Our first order of business in Shelter Bay was to haul out and put a new coat of antifoul on the hull. It hadn’t been painted since we were in Canada two and a half years ago so the existing coat was very patchy. While the boatyard boys were sanding and painting the hull we were servicing seacocks, polishing the prop and unclogging the pipe from the aft head (I got this choice job!) Five days later we were back in the water with a very smart black hull and shiny white topsides.

While we were in Shelter Bay we ran into Bobby and Noel, a couple we had met in the Marquesas almost four years ago. They were heading through the Canal, delivering a brand new catamaran to Tahiti. It was great to see them again and catch up on all their news.

Before we left to go to the San Blas islands we wanted to sail up the Chagres River to the dam which was constructetd to create the Gatun Lake and hence the Panama Canal. The river was discovered by Columbus in 1502 and it became the main artery during the wet season for transportation of Peruvian gold and silver from the Pacific coast to the Spanish Main. During the dry season when the Camino Real (the track through the mountains) was passable the loot was transported directly to the counting house at Portobelo by mule.

To protect their ships loaded with pieces of eight the Spanish built a fort at the mouth of the Chagres, then rebuilt after an attack by Sir Francis Drake, rebuilt again after it was razed by Sir Henry Morgan and rebuilt it yet again after it was destroyed by Admiral Vernon. It was amazing to sail into the river mouth beneath the ruins of the fort and to drop anchor in a spot where such famous seafarers had anchored in times gone by.

It was only about five miles up to the dam so we motored up there the next day. The river is deep and easy to navigate and passes through pristine rainforest, not the endless mangroves that we saw in Darien. After we had checked out the dam we spent two or three days anchored in the river, enjoying the sounds and smells of the jungle. We floated down stream in our kayak, watching howler monkeys capering in the trees and we finally spotted a couple of toucans, the first ones we’ve seen since we’ve been in Central America.

We returned to Shelter Bay briefly as we had to make a quick trip to the American Embassy in Panama City. We were also expecting some engine parts to be delivered so we anchored out in Bahia Limon, the large bay where vessels anchor while waiting to enter the Panama Canal. The west side of the bay is a ships graveyard; we counted more than twelve wrecks in the area around us. One day we climbed on board the Viscount which was partially sunk and had a look around, it was quite eerie poking around an abandoned ship.

The San Blas islands are an archipelago of sandy reefs and cays in northeastern Panama and we were looking forward to spending a couple of months exploring all the nooks and crannies. It’s about 70NM from Bahia Limon but we broke the trip at Green Turtle Cay  marina to catch up with friends Gale and Slim on S/V Mis Gale. They had been cruising in the San Blas since November and we got the low down on the islands from them over several beers.

On the way to Turtle Cay we had passed by Portobelo, once the most important port on the Spanish Main. The beautiful sheltered bay used to be a popular destination for cruising boats but a spate of armed robberies has put people off going there recently. We decided not to stop but instead we got a lift back there by road from Turtle Cay and spent a day exploring the historic town.

The old customs house which still dominates the plaza was where gold, silver and slaves passing through Panama were counted and registered. Every year when the Spanish galleons arrived to transport the treasure back to Spain, merchant ships selling luxury goods and traders selling oriental wares would gather in Portobelo. The world trade fair that ensued attracted pirates and corsairs to Portobelo and it was there that Sir Francis Drake died of dysentry and was buried in an unknown location.

These days Portobelo is a sleepy little town with a trickle of tourists passing through. We enjoyed our stay, exploring the ruins of the forts, checking out the customs house which is under reconstruction and visiting the church were the famous Black Christ statue attracts pilgrims. Several yachts were anchored out in the bay and if we came back this way we would probably take a chance and drop the pick there.

Now on to San Blas – internet is a bit sparse in the islands so not sure when the next blog will be posted.

Suzy