Panama!

Well here we are in Panama! It is quite surreal for us to arrive here on Last Mango after two years of voyaging but never having been here with our little ship. We arrived as predicted on Saturday evening but not without some last minute weather to deal with……………Mother Nature was not going to let us get off the hook that easily. So, after rounding Punta Burica we had some calm seas across the bay towards Coiba, but then the wind built, and built and built…………38 knots at the peak. Quite interesting again! So during the night we crept near to shore off the Azuero Peninsula for a bit of shelter only to get to Punta Mala to find it living up to its name. But, finally, we cut our way into the Bay of Panama and nearer to the canal area; the AIS system recorded some 214 targets, plenty of commercial ships to navigate around in the main anchorage areas. Checking in to Flamenco Signal we had permission to proceed to the small vessel anchorage off La Playita, Amador, and finally at 2200 the anchor was buried tight and we had peace and quiet; Johnny Deere had had a good run for nine days and now was getting a well-deserved rest.

But there is no peace for the wicked. Having arrived we met with our agents and cleared in; immigration; customs; cruising permit. More paperwork. But it was a Sunday and we were impressed that anyone was working at all; within an hour or two we had the canal inspector onboard admeasuring us and firing questions as to our preferred mode of transit – position in the locks – center, side, nested?. Does our propeller rotate right or left? And lots of information to give the canal transit adviser who will come with us. And checking that we will feed him his meals and have a supply of bottled water please. I did ask if there was a preferred brand – Badoit perhaps? And after the inspection Kathy kindly collected us so that we could be reunited with our earthly connections – apartment, truck………..things we have not seen for a while. And now the list of things to do is expanding exponentially. Number 1, try and get a slip? No chance, Panama is just too busy. Number 2, get a Yamaha mechanic to service the outboard. Number 3 rely on Bernie to assemble second tender – Prawn Basher (no problem for Bernie).  Number 4 get a transit date – looks like the weekend. Number 5 liaise with the reinforcements flying in to join us on the transit and onwards. Number 6 start getting the supplies, that will take a long while. Number 7 deal with the tile problem in the spare bathroom?? (no way that will get done!) And so on, yours truly has been tearing around today in a frenzy. Like Captain Jerry said to me once “hammering all the snakes into their holes”, I like that. And of course the Admiral has been busy too; those wardrobe requirements are most essential!

Panama bound

After the heavy seas (Force 6) on Night 5 we sought some weather info via our satellite email system for the transit of the Gulf of Papagallo ahead............it wasn't looking too good, according to PassageWeather.com (thank you Jo and Dan Weather Routing Service). Day 6 remained unsettled and by 2000 the Easterlies coming across the Nicaraguan isthmus into the Gulf rose consistently into the high 20's. The outside temperature fell from 90 to mid-70 and even the water temp dropped 15 degrees to 72. So we had an uncomfortable night of Force 7 (Near Gale) - up to 30 knots; 9' seas with regular larger waves; and we changed our course to the south to put the incoming onslaught 60 degrees off the bow. Sleep was hard to find while we were tossed around. The best thoughts of the night for me were the comforting reassurance that we had precisely the right boat for the job; admiration that Nordhavn 55 "Last Mango" just took everything in her stride, chugging contently across the Gulf, doing everything that she was designed for, getting us there safely. By midday on Day 6 it was all over; wind 5 knots and seas 1-2'. Back to normal. The Admiral has been spoiling us so much on this trip: parma ham with melon; shrimp risotto; pasta arrabiata; fresh tuna steaks with salad; vegetable curry and fried plantain; smoked salmon bagels; cheese omelette; fresh mango and ice cream............. The only problem for me is that it is 3-7 against on the Scrabble-a-thon. Anyway now our thoughts are turning to our destination ahead. 30 miles off the coast of Costa Rica we are settled into the trans-Pacific shipping lane; at any time we are in a stream/counter-stream of freighters, tankers, tugs and Panamax vessels all using the canal to cross the world. We have some variable head current so our ETA changes constantly but we are estimating arrival at the Port of Balboa, Panama, some time late Saturday.

T-peckers and Papagallos

At 0725 we departed Huatulco knowing that we had 48 hours to cross the Gulf of Tehuantepec before a 50-knot T-pecker struck. 15 miles from shore we ran into the black flags which fishermen use to mark the end of their baits.......sure enough we soon had to disentangle our starboard stabilizer fin from a long line of hooks. At night time we are using the shrimp-fisher watch cycle; 1 has 06-10, 18-20, 00-02; 2 has 10-14, 20-22, 02-04; 3 has 14-18, 22-24, 04-06 - the night watches zip by. At the end of Day 2 we were out of the T-pecker track unscathed and steady on our course of 120 which takes us some 100 miles offshore along the Central American isthmus passing Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras. Day 3 we had a line out all day with a variety of lures; at 1700 it went off at a hell of a rate, nearly spooled. And nothing jumping out there so that eliminates sails, marlin, dorado, wahoo. 15 minutes later we were delighted to find that we had surgically removed from the hands of mother nature one 25lb yellowfin tuna........the sashimi was excellent and now there are plenty of steaks in the freezer. The next wind gauntlet on this trip is the Gulf of Papagallo - easterlies from the Caribbean gain force over Nicaragua. Last night we had a 30 knot session between 2200 and 0400; there will be more to come probably before we close with the coast of Costa Rica. And we have current which has slowed us a bit; however by the start of Day 5 we are half way to Panama. And we are still running on our forward fuel tanks - Bernie has been running a test on fuel consumption - more later.

On to Huatulco

After a great few weeks in PV we were finally moving South. Captain Bernie Francis has joined us for these next stages of our journey; based in Florida he specializes in Nordhavns; commissioning new boats, training new owners, and generally assisting in the movement and management of Nordhavns all over the world. Bernie is great to have on board and his extensive knowledge of all the systems and equipment on board is a great asset and valuable investment in the trip. On Day 1, as we settled in to the routines, one entry in the Log stands out: "Born in London, England, at 725pm Evie-Jane, 7lbs 1 oz - first grandchild - congratulations to Victoria and Paul"! By Day 2 we were 30m offshore away (generally) from fishing pangas and only needed to monitor the AIS traffic. Sea and weather were benign. Wildlife included marlin, dorado, dolphins, and many turtles. So many that we conducted an experiment on Day 4; in 2 hours we counted 121. In the morning of Day 5 we were pulling in to well-run Marina Chahue in the charming little town of Huatulco. We spent the day obtaining our exit papers from Mexico, changing the oils and filters on the main, and having a very pleasant supper near the busy main square. We head South further into Central America in the morning. Four months in Mexico has been most enjoyable although I have suspicions about a country which can't make good cheese. Or perhaps that this country presents to the world a welcoming face which masks evident dysfunctions and disturbing undertones.

Last Mango returns to PV

 

We left Mazatlan at a leisurely hour for the 176 mile run to Puerto Vallarta. Wind overnight was 6 knots and the sea was 1 to 2 feet....not bad at all. And we were able to listen to our new compilation album of 94 blues tracks put together by Dan, it is turning into our night passage music. On the way into Banderas Bay the log reads 0710 whale; 0715 mother and calf; 0715 whale; 0730 whales; 0745 whale; 0800 humpback breaching show. And there is other wildlife at Paradise Village, the tiger cub below was very thirsty and playful; one of 74 they have bred here in the last few years. Last Mango has been back in the slip she vacated two years ago; what an adventure it has been, 8,057 miles to Alaska and back.

The pace of life here in Puerto Vallarta is gentle; there are the pools, the beach, the yacht club, and everything the resort has to offer. Then there is the
3 dollar return bus fare to the old town to explore the picturesque
streets, bars and restaurants. A pool table for a few hours and as much beer as you need is thirty dollars. The tacos are one dollar each in the street stalls. There are plenty of varied restaurants and for those who don't suffer my allergy to tat shops plenty of that if it turns you on. I had earlier commented on the collapsed economy of Mazatlan. The cruise ships had axed that stop, for all sorts of reasons maybe, and the town was empty. Here in PV the cruise ships including Disney Wonder and Oosterdam (our old friends seen on the AIS in Alaska) are still despatching their passengers to flush the local economy with dollars.

Our visitors here have had a great time exploring and we have been very impressed with the local people here and their friendliness and helpfulness. This is a good place to get your boat washed, waxed and polished; the docks have a good supply of willing labor at sensible prices.
The marina looks after you very well, especially if you move to a slip with less swell than those nearer the entrance. We moved inside and closer to the wild life - crocs basking on the banks at low tide. The fishing report has not been so good; the water in Banderas Bay is a little too cold for pelagics. Our fishing day produced plenty of prodigous jacks but nothing tasty enough to put on the grill - but then our log for the day did incude 35 whales, two manta rays, and a loggerhead turtle.

For live music, friends introduced us to Philo's in La Cruz. Philo has everything superbly organized for us itinerant jammers. We lined up with the band and watched for the cues; a couple of memorable Thursday nights. At any one time there were ten in the band and it was rockin'.

Susie's son and granddaughter had a fabulous time swimming with the dolphins at AquaVenturas; certainly a great dolphin show and family day out to be remembered for many a year.

At the weekend we are going to make a move from here and head South. We are planning a relatively swift passage via Panama to explore Atlantic waters and open up a new chapter. Stand by.................

Back on the Trail

It was time to move on from La Paz so we were underway at 0715 last Thursday. I had been watching the weather for a few days and it was forecast for 15 to 20 knots and dropping late in the day. It was a little rough coming from the port stern quarter for a few hours as we started our crossing of the Sea of Cortez but the wind started dropping and by nightfall it was down to 7 knots. Sunset over the Southern Baja was wonderful, full of color.

It was our longest overnighter and took 30 hours; we found the small channel into the northern Mazatlan harbour no problem soon after midday and by the afternoon we were on the bus to explore the historic old town. Most of the modern development, hotels and fast food is at the North in the Golden Zone. Moving swiftly on from this area the old town has a great deal of charm; much of it was built in the hundred years after Mexican independence. The 9 1/2 peso bus ride will take you anywhere you need to go; the market is busy and full of fresh

 produce. No wonder Mazatlan was discovered and adopted by many poets, musicians and art folk back in the fifties and sixties. As a visitor here generally one is not bothered by restaurant touts, time-share salesmen or beggars; it is a working and residential town and fairly unspoilt.

The economy here is shot to pieces. Presumably in the heyday there were charter-loads of tourists coming in from all over the US but they estimate that 60% of the trade has been lost. The malecon (sea-front promenade) connects the old town and the Golden Zone (tourist district) and it contains tens of boarded up bankrupt businesses. Our marina is part of the El Cid group, still thriving, but next door is a huge hotel and beach complex which is all boarded up and obviously has been derelict a while. On top of the world recession, the negative spectre of Mexican cartel violence has put off the majority of would be holiday-makers. We have been doing our bit for the local economy; choosing one or two little haunts to go to for eats and ice-cream (quesadillas or ice-cream are $1), buying giant shrimp from the dock man ($5 per pound), getting the boat cleaned (top or bottom $1 per foot of boat length). No wonder some cruisers have been here for ages; that is why the Mexican authorities give you a standard temporary boat import permit which lasts for ten years.
I have for quite a while wanted to write a piece on Mexican cuisine. Mainly because I have never really got it. I must say that I have many times chewed over the items on the menu while I have sipped my margarita.........what are these things? Burritos, tortillas, tacos, tamales, quesadillas, enchiladas, chimichangas? First of all let's eliminate the things the Spanish brought here in the 1500's - yes - they brought rice, chicken, pigs, cattle and cheese. The Mexicans already had - well - they had corn, beans, turkey, avocado, fruit, vegetables and fish. And chocolate. So what is a tortilla? Well, that is a corn or wheat flat thin cake. It comes with a filling. What is a burrito? Well, that is a wheat flour tortilla which comes with a filling. A taco? That is a corn or wheat tortilla, with filling. Quesadilla - tortilla put on the hot plate, with filling. Enchilada? That is a corn tortilla but it has sauce on the outside as well as filling on the inside. Tamale? A corn-based dough cooked with a filling. Chimichanga? Ah, that was apparently invented by mistake in the 1920's when someone dropped a burrito in a deep fat fryer - it is a deep fried burrito. Now what about the fillings? Well, I think we all know that these days they are chicken, beef or shrimp, with as much lettuce and tomato as they can get away with. Anyway, at least we now know what we are ordering. As for Mexican cuisine, as they say, it's a wrap!
I did manage to stumble into the music scene while we were here. Rob Lamonica is a great keyboards player and kindly invited me to join the full blues band one evening down at Los Canucks del Leon.........

It was a great band, some good original material from Sheryl and super guitar playing from Gerry; I stayed lurking in the background wondering if it is time at last to learn some new tracks! I did manage to get my request for Black Magic Woman in anyway.

Here is the final picture; Mazatlan has its own particular style of taxi, called a Pulmonia. So called because you will get the opportunity to breathe in the luxuriant air of the street traffic!

AFT - After The FUBAR

Here in La Paz the party has continued for the past few weeks. We had a warm up session one day on Excalibur with cocktails and enough appetizers to last a week or two. But then it seemed like a good idea for Oriana to host a supper party next door right after. And the guitars have been as busy as ever. See how that sea lion turned his head just to hear Bill play that Hendrix track - it was "Little Wing" of course, one of my favorites. One day we headed out for the islands and the wild life. In the bay at this time of year there are whale sharks feeding on the 

abundant plankton; we managed to locate a couple of these docile creatures and drift along nearby while Kay from Thor swam alongside this 40' largest fish in the sea.Then up to Espiritu Santo island to check out the sea lion colony while bold folk 

swam with these inquisitive creatures. Here are some photos of our travelling companions in recent weeks - Bill and Kay on Thor, Susan and Andy on Maggie May, Lili and Don on Lilipad, Doug and Stephanie on Tango, Ron and Kathleen on Boundless Grace, Jan (the greatest air guitarist on the trip - see photo) and Vicki on Oriana, Rick and Liz on Bonaventure. And many more. We will be seeing you down the road soon in the next port I'm sure.
So, on to the forward plans. In the short term we have decided to leave Last Mango here in Marina Costa Baja, La Paz for a month while we head to England for seasonal family visits. In mid-Jan we will be back on board and heading down the Mexican coast. For 2012 we have revised our plans; after considering the options we have shelved the long voyage to New Zealand. We are now going to head for Panama and through the Canal, then up to Florida and the East Coast. It is best to keep one's plans flexible................