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Lydia - Lydia's Blog 23 - 26 Jan 16



Saturday 23 January.
At first light the nearest atolls of the San Blas islands came into view.
This actually is the best time to do one's dhobi before the heat of the sun
strikes and in this case while the yacht is fairly stable. Its a matter of
taking a bucket
and fresh water from the shower from a aft locker, doing one scrub of all
clothes in
a washing detergent and three fresh water rinses. Luckily we have an
excellent water maker
so fresh water is in relatively unlimited supply. The San Blas islands,
although they belong to Panama have a certain autonomy granted to their
local indigenous Kuna Indians who adminster the islands, collect taxes and
cruising fees from passing yachts. As we sailed nearer, the breakers over
the reefs surrounding the atoll of Cayos Holandes to which we were heading
could be seen as also could the masts of yachts already safely anchored
inside the main lagoon. By 9am we had furled the yankee and were negotiating
the south west passage into the island archipelago under engine. Pilotage
here needs careful concentration as the charts are not always accurate so
sharp eyed members of the crew with polaroid sun glasses mustered on the
foredeck to watch out for coral heads and uncharted rocks. The scene
unfolding before us was just as films portray classic south sea islands with
waving palm trees, lush almost impenetrable vegetation down to the strip of
brilliant white sandy beach with the occasional log washed up on the shore.
In fact where we anchored we met up with about ten other World ARC yachts
who has decided to stay there for their first day in the islands.
There were three little islands surrounding the lagoon all inside the reef
where we were. One was inhabited by a couple of families of local Kuna
Indians
who were small, dark and with wide smiles. The huts they lived in were very
basically constructed with dried palm fronds for the roofs and sides and
ocassional bits of plastic
sheeting. Some of the young boys came out in a dug out canoe to offer us
squid, lobster and
fish. We did not buy any but they were very happy with a beer each. In the
afternoon all the crew less Matthew climbed into the dinghy and set off to
explore one of the islands. Although the lagoon appeared clear on the
surface, just below, as we were to discover later, were unforgiving coral
heads which could easily puncture the normal inflatable dinghy. Fortunately
for us Donald had bought a semi inflatable dinghy with a strong plastic sub
hull like a RIB. The first little island we explored was the inhabited one.
I was a
little concerned we might be intruding but the inhabitants appeared not to
mind us doing a short exploration of their little island home. We noticed
three generations
living there and were surprised to find one of the little children wearing a
disposable nappy.....not so unsophisticated as we had imagined! We went on
to the next uninhabited little island and met up with the crew of
another World ARC yacht already partying, which comprised father
(owner/skipper), mother, son and two daughters with their respective
boyfriends from
Lowestoft. They warned us to beware of the land crabs if we ventured into
the seemingly impenetrable vegetation beyond the immedate shore line. The
crabs' bodies are as large as a small dustbin lid with one very large claw
capable of holding anything and the small claw for helping it feed. We saw
some of the holes in which they lived but decide not call upon them
uninvited that afternoon. On returning to Lydia with Steve fearlessly at the
helm we were going so fast we could not see clearly ahead of what appeared
as open
water until we came to a grinding halt on coral heads. We immediately
stopped the outboard and gingerly pushed ourselves off with our oars before
retracing our steps to clear open water and returned to Lydia rather more
cautiously. A couple of yachts achored up from us an ARC catamaran was
holding
a splendid party to which everyone seemed to be going. We learnt later that
we too
had had and invitation but we were exploring at the time. That night Donald
cooked us
all supper of an excellent chilli con carne with rice to perfection followed
by pineapple.
As I have written before our meals are starting to become hightlights of our
days which
can't be good! We had a full moon that night so the whole lagoon was lit up
in this beautiful
silvery light punctuated with the dark shadows of sleeping yachts with their
masthead anchor light
watching over their slumbers.

Sunday 24 January.
After a restful night we weighed anchor shortly after breakfast and set
course for another picturesque and popular atoll called Chichime Cays where
ARC yachts were gathering for a Bring Your Own Beach BBQ. We could not help
noticing on the way in to this fairly crowded anchorage a forlorn yacht with
no mast and just the deck and hull on its side on the reef protecting this
particular island atoll. Without the San Blas Islands have been the
graveyard of many yachts who have either lost their way or been driven onto
the treacherous lee shores protecting these islands. This island had several
well constructed huts, some with corrogated iron roofs. Our BBQ previously
planned by World ARC was in two fairly large huts with roofs but no sides.
As it happened we had several squalls during the afternoon which would have
drenched us had we not been inside the huts. Between the rain the local
inhabitants put on several dancing displays with the men in blue shirts and
hats playing wooden pan pipes and the women in colourful dresses with
coloured beads wound round their legs. All the dances began in a circle with
the sexes alternately spaced doing a kind of "dozi do", one step forward one
to the side. In due course the dances became more complicated with
formations not unlike some Scottish reels. I had a feeling that these dances
were not a regular feature of their lives but put on for our benefit so
there was occasionnel confusion causing lots of giggles among those
involved. While at the party we head that sadly one of the yachts we had
come to know well in Santa Marta had lost her anchor in our last anchorage
of Cayos Holandes. We later heard that divers had been sent down to see if
it could be retrieved but as yet no word. If we meet up Donald is keen to
offer them our kedge anchor pro tem. I am duty cook tonight, something I
dread. At 5pm after we returned from the BBQ I peeled the potatoes and
carrots and defroze the bangers. At 6pm as I had begun to cook everything we
had a call from Corango anchored close by whose crew we had entertained for
drinks and nibbles in Santa Marta. They wished to reciprocate at 6.30. Our
crew drop everything, shower and change and Matthew rowed by Andrew with
Steve in the bow started to row across. Unfortunately we had already
unshipped the outboard. Half way across on of the rowlocks broke making it
very difficult to make headway against wind and current. Carango's skipper
seeing the problem gallantly having welcomed our 3 eventually on board came
over with his dinghy and outboard and collected Donald and me. Carango is a
beautiful centre cockpit particularly well designed French yacht Amel 54.
Peter and Viki Forbes whose yacht it is and their friends Richard and Tricia
Morris could not have been more charming hosts providing small eats of a
professional standard and delicious G&Ts. Peter and Richard had served
together in 4/7 Dragoon Guards and by sheer chance Richard and I remembered
each out when the Royal College of Defence Studies came out to Latvia and
Lithuania when I was the DA there in 1997. Peter kindly took us all back to
Lydia towing our dinghy behind. Fortunately all were in such a happy mood
that with the help of another of Matthew's notorious rum punches my very
basic meal of bangers, mash and vege was eaten with gusto. It was very hot
32 degrees C and windy that night with gusts of 35 knots.

Monday 25 January.
Up early as normal and Donald off for his constitutional swim and then
Disaster! Our dinghy which Donald had made fast to a cleat on our stern was
gone, only the painter trailing in the water was left. Fortunately at least
the outboard had been previously taken off the dinghy the afternoon before.
Either a light fingered person had stolen it or the knot securing the
painter to the dinghy which Donald had only bought in St Lucia had somehow
come undone in the blow. We could see no sign of it. In the meantime we
weighed anchor and motored the 4 miles to Por Vnir where we had to formally
book in to Panama. Fortunately Lydia has another dinghy, an old but
perfectly servicable Avon with plastic oars so once anchored a Port Vnir
Donald was able to complete the Ship's Papers and passport formalities. Once
completed we again weighed anchor and motored about 5 miles to Lemon Cays
which is another delightful little atoll with a good protected lagoon for
anchoring and even a largish red corrigated iron waterside restaurant. We
noticed as we entered the lagoon a large commercial yacht with mast broken
stranded on a reef of the next door island. Apparently it was a yacht which
carried 30 passengers on regular voyages from Panama to Cartegena and back
but one day its engine failed on a lee shore and it was wrecked but
fortunately all on board were saved.

Donald went ashore to recce the restaurant and to his great surprise found
his lost dinghy pulled up on the shore on rollers. Apparently it had been
picked up by a local fisherman early that morning having drifted from
Chichime the night before. Donald ordered a fish and chip meal for all of us
that evening and then collected Matthew to help him negotiate the return of
his dinghy now in possession of "Mr Big" of the island who owned the Ugabi
Restaurant. $US 200 and beers all round clinched the deal and the dinghy was
ours again. That evening after more of Matthew's rum punches we our
overloaded dinghy meandered across the water to the restaurant where we had
a good fish meal with Vino Collapso from Argentina and the large TV showing
the US marines in bloody conflict with the Japanese in a very old WW2 movie
all in Spanish but enthralling the younger population of the island.

Tuesday 26 January.
Another day in Paradise! (albeit in Panama rather than the Kenya Highland a
hundred years ago.) After breakfast the midshipmen mustered on the foredeck
and under the supervision of the 1st Lt craned the new dinghy aboard (which
unlike the Avon is very heavy) to be stowed forward of the mast. Later we
swam over to book a table for lunch at the Ugabi Restaurant of fish and rice
and salad which was very good. The restaurant had tiny sea swimming pool we
had not noticed before into which local fishermen at intervals while we
lunched dropped in a number of lobsters. Fortunately hopefully the lobsters
did not know what was in store. This evening our skipper plans to weigh
anchor and set sail for Shelter Bay a the start of the Panama Canal with the
plan to arrive tomorrow in the forenoon.

With best wishes from all aboard Lydia,
Nigel


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