Wednesday, December 17, 2025

Linton Bay - Panamarina

There was a slight intermission as we helped Plan B through the Panama Canal and I passed my Full amateur radio exam. When I got back to Linton Bay, there was the awaited WhatsApp message: “we can haul out your sailboat tomorrow morning”.

And so after morning coffee it was anchor up and motoring around the reefs to the next protected bay.

At Panamarina we waited for a couple of hours on one of their mooring balls while they attempted to hoist a catamaran. Then came our turn. The process of arriving to the slip wagon was easy, aided by a dinghy operating as a harbour tug.

Everything went smoothly, from lifting the boat to pressure wash, and parking the boat on the work yard. This is the first time we’re not doing the haulout by ourselves, and it was weird to just stand idly and watch others work.

The yard inside the mangroves seems nice and DIY spirited. There’s a French restaurant and a small chandlery. And it is a short dinghy ride to the bigger chandlery in Linton Bay. Now we can work on antifouling and close some seacocks.

• Distance today: 2.5NM
• Lunch: lasagne
• Engine hours: 1

Thursday, December 11, 2025

Chichime - Linton Bay

At dawn it was time to hoist the anchor from 11 meters deep. It is quite the workout. We carefully manouvered past the reefs in first light.

Main in 1st reef and staysail went up. With the sunshine came also the 20kn winds that we had been expecting. Finally, fast sailing with the wind and current behind us! The 40nm went quickly and we both were enjoying the sailing. Abeam Nombre de Dios the wind calmed to around 10kn which with the 2 meter swell made an uncomfortable approach to the narrow pass to Linton Bay.

As we were approaching Robin commented in the chat “From AIS it looks like a German invasion”

We and apparently all other German boats had decided that today is a good day to sail to Linton Bay. After a bit, the waves calmed down and we ghosted along with 5kn of wind untill we reached the anchorage. We dropped anchor at 12 meters and are now well staged for our haul out next week. Time for some new bottom paint!

• Distance today: 44NM
• Lunch: pea soup
• Engine hours: 1.4

Wednesday, December 10, 2025

Banedup - Chichime

Wind is a rare treat here, and one not to be ignored. As a matter of fact, we have sailed more miles in Guna Yala with Isosaari than with Lille Ø.

As there was a nice breeze in forecast for today, we decided to hoist anchor and stage us to the west end of the archipelago. Logistics are happening, and we need to be closer to the bigger cities soon.

Two gybes to clear the reefs around Swimming Pool, and what followed was a lovely broad reach down the archipelago. If you squint, this could be around Stockholm with the hundreds of protected anchorages filled with sailboats. Just, palm trees instead of pines.

Now we’re anchored in the tourist spot of Chichime. Very protected, but with constant traffic moving backpackers in and out of the mainland.

• Distance today: 15NM
• Lunch: salad
• Engine hours: 0.8

Sunday, November 30, 2025

Digir Dubbu - Banedup

Hoisting the anchor was not the easiest as the anchor was 11 meters deep. After Bergie had caught his breath again, we carefully manouvered through the west entrance and headed towards Banedup under engine. The archipelago in here is wider and there is more reefs protecting us from the swell, so we made decent progress.

Now we have clearly reached the more beaten path. After weeks in the relative wilderness, suddenly there were sailboats anchored all around us next to various palm islands, and actual traffic to consider.

3 miles to destination, we felt the wind pick up. Quick! Hoist the sails! We can actually SAIL our sailboat! It became a marvelous bit of beam reach in 10kn of wind and 40 meters of water.

We dropped sails outside of the reefs and motored in. We dropped our anchor in 3 meters of crystal clear water, there is a reason why cruisers call this anchorage the Swimming Pool. This stop might take a while as I feel the need to turn into a sea otter once again.

• Distance today: 14.5NM
• Dinner: pizza
• Engine hours: 3.2

Saturday, November 29, 2025

Mono Island - Digir Dubbu

Almost a week passed in the pleasant anchorage, dinghy sailing and swapping sea stories. But finally today the sea state had settled a bit, and we could move on.

We hoisted anchors in a nice morning sunshine and motored into the flat calm sea. Easy conditions prevailed through the maze of reefs past Ukupseni.

Then suddenly every surface of the boat was covered in bees. And a tropical downpour that they were sheltering from.

We motored on in somewhat splashy seas, with both current and wind right on the nose. Eventually conditions moderated and the bees moved on.

Past Diablo Islands we turned in and arrived in the sheltered narrow lagoon of the Tiger Island (Digir Dubbu in Guna). We anchored, had an unsuccessful attempt at a radio conversation with Sya en route to Jamaica, and then went to visit the village.

The difference between the Guna villages is quite apparent. Technology level, architecture, and the local rules vary a lot based on what the sahila decrees. This one is very organised, with ruler straight streets and tidy solar powered street lights. We got a brief tour, but then returned to our boats as the village is entering a ten day period of ritual cleansing.

• Distance today: 27.2NM
• Lunch: chanterelle rolls
• Engine hours: 7

Tuesday, November 25, 2025

Ustupo - Mono Island

Today is the only one this week with seas less than 2m, and so we used the opportunity to motor ahead. Last days have been very dark and overcast, and so our State of Charge had fallen to 30%. Time to make some power!

It is no wonder the Scottish settlement attempt was in this area. We haven’t seen so poor solar production since the Hebrides!

Today’s route varied between protected parts inside the reefs, and quite rolly exposed spots. Using last night’s rainwater, we utilised the rolling for agitating laundry, sailor-style.

Now we’re anchored in the pretty and protected bay behind Mono Island. After spending a couple of days next to the biggest Guna village, pure nature again has appeal.

• Distance today: 18.6NM
• Dinner: pizza on the grill
• Engine hours: 5

Saturday, November 22, 2025

Tupbak - Ustupo

The sea state promised to be the calmest on this week, so we dared the next stretch of the open coast. This time we were not the only ones on the move, as we shared our way with four big catamarans and Plan B. The couple hour motoring was luckily uneventful and the motor of Plan B was delivering propulsion reliably.

The scenery is just amazing in here and now we are anchored off the town of Ustupo. At 5000 inhabitants, this is the largest Guna village. The rowdy seas should arrive tomorrow and last for a week, so well have plenty of time to explore the town and there is even a museum here!

Iddomalando (cheers in Guna language) Hannelore & Sunday club!

• Distance today: 14.4NM
• Lunch: spaghetti with pesto and nuts
• Engine hours: 4

Wednesday, November 19, 2025

Suledup - Tupbak

This was a lovely week in the beautiful Suledup anchorage. Time was spent dinghy sailing, swimming, and getting to know the nearby Guna village and their culture.

But there are 364 other islands to explore in Guna Yala, and so we agreed to move on today. We waited for a rain front to pass, and then hoisted the anchor.

In the more diffuse light the reef pass out was easy to see, and soon we were under way. First hour passed easily motoring in windless millpond conditions. Then we got out of the barrier reef.

What waited was a 1.5m swell. With no sails and no wind to stabilise, the boat was getting tossed around quite badly. And then.

“Lille Ø, Plan B, we lost our engine”

Our buddy boat was in distress. No wind, no engine, and the swell relentlessly pushing them towards the reef.

With no time to waste we dug up the longest rope we could find and prepared for a tow. Now, their boat five times heavier than Lille Ø, meaning that this would be very very difficult. Starting with how to get the towing line to them.

Suski aced the throw, and the boats were connected on the first try. What followed was a slow, arduous, and tricky towing operation. Hardware was creaking, one of our stern cleats pulled halfway off the deck, and our pushpit slightly bent. But in an hour we were out of the waves and in a calm anchorage. All well.

Now we need to rest the adrenaline off, and then maybe tomorrow we can go and explore this island. The anchorage has reputedly already been used by the British privateer Francis Drake when plotting his next raids.

• Distance today: 9.3NM
• Dinner: shepherd’s pie
• Engine hours: 3

Friday, November 14, 2025

Suledub, 206NM SW of Cartagena

The second wind did indeed come, and we were able to sail with a pleasant light beam reach until just past midnight. Then it was engine on, and nose towards Puerto Obaldia.

We made landfall at dawn, with a beautiful misty and mountainous rainforest landscape opening before us. This is the famous Darien Gap. We just had to play some Vangelis.

Anchor went down at 7:00. Then a quick shower, coffee, and the dinghy into the water. We landed at the local beach and went through the Panamanian border formalities. Immigration, maritime authorities, and the border police later we had been stamped them into the country.

The Puerto Obaldia anchorage was quite rolly, and so three hours after arrival we packed the dinghy, hoisted anchor, and motored on into Guna Yala proper. This is an autonomous region inhabited by the indigenous Guna people.

We sailed past the bay of New Caledonia of the ill-fated Scottish Darien Scheme, and were soon met by the dinghy from Plan B. They guided us through the pass into the Suledub anchorage. Now we have a beautiful archipelago to explore!

• Distance today: 77NM
• Lunch: chicken with rice
• Engine hours: 10.4

Thursday, November 13, 2025

Caribbean Sea, 129NM SW of Cartagena

During the evening and night the wind both picked up and veered, so we could sail first on a beam reach, and later on a broad reach. Seas were quite lumpy, but the windvane kept us nicely on the course. There’s some shipping around, mostly from the Panama Canal to Cartagena, but radio traffic was at minimal.

In the morning the wind slowly reduced, until we had to start the engine just before noon. Panama is known for its light winds, and being able to sail even 2/3s of this passage meant this was a good weather window. Let’s see if there’s another patch of wind before we reach the coast.

A notable milestone for today is that we crossed 90°W on the Gothia Meridian (77°W on Greenwich).

• Distance today: 106NM
• Lunch: pea soup
• Engine hours: 4.5