To Panama

February 20-22, 2008 - En route from Isla Providencia to Portobelo, Panama, we had a steady 12-15 knots from due east for a solid two days -- our first passage with such steadily moderate winds. There was barely any swell on the sea. Only some smooth rollers of a meter or so. The moment we cleared the reef beyond Providencia's Catalina Harbor, we turned off the engine, set all the sails, and settled in for three days of reading beside a swooshing bow wave.

There was a slight current of a knot or less against us, but we made decent speed under the steady wind. It was easy sailing on a long, straight course south. Nor did we meet a single squall, so there was very little sail trimming to be done, and no sail changes at all. At night a nearly full moon lit up the sea. South and east of San Andres island, sometime after midnight, we met a cruise ship lit up like Christmas on the dark sea. The camera shook on the roll as Jen hung to a stay and shot these pictures -- an interesting effect.

On the second night, offshore of Costa Rica, the wind become variable (as it often does in those waters), and it began to die. After a few hours of diminishing speed and shuddering sails, we decided to motor sail, rather than lose time and miss our daylight arrival the next day. At dawn of the third and last day, we were approaching the shipping channel offshore Colon, Panama, with zero wind, and a freighter bearing down upon our bow on a direct collision course. We were never so happy as then to have a dependably working engine, with many due thanks to Barnaby and Bing Suarez, the excellent mechanics in Providencia, who solved our engine problems for us before we left.

We turned hard to starboard and waited for the freighter to pass. Her helmsman called us on the radio to confirm that he saw us. We had a short conversation about our routes and the San Blas, and then wished each other a good day. As a parting gift, he informed us that there was another freighter on the radar, coming up behind us. Welcome to Panama! Over the next several hours we spotted a few more ships, and by the time we were at the shipping channel there were five container ships surrounding us in sight, each moving on a different course, at an unknown speed. It began to feel a little like a video game.

By mid-morning, a clear view of the green coastline of Panama resolved from the vague, hazy horizon, and the wind picked up so that we were sailing six knots again. We sighted the spiky edges of Las Farallones rocks first, then Isla Drake at the east end of Portobelo Bay. After dodging a last freighter, all the shipping was finally behind us, and the only danger ahead was the Salmedina Reef.

At three in the afternoon, we were sailing into Portobelo Bay when a voice on the VHF crackled, "Sea Quill?" Paul and Vivian of Watergeus, friends from a growing number of shared anchorages, welcomed us to Portobelo with warm hugs and a couple of blessed cold beers! Vivi is the rowing celebrity of our web site. Paul shot some photos of our arrival in Portobelo, which you can see on his great blog, Sponsored by the Wind.

Later, in town, we caught up with Paul and Vivian, and Dennis and Natasja of Frodo, at El Drake, which has recently reopened as a cool French bar with a fun atmosphere and delicious food. We became 'regulars' immediately.

The following morning,Watergeus, Frodo, and the other sailboats were shimmering in the mist rising off Portobelo Bay. Howler Monkeys roared passionately, invisibly, from the surrounding green mountains.

Portobelo's colonial architecture sits side by side with a few minimalist-modern houses. The feeling along the docks is a bit like a lakeshore environment, with placid water surrounded by lush green hills. Scattered throughout the town, amidst the "living" buildings are the ruins of the Spanish conquest.

Along the road east of Portobelo is a riot of flowers, trees, birds, and animals.

A parade of diablos rojos (red devils) -- the baroquely air-brushed old model U.S. school buses -- rumble past on the road between Sabanitas and the remote countryside to the east. They burst with color and music and great style.

We sailed Sea Quill east from Portobelo, where were could leave her safely moored behind the protective reef and mangroves at Panamarina while we made a trip to Colon, to make ourselves legal in the country, and also to visit Panama City and Costa Rica by land. The sail to Panamarina was against a firm southeast wind, plus a strong coastal current of as much as two and three knots in places. So we tacked our way east, and the short 10 nautical mile trip turned into an all day affair.

Panamarina is located within a veritable maze of protective reefs and mangroves. Yet, there is a fresh sea breeze, beautiful views, and far fewer bugs than we expected. A gorgeous, quiet country road runs behind the marina grounds, and the bus to Colon passes nearby frequently. Owners, Jean-Paul and Sylvie are fun, friendly, and professional. With its pleasant restaurant/cafe, clean, bright showers, and workshop, these are very nice facilities, well-priced and well-run.

A day later, we were on our way to Colon, to check in to Panama for our visas and cruising permit. It was a full day, which started before dawn, but it went smoothly and swiftly. At 7:15 a.m., Jean-Paul drove us the three kilometers to the bus stop. At 7:30 we were on the red devil to Colon. By 9:30, we were being whisked around the Panama Canal Zone by a taxi driver, named Dracula, who acted as our agent with the Port Captain and Immigration. It was Saturday morning, but with Dracula's help, we made it quickly through the gauntlet of government offices, documents, and rigmarole. By noon, we were official in Panama. Dracula dropped us off at the bus station, where we immediately caught the express to Panama City. By 2:00 p.m. we were looking at the Pacific Ocean.

We were wandering around with our bags, looking for a hotel, when we spotted Alice, Peter, Olive, Ruben, and Satu -- our Yamana friends from cruising the south coast of Cuba last year. We couldn't believe our eyes. Weeks earlier, we had heard through the grapevine that Yamana was already on the Pacific side of the canal, ready to start their crossing. We never hoped to catch them before they left. But there they were, right in front of us, finishing up the last of the provisioning for the long passage. They left for the Galapagos the next morning. We wish them fair winds and a fantastic trip.

Check out Yamana's great web blog Oceanfamily for super photos and stories. These guys are fun.

Following our chance meeting, we wandered down the Avenida Central, feeling very lucky. A few minutes later that was proven to us again when we were stopped and ordered to present our passports and legal documentation to the immigration police. We had been in Panama for a week, but had only gotten legal three hours before in Colon.

That night, a Saturday, we slept at the dreary but clean Hotel Doral. After a long day that began on Sea Quill in the Caribbean, and ended in the metropolis on the Pacific, we were both exhausted. We slept soundly, enjoying a real double bed for the first time in months. The next morning we woke up to the sounds of a fire engine, slamming doors and slapping feet. Jen bolted out of bed, with sudden realization. We quickly dressed, grabbed our passports and money, and headed for the staircase. Our room was on the eighth floor. By the time we were on the ground floor, we were choking from the smoke.

The fire seemed to be under control. But, in either case, we couldn't do a thing about it. We went searching for coffee and breakfast. When we returned, the fire truck was gone, and we were allowed back to our rooms, where everything was normal again with the exception of a lingering, smoky smell.

We found another room, at the very pleasant Hospedaje Casco Viejo, in the beautiful colonial section of Panama City. The architecture and the layout of the streets and parks are gorgeous, but the majority of the buildings are totally dilapidated. There is a great deal of renovation, and speculation apparent in Casco Viejo, and a scattering of upscale restaurants for the rich and the tourists. But overall, the area remains remarkably blighted and eerily quiet. Pristine restorations stand side by side with the ruins of beautiful old buildings, many of which are still occupied by the very poor.

In Panama City, abject poverty sits cheek to jowl with the flashiest sort of affluence and a relentless, muscular devotion to consumer products. The contrast is painful to see, impossible to reconcile. It's a city of shopping malls and guarded high rises, surrounded by miles of slums where it's too dangerous to walk. In a sense, it seems like a war zone. It will be interesting to see what happens here in the near future.

For several days we have wandered around Panama City, mostly by taxi or bus, but also on foot. We've experienced nothing but kindness, helpfulness, and friendliness. And we've met a few characters too. But we're still looking for a single place to simply hang out, an urban neighborhood with a cultured, social feel. Wherever the artists have gone. Maybe.