panama canal and stuff...

I've been really lazy for the last couple of months...onboard life does that to you sometimes. I had a break from sailing to head to Europe for some skiing over Christmas and new Year, then to London for Bett education tradeshow and then to Macworld in San Francisco. Headed back to the boat in late Jan in Aruba. Louis had sailed it there from St Lucia with 2 new members of the crew Pia and Baptiste (aka Bapi).

We were in Aruba for a week or so, and then picked up 2 new crew members Francis and Menno. Francis is a windsurfing and kitesurfing instructor (at 21), ever since he wentto Aruba on holiday with his parents at 17 and decided to stay there. Menno has been there 3 months and is a friend of Louis from Europe. He's interested in building wooden boats. Both are a good complement to the boat and will be sailing with Louis across the Pacific to the Marquesas.

We set out for Cartagena on 29th jan, and were there on 31. Horrible short, high waves for the later part of the trip made it little uncomfortable. Cartagena is a pretty cool place, safe for yachties. Did some kitesurfing from the beaches at Boca Grande, and tried a little salsa dancing in the clubs. Francis is learning..:-)

We spent a few days there and then headed to the San Blas Islands, where the Kuna Yala Indians live in fairly isolated islands scattered through the area along the coast of Panama. Beautiful place. We headed to Panama after a week there and settled into Shelter Bay Marina, on the other side of Colon. The second day we were going to do some provisioning but there were strikes and riots in Colon, where the strike leader was shot dead by police. Our agent, Enrique Plummer, couldn't make it that day either since all the roads were blocked from Panama. Still, the day after we managed to get some food in..all $1600 of it. Enough for a couple of months methinks..;)

Seems we might get the name, "Love Boat" since Pia went to have some stomach pains checked by a doctor and discovered she was 6 weeks pregnant! Seems they have to cut the South American tour a little bit short. They seemed happy enough with the news tho.

Transited the Panama Canal on 17th, which was interesting. Started at 7pm, took about 5 hours to go through the first 3 locks and then moored in Gatun lake, ready for a 6.30 am start the next day to transit the lake and remaining 3 locks, which took another 9 hours.

Dropped off Pia and Bapi at balboa yacht club, and this is also where I jumped ship to head back to Australia via Miami, Los Angeles and New Zealand...long flight.

So now, Louis, Menno and Francis are en route to the Marquesas, via Las Perlas islands and Galapagos. I shall join them around mid April to sail to Australia via all the islands between.