We sail into Panama fighting the wind to get to Panama City and visit several beautiful little islands on the way.
After departing Golfito we made an easy overnight sail in light, following winds to Isla Parida, Panama. We anchored in a large cove at the southwest corner of the island to get some rest. We didn’t see a soul during our stay, but we thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful beaches, the clear water and the abundant reefs. We also enjoyed the noticeably lower humidity here, and Janine used the opportunity to do a lot of laundry. Looking back towards Rua Hatu from shore, we couldn’t help but think of a decorated Christmas tree.
Islas Secas
Our next sail took us to Islas Secas, where we anchored on the north side of Isla Pargo. Upon approach, the crystal clear water gave us the impression of flying. After months of runoff-laden waters in the Costa Rican gulfs, we finally dawned our snorkeling gear and dove in to discover coral, turtles, giant parrot fish and some huge territorial trigger fish. Though the beach near our anchorage was visited daily by small tour groups, they often only stayed for an hour or two, leaving us to enjoy the white sands all alone in the evenings.
Into the Gulf of Panama
Our next leg was longer and more technical than our easy entry into Panamanian waters thus far. After another overnight sail through through the inside of Isla Coiba, the following winds turned against us and we began our upwind beat towards the Gulf of Panama. To add to the difficulty, we would need to fight notoriously strong tidal currents as we rounded Punta Mala and entered the Gulf. Ensenada Benao, roughly 10NM from the point Punta Mala, seemed a perfect spot to wait for appropriate conditions and spend Christmas Eve.
After a short rest, the forecast called for a lull in the winds so we motored around the point, thankfully only encountering a brief 2 knot counter-current. However as the sun set, the prevailing north winds increased to between 15 and 20 knots with over 50NM of fetch behind them. We slowly pounded ahead in the choppy waves and crossed the crowded shipping channel early the next morning.
Islas Perlas
We stopped briefly at Isla San Jose to rest but continued north to Isla Bayoneta where we were able to get weather forecasts and plan our final jump to Panama City. The anchorage at Isla Bayoneta was wonderfully protected from all sides despite high winds all around the islands. However, at low tide we had less than a meter under Rua Hatu’s keel. The tide swings on the Pacific Side of Panama are around four meters.
Next we travel to Panama City to get our passports stamped, obtain our cruising permit, refill our empty food lockers, and get the all the supplies to build our new nesting sailing dinghy.