Kick the tires and light the fires
- jeanneb
- 7 hours ago
- 3 min read
We made quick work of ready-ing the boat after the launch from dry dock. We spent one more day running into town to get fresh food supplies filling up the fridge and freezer – the only open space for food remaining. We were overjoyed to find that one of the grocery stores carried cans of corned beef and hash. It is one of our favorite breakfast treats that remind us of cold mornings in the pacific northwest. We bought 10 cans.
Back at Vista Mar marina we spent a few days washing off the grime from the yard, we filled up the fuel tanks, said goodbye to our friends and departed around 9 am on Monday morning. There is always a bit of apprehension & excitement when getting back out on the water after having been mostly in port for the last 5-6 months. Dan had enjoyed a few days earlier in the month -- but for me it had been since August 1st! Do I still know what I'm doing? Does the boat still work??
That morning we had a fresh breeze. We were headed to a south facing bay on a small island on the way to Panama City called Otoque. Close-hauled our apparent wind speed was 25, with gusts to 30 knots, temperature 84 and seas 1m chop. We had a delightful and sporty sail. Heeled over, with the rail in the water with the gusts, we were pleased with our new rigging. Our new radar also seemed to be ok. All was working as it should (mostly). All our provisions stuffed in the bilges were generally staying where they were put. There wasn’t too much banging and clanking. We’d done a good job of stowing everything.
We reached the island in about 4 hours and had created a short punch list of items that we’d need to fix before we went out sailing again. Nothing major, just a few things. For example, our new radar reflector, we had installed on the backstay, vibrated so much while sailing we were worried it would cause chafe—so it needed to be moved. There were a few squeaky blocks and other adjustments that we’d make at anchor. The new VHF we installed needed a new remote handset – as the old one wasn’t compatible. Oops, we missed that detail!
Upon anchoring in Otoque, we each took a few deep breaths. The water here is clear, the sound of surf on the nearby beach constant. The gentle roll of the swell was enough to remind us we are on a boat – but more comfortable than the movement at the dock. I brought the sewing machine out to tackle some projects that had been put on a hold for awhile – new curtains for the interior salon windows, repairs to our sunshade for the aft deck and a new request – more covers for our fuel jerry cans. Dan worked on re-installing our solar panels test running the watermaker and getting the dingy up and running.
We’ve had time to adjust to life off the grid again. We are pleased with our solar input and we’ve been able to continue to use our electric induction stove for most meals, our insta-pot, starlink, tv & computers, sewing machine and even the bread maker. Not sustainable indefinitely but at least we are able to go 5-7 days without any power other than the sun.
Yesterday, two local fisherman came by in their canoe and offered us some of his fresh caught fish. We bought a red snapper for $5. Several of the days since we’ve arrived here, we’ve been the only ones, but last night there were 4 boats. Our friends & their two kids came over around 4 pm to enjoy conversation, snacks and the sunset.
Today we are headed further east toward Panama City, to a bigger island called Tabago. It is not far but will be a change of scenery. Given its proximity to the city and the Canal, there is much more activity and hopefully easier access to the beach so we can stretch our legs.
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