Curacao to Panama
December 3, 2008
Bon Dia Captain Koo,
I am now in the Shelter Bay Marina at the old Fort Sherman, Colon, Panama. It is tucked up behind the western sea wall for the Caribbean end of the Canal Zone; or what used to be called the Canal Zone before the Canal was turned over to the Panamanian Government in the Carter Administration. It is pretty quiet here and seems time to bring you up to date.
Last report I was underway to Cartagena from Curicau, a trip of about 400 miles. As I closed the Columbian Coast the squalls and electrical activity became pretty exciting. The first stop was at Cabo de la Vella, a very windy place, but nice rest after 220 miles. Next was a short 128 mile overnighter to the Five Bays area where the mountains close the coast. I found anchorage with a couple of other boats in a pretty bay a little like the Marquessas. The land sloped up to high mountains in steps reaching heights that often have year round snow (in the tropics?). The second night we had lots of close by lightening and catabolic winds falling down the mountains peaking over 40 knots in the anchorage. Pretty exciting. One of the boats dragged, but no damage.
While crossing the Magdalena River outflow in chop I had a mini crisis caused by me getting used to my new mainsail such that I got some small tears and lost one big 168 inch sail batten I am still working on replacing. I am permanently single reefed until I have the new one. After a short night stop and another day sail I arrived Cartagena. It is a fantastic sight from seaward and now a city of about 2 million. In 1580, just 90 years after Columbus arrived at Hispanola, Cartagena was a city of 10,000 Europeans and the head of the “Spanish Main” when first attacked and sacked by Sir Francis Drake. He did so twice. Cartagena had a very difficult harbor to attack as the only entrance was very small and then it was required to sail 2 ˝ miles up the harbor to bring guns within range of the walls. Alternately shelling could be from seaward, but landing impossible. On his 2nd visit Drake sailed a fleet all the way up the harbor in silence and anchored at the inside city walls (see the picture) and so held the city hostage. It was a tight fit and I would have trouble getting in there today with just one 53 foot boat if under sail. I anchored in front of the Club Nautique. The club is close to where the pirate Henry Morgan anchored his fleet when he took the city in the mid 1600s. I would love to believe he was an ancestor.
Cartagena oozes with history of the Americas and that of Spanish cruelty of the time. One of the most lovely buildings in the Old City, that now houses the historical museum, was the headquarters of the Inquisition, where souls were saved by killing the bodies they inhabited. Go figure that one?
Anyway, I loved the place. It is now a growth boomtown. The only negative for me is that the harbor grows barnacles like no other. When I checked out for Panama after two weeks, I first went only 18 miles to mangrove protected Cienega de Chalon and scraped off about 3 liters of barnacles that attached to my 3 month old bottom paint. There is a lovely leisure home on the shore that used to belong to bad guy Pablo Escobar. From there I did a nice overnight sail of 185 miles to the San Blas Islands of Panama anchoring the next afternoon in the Holandes Islands and almost immediately meeting a canoe load of Kuna Indians.
The Kunas are very sweet and mild mannered people who have been allowed to be almost a government unto themselves within Panama. The San Blas Islands are mostly small Cays with mangroves and coconut trees, all owned by Kunas in a family/socialist society headed by village elders who are sort of elected. Many of the villages are now located on the Panamanian mainland nearby. They are moving slowly into the modern world while holding tight onto the traditional lifestyle that suits living in these tiny islands. It is a very quiet place. Yachties are well liked, but very few people who are not Kuna are ever allowed to live ashore here. Once a week in season a cruise ship is allowed to stop at an island prepared for the purpose, so the Kunas can sell handicrafts. I wandered around and anchored at 5 different small islands, mostly less than 5 acres. The yachtie hangout is a nice reef anchorage in the Holandes group called the “Swimming Pool” that was great for society but too crowded for serenity. There was a Kuna called “The Vegetable Man” that shows up every few days and sells mainland produce of good quality. There are boats that stay there a few months each year. Not enough adventure for me.
After two weeks, the rainy season seemed to kick in vigorously. Also a small hurricane far to the north started sending us a long large swell that made some anchorages unpleasant. I decided to move down to the canal area a little early. The trip was very soggy with little wind to the first stop 44 miles away at Isla Grande. The north entrance to this anchorage is protected by a string of rocks and rock islands making for exciting entry in the rain with the seas exploding as they hit the rocks. I made two stops in the area then headed for Porto Bello, another very historic place.
Porto Bello was first named by Columbus in 1502. It became the trans shipment point for the wealth sent to and across from Panama City having been collected from booty and mining operations in the whole area of Central and South western America. Like Cartagena, it was also raided twice by Sir Francis Drake. On one of the raids there was so much bullion awaiting shipment that there was not enough warehouse space, so gold only was warehoused. Silver bars were just piled in the open. On his second visit, Drake fell ill with fever and died aboard ship there. His body was buried at sea close to the island at the entrance to the bay, called Isla Drake. Through most of the 1800s there were 4 forts restricting entrance to Porto Bello. Sadly, during the unsuccessful French attempt to build a Panama Canal, most of the stones that made up the forts were moved to the Canal Zone and used in construction. When I arrived, only the border of Fort San Juan and a small part of the Castillo Glorias structure remained. The town itself lost its economic advantage before the Canal was completed by the USA in 1913, which accelerated its decline. It is now a tiny village, very soggy the day I was there. The rivers that enter the bay were really flowing that day so the water was ugly brown, so I just powered the last 17 miles to the Canal breakwaters and Shelter Bay Marina where I settled in to watch it rain hard for 4 days.
Much of Panama has been in crisis due to washed out roads, lowland flooding and mudslides. The last two days have been much better, but it is called “the rainy season”. A couple of days ago I went to Panama City, a 2 ˝ hour bus trip, to get my EPIRB repowered and recertified. I took a cab back as bus transport was iffy that night. There was a lot of mud, invisible holes and running waters on much of the roads, but we still made it in less that 3 hours. Long day!
Until I fly out to Seattle for Xmas on the 16th, it is boat projects as usual. Also I am planning to crew through the Canal on a friends boat as a helper and for the experience.
Love, Denny