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Free & BrEasy - Bye Bye Turkey Vultures of Panama!



Well we are still here at Playita, Panama City, but soon to go. The anchorage at Playita is busy with fishing boats and ferries so every so often Free and BrEasy has a little Rock and Roll dance with herself. At nights it's like being a foetus when your Mother runs for a bus with the bouncing and squishing noises of the water on the hulls. 

Most of the rest of the fleet has up anchored and is exploring the delights of the Las Perlas islands some 40 nautical miles south east of here. The delay in going to the Las Perlas islands has been caused by the wait for a Pactor Modem to allow the SSB radio to talk to a computer and download weather forecast maps or send emails while in the Pacific Ocean. We were lucky enough to find David, a computer whizz, who eventually diagnosed a dead Pactor Modem. Back to Roger's best Panamanian friend, Atturo, who successfully stage managed the delivery of the Inverter, storm jib and toilet valve, ordered from Shleter Bay, and a few days later we have a new Pactor Modem. To think Michael 2 had never heard of this magic electronic gizmo before and now we can't exist without one! The delay has also let us source 275 feet of anchor chain to replace the existing chain which is somewhat rusty and a bit short. It's too heavy to put in the inflatable dinghy so the plan is to bring Free and BrEasy to the dock and then somehow get the chain down to the boat without it ending up at the bottom of the sea. All that is should happen tomorrow and then we are off.

We now know the menus of the local bars by heart. Roger enjoys the local fish soup while the Michaels have been experimenting with Ceviche, a raw fish dish. As we eat and drink the Turkey Vultures of Panama City wheel above us on the currents of air, using their enormous wings spans to hang effortlessly in the air. All this in 36 degrees Celcius of heat. We know it's been -30 degrees in Winnipeg and 30 miles per hour sleet in Scotland - sorry everyone back at home! Michael 1 went to the vegetable market this morning and came back with enough fruit and veg to last till Tahiti! A big bag of 100+ oranges at 6 cents an orange to mention but one purchase. Roger and Michael 2 struggled back from the Supermarket with nearly 8 kilos of meat which then had to be repackaged into individual meal sizes. Who says men cannot be domestic Gods!

Breaking News. The new Pactor Modem, computer and SSB radio are talking to each other. After a few hours of worrying shyness the gizmos finally decided communication is cool. We have downloaded messages and weather forecast files, so should be able to send and receive emails. We have also installed new anchor chain and had a final session with David on the SSB. Michael 1 is doing his washing in a bucket, the local laundrymat! Our cup runner over with joy! Only problem is that we have left it too late to go to the Las Perlas so its straight to the Galapagos for us.

Michael 2

 





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