Here’s a little video of our up close and personal experience with the humpback whales of Niue.
Read about the rest of our adventures in Niue here: Niue, Rock of Polynesia.
Author: Miranda
After relaxing in Las Perlas for a few days, it was time to head back to the long to-do list that awaited us in civilization. We jumped back into readying the boat, provisioning, and finishing up all those important items that you just must do before you even think about crossing the world’s largest ocean.
Let me share with you the intricacies of our pre-passage to-do list. Are you beside yourself with excitement? I know I am.
First of all, our drogue was towards the top of our MUST-DO list. We decided that after spending money like it’s going out of style, we’d save some bucks by making our own drogue. The boat didn’t come with one, and after some research, we realized the general consensus is the series drogue is the best option out there. After finding the plans on Sailrite.com, we figured we were up for the challenge. I don’t really want to know how many hours of my life I’ve devoted to this device who’s purpose is to slow down a vessel that averages little more than my own despicable jogging speed, but let’s just say it’s been many hours. Very. Many. Hours.
Cones had to cut from fabric, webbing attached, sewn into a cone shape, spliced into our 3-strand nylon rope, then the final touch- eye splices were added to each end.
But it’s done!! Glory be to all things holy, it is done!
General maintenance, like servicing our winches and lubing all pulley tracks, is beyond important before all the wear and tear your boat takes while at sea for weeks.
Liza has become our weather guru, and she’s put in many hours researching weather patterns and how to download the correct documents via our SSB radio, pactor modem, and airmail software. No small feat!
Our boat has required a few major projects amongst the basic preparations, one of them included getting our portable generator working for those windless, sunless days at sea. Sounds easy, but when you factor in having to do wiring in this position:
it’s not such a quick job.
We’ve fixed leaks, added more lighting, sewn up holes, made a cover for our dinghy motor, done plumbing, bought spares for anything and everything we think might break, contacted agents in the Galapagos and French Polynesia, filled our diesel tanks, our gasoline tanks, our propane tanks, and finally finished the list with the grocery shopping…
Oh, the grocery shopping! We’ve set out to stock our boat for four months of provisions, which required no less than four different grocery store runs. We started at, you guessed it, Costco! (well, the Panamanian version called Pricemart) Filled up three carts full then, we, very sillily, proceeded to the general supermarket just down to street (Riba Smith), without making a stop back at the marina in between. Filled up another three carts full. Both the packing boys at Riba Smith (yes, we needed two) audibly laughed at us when we open our trunk and they saw just how full it already was. But we managed. Pete drove and Liza and I packed ourselves in amongst our groceries.
I have never in my life seen a car more jam packed full of food! God knows where it will fit on the boat. Looks even more menacing organized on the dock. Denny has the most important stash!
But, of course, we found some time to have fun! Casco Viejo and mojitos! Great combo.
And, we took a day to escape to nature in the Parque Nacional Soberanía, only 20 kilometers from the city.
Sadly, we bid farewell to Jeanne and Denny. They set off to explore a few sights outside the city and, probably, escape our grinding to-do list of tasks that we put them through during their stay on the Tayrona. 😉
We’ve filled our last few days with trips to the fruit and vegetable market…
…and attempting to find space for said fruits and veggies on the boat.
We spent our final day in the city cooking up our first week of meals while on passage and getting checked out of the country.
Well, here goes! Galapagos here we come!
Author: Miranda
Remember that saying that all Moms teach their kids? “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all?” Well, therefore my feelings on Colon as travel destination will stay pretty short and sweet. We’ve done our best to save money by steering clear of nightly stays docked up at a marina, but while in Colon we decided to stay at Shelter Bay Marina, which is probably as far from Colon while still being able to access the city as possible. It was glorious to be tied up to a dock for a little while.
Now, I never felt in danger in Colon and the grocery store was quite large and decently well-stocked, but Colon is the epitome of all those mega-industrial port cities that have much more to worry about than if the visitors are impressed by clean streets, clean air, nightlife, and roads/sidewalks that aren’t riddled with potholes.
But you can’t deny being impressed and awed by the dozens of freighters that line the entrance to the city. The sheer efficiency and engineering that permeates all that surrounds the canal is inspiring and dwarfing at the same time.
Given the glamorous attractions of Colon, most folks arrive in the city and immediately start their paperwork to head through the canal and get out of dodge as soon as possible. We did the same. Most folks also use an agent to help them navigate the documentation and general rigamarole, but we decided we’d give it a shot on our own. And, I’m glad we did. It’s really not that complicated, and there’s a plethora of information online to walk any would-be do-it-yourselver through the process. Easy-peasy. More or less.
The first step was to organize an official measurement of our boat. While the admeasurer was aboard, he also filled out the many documents the Canal Authority needs and gave us our invoice to be paid at the local Citibank- in cash only, of course.
I took our wad of cash to the bank- stuffed and hidden into various locations in my undergarments. Yes, in his infinite maturity, Pete couldn’t help the many stripper jokes that go along with packing your undies with twenties, but I wore the grungiest clothing my closet could afford (which unfortunately affords many options these days) and he mostly shut-up about it.
After they take your money, the Panama Canal Authority assigns you an official date to go through the canal and you’re pretty much set. Our date was about a week out after our payment, so we used the time to work on the boat- imagine that!
Have I told you my favorite line about long distance cruising??
“Circumnavigating is simply fixing your boat in exotic locations.”
Ha! Ain’t that the truth.
So, yes, the to-do list…
We hit it hard and had the yard at Shelter Bay haul out Tayrona. She was in pretty desperate need of a new coat of bottom paint and we needed to replace our rudder bearings, which is best done by pulling the boat out of the water.
As soon as we had her out of the water, we started scrapping off the barnacles and then sanding off the last paint job. Not a fun job, and we eventually realized that throwing a little money at the issue to make it go faster was well worth it. So, we hired a few of the yard workers for a half day to help us sand down our two hulls.
As soon as the first hull was sanded down, we taped her up and started painting, all the while continuing to sand down the second hull. We love our catamaran, but just slightly less when two hulls means twice the work. We were blessed with two free gallons of paint left on the boat by the previous owner, and we were double-blessed to find the exact same paint in Colon from Roberto at Club Nautico.
Doesn’t she look pretty?
Sleeping on a boat while that boat is on rafters on land is not a fun experience (the whole thing rattles in the wind and your subconscious is always waiting for the entire thing to be blown over), so we were excited to put our baby back in the water.
Motored across the bay to spend a night or two on anchor, which was plenty to take in the sights of Colon.
In order to go through the canal, a boat needs four line handers plus the captain, so we found some extra hands around town to help us out…
Felix (Liza’s hubby), and Jeanne and Denny (Pete’s Mom and step-Dad). Woo-hoo!
So, we waited out a few more days in the marina, did some last minute errands, and let our excitement grow as we waited out our scheduled day to hit the canal!