Makai

8/5/10 – 8/7/10
Makai where we left her at the Red Frog Marina

With Makai safely berthed at the Red Frog Marina, we departed Bocas del Toro for our annual trip back to the States, stopping in Panama City to visit Casco Viejo (the old city) & the Miraflores Locks.
Casco Viejo, a UNESCO World Heritage site, [...]

7/5/10 to 8/5/10
We spent a month in Bocas del Toro visiting with friends & exploring the cruising grounds of this archipelago.
Fred on ‘Look Out’ transiting ‘The Gap’ (a narrow channel between Isla Solarte & Isla Bastimentos)

Enjoying the underwater diversity at Crawl Cay (corals, sponges & invertebrates abound)

Together with Cathy & Derek (S/V Idyll Island), we [...]

6/27/10 to 7/5/10
For the next nine days we enjoyed cruising along Panama’s northern coast, making overnight stops at Isla Linton, Portobello, the Rio Chagres, Euero & Escudo de Veraguas. We spent three days anchored on the Rio Chagres, exploring the small tributaries, fishing the mangrove lined shores & being serenaded by sounds of the [...]

5/20/10 to 6/27/10
It had been 10 months since we had seen Linda & Mike & it was wonderful to have the opportunity to spend time with them. Over the next six days, we visited the Western & Eastern Holandes Cays and Chichime. Sharing our love for the water, we enjoyed snorkeling & identifying the various [...]

5/13/10 to 5/19/10
After eight short days, we departed Bocas & headed back to Portobello to await delivery of our batteries. The 130-mile overnight passage, one of our worst to date, was wrought with constant thunderstorms, 10 -12 ft short period seas & head winds with gusts to 32 knots.
Arriving in Portobello late in [...]

5/4/10 to 5/12/10
Bocas del Toro is a large archipelago consisting of two bays, eight large islands, 51 cays & over 200 islets. Bocas Town is a fun, laid-back beach community with numerous bars, cafes, restaurants, shops, backpacking hostels, and small hotels.
The primary reason for our impromptu visit to Bocas was to check out [...]

5/1/10 to 5/3/10
For the next two days, we headed west along Panama’s eastern shore. We anchored one night at Euero, a small, fair-weather anchorage with good
holding in sand.
TaraVana Sailing Along the Coast

The following day, we motored 46 miles towards the small island of Escudo de Veraguas, which is known to have good snorkeling & [...]

4/30/10 to 5/1/10
Our first stop was the Rio Chagres located 6 miles southwest of the Panama Canal. It was exciting to approach the outer anchorage for the Canal Zone & zigzag between the numerous tankers & freighters lying at anchor. As luck would have it, a thunderstorm developed just as we approached the [...]

4/28/10 – 4/30/10
With time to spare & provisions running low, we headed southwest to the larger town of Portobello. This seaside town is surrounded by lush green hills and scattered ruins of Spanish forts.
Portobello

The Church of San Felipe de Portobello is located in the center of town & houses the Black Christ of Portobello, [...]

4/23/10 to 4/27/10
The anchorages at Islas Grande & Linton are a nice day sail from western Kuna Yala. Separated by only a mile, Isla Grande is definitely the more picturesque of the two, with restaurants, small cantinas & hotels lining it’s beachfront. Its only downside is that the anchorage is small & susceptible to [...]