Panama 4th April. We are flying home.

We were quite extatic when we arrived back at the Plaita, The Panama City anchorage and civilisation at the end of February.
We have now spent all of March here doing boat projects and meeting old and new friends. Now it is time to go home.
The generator got sorted and we got new batteries so we were quite elated and ready to sail to new horizons. Most of the sailboats coming through the Panama Canal are heading for the South Pacific. We are very tempted to do the same. BUT first of all we are heading back to Scotland for the summer. Our tickets are bought and  we leave Panama on April 15th and shall return November 10th 2015.

Panama is an amazing City, vibrant and multi- national. The Canal Zone is beautiful with colonial buildings, parks and open spaces as a sharp contrast to the city and high- rise buildings. But besides the Panama Canal, the major sights are found in Casco Viejo  with old churches, plazas and beautiful Spanish colonial buildings. This area is getting UNESCO world heritage approval and restoration- work is at present taking place and making it safe for visitors to walk around. 

While we have been here we have visited the brand new Bio- Museum, the National Theater, The Abasto fresh fruit and vegetables market and the fish market. I have started making jewelry again and was taken to shops  where I have bought beads, pearls and semi precious stones. We have been spectators at the Canal Cayoko race from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Also, we took the ferry to Island of the Flowers, Taboga Island, where we are leaving the boat on a mooring for the summer.
It is hot and humid here. Any exersice and you sweat like a pig. It will be good to get home and wear clothes again.
We are having a great time, but as always it will be good to get home to family and friends.

The Bio- Museum, just opened, designed by Frank Gehrie.

Mark container ship en route to the Canal at Balboa Yacht Club.

Victor and me in front of a mural painted of him.

My friend Nancy at the Abasto fresh produce market.

David with Bill, the caretaker of the moorings at Taboga Island.

Arrival to Panama.

Tower buildings in Panama City.

All the blue triangles are big ships waiting to go through the canal.

Passage from Galapagos Islands to Panama City. 24.02.15

We left the lovely Galapagos Islands on Thursday 5th February and arrived today 24th February at the anchorage, La Plaita in Panama City. 

We spent 10 days at sea having light, mainly head- winds and currents running against us and pushing us to the north. We had great sailing but frustrating, as we used the engine for part of the time. We realized we would be short of fuel in case of bad weather passing Punta Mala which is regarded as a bad point for small sailboats, as the  currents are continously running out of Gulf of Panama and particularly strong  in that area. The northerly winds are usually  strong and in predictable and at times gale-force. We had no other choice than to find fuel somewhere in  West Panama. We listened to the Pan Pacific Net (SSB  8.143.0 at 13.00 hours GMT) each morning to get weather  forecasts.  S/V  Serenity( in Bolbao in Panama) informed us to get fuel at Isla de Cebaco in W. Panama. S/ V  Jacaranda (in  Bahia de Caraques, Ecuador) told us to get fresh water in the same bay..........Great to communicate!
We found the bay where fuel wad supposed to be available from a supply ship. But there was no ship! We waited all from Monday till Friday and then the ship, Journey Bay, arrived at 6.00 am and we bought 30 gallons of diesel. HURAY!  Wafter was obtained from an underwater hose at a boyu in the bay, most amazing! Obviously the water came from a spring up a hill and a hose was running freely down to toe sea. The water was absolutely beautiful. We filled our tanks, 120 gal. of fresh water. Great.
Now we were happy to tackle the last bit of the passage.

The Floriana aground in Wreck Bay, Isla Santa Cristabal, Galapagos Islands.

This has been a most interesting week.
The Supply ship, The Floreana,  was in the bay with supplies to the islands. She arrived two weeks ago. We thought she was going to leave after a week, but then noticed that she was very low in the stern. Apparently she had taken in water and was unable to move by own power. Small vessels hummed around like bees to the hive. She was moved to very low water and set aground.
An emergency situation was called by the governor and no other vessel was allowed near the stricken vessel.
During this last week landing crafts and tugboat have arrived from Guayaquel on the mainland  and attended to her.

Offloading of supplies have now stopped and at the moment we are not sure what the next step.
We are watching excitedly. All action now seems slow.
Unfortunately we are planning to leave the islands on Thursday and set sail towards Panama.

The Floreana is the ship center in the photo.

supply ship taken in water

Big ship in the bay has taken in water and is aground. No cruiseships  are allowed in the bay!

Supplies of fuel is pumped to waiting tankers ashore

That snorkling trip

dolphins.

That photo!

Jane and stud- muffin!

Snorkling trip to Kicker Rock

Yesterday we went on this amazing snorkling trip to some huge rocks a few miles out from Isla Cristobal.  We snorkled through a gab between the two rocks with scores of sharks down below but they were not interested in us at all........ Thank goodness. 
We went with Steve and Patti from s/ v Armagh and a couple of other people.We also walked on a beautiful beach. 

Isla Cristobal

17th January 2015.
We left Isla Isabela  and  arrived on Isla Cristobal 14. January  just after dark and picked up a yellow buoy next to  s/v Sundancer and s/v Mar de Luz.  Both are friends we met in Bahia de Caraques on mainland Ecuador.
We are now awaiting the arrival of Jane, David's sister who will be with us for a week.We look forward to visit with her.

Marine eguanas

Heeps of marine eguanas!

Pinguins in the bay at Isla Isabela.

Vulcano!

Yesterday we walked 16 km to the top of a vulcano Sierra Nero and also Vulcano Chico.
It was a very interesting experience. The clouds were down and it was wet and the visibility was poor. We walked at the edge of a big crater 10× 9 km but we couldn't see anything.
At vulcano Chico we walked in between small blow- holes and many exciting shapes and colours of cooled lava.
All together it was an amazing experience.

Visit to Veg. and fruit farm on Isabela

The farmer with his machete and a pineapple.

David at the fruit farm.

The farmer among the banana plants.

On Isla Isabela.

The sea lion is the owner of the bench and stays there!

Isabela is a lovely island and there are a lot to see and do.
We have walked along a wetland path to a tortoise centre and on the way seen ducks, muirhens, herons, Black necked stilts and last not least groups of flamingos.

 The flamingos are just so beautiful,  and very interesting to watch as they do a wee dance while the head is under water to catch little fish which have been stirred up by the dance.

We have cycled to "The Wall of many tears". This huge stone wall was built by prisoners/ convicts between 1945-1956 when the island was used as a prison. The prisoners had such a hard time .......shed many tears. Many died here.

Wall of tears.

On the cycle trip to Wall of Tears we met this tortoise.

Lave tunnels.

We have been on a boat trip to some interesting lava tunnels where e saw nesting boobies and young fledglings and here we snorkled with giant turtles, saw seahorses and white - tipped sharks.
Today we have hired a taxi with our friends from S/y Karma and went to a vegetable and fruit- farm in the rainforest. We bought bananas, papyas,  pineapples,  limes, oranges, broccoli,  cabbage, carrots and tomatoes.It was a really nice experience to be there.

Boobie fledgling

..

Isabela, Galapagos Islands

Sunset on the beach at Isla Isabela.

Isla Isabela.

We left Santa Cruz on 29 . Dec and arrived in the bay of Vilamil late afternoon in mist  so we did not get the best view of Isla Isabela. We were met in the bay by a pinguin. ....wow!
s/v Karma were at anchor and helped us finding a spot in the shallow  with a few feet under the keel.
The next morning we met Jessie, our agent at the dinghy dock. He took us through the formalities and gave us a guided tour of the small town. At the dock the sea lions and eguanas were in charge and a manta -ray was controlling  under the jetty. 
Hogmaney was celebrated with a Beautiful lobster dinner in the Boobie- Trap. Later we took part in a magnificent latino street party which culminated in fireworks and sending  Chinese lanterns up into sky. It was just beautiful!
Isabela is a beautiful island. When the sun shines the sea is turquoise. Fish and seabirds are plentiful in the bay. The rocks 100 m away is rusting place for blue -footed boobies and there are marine eguanas and seals. The magnificent frigate birds and pelicans are never far away.

New Year 2015

We arrived in Isla Isabela in the afternoon of 29. Dec.
We took part in a massive street party last night with wonderful fireworks. Dancing went on till the small hours. We had to find our way over the lagoon to the boat so we left at 02.00
  Now we shall start explore this exciting island!