Greetings from yacht Ensemble.
Today we started our passage to the Panama Canal. We had a nice sail for about 40nm and pulled into a sheltered Bay opposite Isla Linton to drop anchor. Only issue during the sail was the halyard which stubbornly refused to untwist - so we sailed with a reed in the main for the whole way.
The anchorage itself is well protected from all directions - but had some swell. We went into the small town - Puerto Linton - and bought some bananas and some eggs.
The area is very much as Magali imagined the tropics to be - palm trees down to the water's edge, lots of exotic birds, and monkeys. Isla Linton is privately owned but un-inhabited. All that is left is the ruins of a US university research station from the 70's - now occupied by monkeys. They have a large tail, a beer belly and walk upright... obviously they had some good parties when the Uni was in town and took over the frat when they left!
Today we should get to the Panama Canal early afternoon. We are staying at Shelter Bay marina. The World ARC office sets up there this morning - and we will have a couple of days of paperwork and inspections before doing the crossing on the 23rd.
I am hoping to also use this time to get the halyard and genaker/parasailor and the Volvo engines fixed up - and maybe even the other repairs (the list goes on...).
Cheers
Dave
20Jan2012 018