Archive for 'sailing' Category

PANAMA CANAL TRANSIT BASICS AND FEES: 5/29/2008

Here are the basics when it comes to Entering Panama and transiting the Canal. You should budget about $1000 to cover all the fees and expenses, plus of course your food, fuel, marina fees if you don’t want to anchor, etc. It seems that if you are willing to do all the running around and fill out all of the forms on your own, and put up a $800 or so refundable deposit you might get that $1000 down to about $700 or so. Best I can tell there are three options when it comes to preparing to transit the...

Colon Panama May 24th 2008.

I guess this is the first real update covering my stay here in Colon. My first impression of Panama was more or less dismal. Overall the 11 day passage here was OK, asides from a few minor mishaps I already covered. The last two days as I approached Colon Panama the freighter traffic really picked up putting a damper on the sleeping, but I’m sure I still had some reserve energy as I made the final approach to the harbor. The wind was still blowing nicely from the stern and I’m sure I didn’t need my motor running however considering...

Panama Update

I must have been in Georgetown just about a week before a weather window for the Windward Passage to Panama that I couldn’t refuse was forecasted. It was going to be an 1100 mile cruise to Panama, by far my longest non-stop solo passage, with virtually no possible stops or anchorages after the first 350 miles or four days. So the route was to leave via the southwestern cut out of Elizabeth harbor, it was a few extra miles but I had already ran the cut once and didn’t feel like stressing my self through a new one. The cut...

Very quick update with NEW canal transit date!

Just wanted to let every one know that the date has changed to Next Thursday, May 8th for the transit! So Mike and I will transit today on another boat as line handlers, and then possibly do a little cruising around on the Carib side, then Mike flies out on the 7th and I transit on the 8th! Been hanging out a lot in Colon and checked out Panama city yesterday, otherwise nothing too exciting to report other than the recent website update, and more updates are being added very soon. Hope all is well with everybody, I´m off to...

Wednesday April 9th 2008. Cristobal Harbor, Colon Panama, Panama Yacht club.

Wednesday April 9th 2008. Cristobal Harbor, Colon Panama, Panama Yacht club. Ok, well overdue for a real update, so I suppose I start where I left off in the Exuma sound on March 16th. Didn’t take long for a little breeze to set it, and I was back under sail at 4+ knots, I suppose that’s the advantage of a small boat, some of the cruisers on 45′ steal boats that are happy doing 7.5kts in 25kts of wind tell me that below 10kts of wind they are nearly stuck to the water with no way at all. So the...

NASSAU to Highborn Cay, Exumas Bahamas.

NASSAU to Highborn Cay, Exumas Bahamas. BLAH... So, wanted to get up early (dawn) and sail out of Nassau after some very much needed R&R. Have been taking yoga classes and eating vegan means for several days now and feeling a little better since the marathon Salsa-Refit that seemed like it might never end. So for the juicy part, got the boat all ready to go this morning so I could have enough time to make an actual sail of the trip. Then just as I was pulling up the anchor, MY HEART SUNK INTO MY STOMACH, at the end...

Location 4/13/08

Location as of 8:00 AM Eastern 4/13/08...

Update From Panama

Got here ok after my 11 day solo passage. Only have a minute to write and I couldn´t possibly tell all write now so I´ll write more very soon, including all of the crazy details from Storms, and calms, to a close call with a freighter, to catching sea monsters, almost loosing my finger, sleepless day and nights then days of rest and reading, approaching and Panama and anchoring engineless, customs telling me I had to go back to Bahamas for Zarpe and much more! i pretty much got it all!! But I´m here in Panama and OK And I´ll update very...