98) Panama

Colon, Panama

Collectively, we have expended great energy to avoid hitting obstacles and staying away from ships.  On this passage we could not avoid staying away from ships because they all go where we are going.  I counted 17 at anchor or underway outside the Atlantic entrance to the canal.  But, we saw more debris in the water in this short passage then we have seen in all the passages combined.  There were large palm fronds as well as small palm trees, general flotsam and then the big stuff.  There were logs at least 30’ long.  And some like the one above were just thick chunks of trees.  Luckily the pointy end deflects them away from the hull.

Going thru the breakwater entrance to the canal.

  

Panama flag over the quarantine flag.   

 The life of a sail

Colon, Panama

Panama Canal Yacht Club

9° 20.939 N 79°  54.189 W

...subsequently demolished.

Don’t let the words yacht club mislead you.  This one is not what the imagination thinks.  Basically, it is an office with a little spot for Internet, a restaurant, a bar, laundry and shower and a couple docks.  Cruisers say that this place has more than most places.  I was a little let down.  Some of the marinas we have stayed in have been very nice and upon retrospect I admit that it does have amenities.  The yucky part is that we are in a commercial harbor that is full of ships loading and unloading, sirens and horns blowing, and the worst part of all is the diesel exhaust fumes wafting inside the boat.  I prefer boating away from exhaust fumes. 

The Internet is everywhere.

     Framed molas on the wall.

Panama Canal Yacht Club

As I walked up the dock to the buildings I noticed a small 2’ spotted stingray gliding thru about 4’ of water near the shore.  There are also lots of small colorful fish cruising the shallows.  Down on the bottom are discarded ropes, trash, etc. and yet it is still alive.  The docks and buildings are pretty run down but at least there are docks, power and water.  Our view on the waterside is of a freighter tied to the dock.  Out the other side is the dock with all the sailboats and beyond that the marina buildings and then shipping containers about 4-5 high.  Not much to see from here.  Going into town is on the list of things to do.

Amor Fati is straight ahead hanging past the dock.

The bar was shaped like the pointy end!

It is February 3rd and there are preliminary speculated dates of transiting the canal on February 27^th or maybe the 7^th.  It gets confusing how this works for small boats.  With an advisor there will be a long wait.  If you pay for a pilot you can get in earlier.  But, you can’t get a pilot unless you are 65’ long.  We are only 58’ long.  They said to extend something off the front and maybe hang the dinghy off the back further to cheat.