Panama - San Blas Islands

I know! It has been a long time since I posted my last blog. My excuse is that I have spent the past two months sailing around remote islands that are all from a photo postcard.

Let me quickly get everyone caught up on my travels since the first of the year. I returned to Panama on the 11th of January from California after visiting family and friends. I had a wonderful time if you don't count the fact that I could not keep warm while I was there. I had been in the topics for the past year and a half before returning home to visit. It is true when they say your blood does get thin from the warm weather.

I spent the next three week cleaning the mildew off in the cabin and fixing things that needed repair. I then threw off the dock lines and headed East to the San Blas Islands where I spent the next two months before returning here at the Shelter Bay marina which is near the Panama Canal entrance on the Atlantic side.

The San Blas islands stretch east in the Caribbean Sea from just East of the Canal to Columbia, South America. There are a total of 245 islands some as small as a football field and others that are no larger than 40 - 50 acres. All of the islands have white sandy beaches and are covered with coconut palm trees. Most are uninhabited or at most have less that a dozen natives living on them in palm leaves and sugar cane huts. The indigenous people on the islands are Kuna'a. They govern, farm, fish and live within these islands and along the Panama mainland. They work hard in keeping the area in its natural state as it has been for hundreds of years. No one other than Kuna's can own land or wed any of the Kuna men or women unless you are Kuna. They are very small people and the women wear colorful cloths and jewelery.

The time I spent here was simply exploring the islands, snorkeling, spear fishing, swimming or otherwise just relaxing. It was priceless. I had planned to continue East toward Cartegena, Columbia but decided instead to sail back towards the Northwest to the Yucatan Channel off of Mexico. That is what I should be making plans to do while I am here in Shelter Bay but I have decided to return to the San Blas to buddy sail with some friends whom I have known since meeting them in Costa Rica. Plans, such as they are, change when you are cruising. I am going to spend another month in San Blas and then return to my previous plan on going North. The same friends will be sailing along with me along the route until we reach Rio Dulce in Guatemala. This is where I will lay up during this years hurricane season before heading to Key West, Florida in November.

Well that is enough of history and boring notes. I am sure you are more interested in photos and the stories behind them. Let's hope the internet connection is fast enough and doesn't drop before I finish.

You should always end the story on a positive note so let me begin with the negatives.

The area around the islands are covered with dangerous reefs. This is good news as well as bad news. Good news is that the water behind the reef is smooth even in heavy winds. The bad new is that your boat sinks if you don't watch were you are going and you find yourself and the boat on top of a reef. The boat usually sinks as it is ground up to pulp.

Sunken sailboat with only the mast above the water. No this is not my boat.

This WAS a large boat which is now broken into two halves. Again, this is not my boat.

Very little left of this old girl. As the story is told, this skipper was told not to cross this area because of reefs. He thought he knew more than the cruisers that were warning him. I guess he learned he wasn't as smart as he thought.

Fortunately none of these were my boat. I am very careful when entering an area where there are reefs , as I pass through a cut into the protected area behind the reef. Some of the cuts (entrances) are as little as 50 feet wide. My boat is 12 feet wide. Not much room for error. So far so good but I don't want to get to cocky only to find myself in one of these photos. I will be cruising in and out of reefs around the Caribbean for the next two years so there will be many puckered up moments.

So lets get into something more pleasant. The waters in and around the islands are crystal clear which is very helpful when trying to see reefs ahead of the boat. They always tell you to enter a reef cut with the sun high above or behind you. Dark spots are danger. Clear blue spots are heaven.

Let me drop some photos below that show what I have been enjoying for the past two months and the weeks and months ahead. I will leave my comments out since the photos speak for themselves.

OK, so I lied. A very special note. These are my two grandsons back in California. Ray is on the left and Abe on the right, ages 4 and 2. My son Steve is their dad and my lovely daughter-in-law Jessie is their mother. I am sure Jessie is blushing as she reads this. :)

The water in this photo is 12 feet deep. Note the Star fish on the bottom?

That is only a few of the many photos I have taken down around the islands. To show them all would take me three days but this should give you a good idea of the beauty around and on these islands.

Here is a small island where the Kuna's have stepped out of their traditional way of life and entered into commerce. This is called a Kuna Hotel. Floors in each room is sand, walls are from dried sugar cane stalks and the roof is made from palm leaves. Now if you are looking for a 5-Star hotel you will be disappointed. The view however from your room is great

This is a couple from New York city. Shall we say that they were living an adventure not found on Fifth Avenue in New York?

Privacy? If you are shy you might want to hold it until you leave the island.

Hot Water? Forget about it!

OK; Something more pleasant. I decided to brighten up the boat below and add these Molas to the mirror in the main cabin. I taped them up with masking tape. Nice touch don't you think? Google Kuna Molas to learn how they are made. These are the simpler ones that cost $5 each. The more complex ones cost $100.

This is one of the more complex Molas

What does one do when in The Caribbean? You listen to Jimmy Buffet CDs and read his books. I actually enjoyed the book.

Here I am on an island that has a small transitional village. These are one of my cruising friends that happen to be there at the same time. Notice the solar panel. This is the source of the only electricity on most of the islands

Veggie Garden

Two small boys that enjoy having there photo taken and showing them the photo on your camera. They laugh loudly after seeing themselves.

Of course you must also include the babies and girls.

Then you want to photograph mom and dad.

Who said white boys can not climb coconut trees?

How did this photo get here? I needed a haircut. One of the women cruisers gave me one. Boy did she do a number on me. I think my beard is longer.

Here is the island were I climbed the tree or should I admit that I tried to climb the tree.

The boat photo below belongs to a 15 year old girl that is sailing by herself around the world. Her name is Laura and she comes from Holland. I helped her through the reefs when she arrived at an island that I happen to be on. I took the dingy out to meet her and asked her to follow me through to cut in the reef and helped her anchor. I can't say I would have allowed my daughter Robin to do this when she was that age.

The name of the boat is Guppy

Old guy meets young girl.

Good sailing friends

This is the tree that I tried killing myself on.

Remember the reefs I wrote about. This is what they look like. The side I am on is calm. The other side eats boats and small boys.

Island paridise. I thought I would leave you with some more photos of heaven.

Restraunt on one of the islands. This is the island cruisers go to to find what little food you can buy in San Blas.

I almost forgot Grandma. Grandpa is pushing up coconuts.

A party we held for Laura on Guppy at one of the nearby islands.

 

I guess I am getting lazy on putting these blogs together. I had interesting stories that went with many of the photos before but I assume most of you enjoy the photos more than my ranting.

I wish more of you could enjoy seeing the world this way. I can not imagine having more fun doing anything else but if we all did this it would be to crowded. I started in San Francisco 3 years and one week ago. Time fly's when you are having fun

Well that is it for now. Sorry it took so long to come up with this and I suspect it will be a while before the next time. As always, there is room on the boat for guests that are always welcome but get your reservations in early since the adventure is popular.

Until next time, Be safe out there.