Day 1 Galapagos to Marquesas

We have just finished our first 24 hours of one of the longest passages a cruising sailboat is likely to make, Galapagos to the Marquesas
We had great winds leaving Isla Isabela in the Galapagos. We first sailed south to 2 degrees then west hoping to pick up the SE trade winds. Our first 24 hrs of the passage resulted in 192nm under the keel. Our top speed was 10.4kts SOG. Good speeds for a 43 ft sail boat.
We also caught a nice 10lb yellow fin tuna for dinner.
We are using 3 hours watches and log into the Barefoot net on 8122khz each morning and evening.
All is well aboard Bristol Rose

Bristol Rose is in the Southern Hemisphere

At 9 minutes past midnight, Friday 2nd of April, 2010 Poseidon emerged from the watery depths to welcome the crew of Bristol Rose back home to the Southern Hemisphere. The moon shines bright with the southern cross guiding our way as we sail in 10 kts of wind towards the Galapagos Islands.

Long Overdue... Images of Our Panama Canal Transit

Here are some pics of our experience transiting the Panama Canal. For a more indepth account of the process, see Owen's Ancestral Skills and Primitive Tech Blog.

One of many ships waiting to transit the Panama Canal on the Caribbean side.

Robert and Rex at Shelter Bay Marina

We left Shelter Bay on the Caribbean side of Panama on the afternoon of Wednesday, January 27 with half the World ARC fleet to transit the Panama Canal. After a short time anchored at the Flats our pilot came onboard. The next afternoon we arrived at Flamenco Marina on the Pacific side of Panama.

Arriving at the flats in the afternoon, we see friends on Chocobo and Marionetta

What an amazing experience for us all, to transit this amazing engineering marvel. The US opened the canal in 1914 (you already knew that). The earlier failed attempt by the French resulted in the loss of 21,900 lives mostly through disease. The US effort resulted in a further loss of 5,600 lives.

For our transit, we were rafted with the catamaran Tucanon in the middle and Eowyn over on the other side. Our Canal Pilot, Jimmy, was onboard Bristol Rose for the entire transit. He was extremely helpful. Our line handlers were Rex, Owen and Elliot.

We spent Wednesday night in the lake secured to a mooring ball along with a large canal cruiser called Discovery. Jimmy was back onboard for an early 6am start.

Opening the gates to the Pacific

The last lock gate is opened, bow line is retrieved and we are on our way beyond the locks, through the waters of the Pacific Ocean.

The Bridge of the Americas

Panama City

Our friends from the first half of the ARC fleet gave us a warm welcome on our arrival at Flamenco Marina. It was good to be all together again.

Web cam views of ARC boats entering the Miraflores locks and the lock as the water level goes down. Bristol Rose is in the first group of 3 boats.

Metallica Plays Panama

Wow. Metallica are playing in Panama tonight and within walking distance from Bristol Rose. Cool, let's pull out the black tee shirts and rock n roll.

Then our good friend Blake points out the obvious, don't you hate that?

We cruisers will be fast asleep before the opening chords of "Enter The Sandman"

Damn!

Spring

Thanks

Thanks everyone for your thoughtfulness and messages of support.

The last week and a half has been a bit surreal, finding ourselves adrift for 36 hours and finally rescue on the high seas of Panama, (way too close to Columbian waters), a tow to safe harbour (a sportsfishing paradise in the jungle at Bahia Pinas), 200 mile sail over the course of 3 days to get back to Panama. Not at all what we had planned!

Bristol Rose will be hauled out tomorrow and we will be able to see the full extent of the damage to prop and rudder.

WiFi connection has been difficult if not impossible over the past couple of weeks. I'll get some images up sooner or later.

Oh Panama Part III

Panama, this is insane!
Have you ever seen a cruising boat without a list of things to do? Although some of the items on our to do list could not be done in Panama City, we've been able to put them aside for now and enjoy the time in Las Perlas. The islands have far exceeded our expectations.
We are currently in Isla Del Rey anchored off a black sand beach in Concholon Bay. The bay is lined with mango and coconut trees, Bristol Rose is the only boat at anchor.
Earlier this afternoon we stopped in at Esmeralda Village on the way from Rio Cacique. A man and a couple of young boys came out in a small dugout canoe to greet us. Before we had a chance to hand them a bailing bucket their little canoe filled with water and tipped. There was no great drama, Elliot came to the rescue with our dinghy and a bucket and we all shared a laugh.
We asked if it was ok to anchor and we were invited to come ashore to see some pearls (very tiny). Our purchase of some papayas and bananas and a dozen eggs went very easily with the help of a young man named Alexander, who is keen to practice his English. Alexander escorted us on an impromptu tour of his small town, introducing us to his family, pointing out the school, the cockfighting arena, the town park (a raised square with a large mango tree encircled by benches), the supermarket and the cantina. Although everyone we meet is genuinely friendly and welcoming, we can't stay long. We need to get to our anchorage before dark. A crowd of young children run to the beach to help us into the dinghy and say goodbye.
On the way around the spectacular southern end of Isla Del Rey we put out a lure to try our luck. It was lost within minutes. We re-attached another lure in time to catch a 20lb jack. Elliot quickly puts the line out again just as we turned to our anchorage for the night. This time it's a Mahi Mahi, just in time for dinner with more than enough for the five of us.
After dinner, using cut bait, we tried our luck over the side of Bristol Rose. In no time at all we have a 5lb Schoolmaster Snapper. This one we'll cook whole as our trusty guide to fishes tells us they're excellent eating. This is not insane, it's incredible!
What a day, once again Panama, the people, the beautiful islands, the abundance of aquatic life, all have surprised us.
Posted via SSB Radio.

Oh Panama Part II

What have you done!
First you showed us Kuna Yala, surely the most picture perfect of tropical islands. Spectacular!
Now we are in the Las Perlas archipelago on the Pacific side of Panama. The Las Perlas islands are different from Kuna Yala in the same way that the Pacific is different from the Caribbean, however equally as beautiful.
On the way, barely out of the anchorage and across the channel that is part of the Panama Canal, we hook a beautiful 20lb Mahi Mahi.
The water compared to the Caribbean has a green tinge and is not so clear; cooler but teaming with sea life; fish are larger and not so easily spooked, white sand beaches with dense tropical dry forests; there's a richness here of flora and fauna. Many birds live on the islands and work the waters morning and afternoon. We now see 15 ft tides! Now, that is different when it comes to navigation, anchoring or leaving the dinghy on the beach.
Anchorages are gentle with no roll, and they're not crowded. So far we have shared our overnight anchorages with only one other boat. Sports fishing boats come and go but don't stay over night.
When we awake to the sounds of the birds diving for fish and the sight of huge boulders scattered about, we have a brief thought that we are anchored in Penobscot Bay off the coast of Maine, that is before we look to another shore to see white sand beaches and palm trees.
Panama, you surprise us at every turn. What a perfect start to our Pacific crossing!
(posted by SSB radio, pictures will be uploaded when wifi is available, maybe in the Galapagos)