Big Fuses

October 20, 2012, 9:07 am

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"BIG FUSES" or RF SURGE PROTECTION

Panama City

October 20, 2012

With my captain away, I have nothing better to do than catching up on my writing.  Yes, I’m way behind, still reeling from the havoc of the lightning strike.  What have we learned? How did we make the boat better?


 

Not an easy position: surge suppression on the Glendinning control head.

I sent out a marine lightning survey to cruisers.  I am amazed to learn that although all are worried about lightning, cowering under the pillows during a storm, very few are actually doing something to protect their boat and equipment beyond tossing a handled VHF and GPS in the oven.  We think there is much more that can be done.  For example, protecting the equipment from electrical and RF surges. 

In a previous blog, I have explained about “little fuses” or transient surge suppressors (TVS diodes) to protect the AC and DC electrical circuits and equipment.  As an example, I posted pictures of our engine protection system.  JP installed some 20 of those diodes on all the equipment, and I’m posting here pictures of some of the in-line applications.

1) In-line TVS diode - Twisting the wires reduce the magnetic field between the wires.

 

2) TVS diode on shielded wire - Adding foil as a shield.

But how to protect your VHF, AM/FM, AIS, and SSB from RF surges?  Coax cables demand another kind of protection.  For this, we turned to The Protection Groupagain and their line of POLYPHASER gas capsules.  I’m not a tecchie, so I’m not going to launch into an explanation of how the stuff works.  There is plenty of info on the Protection Group site.  It goes without saying that what is good enough for all the large cell phone towers, ships, locomotives, is good enough for me.  But how do you choose the right RF protection for your application?  DC block or DC pass? 

To choose our arrestors, we turned to our manufacture techs as well as the TESSCOtech support.   This is what we have chosen, based on frequency range, throughput energy, connectors and maximum power frequency.

 

VHF and AIS antennas: VHF50HN-MA  from Polyphaser  and RFN-1026-1X from RF industries.  

Bulkhead-mounted Polyphaser - N-connectors, N-male and N-Female (if we need to remove the Polyphaser, we can always connect the M/F ends); Note the grounding and the coax cable loop.  Mounted at the base of the antenna.

For our ICOM 718 radio, we are still in the process of selecting a product.  These are the recommendations from ICOM:

“ A Polyphaser could be installed between the 718 and the tuner. DC Block would be fine.
- I would also look for a "control Line" Polyphaser unit for rotor control cables as this could be used on the tuner control line. It would need to be a DC pass device.
- The antenna side of the tuner does not have a lightning protection device available.”

In other words, there is no way to protect the tuner.

Connecting the coax cable to the N-terminal

Making sure that the connection is proper: no short

Connecting the surge protector to ground

 

Using KOPR-SHIELD to enhance connection

We take lightning seriously.  While doing the survey, I’ve read horror stories of boats being blown to pieces (40 holes in the hull), being struck 3 times, losing all power and electronics.  When at anchor, we still disconnect most of our electronics.  But, being a powerboat, we can’t do that while underway, and I certainly would not have disconnected the AIS last month when a sudden T-storm surprised us while transiting Colon Harbor, one of the busiest ports in the world: we couldn’t see 100 yards outside but the AIS showed us surrounded by boats.  Lightning or not, we had to rely on our radar and AIS.  Unplugging the equipment at every sign of lightning is NOT a viable option, not for us, not while underway.

So, I’ll let the pictures do the rest of the talking, while I visit with my neighbors at anchor, all hit by lightning within the last 3 months: “Samara II” in Portobelo, “Eyes of the World” in Las Perlas, and “My Muse” in Belize.  FYI, that’s one monohull and 2 catamarans.

JP can't gain weight!  He needs to get into all those tight places.  Here, under the "Kepi" to reach the base of the antennas

Until next time....

dominomarie

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HMS Bounty Lost

October 30, 2012, 4:17 pm

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The "Black Pearl" to Davy Jones' Locker

October 30^th, 2012  

Panama City

Photo USCG

A tragedy at sea.  Yesterday, October 29^th, 2012, the famous tallship HMS BOUNTY was lost while sailing south of Cape Hatteras.  Of the sixteen crew members on board, fourteen were rescued.  Crew member Claudene Christian’s body was recovered.  Captain Robin Walbridge is still missing, 30 hours after the event. 

The HMS BOUNTY (Photo UPI)

The ship was made famous in the 1960 movie “Mutiny on the Bounty” with Marlon Brando.  Who can forget cruel Captain Bligh and the mutinous Fletcher Christian?  Go to Pitcairn these days and see how many Christians populate the island.  Ironically, Claudene Christian, who lost her life in this tragedy, claimed to be a distant descendant of the original mutineer, Fletcher Christian himself. 

The "BLACK PEARL" (see NOTE below)

To the younger audience, the HMS BOUNTY is also known as “THE BLACK PEARL” from the movie series “Pirates of the Caribbean.”

The big question on everyone’s lips today is “Why did an experienced captain decide to go to sea in a monster hurricane?”

Dan Moreland, the captain of another tall ship, the Picton Castle, doesn’t get it either.  His ship was scheduled to appear at the same event as the HMS Bounty in St. Petersburg.  Warnings of this monstrous system that was Sandy, dubbed “Frankenstorm,” came early.  For Capt. Moreland, there was no question that no ship should be out to sea in this weather.  No way could Sandy be skirted around or avoided.  Capt. Moreland stayed put in Halifax.

Yet the HMS Bounty’s owner claims that the problem was not the storm, but that something went wrong on board.  

Hurricane SANDY yesterday morning, 10/29/2012 The Christian Science Monitor:

"The ship's course out of Connecticut took it due east to try to avoid the oncoming hurricane Sandy. Early on Sunday, the crew felt it had skirted the danger: A Facebook post showed the ship's position on a map well to the east of the storm's fiercest winds.

They were mistaken. The ship was close to the tail end of the hurricane as it whipped up the Atlantic coast."

Reports of generator failure followed, and the ship started to take on water.  Pounding seas have a way to mess up the machinery!

From the Bounty's Facebook Blog on 10/28 Bounty Update 10/28...So far so good ! Bounty's move to the east avoided all the storms up the Atlantic Coast. Bounty has now positioned herself to pass on the west side of Hurricane Sandy. Again the "Blue" outline is Sandy proposed track. Last reported postion : N 34 degrees 38' W 073 degrees 21' Speed 8 knots

Those who side with Capt. Walbridge’s decision argue that even the U.S. Navy takes its ships at sea during a hurricane.  Yes, they do, but away from the storm; not into the path of a Category I hurricane.

Hurricane Sandy, yesterday morning, 10/29/2012

The battle lines are drawn; some support Capt. Walbridge; others shake their heads and wonder what was this Captain thinking?  I’m one of them.  In just three years on the water, DOMINO has already escaped two hurricanes: TOMAS in Bequia in October 2010 and IRENE in New York City last year.  In each case, we just ran away.  AWAY… not into the hurricane.

But Sandy was so big that it was impossible to run away from it, at least, not by going South.  Perhaps Northeast… all the way to Europe!  To seek shelter, many of our cruiser friends hunkered down in various hurricane holes in the Chesapeake: Onancock, Fishing Bay (by Deltaville), Mill Creek in Annapolis, or Norfolk.  All rode the storm at anchor, some with 3 anchors, experienced winds up to 60kts, 6’ surge and lots of rain, but all are safe.  They were better at anchor than at sea or docked at marinas.

Was the Captain of the HMS Bounty in a hurry to get to St. Petersburg for the Nov 10-11^th event?  Did he get over-confident in the capabilities of his ship?  Did he really underestimate the strength and geographical scope of the storm?  Eighteen-foot waves are nothing to sneer at.  A nine hundred miles area of hurricane-force winds is a daunting picture.  Will we ever know what happened?

Photo USCG

One last comment.  Kudos to the U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmers and rescue crew.  They are true heroes and once more put their own lives at risk to save lives of others.  I couldn’t be any prouder of our own nephew, Andre Pinault, a Coastie in his own rights, now five years in the Corps.  Good choice.

U.S.C.G.

DEDICATION – DEVOTION - SERVICE

What would you do have done in Capt. Walbridge’s place?  Gone South? Holed up somewhere? Gone Northeast?  I sincerely hope that the poor Captain will be plucked out of the sea, but even in a survival suit, chances are minimal.  It’s a sad day for all yachties, racers and cruisers alike.

The Black Pearlwent down to Davy Jones’ Locker…  a tragic irony.

NOTE - The HMS BOUNTY made only short appearances in the Pirates of the Caribbean movie series.  The BLACK PEARL was a floating set on a barge and looks quite different from the HMS BOUNTY.  A 12-year old British boy noted the difference while touring the BOUNTY in 2007.

The Black Pearl movie set

Until next time

dominomarie

T-Storms in Las Brisas

November 12, 2012, 9:40 am

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November 12, 2012

Panama City –

Las Brisas Anchorage

DOMINO at anchor in 35-knot winds (Photo: Samara II)

Boy, Oh Boy!  It was crash-and-burn last night at the anchorage.  In my three years of cruising, I had never seen such mayhem, but it could have been a lot worse.

SAMARA II at anchor in 35-knot winds

Just before dusk, the entire South-East sky was ominously pitch-black, a wide swath running the entire span from East to South.  I didn’t wait to hear the roaring wind to close every single hatch and even latch the ventilation ports at the helm… double-latched!

The double-latching dorades for cabin ventilation at the helm.

And it hit, all of a sudden, the 45kt slam followed by hysterical screams on the VHF.  Hysterical screams--so shrill I could not even understand them-- were followed by more controlled calls of skippers hailing each other.  “You’re dragging, Mate!”  How can you tell?  It’s pitch-black out-there, half the boats have no lights on, a third of the boats have nobody on board, it’s raining buckets and howling so fiercely you can’t see a thing through the windshield and if you peek a head outside, the wind and rain pelt you!  So, I just turned on my “Drag Queen” anchor watch, backed up by the tracking program on the i-Pad’s Navionics, and turned the VHF louder.

Sailboat on the rocks

“Domino! Domino! A boat is dragging towards your starboard bow!”  Boat without light, assuming nobody is on board… Raincoat! Searchlight! Run on deck to check!  Sure enough, 5 yards off my starboard, a bowsprit is threatening to spear my ribs!  Run back inside, turn the engine on, keep it on "warm", run back outside to check on the dragging Windsong.

S/V Windsong

And now is when I feel silly: I flash my searchlight on the dragster’s anchor line to see if it’s going to tangle with my anchor (that would NOT be good) but we’re all right, then check the venturer’s cockpit to make sure nobody’s on board; but surprise! The poor guy at the helm is being blinded (sorry, Mate) and is doing his best to avoid a dozen boats while he is single-handling through the storm.  Not easy to maneuver the dragging anchor 200 feet ahead of you boat, avoiding others’ anchor lines, and at the same time trying not to hit anybody with your stern.  Kudos!  Windsong managed to avoid all of us and re-anchor away from the fleet, admitting later he could now use a couple Valiums!  This morning, he was shopping for a better anchor.  Lesson: have a proper-sized anchor and rode for your boat…  AND  be on board at the Witching Hour!

Typical after-storm boat pile-up at in Las Brisas

Meanwhile, Milleniumhad dragged onto Wet Bar.  It would not have been much of a problem if Millenium’s engine had not been in pieces, undergoing repair, or if Wet Bar’s owner had been on board to maneuver his powerboat.  This turned out to be a pretty nasty hit, and the guys are still assessing damages this morning.  Count on solidarity, though: cruisers launched their dinghies in 25 knots and chop to help Millenium re-anchor.  Lesson: be double vigilant and anchor away from the fleet if your engine is disabled…  AND  be on board at the Witching Hour!

The Bridge of the Americas and the new Eco-Environment museum

The Chilean boat Pancho once more dragged into the rocks, the third time in 3 weeks.  Once more, nobody was on board.  This morning, a flotilla of dinghies rallied to re-anchor the derelict boat way off the fleet.  Lesson: be on board at the Witching Hour!

 Half a dozen other boats were dragging in the more crowded sectors of the anchorage, fortunately all owners were on board and, hysterical VHF calls notwithstanding, were able to slalom around each-other and hold.  This morning on the bay offered a spectacle of re-anchoring boats.  Lesson: don’t anchor too close from each other…  AND be on board at the Witching Hour.

After the storm...

 

To add frosting on this mayhem, Nighthawk, who was returning from an afternoon in the city, sent a distress VHF call: their dinghy had disappeared from the dock.  Once more, solidarity sprung to action.  Three dinghies started to scour the bay in heavy chop and still gusting winds, never giving up until they finally located the missing craft, an hour later.  Since the tender was found in a spot way upwind from the dinghy dock, with its painter cut and its motor raised, it is apparent that someone had used the dinghy for a joy-ride and had left it adrift.  Lesson: lock your dink, or at least remove the kill-switch.

S/V Nighthawk

Reports from the Balboa anchorage area, fully exposed to the SE, mentioned a sinking panga and some blown windows off buildings.  

S/V MILLENIUM

The Witching Hourin this anchorage and at this season generally starts around 1400.  Massive and violent thunderstorms appear from any direction.  Last night was from the Southeast, but clouds have a tendency to swirl around the bay and can just as well come from the East, West or Southwest.

1600 -  T-storm coming our way, this time from NNW

The storms are often violent with usual wind speeds in the high twenties, gusts frequently ranging in the mid-thirties, or like yesterday up to 45 knots.  Wind speeds in the sixties are common.

SAMARA II  at the edge of the storm

The Las Brisas anchorage is renown to have a layer of very soft mud over a bottom of harder clay, but there are some patches of very poor holding in the area.

Windy day in Panama Bay

What, then, are our tips for safe anchoring?

- Select an anchor sized for your boat.  Under-sized tackle is way too common.  DOMINO is currently anchored on a 160-lb Raya anchor.  The Raya is no longer on the market but there are excellent alternative:  the ULTRA, and of course the ROCNA among them.  Get the best, heaviest, widest, sharpest anchor you can get, with the most fluke surface possible.  If you must choose between spending $$ on an anchor or on chain, spend it on the anchor.

DOMINO's tackle: 2 Raya anchors, 72 Kg with 200' 1/2" chain and 45 Kg with 400' chain

- Select full-chain rode of appropriate length and size.  DOMINO is currently on Acco 200’ of ½” grade 40 high-test chain.  Check herewhat’s right for your boat.

- Pay-out the proper scope for the conditions.  Here, we have 15-20’tides.  If your depths sounder reads only 10’ under your boat but you anchor at low tide, add a good 20’ in your base calculation.  Don’t forget to add the height of your freeboard in the mix. In this anchorage, we have a 6:1 ratio.  See more on anchoring here.

- Allow for plenty of swinging room.  Boats behave in very different ways, depending on their shape, keel, windage.  We recently had the 86’ megayacht SPIIPanchored next to us and I was very nervous as it horsed all night, coming very close to us.  Although it is commonly recommended to drop a second anchor to reduce swinging room, we don’t.  The only time we did was in Washington DC because it was mandatory, our anchor chains got tangled up and it was a real mess to raise anchor.



But check this out... The Wemar Tandem Anchor System.... if these anchors are big enough for your boat, it's worth to check them out.  
Too small for us.  We rely on big, wide anchors with lots of chain.

Snug fit in the bow rollers

- Approach the anchorage slowly to pick your spot.  In crowded anchorages, possibly make a general query by VHF to find out about the particularities of the harbor.  Last week, a big catamaran was going to anchor ahead of us, right on top of an unmarked wreck.  I had to hail them and direct them to a better spot.

The Raya's conical shape for better holding power

- The rest is standard: lower your anchor, back down slowly giving time for the anchor to sink in the mud.  When you have paid out sufficient scope, pull with the engine in reverse until you can make sure that the chain is tight and not dragging (look at a point on land at 90 degrees of your boat.)  We’ve seen boats toss their anchors over the side, hoping for them to grab bottom, only to see the boat drag later on.  We’ve seen boats backing out too fast on their anchors and never managing to anchor. 

- When we drop anchor, JP sets an MOB point.  This gives us the anchor’s coordinates which we later transfer to the Drag Queen, allowing us to shut off all other systems on board.

I the last five weeks at anchor, DOMINO has not moved an inch, I suppose we’re well dug in.  Oh Boy, we’re going to have a muddy deck when we pull anchor.  Until then…

dominomarie

Punta Chame Robbery

November 24, 2012, 12:52 pm

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November 24, 2012

Las Brisas de Amador

Panama City, Panama

Sunrise in Las Brisas de Amador brought us the harrowing story of NARVAL

“Armed robbery in Panama again.”

Silly how we, cruisers, can get lulled into a false sense of security.  Just a few months ago, I reported on an vicious attack on board the yacht SUNSHINE in Bocas del Toro.  But since then, the VHF and SSB nets have been quiet, without Securité or Emergency calls, or at least nothing beyond the all-too-frequent dinghy and engine thefts.

That was until last week when the German yacht NARWAL dropped the hook behind us in Las Brisas de Amador (Panama City) and made a Securité announcement: they had just been robbed while at anchor off of Point Chame.  By the numbers?

- 2100 – time of attack

- 2 pangas

- 4 young, athletic men

- 4 guns

- $8,000 of stolen property

The Panamean AERONAVAL is not always anchored next to you!

Once more, I must raise the issue and ask you to ponder the scenario.  What would YOU do if 2 pangas sidled up to your hull at 9PM?  Would you go get them some water?  We are so nice, aren’t we?  So ready to help our fellow man!  So eager to respond to the plight of the poor fisherman!

Think of simple solutions that do not involve weapons (in a first response.) 

- Run back inside, lock yourself up and make a lot of noise.  Some cruisers have installed panic buttons that activate loud alarms and floodlights.  Car-alarm types of sirens run on 12V and only costs a few dollars.  Honk your horns, blow your whistles, make some noise!

- Get on the VHF and make a Securité call on both CH16 and the local cruisers channel (here, VHF 74).

- Check that all your hatches are latched.

If you don’t have an alarm system, think of installing one.  No, don’t THINK of installing one, just DO it.  Your wallet depends on it, as well as your life.

If you are the only boat anchored in an isolated spot, consider locking yourself up after sunset and open to absolutely no one, for absolutely no reason.

As for us, even though we rely on our PARADOX MAGELLAN system, we are still weary when we anchor in isolated spots, never fully asleep, making sure not to hit the rum bottle on those lonely nights!  Just two months ago, while on the hook at Isla Espiritu Santo (Las Perlas) the low rumble of an engine on our starboard pulled me out of bed at 2230.  I checked that all doors and hatches were locked and, without turning any light on, made my way to the galley.  As I peered out, I breathed a sight of relief at the sight of the AERONAVAL’s stealth speed boat loaded with half-a-dozen drug-patrol guys in full assault gear.  They were just checking us out, and I stayed put in the galley, by our 3’x4’ panoramic window, stark naked, when the bowman decided to shine its powerful searchlight directly on us.  Surprise!  I coolly waved at them, they coolly waved back, and went off on their merry way. Lucky for us, our visitors were not looking to do us any harm and I had no problem with them looking inside the boat.  I wouldn't feel the same way if the night visitor had some harmful intention.  Next time, I’ll make sure to pull the drapes shut!

Here are excerpts of the message I received from NARWAL.

“We are a German family cruising with 2 children, 3 and 6 years old…. We don’t own a fancy boat, as ours is an old 40 ft steel lady. 

[The attack] happened on our lonely anchorage between Punta Chame and Isla Taborcilla Nov. 12. 2012.  Around 9PM two lanchas with powerful outboards … pulled alongside our boat. My husband was reading in the front and our children were sleeping in the back cabin, so I went outside to see what was going on and one of the men asked me for some drinking water. Not an unusual request… Just the time was unusual.

So I… went down to get a bottle of water when I heard steps on the deck. My husband heard them as well and got up but one man was already rushing down to the salon, a pistol in his hand, shouting, looking for drugs. When he arrived at the front cabin the second man with a pistol pointing at us entered the salon and we were trapped between the two. A third guy with a pistol in his hand looked down from the companionway and a 4th person was in the cockpit.

They were screaming around and asked us for money, which we gave them directly… The financial damage comes to around 8,000 US$ but they didn't hurt us in any way and didn't disturb… the children in their cabin…. (there will be more posted soon at noonsite.com)

Bente & Arnd and the children Siri & Lars”

Be vigilant!

Until next blog,

dominomarie

On the Hookah

November 28, 2012, 8:24 am

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JP suits up to dive and clean the props

November 28, 2012

Taboga Island

(Panama)

Sometimes, we dive for pleasure.  Sometimes we dive for boat maintenance. Welcome to our life for the last two days as we have been cleaning the hulls and the props.  Oh! The barnacles!  I never thought these little animals could grow so fast and so thick.  Fortunately, we had our diving hookah to make the task bearable.

No-fun barnacles

We’ve stayed on the hook for long periods of time before.  The amount of barnacles generated during our two months in Bocas del Toro (Panama) and the 3-inch grasses from seven weeks in Portobelo should have prepared us for what we found under the hulls after six weeks in Panama City.  Hardly!  Even the anchor chain was no indication of what was below the hulls. 

There was nothing unusual in the small barnacles we scraped off on the first ten feet of chain.  The tip-off was when JP tried to throttle up and DOMINO started to vibrate.  No way could he throttle up to more than 800 rpm.  We should have been making 8 knots but barely managed 5 kts.  We dropped the hook in the deep waters of Taboga (using our “small” 90-lb Raya and a good 150’ of our 400’ 3/8” chain) and suited up to take a look at the props.  We had never seen anything like it.  It looked like Big D had been submerged for a century.  A full coat of barnacles—big, ugly, ¾” diameter barnacles-- was entirely overlaying both props, without even an inch of bronze showing through.  The coat was up to 2” thick in some parts, invading the short 3” of shaft as well. 

This is about how our props looked like after 6 weeks in Las Brisas. (photo seaventure.jalbum.net)

The grasses on the hulls were short but ubiquitous.  Barnacles were coating the hulls, but were an easy scrape-off since our Seahawk antifouling paint is still good after 2 ½ years of use.  The bottom of the skegs, though, where the antifouling has worn off, were entirely covered by 2” of critters.  I must apologize for not having taken pix… got a bit too busy with the work.

Our well-used Air Line Hookah system

 

In comes our diving hookah:  The Air Line (by Sink). This compact unit powered by a marinized 4HP Honda gas engine is quick to mount and easy to handle.  Its rugged red case fits in the forward hold and doesn’t mind the bumps and scrapes we subject it to.  Setting up is easy as 1-2-3.  Drop the unit into the yellow-covered inner tube, fit the two 70’ hoses, pour 2.5 quarts of plain gasoline, attach the air vent, pull the cord, purge the line and go!  The new 4-handle inner tube cover allows for much more stable handling of the unit.  We simply hook the handles to our dinghy hoist and lower it to the water.  When we want to dive far from the boat, we drop the floatie on our dinghy, stow the air hoses under the bench and off we go.   When we arrive at the dive location, we simply slide the floatie off the dinghy and it’s no more difficult to hoist it back on the dink at the end of the dive.   With out two 70’ air hoses, we have reached depths of 60’ without any problem.  We typically dive for no more than 90 minutes since we get cold and tired even though we are far from reaching the dive tables limits.  One tank of gas is more than enough and, indeed, we could dive for more than three hours on one tank only.  Can the unit overturn?  I suppose that in big seas, it might, but that would not be one of our diving days anyways.  As for clean up, a good rinse, a power air-drying with the compressor, drain the tank, add oil to the cylinder and voila! Back in the red case and down-below.  Easy! 

How does it compare to “real” diving with tanks?  Don’t compare.  If we want to dive deep, into caves or canyons, we just go to a local dive outfit and book an adventure.  But for our daily use, fishing or maintenance, the Hookah is perfect.

Cave-diving in Guanaja:  tanks and a good guide!

There are other brands: Sea Breathe makes a 12-volt unit.  Hookamax makes a variety of units, gas and electric.  How do you choose?  Go to boat shows, look at the units, talk to the owners.  We met Joe Sink back in 2001, when the Air Linewas only 2 years old.  Part of what makes a good product is the management and technical savvy behind the product.  Joe knew his product and was also a big-time user of the Air Line.  We must have met him at every boat show and we have witnessed his progress.  At the last boat show, we met the new owners of the company who took in our suggestions.  One of our complaints had been the 2-handled inner tube cover, an unstable setup that guaranteed to tip the unit upside down.  DONE!  We now have a 4-handle cover, stable and strong.  That’s what we love about the Air Line guys: they listen, they respond.

Now, the hull and props are clean and off we go… destination unknown, but hopefully some good diving!

Until next time

dominomarie

Taboga Island

December 13, 2012, 8:58 am

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November 27, 2012

Taboga Island, Panama

08°47.875 N – 079°33.175 W

Just five miles southwest of the “Safe Water” buoy off the entrance of the Panama Canal (Pacific side) lies a marvelous little island, Isla Taboga.  Dubbed “Isla de las Flores,” the Island of the Flowers is the weekend playground of the Panameans.  Lured by the prospect of clean waters and hospitable beaches, we went to check it out.

Of course, arriving on a Sunday gave us the full picture: beach packed with people crammed under an army of sun umbrellas, the air ripe with salsa music and laughter, pleasure yachts at anchor with the usual crowd: tanned guys drinking beer and shooting the breeze, skinny girls sunning themselves in scant bikinis or floating on air mattresses, and white-uniformed crew scampering over decks to launch PWCs or pump air into the various toys, including a water toboggan.  If you like people-watching, this is great fun.

FUN FUN FUN

Most boats catch a mooring (VHF 74: Taboga Moorings, or Jesus at 6442 5712) for $8/day.  Unfortunately, DOMINO weighing in at just the 25-ton safety limit imposed by Jesus, was just too big for the moorings.  Dropping anchor can be difficult since there is very limited space between the moorings and the water is deep (15 to 20 meters).  But we found a spot off the ferry wharf in 10 meters (33 feet) at low tide.  Since there is a 5.2-meter tide (17 feet), planning for a 15-meter (50’) deep anchorage can deter a number of boats not equipped for such an anchorage. No problem for DOMINO.  In this case, 200 feet of chain/40 feet of depth (33 feet of water + 7 feet of freeboard) = 5:1 scope of ½” chain.  Solid.  It’s not the case for all boats, however.  Case in point: a splendid, brand new Catana 47’ on delivery to Tahiti anchored there a few days after us.  The crew went to shore for a few hours only to come back to a vacant anchorage.  Their brand new boat had drifted away, nowhere in sight.  Fortunately, the Catana was equipped with GPS tracker and the crew was able to locate it via Internet.  Jesus (Taboga Moorings) sent out a panga to retrieve the yacht, bring it back to the island and safely secure it to one of his moorings.  Lesson: if you don’t have the right tackle, don’t anchor here!

More powercats in sight!

Taboga is, however, a great place to leave your boat on a mooring if you must travel home for a few weeks, definitely an alternative to Panama City’s Balboa Yacht Club.  Jesus does a great job caring for the yachts.  

A ferry assumes the daily crossing Taboga-Amador (Panama City).  We found it a very nice anchorage, with water clean enough to clean the hulls. 

The beach doesn’t seem like much at high tide, but as soon as the water recedes, a sand spit appears, parting the waters into 2 anchorages and opening a path to the little island of Morro Taboga.  Great place to meet the locals, sample empanadas from the local food stands, drink beer, and avoid being run over by an ATV or two.  Take a walk along the waterfront, its yellow-and-white concrete banisters a colorful garland along the town, walk up to the church, down across bridges, and enjoy the blooming hibiscus and bougainvilliers.  Be surprised by a Gauguin mural (yes, Paul Gauguin did a stint here) and chat with the locals.  It’s all cool. 

The ferry Playa Blanca: Lagoon powercat

Don’t expect to find gasoline here, although if you’re very persistent and convincing, you might purchase a gallon from the locals.  In a pinch, you can shop for basic groceries and a few tomatoes at the local “shopette.”  As for restaurants, we didn’t try any since we don’t like to leave our tender on the beach unattended for too long.  Next time, we’ll just call the water taxi to get to town.  How?  Just holler or blow your horn, the blue water taxi will come and get you for $3 per ride!

Clean hulls and props, refreshed by the fun atmosphere of Taboga (really, very quiet during the week), we returned to Panama City to pickup our refrigeration system (oops, our fridge died…) before launching on our tour of the Las Perlas Islands… but that’s a story for another day.

Until then….

dominomarie 

Holidays 2012

December 28, 2012, 4:28 am

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Isla Ampon
Las Perlas, Panama

Contadora Beach

Happy Holidays to all.... while the civilized world is rushing for the last of holiday shopping and already thinking of parties and reveling for the New Year, we lead quite a different life, absolutely alone as Isla Ampon, a small island lost in the Las Perlas Islands, south of Panama City.  We haven't seen a soul in three days!

Our Xmas Tree in Ampon

Yet, with the miracle of Internet, we've been close to our children and grandchildren, checking out their holiday pictures with Santa and the family.  With phone and Iridium, we were able to call them and somewhat participate in their celebration.  But for us, it's solitude at anchor... peace on earth and at sea.

DOMINO has just celebrated her 3 years on the water... check our photo collage!

   

But even solitude must end... today, we're chugging back to Isla Contadora to pickup our friends from Paraguay, Daniel and Malou, and we're looking forward to it.

Reading by moonlight in Ampon

So, to all of you, our best wishes in this holiday season, for a HEALTHY new year (Forget the red meat, eat more fish and whole grains, whispers Dr. JP as he is reading a 28-year study confirming that a daily additional serving of red meat increases the risk of dying by 13%, with the worst being processed meat and hot dogs)....

Meanwhile, find PEACE, wherever you may be.

Our love to all!

Dr. JP & Dominomarie
& DOMINO

Contadora Island

January 10, 2013, 2:17 pm

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Playa Cacique on the South Shore of Contadora

January 10, 2013

Las Perlas Archipelago

Panama

Some fifty miles south of Panama City lies an archipelago of splendid islands, Las Perlas – The Pearl Islands.  Indeed, the locals came by to offer us some black pearls, $80 for something barely larger than a grain of rice.  Admittedly, the chances of finding a pearl in the local oysters are not in the diver's favor.  

Local panga tries to sell us tiny pearls

It wasn’t always that way, though, as conquistadores Francisco Pizzaro and Gaspar de Morales found out in the 16^th century.  They enslaved the local divers to harvest beautiful pearls, among them the 31-carat “Peregrina” pearl of Queen Mary Tudor of England and most recently owned by Liz Taylor.   It goes without saying that I dove for oysters, found a few with the beginning of a pearl scar, but too young to have formed a true pearl.  I say, let them be!

Pearl oysters

We have fallen in love with these islands.  Unlike the flat, palm-studded San Blas Islands, these are hilly and wooded, with real trees and fragrant blooms in shades of gold, yellow and red.  When arriving at an anchorage, it’s always the smell of the earth and the scent of flowers that assail and surprise us.  In the Perlas, add the constantly changing panorama.  With twelve- to twenty-foot tides, the coast may be dipping its low branches in a deep emerald water at high tide, and reveal ochre rocks, gray mud flats, or pink shell-strewn beaches at low tide.  It’s spectacular!

Chart from the Bauhaus guide

 

As for the chart to navigate the area, the best we found is Eric Bauhaus’ Panama Cruising Guide, the electronic version loaded on Open CPN, with GPS dongle, on a laptop computer.    Even so, some of his charts are wrong, with rocks where none are indicated and where sand banks have shifted.  Many yachts have reported hull damage by wayward rocks.  So, beware!  Do not attempt to enter treacherous, narrow and shallow channels without perfect visibility and a lookout on the bow.  The waters are murky and the bottom difficult to read.  This said, Las Perlas are lovely cruising ground and we intend to spend most of the year in the area.

Leaping lobula ray

The best part of the islands is fishing and wildlife sighting.  Cero, Mahi-Mahi, yellowfin tuna, skipjack are the usual catch of the day while trolling.  Diving can yield sizeable Red Snappers.  Mud flats are full of tarpon and occasional hawk fish.  Fun for all types of fishermen!  

Jp and our friend Daniel (from Paraguay) hang on to their catch

Sighting of playful Pacific dolphins, pods of humpback whales, curious spotted whalesharks and hundreds of leaping Lobula rays is usual during a crossing.  

Daniel and Malou enjoy their first catch: a cero

Add to that swarms of swallows, boobies, terns, frigate birds who contend for baitballs and jumping fish, and there is never a dull moment on board.

Bait ball!

First stop, then: CONTADORA Island.  We like Contadora for two reasons.  It’s an easy rendez-vous point to pickup or drop-off guests, and the provisioning is decent.  The Contadora Ferry leaves Balboa yacht Club in Panama City at 0800 every morning, arriving Contadora at 1000, and returns around 1540 in the afternoon.  

The Contadora Ferry also services Saboga and can be hired for private events, here at Chapera

We anchored on the north shore, at Playa Galeon, just to the side of the ferry’s moorings, and the ferry’s panga delivered our guests on board.  How simple!  If your guests arrive by air, that’s also the spot to pick them up, with easy beaching for the dinghy.  For provisioning on the north shore, we found several shops, but our favorite is BLANDY’s, just past the airport.  On Thursday morning, all produce is fresh and Blandy is very selective.  She also sells fuel.  The prices, although a bit higher than the city, are best at Blandy’s as well. 

Contadora, South shore

 So, for provisioning or picking up guests: north shore anchorage, just at the north end of the airfield’s runway.  But that anchorage is quite rolly in summer, exposed to the northern winds.

For once, we picked up a mooring

Contadora’s south shore is the party place.  The shore is dotted with white mansions and Playa Cacique is a vast expanse of white sand perfect for playing tourist.  Indeed, the shore boasts a hotel-restaurant and the new manager—Pascal, a Frenchie—is said to serve good food!  The anchorage is peppered with mooring balls, all private, rarely occupied by their owners.  If during the week it was no problem to pick-up one of the large-boat moorings, it was unthinkable to do so on the holiday weekend:  the bay was filled with over 100 yachts that had come from the city. 

One of the local toys!

Contadora Island is one of the cleanest, most pristine places we’ve visited in Panama.  You can complete a walk around the island in just a couple of hours or be lucky—as we did—and get picked-up by a young girl on her golf cart and ferried back to the anchorage.  

Trigger fish: ubiquitous and delicious!

Contadora, the playground of Panama’s elite, will be for the next few months our nexus of activity!

JP is proud of his 14-lb red snapper caught spearfishing

From there, it’s all south!

Until next stop,

dominomarie

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Isla Del Rey – South East

February 22, 2013, 6:28 am

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Our 1st fish on the troll in many days: Crevalle Jack ("Jurel") Very good to eat when you do eat the way the locals do!

February 5^th, 2013

La Esmeralda

Punta Cocos

Isla del Rey, Las Perlas, Panama

Snapper (What kind?) Pargo Sigilio (?): excellent, on the troll

We’ve been hopping around Las Perlas for several weeks, and I’m presenting the various islands in no particular order.  Today, the southern part of Isla del Rey.  Isla del Rey is the largest and the southern-most of the Pearl Islands.  Its large south-east bay at Esmeralda village is the jumping spot for great bottom fishing off the banks directly south of Punta Cocos, for trolling off Isla Galera, and for hopping to Bahia Piñas where sportsfishers congregate every July for world-record marlin fishing.

Isla San Telmo– 

The rocks (bottom right of the screen) are treacherous, but passable with caution

Entering the bay by the NE of Isla San Telmo is tricky, narrow, and the path is riddled with rocks.  This is best done at low tide and with great visibility.  We tried to anchor north of San Telmo but the easterlies coupled with the SE swell discouraged us from trying that anchorage. 

The rocks north of San Telmo: current is strong, but there is room to enter

Morro Cacique– 08*17.87N – 078*53.43W -  This is a delightful spot.  The headland Morro Cacique definitely looks like and Indian Chief with full-feathered headgear.  

Waves breaking on the SW end of Morro Cacique

The sloping, white sand beach is adequate for drying out (“carenage”).  Snorkeling around the rocky shores proved disappointing: poor visibility and currents soon sent us back to the safety of our big ship.  Even though we expected some protection from the point (Punta Chiquero) and the Morro, we found that the swells entered our anchorage and we ended up rocking quite a bit.  Like Isla San Telmo,  Morro Cacique is probably a better anchorage in the dry season (December-March) when the winds blow out of the north.

Careful with the rocks N of San Telmo

Rio Cacique– We still have to visit this anchorage, again best in the dry season.  The cool part about this anchorage is to take the dinghy up the Rio with the flood, and drift back down the river with the ebb.  I’m told that the lagoon is host to fairly large blue crabs that the locals frequently harpoon.  Can’t wait to visit that spot!

La Esmeralda Village - Quiet and friendly

La Esmeralda – 08*16.028N – 078*55.201W - In the dry season, we anchored at La Esmeralda.  Don’t expect to find much here, but a fisherman’s village where people are delightful and ready to help.  We arrived at La Esmeralda with guests on board: Ruben Crompton-- the John Deere Service Director who had so valiantly rescued DOMINO in the San Blas Islands when we were hit by lightning – and his family.  

Martin & Sons:  your "go-to" family

We were greeted by their friend Martin, “El Cojo” and his four sons.  Martin, a grower on the island, took care of us during our stay.  And he’ll take care of you too!  Water, gasoline (no diesel), ice, fresh fruit in season, yucca, and he’ll give you a ride to the top of the hill where the entire village congregates to catch the tenuous Movistar cellular signal (no Digicel signal).  Don’t expect to have a private conversation: this is the gossip spot, where everyone listens to everybody else’s business and soon the entire village knows how the wife is ready to kick the husband out ‘cuz he spent all the money he made selling the fish on booze and girls in the city… and he’s not even home yet.  Guess what the reception committee on the beach is going to look like!

17-lb Greater Amber Jack ("Bojala")

 

Agricultor, local go-to man, Martin’s talents go on: fisherman and fishing trip guide.  For the next two days, Martin would take our group on DOMINO’s first bottom-fishing expedition.

A record fishing day for DOMINO

But not without witnessing one of the wildest ways the locals have to park their pangas.  With tides in the 15-20’ range, there is not a single dock to tie up and boats must be hauled all the way up the beach every night.  Here’s how it’s done.  The driver guns up the engine and drives full-blast onto the beach, while raising the outboard at the very last second, before turning it off.  Results:  the heavy panga climbs 20 to 30 yards onto the sloping beach with a racket of sputtering engine and leaving deep tracks in the sand.  How long do the impellers run in this town?  I hope the local ferreteriais well stocked.  Of note, all fishermen remove their outboards every night since engine theft is the local plague… of course, it’s all blamed on the Columbian drug trade.  Cruisers are well advised to do the same: raise your dinghy and lock the outboard!

24-lb Black Grouper ("Cherna" or "Mero Pintado")

 

Punta Cocos– This is the very last anchorage in Las Perlas, tucked inside a land hook that is only opened to the northern wind.  The anchorage is safe, located directly beneath the Coast Guard station.  The small bay is home for the sportsfisher base ship.  Guests arrive by air at the small airfield and are whisked to the southern fishing grounds by high-speed fishing yachts, only to return to the floating base at night. 

Martin's home made "arana": melted lead from old batteries, 18-gauge electrical wire melted into the plug, 2 hooks.

 

Bottom Fishing - The dry season is not a good time for trawling.  The upwelling of the Humboldt Current cools the water significantly, chasing away the Dorados and Tuna.  Red tide comes up the Bay of Panama and there is no way a fish is going to hang around a toxic red tide.  However, bottom fishing south of Las Perlas is decent in that season, as our catch can attest.  The rocky bottom on the banks directly south of Punta Cocos (5 to 12 miles, 180°) are home to a variety of large fish.  

Dupletta!  JP & Ruben lift 2 pompanos!

We’d never bottom-fished before but Martin saw to it that we caught dinner and then some!  He rigged a few hand reels with home-made “arañas,”dropped his to the bottom and started jigging.  It wasn’t long before the fish started biting.  A 24-lb Black Grouper, followed by a 17-lb Greater Amber Jack, four Pompanos, more Black Groupers, a half-dozen Snappers, a total of 19 fish for the day made our delight.  Yes, that was a record fishing day for DOMINO.

Cristina holds the record for red snappers ("Pargo")

But our guests, sadly, had to leave.  Instead of motoring DOMINO all the way back up to Isla Contadora, some 30 miles north, we took advantage of the local trade.  Every morning, a fleet of some six to ten pangas leave La Esmeralda for Panama City, loaded with tons of fish.  Our friends booked a passage ($20/person) and, in the chilly morning hours, boarded one of the low pangas.  

One ton of fish on its way to Panama City

They arrived to the City some three hours later, cold and wet, but carrying some over 100 lbs of fish in their cooler!  Let’s do that again!

Sunset over Punta Cocos

Until next fishing trip….

Better in the water than on my foredeck railing!

dominomarie

Isla del Rey - North East

February 23, 2013, 12:12 pm

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Isla Espiritu Santo - Eastern Beach

January, 2013

Isla Espiritu Santo

Las Perlas Islands

Panama

Some of the most secluded and protected anchorages are  located on the east coast of Isla del Rey.  Coming up from Isla San Telmo, we decided to check them out.

Fishermen load water in the lagoon of Isla Canas

ISLA CANAS– The three anchorages on the south end of Isla Cañas, although they offer the promise of lovely beaches, are open to the SE swells and not advisable during the rainy season.  We took a peek (see our route) and decided for the channel between Isla Cañas and Isla del Rey.  Better to enter the channel by the north where 2 anchorages can be found.  The first one is at the entrance of the channel, more suitable for deep-drafted yachts.  

The second one is just north of 08*23N, at the entrance of a lovely and quiet lagoon.  Once more, the entrance is treacherous, strewn with rocks, and only attempted with good visibility.  But once in the lagoon, it’s the perfect anchorage: flat, protected on all sides, good fishing in the channel and around the north tip of the island.  There is even a fresh water spring (in the rainy season) where local fishermen congregate to load water, refresh and do their laundry.  If it were not for the “chitres” (annoying little bugs), we would have stayed there longer.

Isla Espiritu Santo's west beach: singing sands - At spring low tide, the sand bank extends far into the channel. Don't get caught and allow plenty of room

ISLA ESPIRITU SANTO-  The locals referred to the anchorage as “The American” anchorage.  It is, indeed, one of the prettiest spots in the islands (second, perhaps, to Isla San Jose), one of the most protected in all weather conditions, with good holding, good fishing and splendid beaches.  

Isla Espiritu Santo: east beach

The sand spit NE of Isla Mamey (approx. 08*25.75) is a great spot to dry out and get into some bottom cleaning. 

Isla Espiritu Santo: north of the channel - Good snorkeling

If the channel west of Espiritu Santo gets overly crowded and for those who prefer solitude, the anchorage at Punta Matadero is an alternative: easy in, easy out.

The emerald waters at Isla San Pedro, north of Espiritu Santo

We love hanging out at Espiritu Santo.  So much to do!  Walk the singing sands on the western beach; take the 20-yard path to the eastern beach, all the while carrying a machete since large snakes (boas, anacondas) have been spotted in the island; swim the shell-shaped eastern beach; 

Espiritu Santo - Western beach

kayak around the island and discover the hidden treasures of the eastern islets, the “Hole in the Wall,” heavy fronds dipping into the emerald water, shelter to majestic great egrets, haughty blue herons and skittish kingfishers; diving the north coast for pearl oysters; hunting the reef at isla San Pedro while staying clear of the resident black-tip sharks; trolling for “pargo” around Bajo Bartolome; or just catching triggerfish on a line without leaving the comfort of the boat, we could spend weeks at Espiritu Santo.

Trolling on a kayak, JP brought back a nice snapper

Our Paraguayan friends, Daniel and Malou joined us for New Year’s in this marvelous spot and we were only too glad to share this special island with them.  If only they could have stayed longer…

Until next stop…

DOMINO at Espiritu Santo

dominomarie

Until next stop…

Local yachts and their sportfishing tenders anchor at Espiritu Santo

dominomarie

Lobula ray soaring off the water

OUTBOARD THEFT

February 25, 2013, 7:22 am

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Dinghy and outboard: without them, the cruiser is crippled

 February 23, 2013

Isla Pedro Gonzalez

Las Perlas Islands

Panama

Outboard theft is the cruisers’ plague.  Since we entered the Caribbean over 2 years ago, not a week has passed without hearing of engine theft.  Trinidad was the worst, at the rate of 4/week, but Panama is getting there. 

There is no worse feeling than finding out that your outboard is missing

This morning at dawn, the yacht anchored next to us was robbed of its outboard.  The owner had done everything right.  He had hoisted the dinghy on the davit at dusk, ran a cable through the engine handle and locked it to his stanchion.  Yet, when he got up, the engine was gone.  Early at dawn, after the moon had set at 0315 and before the security guard on the beach came on duty at 0700, sometime around 0500, the yachtie heard the rumble of an engine close-by but did not register it as a threat.  Used to having a dog on board who barked at any intruder, he didn’t imagine that anything could be wrong.  Meanwhile, the thieves had brought their panga beneath the hoisted dinghy, cut the securing lock, lowered the Yamaha 15HP into their panga and sped away.  Easy as pie.

Lieutenant Oscar Miranda, the security guard for the Las Perlas development on Pedro Gonzalez, was understanding and helpful, called the local Aeronaval for a report, and arranged for a panga to take the owner to the main island of Isla del Rey to lodge a formal complaint.  Whether the owner will file a complaint or not is up to him.

The thieves just cut the lock off and made away with the engine

We just returned to the anchorage at Panama City and learned that 3 more outboards were stolen last week, and not even from the cruisers: from the locals!

So, how do you secure your dinghy, short of booby-trapping your stern?

1 – Hang it high… as high as you can. 

On DOMINO, it would be difficult to work from a panga between the hulls

** “Wet Bar” lifts theirs every night on the cabin roof.

Clear advantage of a cabin cruiser

** “Interlude” hangs theirs very high

      ** In "hot" areas, we hoist our dinghy on DOMINO's cabin roof.

2 – Use a lock bar.  This stainless steel metal bar locks over the outboard’s screws, making is impossible to unfasten the engine from the stern of the tender, short of sawing the bar. 

Lock bar

3 – Instead of regular cable (or chain) and lock, use an all-in-one alarm cable.  This device is made of a plastic-coated stainless steel cable whose terminal pin locks into the battery-operated alarm housing, creating a closed circuit.  Should anyone attempt to cut the cable, a 120 decibel alarm sounds.

Swann Cable Lock

4 – Alarms are always a good idea, if only more technology. 

            - Motion detectors (ours is from PARADOX MARINE) and infrared beams;

            - Pressure sensors installed under the platforms (for catamarans)

            - A dog is always a good idea

5 – Booby traps.  Remember Josh Slocum and his carpet tacks?  Some cruisers string monofilament lines bejeweled with fish hooks, very nasty at night! Be creative!

Be vigilant.  Any noise at night?  Get up and check it out.  Perhaps you’ll be too late and won’t be able to do anything, or your still might be able to raise the alarm.

Of course, you might have all the proper locks for your outboard and the rogues will stop at nothing: just steal the entire dinghy.  Again, it’s up to us cruisers to make it hard for the pirates.  More alarms, more booby traps.  Make YOUR dinghy the hardest to steal in the entire fleet.  As poor Gary said this morning: “We were four boats at anchor, and my outboard was the easiest to steal.” 

Finally, whatever you do, never, never , never leave your dinghy in the water at night.  There is no safe place in these parts.  It’s a sad sign of our times, but that’s what we have to deal with. 

Now, if you find some cool booby-trap idea, just post them as comments!

Until next post,

dominomarie

The Right Dinghy

March 4, 2013, 3:48 pm

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"Pitufina" was our little dink... we gave her to fishermen in Brazil See her story at "Adios Pitufina"

 March 4th, 2013  

Panama City
Panama

What is the perfect dinghy?

At first, we thought that the driving consideration for choosing a dinghy was efficiency: bringing the dink on a plane while burning the minimum fuel.  To achieve this, we even built our own flat-bottom, 3” thick Corecell foam and fiberglass, self-bailing dinghy.  Fitted with a 4-stroke, 4HP Mercury, our little“Scrappy” zoomed on a plane and drank nothing.  

"Scrappy" in the Abrolhos, Brazil

Problem was when we came alongside of other vessels:  our hard dinghy was not gaining us any friends among cruisers who feared bumps and scratches on their hulls.

The second problem arose when, lifting the 120lbs of the slender craft on top of the flybridge in a rolly anchorage, I almost got knocked over senseless by the hard hull.  

At 120 lbs, 3" foam and epoxy, Kevlar-reinforced, sel-bailing, "Scrappy" was super-efficient.... if wet!

Wanting to stay alive and make friends, we ditched the hard fiberglass tender and purchased a RIB.  The inflatable pontoons are much more gentle to our hulls and our bodies!

JP testing "Scrappy" on the Rio Paraguay His first design!

Yet, not all RIBS are created equal. 

The hull material itself is a consideration.  Since our cruising grounds include coral reefs, we selected an aluminum hull. The aluminum hull is stronger and lighter than fiberglass hull (it counts when you need to lift your dink every night) and can be repaired if need be.
 

The dinghy is our workhorse... platform to everything!

The pontoons are also a consideration.  Wider pontoons will give the tender higher stability.  We selected pontoons made of Hapalon, more resistant to sunlight. Handles must be strong and well glued.

       Stern drive or center console?  If the hoist can take it and if you can stow it, why not a center console?

Greg & Meg's "Bar Tender" is a center-console that they hoist on their cabin-cruiser top every night

Size, of course, is important.  On a catamaran, we had to select a dink that could fit between our hulls: less than 10’6.  We selected a 9’6” AB, although we are not happy with this selection, but that was the only choice in town.

We love the CARIBE wide and reinforced pontoons, strong handles

Transom placement is possibly the most important consideration.  On our AB, the transom is placed way aft of the craft.  On one hand, it gives us more room inside, but on the other hand, it places the engine way outside the craft, weighing down the stern, harder to get on the plane, and making the craft very unstable.

Our AB 9.6 aluminum dink is our workhorse

Our dream dink: 

            - RIB with big pontoons, reinforced with extra rubber pads in the bow and on the sides where chafing may occur (Caribedoes a good job of that)

            - Aluminum bottom

            - With a step locker in the bow to step down and stow the anchor and rode

            - As wide as the space between our hulls: 10’

            - With a transom well inside the craft so that the engine itself and its prop are confined within the pontoons.

Our dinghy is our workhorse.  It takes us to shore in all weathers, loads tons of provisions, trolls for fish, carries diving gear, rescues dragging boats, and assists in docking if our ship becomes disabled.  We want it buff and tough.  A lighter dink that can be rowed and sailed would not be right for us.

Until Next time

dominomarie

Isla San Jose

March 13, 2013, 2:57 pm

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From Hacienda del Mar: on a cloudy evening

February 19, 2013

Isla San Jose

Las Perlas Islands, Panama

“Hotel” anchorage

08*13.317N – 079*06.467W

This is a magical place!  In this string of Pearl Islands, San Jose is the superlative jewel.  The western-most, the wildest, the most pristine, the most secluded, the most enchanting.  Where to better celebrate our 41^stwedding anniversary but at the Hacienda del Mar, the exclusive resort on the island. 

Unlike its neighbor to the North, Isla Pedro Gonzales, that has been slated for major development (next blog…), Isla San Jose is all about conservation and stasis.  Don’t even expect to have cellular phone reception: you’re off the grid.  The island is the private property of the head honcho at Air Panama and Novey stores.  It's private, exclusive, almost lost, and the owner is planning on keeping it this way. 

View from the restaurant and bar

He has populated the island with pigs and wild game.  He also has started a breeding program for macaws: some 18 macaws now roam the property.

Here are the anchorages we visited...

CASCADE – 08*16.263N – 079*04.776W - Finding fresh water in Las Perlas, especially during the dry season, can be a challenge.  But the CASCADE anchorage on the east coast of San Jose, north of Punta Cruz, is the most consistent source of water.  Just bring your dinghy under the waterfall that drops right into the little bay, and fill your jugs, do your laundry, take your showers.  During the rainy season, be ready for a drenching experience.  Then, take your dink and troll the rocks just north of the cascade: red snappers might just jump on your lap!  We hooked up 5 red snappers in 20 minutes.  Careful, though, this anchorage not to try with northern winds. 

 

CASCADE SOUTH – 08*15.900N – 079*04.375 – Another pristine anchorage, well sheltered from the south winds and SW swells, with good holding.  Like CASCADE, this anchorage is not advisable in northern conditions.

The cave at Ensenada Grande

ENSENADA GRANDE – 08*14.924N – 079*06.056W  -  This is a no-brainer.  Enter the bay and plop the anchor in the sand: done!  We tried to anchor in the northern part of the bay, close to the house on top of the cave, but we only grabbed rocks, retreating to the deeper part of the bay.  Snorkeling the rocks close to shore is surprisingly beautiful.  At first, I thought that white tires had been stuck into the sand, but I soon realized it was a particular coral formation like none I had ever seen before.  Snappers, groupers and amber jacks peer from deep under the rocks and within the crags and fissures, patiently waiting for us to disappear.  

Isleta Chepana, in the background, is good fishing grounds

No matter, JP managed to snag a 14-lb snapper. 

 Isleta Chepana is a tempting snorkeling spot but the currents are very strong: better to troll or bottom fish.

Exclusive beach to the south of Playa Grande

           

 Above Punta Popa de Barco stands a small cottage, above a cave entrance.  This is the guard’s home.  Does he want to fish?  He just drops a line from his patio, right into the currents that ripple at the cave’s entrance.  Take the dink and check it out!

Mama Nono and Hooker

 Ensenada Playa Grande is the launching point for fishing expeditions.  The mother ship Mama Nono remains stationary with her 4 anchors, while the sportsfishers Picaflor and Hooker take guests out on fishing trips.  

Sunset at Playa Grande

Where are the guests coming from?  Either they flow into Punta Cocos and are zoomed to San Jose, or they are guests at the fabulous Hacienda del Mar.

The Three Pillars of Rice (Tres Pilares de Arroz)

HACIENDA DEL MAR – HOTEL anchorage – 08*13.317N – 079*06.467W – The short trip (less than 5 miles) from Playa Grande to Hacienda del Mar, going around the Tree Rice Pillars, is one of the prettiest we’ve had in Las Perlas. 

  

Black volcanic rock formations jut straight up from the blue sea, washed with foam as wave trains crash against their sharp flanks. But beware the uncharted rocks at 08*12.50N – 079*05.50W– Give the rocks a very wide berth and enjoy the changing view with every point of sail.

  

The Smoked Monkey (El Mono Ahumado) stands guard at the entrance of the bay

Anchor in the bay, just east of the Mono Ahumado, a funky rock that looks like a monkey, eyes and all, its tail a trailing chain of rocks unveiled at low tide.

        

Lucas.... pretty bird!

 Finally, take your dinghy to shore and explore the sensational Hacienda del Mar.  The views from the top are exquisite.  Have a beer or have dinner ($15 for a fish entrée) and enjoy the company of Lucas, the resident toucan.  

Lucas decides to peck at JP's lice... really????

We celebrated our anniversary, along with Gary and Kaija (Kaija Song) who were also celebrating theirs!

 

S.W. Anchorage – With the northerlies blowing steadily in the 20-kt range, we decided to check out the southwest anchorage.  The unforgiving coast, rocky shores and the absence of any sand or beach presaged what we soon found out: no way to grab bottom on this rocky bed.  But there was a plus to the currents swirling around the deep bay: a cierra (Spanish mackerel) bit our hook!

The fish is coming back!

ENSENADA de BODEGA – The ultimate anchorage on the west coast, Bodega is not a good anchorage in northerly conditions.  Yet we’ve had excellent reports from cruisers who hunkered down during the wet season when easterlies are the prevailing winds.  We passed… and went right up to Pedro Gonzales, skunked the rest of the way.

The area of Isla San Jose is excellent fishing most of the year.  However, we are in the middle of the dry season (Dec. 15 to end of March.)  The water is still cold from the Humboldt Current, the red tide is slowly dissipating (and it’s sure clear on the west side of San Jose), the upwelling is coming to the end and the fish should start biting again… soon… very soon!

Until then…

Happy 41st anniversary!

dominomarie

PEDRO GONZALES

March 14, 2013, 9:16 am

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Don Bernardo Beach

February 23, 2013

Isla Pedro Gonzales

Las Perlas - Panama

Isla Don Bernardo Anchorage

08*24.05N – 079*04.953W

Want to visit Pedro Gonzales?  It’s now or never!  The beautiful Pedro Gonzales is being swallowed by developers.  But there is still time to brave the noise of the rumbling earth graders and the dust of excavators and enjoy the still pristine Isla de Don Bernardo beach.

This is our second trip to Pedro Gonzales and we are getting a better understanding of the area.  We had heard that a pearl oyster farm was being developed by French-Tahitian entrepreneurs.  We thought it was a great idea since the natural pearls were becoming extinct and the Tahitian had had great success with pearl farming.  

We decided to check it out.  Probably the building on the beach would have some clue.  But what we found was far from saving the pearl oysters… it’s all about development and money-making, without respect for the environment.

Sales office, not a bar!

The beautiful hut on the beach attracted us.  Was it a restaurant? A bar?  Nope… it’s a sales office for the PEARL ISLANDS development.  What a contrast with San Jose!  

Planned marinas

Here, a consortium of investors is planning a boom: two marinas, a commercial harbor, a five-star hotel, hundreds of condominiums, villas, luxury homes and build-to-suit lots.  

Hundreds of home, and airport.  Environmental impact?

Yet, we failed to see where the energy was going to come from, the fresh water, and how the wastes were going to be treated.  To the already threatened environment of Las Perlas, this monstrous development seems to us like a death warrant.  Of course, the developers claim that they will keep the northern third of the island as a bio-reserve, but even if they preserve some of the land life, the wastes will go straight out to the ocean.  The scope of the development is, frankly, shocking.

We set off for a walk, fighting construction dust everywhere, hopping over open ditches for planned canalizations, and finally found an abandoned orchard.  Monkey JP was up the trees in a jiffy, shaking off sweet mandarin-limes for our Mojitos and Dominos. 

  A few papayas and banana stalks later, we returned to the beach and sat there, admiring the view and wondering how long this would last.  

Seated on the big red “X” of the planned 5-star hotel, we peered at our yachts at anchor, savoring our luck and praying that the Pearl Islands development project would never reach its full scale.

"Where is my outboard?"

In the morning, Gary found out that his outboard engine hadbeen stolen, and, disgusted with civilization, we all took off for parts unknown the next day, scattering to the four winds: Wet Bar to Costa Rica, Interlude to the Galapagos, Kaija's Song bumming around the islands, and Domino back to the city.

Coming from the south: Night Hawl" at anchor

If cruising is your dream, do it now!

"Banana" - we met in Martha's Vineyard, Newport RI, New York City, Colon and again here!

Until next beach…

dominomarie

Bayoneta & Viveros

April 13, 2013, 8:54 am

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Isla Vivienda: NW beach - S/V Kaya's Song at anchor

April 13, 2013

Isla Malaga

08°29.508N - 079°02.87W

Las Perlas Islands, Panama

Note the discrepancies in names and approaches between the 2 charts.  Above: Navnet; Below: Bauhaus guide Navnet mislabels Isla Casya, calling it Isla Ampon.  Navnet also mislabels Isla Verde, calling it Isla Casaya. Navnet omits all reefs and sandbanks of the western approach as well as the reefs SE of Casayeta

Bauhaus is more accurate.  If entering from the NW, do not go between Is. Verde and Bayoneta: ROCKS! The sandbanks at Pnta Verde and Canal de Gibraleon extand much further south than noted. The channel between Bayoneta and Vivienda dries out at low tide: do not enter there.

Our various approaches to the area.  The Navnet chart is grossly inaccurate and mislabeled. The Navionics for iPad is better, but still inaccurate. Best: Bauhaus electronic version, with GPS dongle on a PC, but still inaccurate on the western approach

When the Panamean dry season starts and the winter weather gales in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean funnel through the gaps of Central America, spilling into the Pacific and hammering the Gulfs of Tehuantepec, Papagayo and Panama, where do you seek refuge?  Isla Bayoneta, Las Perlas.

Northern winds in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico escape through the "gaps" of Central America, spilling high-velocity winds in Tehuantepec (Mexico), Papagayo (Nicaragua - Costa Rica) and Panama. Cold northerlies affect the ocean currents and cause the seasonal "upwelling" of nutrients (next blog.)

We haven’t seen a drop of rain since mid-December, four months ago.  It may be winter by the calendar, but according to the locals, this is summer.  With temperatures in the 80s and humidity in the 70^th percentile, this is the dry season.  However, the gap winds from the North are unleashing winds in the 20-25kt range for days at a time.  Meanwhile the southern swells can render many of the north-protected anchorages untenable.  Isla Bayoneta and its little neighbors Isla Malaga and Isla Vivienda are the anchorages of choice.

Good morning, Bayoneta and cormorants

Mangroves and Kapok trees

Located 42 NM south of Panama City, in the Northern Las Perlas Islands, Bayoneta is part of the Casaya-Viveros area.  Here are the anchorages we visited, looking for the most protected and entertaining.

Islas Casaya, Casayeta, Ampon (East coasts).  This is a rather un-inhabited area.   However, Isla Casaya is the site of an exclusive hotel, as is Casayeta, and the disco goes well into the night.  The anchorage at Isla Ampon (08°30.396N-079°01.51W) is extremely well protected, but difficult to enter and must be entered at low tide to avoid the reefs and rocks on each side.  The bay is shallow and muddy but there is good snorkeling on the reef east of Isla Ampon.  We spent a very quiet Christmas Day there but the site is not very pretty: hardly a photo and none I'd post here!

Grandaughter Zoe balances on the kayak: perfect bay to learn kayaking

Isla Viveros - 08°27.54N-078°59.35W -  Isla Viveros is the site of a monster development on the north coast: the TrumpResort.  Hotel, bungalows, golf… the island is being swallowed.  We tried the anchorage at Playa Brava, on the south coast.  Enter directly from the south channel (079.00W) and do not attempt to enter from the west: rocky and shallow.  Although the diving was really tempting, with a number of small islands and ledges, strong currents and muddy waters left us disappointed.  Yet, other cruisers have been lucky with casting-spinning from their dinghies.  Regardless, the southern swells get into this anchorage and make it rolly in mild conditions, untenable in any kind of weather.

Kayak trolling around Isla Vivienda: snapper (pargo)

Isla Casaya, Southwest Coast -- 08°29.726N-079°02.148W–  Much quieter and easier to access than its eastern shore, the south shore of Isla Casaya provides good protection from the north winds, if still subject to the southern swells.  The beaches are worth a visit, since every beach in this little archipelago has its own cachet;  mangroves here, sedimentation there, sandstones and basalt co-existing.  Sadly, the beaches are often littered with trash, discarded nets, oil containers, all signs of human contamination.  

"Mangrove Beach" is littered with discarded nets

Caution: anchor far enough from shore since the bottom shoals up and the 5-meter tide at new moon can put you on the hard.

In this large bay with may inlets, fishermen lay their nets every night, catching every little fish and discarding their nets

Isla Bayoneta– Now, our favorite: the little hole between Isla Malaga and Isla Vivienda.  This has been our home for most of the last 4 months.  Every beach has a different flora and fauna.  There is “Pink Shell Beach” and “Witches Cauldron Beach” and “Snail Beach” and “Cowrie Beach.”  Thousands of cormorants, pelicans, egrets, boobies, frigates and terns criss-cross the waterline at all hours of the day. 

Zoe investigates the "witches cauldrons"

 On shore, a riot of colors contrasts against the azure sky: bright yellow Guayacan, hot-pink Lapacho and pale pink Kapok soon shed their blooms only to let their seedpods mature and release the wool-soft kapok into the wind.  

Frigate birds pirate fish in flight: first from other birds (boobies, mostly), then from each-other

The water is so calm and still that it’s perfect for kayaking around.  Want to clean the bottom of your boat?  A 5-meter tide makes the job a cinch!  Just drop your catamaran at the inlet between Bayoneta and Vivienda: easy as pie.  The beach at Isla Vivienda has enough slope to lay down your sailboat for a little “carenage.”  

Carenage.... perfect little spot

Fishing?  Well, drop a line to the bottom and you’re about sure to catch a ray.  Or troll the reefs SE and SW of Vivienda and they’ll jump into your dink: rockfish, all varieties of snappers, pompanos and even needlefish.  For a variety, troll around the Canal de Gibraleon, but beware the strong currents at Isla Gibraleon.  At low tide, go stroll “Secret Island,” a submerged reef and splendid beach that totally disappear at high tide, or go collect snails, rock oysters and a clam or two on any of the exposed rocks.  

The inlet between Bayoneta and Vivienda at high tide. At low tide, it dries out: perfect for "carenage" (see photo above)

And when, exhausted of the day’s activities, you can at last relax and enjoy the sunset over Bayoneta, listen to the wind howl and gust while you barely witness a ripple on the water and don’t miss the roll at all.

Sunset over Bayoneta

Caution… to enter Bayoneta, choose the southern route, along the 079.02W meridian.  We did enter once, at low tide, from the NW but the Bauhaus guide is not accurate.  The sand banks have shifted and we found very shallow waters (1’ under our 4’ keel), entering east of Isla Verde.  Not recommended, but possible if you draw 4’ and have great visibility and a lookout.

Punta Verde, south point of Is. Gibraleon Entering from the West, to the north you see the Canal de Gibraleon. Note the extensive sand banks.

So here we are, fishing, cleaning the boat after a marvelous week with our granddaughter Zoe, and re-installing the SSB away from the electrical circuits (solar panel lines) that are creating way too much interference… but that’s a story for another day.

Sunrise with Mackerel sky over islas Casaya and La Mina (from Isla Malaga)

Happy fishing!

Isla Vivienda, East Beach

dominomarie

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Chapera & Mogo Mogo

April 24, 2013, 7:19 am

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Mogo Mogo Beach

April 24, 2013

Isla Chapera

Las Perlas, Panama

08°35.17N - 79°01.09W

SURVIVOR!  If you’re a fan of the show, you know what I’m talking about.  Seasons 7, 8 and 12 were filmed here and there is a new series being filmed right now.  We decided to check it out!

From Bayoneta to Chapera & Mogo Mogo (Navionics for iPad)

 Just 20 miles NE of Bayoneta are the twin islands of Chapera and Mogo Mogo.  Both are private islands, uninhabited.  The high headland of Chapera on the southwest is home of the Aeronaval post, which makes this location one of the safest in the archipelago.  The low-lying Mogo Mogo is a gem with its opposing lagoon-like shallow bays: the eastern bay accessible at high tide and the western bay, deeply cut and shallow, totally secluded.  That’s where the Survivorgames happen.

We left Bayoneta by a sunny morning and of course threw 3 trolling lines to be soon rewarded by a loud ZZZzzzzip…. The big “silver bullet” on the heavy “Tuna stick” was steaming!  Idle, reverse, idle, belt, and reel it in… and 15 minutes later we got a glimpse of what was biting so hard… something yellowish and very large… nothing we’d experienced before; and then it came up for air: a 4’ turtle!  There was no way we could bring it alongside and unhook it, so we just cut it loose, poor thing!  A few minutes later, we hooked a succession of Black Skipjacks (all on a feather) and had our fish for the day.  Even though Black Skipjack is not our very favorite fish, if well bled and cleaned immediately it can be a tasty fish and, pound for pound, it gives the angler a good fight 

The Aeronaval building at the SW end of Chapera

We dropped anchor in the channel between Chapera and Mogo Mogo, but the grabbing was poor on the rocky bottom in the middle of the channel.  The sandy spots were all taken by a half-dozen yachts, so we moved to the western side of the anchorage where the holding is better.  The two beaches on the south side of Chapera are all white sand and, with the water now limpid and warm, a splendid area to swim and kayak around.

Trollling on the west side of Mogo Mogo

But our favorite activity remains snorkeling at Mogo Mogo.  Mogo Mogo’s eastern bay feels like a lagoon and is one of the very few places in Las Perlas where we encountered coral formations (the others being at San Jose’s Ensenada Grande and Espiritu Santu.)  Here, giant Bumphead Parrotfish, Razorfish, Mexican Hogfish, Blue Parrotfish and Various snappers and triggerfish dart in and out of boulders and staghorn coral.  And if you’re refrigerator is empty, just toss a trolling line behind your dink and you’ll catch something: a rockfish or an occasional Spotter Rose snapper. 

The Portal: ready for the Survivor players

Mogo Mogo’s “Horsehoe” beach is quite accessible by dinghy.  We’ve also seen some catamarans dry up on the beach to do their hull cleaning.  However, do not attempt to anchor overnight or remain in the lagoon at low tide with a keelboat: very shallow and rocky in places.  The beautiful yacht “Chandon” made the mistake of remaining overnight and party, only to find itself lying on its port side in the morning, stove in and taking in water.  She spent the following 4 months in Marina Flamenco to repair the damage.

The yacht CHANDON: almost sunk

But, to the beach!  We intended to walk across the isthmus, but a guardian (What? There was no guardian last time we were there!) forbade us:  “Survivor” is underway, you can’t visit right now. 

Strange sandstone steps

No matter, we still enjoyed the majestic mangrove trees and the curious sandstone steps, taking in the particular perfection of Mogo Mogo.  We passed the “portal” and the “beach huts” wondering what this season’s Survivor Games had in store!

Mangrove on the beach

Back on board, JP decided to play a bit with the live bait he caught in Bayoneta.  Every evening, during happy hour, he would drop a “mitraillette” (a fishing line with 6 small lures and hooks) overboard and within seconds would reel in a half-dozen small fish (Caranx)– What we didn’t grill or fry for dinner, he would just drop in the live baitwell and oxygenate until needed.

Little baitfish... if it doesn't make it to my frying pan (delicious white meat) it goes into the baitwell

So, while I was fixing a lunch of pesto-crusted Blackjack with rice and tomato salad, JP dropped a line with live bait overboard and fixed us a small Mojito.  Within minutes, our favorite sound: ZZZZzzzzip!  It was big!!!  While I prayed for no turtle, no ray, JP was working hard.  “Get the hook!  Get the hook!  It’s a Pargo!  Enormous!”  …. And that, it was.  A 24-lb Barred Snapper, the largest snapper we’ve hooked so far.

Barred Snapper: at 24lbs, a rarity... seldom exceed 10 lbs in this area

So, friends ask, what are you doing with all that fish?  Eat it fresh, vacuum pack and freeze it, smoke it, share it, gift it, so many ways to share a fish.  Surprisingly, many cruisers do not fish.  “We’ll be glad to fish in your freezer,” is a pretty common response to our question, “Do you not fish?”  So, we fish and give the surplus to cruisers who don’t, and everyone’s happy!

Barred Snapper.  Distinctive feature: the protruding nostrils

Chapera and Mogo Mogo: a beautiful stop for all tastes.  Yet, a warning.  Last year, in October-November (rainy season), within 2 weeks of each other, two of our cruising friends suffered devastating lightning strikes right where we’re anchored today.  “Eyes of the World” and “Night Hawk” lost their electronics suites and much more in this location.  Well, we don’t plan on being in Panama in October…. Long gone by then!  For now, it’s still the dry season and the fishing is just starting!

The green sandstone at Isla Chapera

Till next time

DOMINO beyond the olive sandstone at Isla Chapera

dominomarie

Weathering the Weather

June 17, 2013, 10:18 am

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Cloud-churning in Espiritu Santo

June 17, 2013

Isla Saboga

08°37.878N - 079°03.40W

What have we been doing over the last month besides fishing, snorkeling, cleaning fish and eating fish?  Dodging weather.  Panama is notorious for its violent storms and we’re dealing with that.  Why not leave?  Because our youngest son is getting married in 3 months and it’s easier to fly from Panama City than anywhere else in Central America.  Besides, our step-grandson is also getting married next week and now has the opportunity to start his honeymoon with us!  But, on to our weather…

DOMINO under gathering clouds at Isla Pedro Gonzalez

Panama enjoys two seasons: dry from mid-December to mid April, wet from May to December, with this mid-season in May-June when the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) moves over the region.  That’s where we are now, in the doldrums, without wind but with almost 100% cloudiness, enormous cloud developments and non-stop lightning shows from all directions. 

JP enjoys sunset, mid December in Isla San Jose.  The start of the dry season.

DRY SEASON – From December through April, high winds blow from the North, quite often through the gap of the Isthmus, creating high-velocity winds.  This is the period that sailors choose to travel south to the Galapagos or Ecuador, then catch the trade winds and cross to the Marquesas.  These Northern winds have a secondary effect on the local sea life, cooling the surface and allowing for the deeper water to well up, bringing nutrients to the surface.  This means algae, red tide, jellyfish, and no fishing! 

Grand daughter Zoe checks out the Jellies at Isla Malaga

The beaches in Las Perlas are littered with unicellular creatures, waves foam with putrescent algae, and we dig deep in the freezer for our daily catch.  

Algae and jellies roll-up on the beaches

Red tide

Yet, it’s an awesome spectacle, and we never tire to observe the natural cycle of the ocean.  Rain?  Not a drop from Dec. 15 till April 19^th.  The boat was quite dirty!

IN-BETWEENER – I haven’t seen any name for this time of year, April-June, this mid-season when the ITCZ is stationary above Panama. I call it the “in-betweener.”  As the ITCZ moves North, it brings moisture and storms for a six-week period, approximately.  It happens again in October-November when the ITCZ moves South.

Fog at Isla Malaga

We first noticed the change of weather when we were greeted by fog on the morning of March 16 and clouds started to show up, filling the sky that had be a perfect cerulean blue for the last 4 months.   Transitional period: it doesn’t rain every day but the skies are heavy with clouds and we can constantly hear rumbling somewhere around us. 

Clouds are becoming a permanent fixture with the arrival of the ITCZ - Isla Contadora, Punta Verde

Once in a while, we get caught in the middle of a 24-hour long lightning show as we were a few days ago at Isla Espiritu Santo.  We watched the clouds gather behind us while lightning was attacking Isla del Rey with repeated fury.  

Massive cloud activity at Espiritu Santo

As the day progressed, we noticed that a cloud had become stationary behind us and was starting to churn counter-clockwise, sucking up bands of moisture as it was churning and churning.  When it finally decided to move away, skimming us, it unleashed winds in the 30-knot range and dumped 200 gallons of water right in our tanks! 

RAINY SEASON – The guide says that the heaviest rains are in July-August.  

Waterspout skims by, 1 mile off the Portobello anchorage

Our experience certainly was thus on the Caribbean side as we spent August and September in Portobello, suffering rainstorms daily.  

"Witching Hour" in Panama Bay

But October and November in Panama Bay were equally wet with sudden storms unleashing winds up to 45-knots and playing havoc with yachts at anchor. 

Lightning over Isla del Rey, from Isla Espiritu Santo

LIGHTNING – I can’t talk about weather without a word on lightning.  Panama is one of the hottest, most active coastal lightning zones in the world.  With a lightning index of 100, it surpasses Florida (80), but not quite as fierce as Paraguay (120) or Madagascar (140.) 

Lightning over the Asuncion Yacht Club, Paraguay (Photo james Dufour)

Our first lightning experience was in Paraguay (a “white ball” that had no adverse effect on our boat) and the second in the San Blas(a damaging direct strike.)  Thanks to Ewen Thomson's lightning protection system we feel totally safe with regards to our persons and the integrity of our yacht.  Our previous lightning encounters have urged us to refine our lightning management system, making sure that no antenna sticks out higher than our lightning rods, and that every piece of electronic or electrical equipment is protected by an arrestor (see “Big Fuses”and “Little Fuses”  )

Clouds passing by (harmlessly) at Punta Verde, Contadora

Gathering over Isla Chapera

   We are quite aware that we cannot prevent lightning from striking;  we can only mitigate the damage a strike can bring on.  So far, we feel quite safe in our Faraday cage!

Storm descending upon the "Swimming Pool" anchorage, San Blas Islands, June 2012 (Photo James Dufour)

 Today in Saboga, we’re experiencing the usual: no wind, leaded skies, flat seas, 86F in the cabin… quite lovely, waiting for low tide to do what we love: snorkel around!  And if it rains by 1600, oh well...

There is always something to do, even in the rain!

Till next time…

dominomarie

Eat Wild Seafood

June 18, 2013, 6:56 pm

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Grand Daughter Zoe has a serious talk with a fried Flag Cabrilla!

 June 19, 2013

Isla Saboga, Las Perlas, Panama

Eat Wild Seafood!  In his book, “The Perfect Protein: The Fish Lover’s Guide to Saving the Oceans,” Oceana CEO Andy Sharpless touts the virtues of well-managed fisheries and incites the public to eat the less-known seafood species.   “Eat wild seafood.  Not too much of the big fish.  Mostly local.”  Well, after catching a 100-lb sailfish, we decided to spread OCEANA’s message.  We have been catching small fish, gathering mollusks and bivalves, and I’ve been creating healthy seafood recipes.  

Trolling in Panama Waters

If you live in the big city, the recipes I’ve created might be a bit difficult to execute but they can always be substituted with frozen seafood.  But if you live on any of the U.S. coastal area, you can adapt the recipes to your local fresh seafood.  Follow my recipe blog for easy seafood recipes that use small fish and lesser-known seafood varieties.

Bringing in a stingray in Isla Malaga, Las Perlas

(Stingray Recipes)

We’ve been cruising for 3 ½ years now, non-stop.  If we’re not in the city (for provisioning or administrative purposes,) we fish, dive, snorkel, hunt, forage, troll, jig… we catch our own food.  How much?  Just what we’re going to eat for the next 24 hours.  If we’re planning a party or happy hour, we catch a bit more.  If we’re going back to the city, we fill-up the freezer with fish for the anticipated time in the city.  We take what we need and can immediately share, no more.

JP set up for Kayak trolling

Do all cruisers fish?  You’d think so.  But it’s not so.  Many cruisers do not fish.  Catching fish on a sailboat can be tricky, slowing down the boat to bring the big fish; cleaning it on the back step can be dangerous in big seas; regardless, high-seas fishing is a messy affair… as it is on a dinghy (to a lesser degree) or kayak.  Lots of cleanup!  Some cruisers don’t like to clean fish.  Some don’t like to cook it.  Others do not have refrigeration, let alone a freezer.  Many are just happy to accept our “catch of the day” that we are delighted to share.  Yet, another kind of cruiser loves to fish into our freezer.  That’s cool.    Sharing our catch with our fellow cruisers or trading with the locals for fresh produce are some of the most significant activities… that, and a little rum!

A Sierra (Spanish Mackerel) is always a tasty catch

But I digress… back to the fish.  What are we catching, really?  Since we’ve been on the Pacific side of Panama, I’ve kept a tally: 260 days = 260 fish.  Big fish, little fish, and no-fish, that is to say oysters, sea snails, and other odd sea creature (those don’t come into the tally.)  Only one little lobster, by the way. 

Sailfish, a rare catch and (I swear) the only one we'll ever keep We smoked half of it and gave 3/4 of it away, trading with the locals

Big fish are rare.  Since we started cruising, we’ve only caught 3 big fish: a 45-lb dorado off of Miami, a 65-lb marlin on the north coast of Utila (Honduras) and a 100-lb sailfish in Las Perlas.  That’s it.  Once in a while, we catch a fish in the 20-lb range, usually a Dorado, but also bottom-fishing for Grouper or Greater Amberjack.  But that’s rare. 

Grand Daughter Zoe snagged this 22-lb Dorado!

We haven’t hit the Tuna yet and the Wahoo from the Caribbean are a dim memory (considering we had to toss all of them in Puerto Rico, infected with Ciguatera.)  So, we concentrate on smaller fish… and what a treat!

JP trolling from the dinghy (Do-Mini)... snapper time!

We love kayaking and we always troll a line.  This has brought us countless snappers of all kinds: pink, red, yellow, spotted, as well as rockfish (Flag Cabrilla) and small groupers (Panama Graysby.)

Yellow Snapper.... from the ice to the grill

Trolling off the dinghy is fun too, usually bringing bigger fish such as Pompano and Cubera Snapper, even skipjacks.  But we get our kicks when underwater hunting.  We only shoot what we really want (trigger fish, parrotfish, hogfish, cierra) and, if we manage to snag a nice fish, we share it.

How small? Pan-fried or grilled Cornet Fish are marevelous

Lately, we’ve taken to foraging the rocks at low tide.  Sea snails and rock oysters have appeared regularly on our table.  

Wild Pacific Oyster;;;;  Bigger than JP's hand!

The Panamenean Rock oysters are incredibly large and incredibly good, and I dare any Frenchman from my home-town of La Rochelle to a taste test: these rock oysters are superior to the French farmed oysters, even Gillardeau! 

Catch of the day... foraging on the rocks

And there are the other oysters and bivalves that we use for seafood medley, seafood pasta, seafood au gratin.  I mean sea snails, giant rock scallops, black oysters, pearl oysters, sea scallops, clams and the occasional wild mussels.  Whatever the day, we put something in the pot.

Juvenile Striped Bonitos.... 20 of those, filleted and baked in white wine with spices, served cold... YUM!

But we’ve been concentrating on small fish.  How small?  Try the slender cornetfish, delicious pan-fried, or the small jacks we catch on the 6-hook line (“mitraillette”) at sunset, or even the green-fleshed, fierce-teeth needlefish that, once breaded and sautéed, is a favorite at Happy Hour.

Local seafood plate: Wild shrimps, smoked Sailfish, Horse Conch and Sierra fillet with Ailloli

So many ways to cook “lesser” seafood!  I’m working on creating and sharing my recipes with you.  You can download them from Domino’s Healthy Recipes Blogspot.   

Catch of the day: 2 rose-spotted snappers and a hogfish, from the Kayak

And remember… Eat Fish, not too big, mostly local!

JP BBquing Triggerfish Brochettes

Bon Appetit….

Gumbo:  Okra and Sierra (Spanish Mackerel

Dominomarie, R.D.

JP speared this snapper while snorkeling in Mogo Mogo

I caught this Stingray on live bait on Domino

JPc aught this Greater Amberjack ("Bojala") bottom fishing in Punta Cocos

Kayak catch: 3 little  fried Cabrillas....  AKA The Pointer Sisters!

Small fry: what we caught on the Mitraillette: small jacks

A good trolling day with guests: skipjack, Jurel, Cierra & Dorado

Snorkeling: speared a few Flag Cabrilla

Cornetfish: we catch them by the dozen, then grill or saute them with garlic and parsley

Our version of fish n Chips:  Sierra with Yucca fries

An 8-lb Spanish Mackerel (Sierra) is a gift from the sea

Isla Saboga

June 20, 2013, 7:48 pm

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The quaint village on Isla Saboga

June 20, 2013

Isla Saboga

Las Perlas, Panama

 08°37.878N - 079°03.40W

See Map at Isla Saboga 

Just a shout West of Isla Contadora, there is a small island that deserves to be mentioned: Isla Saboga.  Few cruisers ever come here, yet we found it to be a nice refuge, protected from all sides except NE and E.

The anchorage is deep (10-14 meters) and shoals quickly but it has the advantage of being sheltered from the prevalent southern swells.  What a contrast from its neighboring Isla Contadora!  If Contadora is the playground of wealthy Panameans, dotted with mansions and private docks, Saboga is essentially a workers’ dorm city.  Its inhabitants work on Contadora or neighboring Viveros, and come home to sleep.  There is not much in town, except for a couple of bars, and by 9PM all lights are out.  This is a really quiet anchorage and the only drawback is the generator plant running 24/7 to provide electricity for Contadora.

The true marvel of Saboga is its snorkeling grounds.  The North end of the island is an extensive reef-and-rocks spread.  Contrary to the southern Las Perlas (San Jose, Pedro Gonzalez and Punta Cocos) the water in Saboga is clear.  This makes for a fun and fertile snorkeling area, with a dozen of islets to explore, diving of kayaking.

Anchoring note:  The holding is marginal on shale and gravel, so drop the biggest anchor you have and let out all your chain!

One final remark.  The Internet connection is excellent since the anchorage is at the base of the Digicel tower.   Additionally, the tower provides a cone of protection in case of lightning, a fact that we have become very sensitive to in this stormy season!  Oh… No bugs!

Our snorkeling outing 2 days ago provided a bounty of seafook: snails, scallops, oysters, lobster and fish.  Recipes at http://ninisrecipe.blogspot.com/  This morning, we were not so lucky.  The snapper tha JP snagged on his kayak took the bait, wrapped the line around a cone of rocks, and snapped the line off.  Fish wins!

The water is so flat I feel I’m on land, looking out a the sea.  A mirage of sorts!

Until next time,

dominomarie

DOMINO in Production

July 4, 2013, 8:43 am

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July 4th, 2013
Panama City, Panama

DOMINO at anchor in Chapera, las Perlas Panama

**** NEWS **** NEWS **** NEWS ****

We are overjoyed to announce that you can now order your own DOMINO 20 Ultimate Passagemaker from DOMINO 20 at http://www.domino20.com/index.html

It's been some 14 years since we met Malcolm Tennant and JP started dreaming the Domino.  Since then, we have reached several milestones:

- March 2006 - Started construction in Paraguay

- December 2009 - Launched the DOMINO 20 in the Rio Paraguay

- January 2010 - Started our travels 

- June 2013 - Completed 19,000 NM trough 27 countries

- July 4th 2013:  You can now order your own DOMINO 20 built in New Zealand

Along with our sister ship TABBY CAT, we are thrilled with the yacht's performance and more than ever are convinced that Malcolm Tennant's vision has produced the Ultimate Passagemaker design:

The DOMINO 20

On the hard for a bit of hull cleaning in Las Perlas, Panama

Anthony "Tony" Stanton, the remaining partner of Malcolm Tennant Design, in association with Northland Contract Boatbuilders in Whangarei, NZ, is announcing the building of the DOMINO 20.

No, you no longer have to build your own powercat.  You can get your own DOMINO20 from:

Fraser Foote

NCBB Ltd
11 Fraser Street
Whangarei
New Zealand

Phone:	+64 (0)9 438 9937
Fax:	+64 (0)9 438 9957
Mobile:	+64 (0)27 493 3969
Email:	ncbb.fraser@xtra.co.nz

   Visit the DOMINO 20 Website at:   

http://www.domino20.com/index.html