Watched as Giselle went through the Panama Canal today, below the break is what we saw from Miraflores Lock webcam – Andrew.

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We are all set for our transit of the Panama canal.  We have a date of Friday 1st May.  We  will have 3 other yacht crew members to help us with lines.  Mike from Octagon and Ruth and Peter from Mudskipper.

Link to web cams of the canal

We expect the following time table but it is confirmed on Thursday and can be changed without notice!
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Ryce came up trumps finding exactly the correct tube for the shaft and doing some exquisite welding. You can contact him on +507 433 0433 or +507 6429 4288 if you need help with stainless parts. I’ll get to mention all the other people who made significant contributions when I write up fully. Like the body language from Sam off Senor Kon Tiki which said my first foam would fail but he was polite enough to say it looked good.

Photos are now appearing in the gallery.

Link to windpilot site to let you see what it looks like when installed

ours is a pacific plus

Link to gallery

Arrived at the Caribbean end of the canal on Wednesday after a magical sail in force 3 down from San Blas islands. We are in shelter bay marina [9.367, -79.951]. [Read more →]

Benny’s Flambé Bananas

Position:  9.5446,-78.9007. Lemmon Cays, San Blas Islands
Distance run 1096

Sorry no e-mail yesterday.  We were on “final approach” at the time and then needed to hurry to catch the officials for permits etc.  Then we had to celebrate arrival.

Was fed up about needing to have the windpilot self-steering gear repaired especially as the supplier suggests we replace 2/3rds of the unit at a suitably high price but the magic of the place has kicked in and now fully relaxed.  Kuna Indians are still enjoying life with natural material houses and dugout canoes.  They are keen to sell their molas – beautifully decorated sticked panels. Also got some fresh fish.

We need to work up a solution to the windpilot but expect to move on from here on Tuesday 14th April to arrive Panama early 15th.

Looking forward to the snorkelling.  Sea temperature up to 27’C.  There are anchorages here called swimming pool and hot tub!

Happy Easter to all our normal calendar readers this weekend.  Greek calendar followers have to wait a week for their Easter.  They usually make up for the delay with extra celebrations.  Will Is there be a BBQ in Callander with spring lamb this year?

David

Position at 11:25 BST 11.008,-77.581
118 miles to go.  ETA at 5 knots 06:02 7th Apr
Wind NE 5

We kept well offshore as we passed Columbia in the hopes of avoiding the higher winds and seas associated with the area just off the coast.  We have had 20-25 knots and seas large enough for the occasional bit of water to land in the cockpit.  You never know whether you have succeeded with your strategy but we were comfortable enough where we were.

Getting streams of cargo vessels coming and going from the canal.  Seems that the vessels going to Gibraltar and English Channel head for the gap between Puerto Rico and the Dominican republic (Mona Passage).  We have a second stream heading along the South American coast.

David

Position at 11:25 BST 12.674,-75.842.
ETA at 5knts 12:11 Tues 7th Apr. 261 miles to go
GPS run 137 miles.
Wind NE 20 to 30 knots

The extra wind came as expected around dinner time last night. We went for an over cautious trysail and genoa to be sure we could handle squalls on top of the new wind. Took quite a time to pack away main and raise the trysail. Once up the helm couldn’t be balanced. It took a while to work out that a component on the windpilot had broken. We hove too and removed the broken part and got underway again using the electric autopilot. All that took 4 hours so Mary kept going while I had a quick nap and then we swapped. Wind and sea still up. Will gybe soon for San Blas islands. We should soon get past this windy bit. GRIB files have us short of wind as we approach the islands. We need daylight to navigate around the islands so I expect we will have to go slow to arrive first light Tuesday.

David

Position at 11:25 BST 13.53,-73.516
ETA at 5knts 14:16 7th Apr.  398 miles togo
Wind E 4/5

Passed the northern tip of South America yesterday afternoon – Punta Gallinas.  I wonder if it has a naff signpost like the ones at Lands End and John o groats with New York 1955, Auckland 8033, Edinburgh 4679, Athens 5985, Cape Town 6717.  I suppose it wouldbe in kilometers not miles anyway.  Would the Columbian drug barons have it removed on the basis it is giving away important market information?

Well offshore at the moment in the hopes of continuing the passage in near perfect conditions.  There is about 5 knots more wind due closer to the coast tomorrow.

David

Position 13.933,-70.516
ETA at 5 knts 00:03 8th Apr.  560 miles to go
Wind SE 5.  Days run by GPS 155 miles

I think the dolphins that visited us as the sun went down last night were escapees from a fun park in Florida.  They performed an amazing routine of jumps, belly flops and tail slapping and then went to find a new audience.  Absolutely no time for bow riding!

Gybed in the middle of the night which wouldn’t be note worthy if it wasn’t for a telephone style call on the VHF.  The Captain of a tanker was not used to pleasure vessels having AIS so couldn’t understand how you surf a tanker and get it to twitch through 20 degrees! Normally the speed and direction broadcast remains the same.  So he called us on DSC which comes in with a urgent ringing sound.  OK when you are in the cockpit but annoying if both are on the foredeck working the pole for the genoa!

Should pass the 1/2 way point very soon.

David