Crossing the Caribbean from the BVI's to San Blas, Panama- May 2016

This event happened last May, and I've been remiss in posting.  So, before I begin our latest adventure, I feel that I should finish this one.

Lisa, Liz, Tanja, Paul, and Leif in St. Thomas anchorage.

Paul's boat, the little one of course.  It was a close call, and one we watched with trepidation.

Rusty old anchor, just hanging offshore.

Yes, it really is this blue.

Some of the interesting houses perched on cliffs.

Our lives at home were not stale by any means, and when an opportunity to sail with friends across the Caribbean Sea arose, we had to hustle to fit in the adventure.  I knew it would be a trip of a lifetime as they say, so even with the trepidation of the heat, humidity and of course the sand fleas,  no-see-ums, and Zika virus, I was all in. 
   Our friends have a Leopard 42, named appropriately "Salida".  She is a wonderful boat for two, and large enough for the four of us to have our own hull.  Our hosts/friends, Craig and Liz have travelled extensively in the Caribbean and know just where to go for the most enjoyable sights and fun times, so we were excited to join and learn of their favorite haunts.
   In chatting with my golf friend, Doris, it turned out that we were both headed to LAX on Tuesday morning early to take a flight out of the same terminal.  Nice to be able to share a shuttle and cut the costs.  They were headed to Hawaii, us to the opposite coastline.
   So, off we flew to Miami airport, then on to Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas.  We decided that due to bringing the usual duffel filled with boat parts, food items and other necessities it would be best to arrive in the U.S. Virgin Islands and avoid going through customs and immigration right off the bat.  Arriving around 9:00 p.m. we hopped into a van/taxi that was filled with other tourists and left for the Fat Turtle restaurant and bar where we would meet Craig and Liz.  As we rounded the corner near the marina, a lady sitting on the sea wall asked if we were looking for two friends?  Yes, we replied, and she said they were in "her" bar around the corner. She was the bartender, on a break.  There sat Craig and Liz, looking so relaxed having a cool beverage.  We clambered up with all of our bags and plopped down, anxiously awaiting the return of the bartender.  Good times were now beginning.  The boat was anchored out in the harbor, so we all boarded the dinghy and slowly eased out, trying not to get everything wet, as we were a bit overloaded.
We were quite tired from our long day, so we hit the sack quickly.
The next day we went ashore and did some shopping at the local grocery store.  Interesting assortment of everything from wine to umbrellas.  Returning to Salida, Liz and I swam as the boys did some work with the boat parts we brought.  Lunch ashore was at the Tap and Still, burgers in bags and cokes, really good.  Dinner brought some friends of theirs over to join us, Paul and Tanja from a local cat nearby.

Our picturesque lunch spot, just off the main street, but so intimate.

The next day we were thinking of leaving, but we needed propane which apparently wasn't too far away...not.  The boys went for propane, Liz and I shopped and had lunch.  They joined us for appetizers as we ended up staying awhile as the propane was truly a days worth of lugging propane bottles across town, so a rest was needed.

Salida sailing away from the sunset.

   Jost Van Dyke was our next destination, we sailed in choppy seas, arriving in time for a swim and snorkel.  Dinner was a trip to the Soggy Dollar Bar, a famous restaurant nearby.  We took a cab, had the island drink of Painkillers, and left for  Foxy's bar.  Get the drift?  We met Foxy, which apparently is now memorable as he's not doing that well physically.  The next stop was Corsairs beach bar for dinner.  The tourists were thick, as were the drinks and music.  Interesting place, but not much depth.

We thought a picture before entering would be the best idea.  It was.

    The next day we left for the BVI's to check in at the port captain's office.  Basically a beach front hut with many government workers.  After that we left for Norman Island.  Norman was more peaceful when we arrived and dropped anchor.  We snorkeled, saw sea turtles, and barracuda under the boat.  All sorts of tropical fish: tang, cuttlefish, sergeant majors, conch with crab inside, etc.  We all decided that in 3 days it would be time to head to Panama.
   This is the anchorage that has the boat called the Willy T, a pirate looking ship that is famous for people, or women, jumping topless off and earning a free drink.  Among other things.  Craig and Liz thought we should see it, and we agreed, so off we went.  Arriving, we were the oldest by probably 40 years, so we had a beer and left rather quickly.  It was interesting, and we got the drift of the place.  Lots of shots, pot, and scantily clad young ladies.  Not really what we were looking for.  So, we found a more mature restaurant nearby.  As we left, two other dinghies showed up loaded with crews of about our age.  We smiled and sure enough, they ended up at our restaurant in a few minutes.  We arrived on a Thursday, and now the weekend crowds were arriving from??  Our anchorage started with maybe 40 boats, and swelled to now probably 200+.  Totally crazy.

The infamous "Willy T", with no shortage of early party goers.

   The next day we left Norman and headed to Soper's Hole to check out of the BVI's.  There is a Pusser's rum store there, as well as a bar, of course.  So, I bought a painkiller and kept the mug.  Then, we sailed across to the USVI's and  St. John island and Watermelon Cay.  The water was murky, no swimming here, but a good rest stop before heading out to Panama.  There were some people jogging along the beach, but it looked very buggy, so I opted out.  Early to bed, leaving early tomorrow am.
May 24, 2016

The view was spectacular, even from the taxi.  We are the second or third from the right.

Beautiful sunrise, we figure 150 miles a day, 6-7 days to Linton, Panama where we will need to check in to the country.  Then to the San Blas Islands, or Kuna Yala as it is known by the local people there, the Kuna Indians.

Our condo on the water, under sail to Panama.

   Winds 10-15, nice sail through the Virgins and on past Puerto Rico.
May 25   Winds picked up, 15-20 moving along nicely.  Weather guru Chris Parker says we're headed into some squalls, which is news to us, not his original forecast.  Winds build 15-25, no big squalls but uncomfortable seas, the boat lurching and pounding from the direction of the swells.  Flying fish are everywhere.  Dolphins, boobies and tropic birds as well.

The closer we get to Panama, the more cloudy and ominous it gets.  We see lightning off in the distance, but none nearby.

May 26  Bumpy seas, winds 15-25, we're making 10 knots at times.  Liz has been cooking wonderful food for all.  Last night the generator died, and the boys are trying to sort that out.  So far making 160 miles a day on our 1000 mile journey.  Pretty rough at night, hard to sleep.  No more marine life.
May 27-28  Rough seas, swell and wind in opposite directions.  Haven't seen land since Cuba.  Lightning in the distance.
May 29   Rough seas still, transferred fuel in jerry jugs after it calmed down a bit.  Finally getting a swell from behind instead of in front.  Celebratory rum drinks in hopes of finally sleeping in calmer seas.

Our first sunrise in the San Blas Islands, it was really gorgeous.

May 30   Calm seas, motoring at 6 kts.  Light clouds, 130 miles to Linton.  We may arrive at night, not the best, but we're looking forward to it.  We fished, caught a wahoo, but it broke off.  Finally can see land.  Water temp is 88 degrees.  It was 84 in the Virgins.  Headed to Hollandaise Cay in hopes of finding Mola Lisa, as well as good snorkeling.    We arrived at 9:30 pm, dark, tried to anchor, but windlass was not cooperating.  We did a U turn, figured out the problem, then returned, anchored and had a celebratory drink and went to bed.

Yes, it's a waterspout.  All this beauty has its drawbacks.  Yikes.  Fortunately, it passed us by.

May 31   Craig worked tirelessly on the genset to no avail.  We swam and did a dinghy ride around to sight see.  Bought some lobsters and coconuts from a local guy in a dug out boat.
June 1  We left for the Lemon Cays but ended up seeing Mola Lisa on the way.  She came over and we were thrilled to see all of her wares.  I bought several molas, cooking mitts, wince chiller things and other stuff.  Probably made her day, but definitely mine.

Apparently the hull isn't too water tight, this seemed to be a constant activity of the fishermen.

Squid anyone?  We opted for lobster and coconuts.

Lisa's yacht.

Mola Lisa, my search was complete.  She was one of the main reasons I wanted to go to the San Blas.  She is famous for her Molas, and as we share a name, I thought it appropriate that I buy hers.  There is more to her story, she has an interesting life story.

Lisa, Lisa, and Liz showing off one of the many Molas that she presented.

Yes, rising ocean levels are important here.

There are many, many islands, which make navigating interesting to say the least.

June 2-3  We left the San Blas and went into Porvenir, a small harbor on the mainland where we will need to go through customs and check into the country.  The wind was light, and it was quite humid.  As we dinghied ashore, we stopped to see the monkeys on one of the nearby islands.

Our friendly apple eater.

There were three monkeys, two adults and one youngster who was shy.

 We had some apple pieces that we threw out to them and they didn't disappoint us.  They swung out of the trees and clambered down to the sand and snapped up the apples.  So amazing to me.  We were told not to get too near, as they would bite and attack, so we stayed off shore a bit.  The sunsets here were absolutely gorgeous, and I had to stop playing Mexican train each evening to take pictures. Our days were ending here, and Leif and I needed to get back to civilization.

A local fisherman using a net, and a line.

This guy didn't follow the charts apparently.  

 So, on the 4th or 5th, we all went ashore, Leif and I with luggage, and found a ride to Portobelo to go through customs and immigration.  We had hoped for a bus or cab. but found a local instead with a small Toyota who would take us all for a small fee.  OK, 5 people plus 4 bags equals totally crammed.  We did make it, and thanked her, so she decided to offer Leif and I a ride to Panama City.  Oh, big mistake.  She was sweet as could be, but drove in a manner that I'm not used to.  Swerving around buses, stopping in the middle of the street to take pictures, well, we made it.  We stayed at a Hyatt, with a wonderfully soft bed, dry air conditioning, shower, and a restaurant down stairs.  Ahh.  Our driver wanted to take us out for dancing and drinks we think, but we hid inside, too tired to move.

At anchor in Porvenir, the colors changed so dramatically I had a challenge as to which was best.

   All in all, it was a wonderful adventure, and I'm so glad we went.  Craig and Liz eventually left for Bocas del Toro, their home away from home.  And they are still there, although possibly heading with friends for the south pacific soon.   Ah travels, it keeps you young?  Or ages you very quickly!  We had a great time, and are off to California and our next adventure...