plan, for now anyway, is to leave Bocas del Toro, head to Colon, Portabello, Isla Linton and the San Blas islands where we’ll wait for a weather window to head north. While the charts aren’t very detailed we will probably opt for the coastal passage along Colombia’s coast stopping at various islands along the way. That’s the plan anyway, and as always subject to change.

July 21, 2007
Location: Bocas del Toro, Panama
Nautical Miles Traveled: 0

Well, a nice two days was spent in Panama City before I flew out today for California. Learned a lot about public transportation while in the big modern city. For example, a taxi ride almost anywhere in the city will cost $1 to $3. And if you’re riding in a taxi the driver will ask if you want the air conditioning on but he’ll forget to tell you that it’ll cost you an extra dollar. I had gotten Tony’s name, a local yellow cab driver, from some friends that had used him before. For $8 an hour he’ll take you anywhere you want, he speaks excellent English and to top it off, if you tell him what you’re looking for he knows exactly where to take you.

Bus travel in Panama is also easy and faily inexpensive. From Panama City to Bocas del Toro there is a direct bus that leaves at 8pm and arrives in Almirante at 6am, where you can catch the ferry to Bocas. If the 10 hour bus ride at night doesn’t sound attractive there’s an 8 hour bus ride from Panama City to David, then another four hours the following day will get you to Almirante. Bus tickets generally run about $24 per person.

But I prefer the convenient air travel in Panama. Panama City to Bocas takes an hour if you have a direct flight and costs $70. There are two or three domestic airlines to choose from with frequent flights throughout the day. Sometimes they do alter their schedule though, such as the case when I flew to Panama City a couple days ago. After boarding the 45 passenger plane in Bocas with only about 5 other passengers the captain was told to fly to David and fill up the plane, getting us into Panama City an hour and a half late.

Hotel choices in Panama City range greatly in price and quality. Hostels start at $6 a night for dorm style rooms up to the fanciest hotels of $3000 a night. Hotel Marparaiso seems to be where all the cruisers like to go so I decided to check it out. Nice clean rooms, free wireless internet, decent restaurant and a safe neighborhood for $22/night, taxes included. What makes this hotel a great deal is the free airport pickup from the international airport where a taxi to Panama City will cost no less than $25. So at $22 for a room and airport pickup it’s a heck of deal.

So this trip back to California is to pick up a bunch of boat stuff for your impending refit. Unfortunatley I didn’t know that a luggage embargo would be put into place for the summer, meaning no extra bags or weight or any boxes at all, which translates to “I can’t bring everything back with me!”. I’ll have to make another trip in October when there is no luggage restrictions to bring the rest of the stuff back or make arrangements to have it shipped to us in Colombia. Oh well, live and learn.

July 31, 2007
Location: Bocas del Toro, Panama
Nautical Miles Traveled: 0

The trip to California was quick and sucessful. Unfortunately the trip back into Panama was one of the most horrific experiences of my life when it came to the treatment I received from the Panamanian Customs officials and the demands for high bribes and threats of jail. As a matter of fact the experience has been so traumatic I’m still unable to discuss it and can’t wait for the day we leave Panama.

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