Noise

Greetings again from the Yang side ...

We've arrived and are anchored off Isla Flamenco in Panama which is the control island for the Panama Canal on the Pacific side. We decided to go around the main anchorage where (I'd guess) 50 or more ships wait at anchor to transit the Canal. Most cruisers seem to think they need to go through the anchorage and up the main channel, but we figured: Who needs the extra stress? So we went around.

But we're anchored off a roadway. Miles away, the ships have huge generators or work on their main engines. Some get ready to come to the Canal entrance. Many smaller boats are moving about and through the anchorage here ... local pleasure craft and work boats. There's a major airport. The skyline for Panama City is a huge long line of skyscrapers along a waterfront that would do any major American city proud. We even saw a layer of smog over the city coming in. Of course the ships are going by (up to 960 feet long by 116 feet wide) with their tugs, pilot ships, and their own sub-audible rumble. You sense those big ships, or smell their exhaust, but you don't 'hear' them in the normal sense. But they still intrude.

And all this makes 'noise'.

In San Francisco, Oakland, and Silicon Valley, I didn't realize how accustomed I was to background noise until I lived in the Santa Cruz Mountains. In the big-city hub-bub I would use more noise (I liked) to cover up unavoidable noise (I didn't like and wasn't even really aware of). And now I'm just discovering how accustomed I've become to quiet at remote anchorages in 2nd & 3rd world countries.

The roar of our engine while underway or when we get desperate for electricity is something we've learned to hate but put up with. It still gets under our skin and sets our nerves on edge and makes us less than pleasant sometimes to each other. It's much better to sail and just have the sound of the wind and water. Plus we got all the solar and a quiet wind generator to avoid using engines. But we can tolerate ceilidh's engine for 'the greater benefit' we're receiving in trade for the noise.

But here at the entrance to the Panama Canal is that undercurrent of noise that we forgot existed. I realize now how much that background noise sapped energy and balance when I was back in the States. All unconsciously. I know it's worse elsewhere, but thank the gods I'm not 'elsewhere'.

Unless it is to get back out to a quiet anchorage. See you there I hope.

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Panama and more sharks?

Not as close as the other shark spotted snorkeling at Isla Coiba but a large shark kept pace with Ceilidh while rounding Punta Mala to enter the Gulf of Panama. Didn't know they swam on the surface with their scary back fin out of the water. Ugh. Must admit it gave me the creeps. No way am I jumping off the boat while underway. I had thought about it and actually asked Rich if I could sometime - while we were going slow and me tag along on a line. Now, no way no way. We set out from Benao about the same time as 2 other boats - Wander and Clare de Lune. Clare de Lune was quite a bit further off shore than us and going slower. They called on the radio and reported a large hammer head shark circling them. Ugh. Who would have figured? Didn't know that Panama had so many resident sharks.

So, we are now anchored on the south side of Contadora in the Perlas archipelago. Only 38 miles into Balboa, Panama City and the canal. We pulled in yesterday afternoon and slept. The trip around Punta Mala was a breeze. We were able to sail the entire way and it was actually pleasant. All the way around and into the Gulf of Panama we experienced a negative 1.7 knot current and that was actually lucky. There are times that it is a 3 knot negative current and that would just suck. So, we sailed most of the day and then the wind got too light to sail against the current and we started the engine - making slow going but heading in the right direction. Thought there would be more tanker traffic from the canal but no tankers where we were - a blessing. I had prepared a stew the day before we left for our underway dinner. I heated that and was just finishing the dishes when the wind started picking up. This is around 6:30pm or so. We turned off the engine, put out the genoa, and away we went. Then the wind built, and built some more. At 20 knots we pulled in the genoa, put up the staysail and put a reef in the main. It continued to build and stayed between 18 and 25 knots for the rest of the night and the next morning. I think it finally lightened up around 3am. While it was blowing a consistent 22/23 knots the wind waves were bunching up on the current and swell and made for some really spectacular seas. This is the first time the diesel jerry cans tied on our deck were jostled about by boarding waves and pushed down flat on the deck. They couldn't fly off but they did get pushed around. Rich plans on purchasing additional line and tying them even more securely when we get to Panama City. Ceilidh did fine and so did we, all thru the wild ride. Good news is that we were able to sail all thru this windy night and early morning at 6 + knots (with staysail and reefed main!) and even make headway on our intended path. How cool is that? So all is well and Ceilidh rocks!

Happy to be anchored and getting rested again. After sleeping most of yesterday afternoon and all last night I woke up this morning with happy energy. Good thing, too, because Ceilidh was one huge salt crystal. Rich helped and we desalted the darling all morning. She is looking spiffy again and we'll be go exploring on the island this afternoon when it gets a bit cooler. I think I'll talk Rich into having dinner out tonight! Besides, we are out of lettuce, beer, rum and very low on vodka. A breeze just started up and feels ever so refreshing. Oh, it was sadly a fish free passage. Had the lines out the entire time but none took our offered lures. Better luck between here and Panama City I hope. Take care all and love to each...

from the yin side

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Yikes! Sharkes!

Yes, SHARKS! We anchored off Isla Coiba in western Panama for a few days. Lovely spot with areas of crystal clear warm water to snorkel and colourful fish. Sounds ever so wonderful, eh? We went snorkeling with friends from s/v Wanderer, Paul and Joanne, and set out to swim around a lovely island in the group of Islas Cocos. One quarter of the way around the western side we we all marveling at some of the larger fish when Rich started yelling at me and pointing downward. I looked in that direction just in time to see a 4 foot white tipped shark circling me as it spiraled upwards. I made some large splashes as I moved closer to Rich and the shark moved lazily towards the bottom. We thought, just a coincidence, right? Not. A few minuets later the shark was back circling again and getting closer. We held a brief conference between the four of us and decided that perhaps snorkeling on the other side of the island would be ever so more enjoyable. We all swam back the way we came and went to the eastern side of the same island. About 200 feet or so into our new adventure I started getting stung by string of pearls big time. Ouch ouch ouch! Should have worn my dive skins. I bailed and went back to wait in squishy while the other three adventurers continued. I enjoyed the quiet and scenery for a while and then upped the anchor and motored towards the group so they would not have so far to backtrack. Suddenly, they were all swimming towards me at a rapid pace. I cut the motor and dropped anchor. All three swam up and hopped into squishy - one, two, three. Paul had dived down to the bottom to investigate a cave and came face to face with an even larger white tip. Hummm. Good time to bail. Lends it's self to a good story with no sad bits - the very best kind.

So now we are anchored in Punta Benao, which is just west of Punta Mala. Translated from spanish that means "bad point", and that appears to be true. We left Playa Naranja at 2am this morning and sailed and motor sailed towards this point. The seas were extremely confused with swells/wind waves 6 to 8 feet and the wind gusts to 30 knots and the predominant direction of the wind was on our nose. That does not work well for sailing vessels. So tack, tack again, and then tack again with waves breaking over the bows. Funny, today was not so bad. That is a good sign for me. I actually enjoyed it. Good thing, because the next part of the journey is a two day sail to get past the really ugly "Punta Mala" and thru the major tanker thru fare from the Panama Canal and onto the Perlas Islands. Wish us luck! More in route or when we arrive. Love to you all
from the Yin side

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