Maybe the Pacific was living up too its name?  It was a slow trip with little wind.  When the rest of the fleet set off they had a really strong breeze and they covered a good many miles in the first couple of days, but when left it was flat calm.  We don’t carry enough fuel to motor the whole way so we spent a lot of time sailing slowly in very little wind just keeping the cruising chute filled.  With wall to wall sunshine and a flat Sea it would have been idyllic had we not really wished to get there.   We crossed the equator at 07.55 on day 6, celebrated with a little champagne, also pouring a libation over the side for Neptune and taking photos.  It is traditional to dress up and do silly things at this point, somDteve was Neptune ( with the Shark propellor from the towed charger as his trident) and Anita was still me sort of Sea Nymph.  We motored most of the last night, slowing down so as to arrive at daybreak rather than in the dark.  A night entry would not have Ben good as the chart was all wrong.  Maybe this is the norm from now on?  Started ticking off our bucket list of Galapagos wildlife immediately as the anchorage was full of sea lions.  They climb up and bask on anything they can – fortunately it is much easier for them to get on to the catamarans rather than the monohull, and we haven’t been invaded so far as they make quite a mess.  The officials came to do our clearance later that morning, our inspection (they send a diver down to check that the hull is clean, no foreign organisms) and paperwork was done in double quick time it seemed – maybe they didn’t want to be late for their lunch?  Then we could go ashore.  So by now we have seen turtles, pelicans, great blue heron, frigate birds (including males in breeding display, giant tortoises in the sanctuary and breeding centre – one just about strolled over Steve’s foot, Marina iguanas, lava lizards, even the Galapagos green eyed horsefly ( has rather an unpleasant bite) and a variety of birds.  We went on a Snorkelling trip to a rocky outcrop called Leon Dormido, amazing colourful rock walls and wonderful fish including a hammerhead shark.  We changed Islands yesterday and saw Giant Manta Rays leaping right out of the water.  The next leg, 3000 miles to the Marquesas, starts Wednesday next week so we are trying to see as much as we can here.

Quick post.  We had to return to Panama from Islas Perlas to buy new batteries, in. Axe any of you noticed we were going the wrong way.  Just about to set off to follow the rally fleet to Galapagos.

The next leg in the World ARC is Santa Marta to Panama.

We left Santa Marta Columbia in bright sunshine but it was still quite windy and the wind continued to build as we went along. We’d been advised to give the Rio Magdalena a wide berth – apparently a lot of trees and fridges and stuff are swept down and out to sea – somewhere it said 40 miles but this seemed excessive so our waypoint was 20 miles out and in the end we were about 15 miles off. This meant we were reaching rather than directly downwind at first, and everyone went screaming off. We were making 8 knots and more in the surfs, which must be our hull speed, in very big seas. It was a wild fun ride, but as night approached we reefed down and reefed down to get the boat under control so that the hydrovane could steer, more seamanlike with only 2 on board. So we were slower, but we didn’t break anything. One boat found a huge crack in their mast, they hurriedly took down all sail and motored directly to Shelter Bay, Colon. They are hoping they can get it fixed in time to catch up the fleet in the Galapagos. One of the Cats broke her steering chain but they managed to fix it drilling out washers to replace its broken links, another one was complaining about an hour glass – surely they didn’t set the spinnaker in that wind – but apparently it was the screecher that deployed itself, they hadn’t meant to. Wind went down slowly next day and night. With the adverse current we got, realised we would have trouble making the finish at San Blas within the time limit so we were hand steering to try to get best speed. In fact we did get there with 28 min to spare and without motoring but it was getting dark by then so we ended up hove to for the night going into the anchorage at West Hollandes next morning. San Blas were beautiful, you could easily spend months exploring, You need the Eric Bauhaus book, apparently a lot of the charts are not accurate. Our Navionics was not too bad but obviously not quite right, the only large scale British chart is in fathoms! We just visited a couple of anchorages, but some boats went zapping about doing 3 a day, but someone also went aground which prompted everyone else to take more care. We all sailed for a few days, flying Panama flag and Q flag, then went to Porvenir to check in with Immigration. The office has just reopened and we had the guy from World Cruising there to help (who spoke Spanish), it took a while, forms to be filled out in pentuplicate long hand, but eventually our passports got stamped. We went then to Puerto Lindo/Linton Is by the mainland to finish checking the boat in. We visited Portobelo, which had interesting historic ruins but there are a few wrecks from hurricane Otto, then on to Shelter Bay. Pretty amazing to sail in through the big breakwaters, Christobal control obviously had a list and knew who we all were. The Marina is pleasant but quite expensive and they don’t give any discounts. I think they have a monopoly. There is a pool, but the wifi is useless as usual and costs 10US$. We went on a great trip to an Embera Indian Village – you were taken up the Chagres river in dugout canoes – with big outboard engines, also went on the free bus to the mall for shopping.

For the Canal they organised us into two Transit groups and we were in the first one comprising 6 rafts of 2 or 3 boats. It was easy for us as the admin was sorted out by the world ARC rally. The middle boat, often a Cat, as in our raft, does the driving and the two outside ones have the lines and fenders. These were hired for us, 3 big round fenders and 2 long lines per boat. The fenders were new, and the lines were polypropylene about 20mm I think (not 40 as it says in the book). You got measured and inspected beforehand (they check to see the toilet is clean) and each boat gets an advisor. We motored out of the Marina and anchored at the flats to wait for the advisors who boarded from a powerful pilot launch, they did not need a boarding ladder as they stepped down onto our deck. Then we found the plan had changed again and our group was divided in two with both halves going through with a big ship. So we lounged around in the sunshine for the rest of the afternoon, at least it gave me a chance to serve the pasta bolognese I had cooked in advance, going to the Gatun locks as it got dark. But the locks are very brightly lit, we were in the old locks and you could watch a big ship in the new ones alongside being pulled through by the little railway engines. All went smoothly, the advisers were great, ours was called Hastra Alberto. It is true that you need to keep then fed though. And they like Coca-Cola. Andrew on the cat, Laura Dawn, did a great job driving us all, occasionally Steve or Dug on the other monohull were asked for a burst of forward or reverse as well. We borrowed a crew member from Laura Dawn to be our other line handler and Helen did a great job. It seemed easier really than the Crinan Canal especially as you were held in the centre by the ropes and never touched the sides. The boats in the front rank behind the ship must have got some turbulence but not too frightening. After 3 up locks we motored out into Gatun Lake and separated the rafts, shortly we came upon the rest of the fleet tied to two big buoys so we hastily rafted up to them. Apparently it is not advisable to anchor as there is a still a lot of debris on the bottom, trees and stuff, from when the lake was created. Pilot boats took the advisors off (say 21.00) but just a short night as they were back by 1st light at 06.30. Then the long motor across Gatun Lake following the buoys, lots of huge ships going past. We went under the relatively new Centennial bridge, quite spectacular. You just have to do what the advisor says, faster or slower, eventually the rafts were reformed and we went into the down locks, one San Pedro lock, across the small Miraflores lake, then two Miraflores locks, then we are out into the Pacific!    We separated from our “raft” and proceeded under the Bridge of the Americas.  

After the bridge, the advisors were taken off, you have to make sure you have fenders in place as it can be rather bouncy, but the driver of the pilot boat was very skilled, then we all headed into La Playita Marina., on the way catching sight of the amazing Panama City skyline with skyscrapers to rival Miami, even a Trump tower. The world ARC people had managed to arrange for berths for all of us in the Marina as it had just been expanded. Very expensive and washroom facilities basic but there is a chandlery and a laundry, the pontoons are good and you can get diesel and gas, no European electricity though. Next morning we were dismayed to find that something had got into the cabin and taken some bread (and left a lot of crumbs). Turned out to be a raccoon we think – the boat next door saw one getting at their rubbish in the cockpit.

So we have been on a tour of the city, the new one, the old one and the ruins of the very old one that was destroyed by Henry Morgan in 1671. Just now waiting for the Volvo people to come and the 1st 50 hour service on our new engine, ruinously expensive, over 500$US but we have to have it to get the stamp in the book for the warranty. Once that is done and we have done washing, shopping (last shops for 4000 miles apparently the Shopping mall in Panama city is the biggest in South America), filled fuel etc we will sail to the Las Perlas islands then to Galapagos.

For the blow by blow account go to our daily logs on the World Cruising site see https://www.worldcruising.com/logsarticle.aspx?page=S636200868032309430&ArchiveID=5&CategoryID=192&ItemID=250476&src=

We arrived at lunchtime on Friday.  Finishing the leg 2nd last meant we got a fantastic welcome when we arrived. It was blowing 40 knots plus, so we crossed the line with tiny scraps of main and staysail and about 20 people (and a rib) got Timshel into the Marina berth.  We went off on a tour of this historic city about an hour later. Santa Marta is the oldest city in South America, and the place were Simon Bolivar died.  Next day was a day at a beautiful beach at the national park with a BBQ, very relaxing but the water was actually quite cold compared to the Caribbean. Went to tour a coffee plantation today then to a big shopping mall.   Still struggling to get to the grips with the currency.  Steve went to the cash machine and took out 10,000 pesos – when I worked it out, that is about £2.50!

We are enjoying getting to know the crews of the 25 boats. There is even one that left from Kip Marina but one year after us.  The next  leg to the San Blas islands starts on Wednesday.

We have been rushing round all week preparing Timshel, getting stores, going to the seminars and briefings provided by World Cruising about the route, weather etc. It seems that as soon as you tick off one job, you find several more. The excitement is building! It has been great to meet the crews of the other boats in the rally, our companions for the next months and everyone is very sociable. We just got back from the Farewell party (with steel band), actually at the rather sober time of 21.00 and we are looking forward to the start as we set off on the first leg of the World voyage from St Lucia to Santa Marta in Columbia. There are 26 boats on the rally, we are the smallest at 40 ft, the largest is 64 ft and half are sailing 2 handed for this leg, including the 64 ft one. If you want to follow us, we have a yellow brick satellite tracker, see http://www.worldcruising.com/world_arc/world_arc/eventfleetviewer.aspx. You have to download the YB races app, then select World ARC 2017 St Lucia to MacKay (may have to select it twice). We will be able to post a daily blog to World ARC site, sending short messages over the SSB radio, so look there for a blow by blow account while we are at sea. This main blog at http://www.timshel81.com we will update when we can, when we get wifi in port.

The engine installation finally completed last Saturday, it all seemed to take a long time and we had to wait for a slot for the boat to be lifted to change the propellor.  Jean-Paul, Ramon, Mikail and Joel from Mechanique Plaisance in Marin were very good.  And also of course Armelle who so efficiently sorted out our spares and everything for the new engine. We spent a lot of our time in Marin buying things from the excellent chandlers.  Anne at the Carenantilles yard kindly arranged our berthing.

Also took the opportunity to sew some slip covers for the saloon cushions using the new sewing machine.

Steve’s sister arrived last Monday for Christmas in Martinique with us.  She had filled her luggage with lots of spares for us.  We hired a car for a couple of days (cheaper than a taxi to the airport) and visited St Pierre ( the town destroyed in 1902 when Mont Pelee erupted), the rather wonderful Balata botanic gardens and the Run distillery at Trois Rivieres.  We’ve now moved south to Grande Anse d’Arlet, a lovely holiday bay.  We’ve been snorkelling and seen lots of fish, also some turtles.

We had been planning to get a new engine fitted in St Lucia, all booked and mostly paid for. Unfortunately Volvo seem to have a global production and supply problem and the engines that had been ordered for the Caribbean are not leaving Europe until this week and won’t arrive before we are due to leave. Egbert the local Volvo engineer did locate an engine for us – in Martinique so last Tuesday we set off from St Lucia for Marin in Martinique to arrange for our new engine. Weather at the start of the week involved rain of biblical proportions and a 180 deg wind shift during the night. One boat in the anchorage ended up on the beach. I found a tiny frog in the cockpit about 1 cm long and had to help it ashore, didn’t think it would want to go to Martinique. There were a few hitches and for a while it looked like we would be keeping the old engine, it seems Volvo have changed their gearboxes so you now require a right hand rather than a left hand propellor (Volvos always had LH props!). So more money required for a new prop. Now a week later we are alongside with the engineer dismantling our engine, we are looking forward to getting the shiny new one.
Marin is a very busy yachting port. We moved to a more scenic anchorage for the weekend. On Sunday morning we found ourselves with rather a too good a view of the local Yole racing (see pic). These local boats had quite high-etc square sails and 3 to 6 guys in the crew energetically paddling when required to supplement the sail and get up to windward, or hanging right out off the side on outriggers to balance the sail. We had been sitting peacefully at anchor having been ther all night and with the appropriate day mark (a black ball) displayed when the launches laid a huge racing mark right off our bow – well about exactly where our anchor was, making it difficult to move anyway. They didn’t come to speak to us at all, but after the start of the race seemed to be indicating it would be better if we moved back a bit, so we let more chain out to drop back away from the buoy. All fine for the first pass, but then they were coming back from the other direction uncomfortably close. So before they started the next race we got the anchor up and moved across the bay to St Annes. Luckily it was just clear of the buoy, but we were practically touching it as we got up the anchor.