Friday, January 9, 2026

Lake Gatun - Las Brisas

The alarm rang at 6am. Expected time for advisor 07:15. So coffee and hearty breakfast were consumed and to everyones slight suprice the advisor came on board exactly when promised.

He didn’t want more breakfast, only coffee. At 7:30 we were already on the way. The drive through Gatun Lake was hot and long. Along the way we only once needed to lower our speed to avoid a narrow spot with a New Panamax class vessel. After that, it was back to 2300 rpm and 5.5 knots of speed. At 12 we arrived to the first locks. Before entering we rafted with Aero and Pango proceeded to drive us all in in the quattromaran formation. Then down the first locks, a small drive to the next set. 20 meters down and then. Pacific Ocean!

Kippis Henrik!

• Distance today: 37.4NM
• Lunch: spinach quiche
• Engine hours: 9.9

Thursday, January 8, 2026

Shelter Bay - Lake Gatun

The few days of preparation at the marina went by quickly. Then came the awaited message: “Hello transit day January 8”.

And so we did another round of grocery shopping, got our linehandlers (crews of Plan B and Katydid) on board. With the expert assistance from the Shelter Bay dockmaster, leaving the tight spot was easy. Lille Ø is so small that we shared a box with a katamaran!

We anchored in The Flats for a couple of hours and then got our Canal Advisor on board. We would be doing the transit rafted up with a 42ft catamaran and a 45ft monohull.

The three lock chambers went without any major hassles. There was some light rain exactly when we were having dinner, but that was the biggest glitch.

Now we’re side-tied to one of the canal overnight buoys on the Lake Gatun. For the short moment again, Lille Ø is a freshwater boat!

• Distance today: 10NM
• Dinner: spaghetti bolognese
• Engine hours: 4.7

Friday, January 2, 2026

Panamarina - Shelter Bay

Finally the rain stopped in the early hours. We woke up with the sun, prepared the boat for a proper shakedown after the yard time as the waves were crashing to the reef outside hard. So, motor on, and away! After the reef pass, we were fully in the Atlantic swell again. We slowly pushed through untill we had enough room to start sailing. We hoisted the main in 1st reef and rolled out a sliver of genoa and turned to our rolly downwind sail towards Shelter Bay.

The seas were big and lumpy. The occasional breaker would push us to a nice speed or try to veer us off course.

At 8 miles to Shelter Bay breakwater we contacted the Cristóbal Signal Station for the first time. We were given a secondary checkpoint at 2NM to breakwater. There we were given permission to enter behind As Felicia. The last moments were very rolly but we made it through and could enjoy a mile of smooth sailing before it was time to pump the fenders and prepare the lines for the Shelter Bay Marina. Now we are tucked in still water and can start the final push to get the boat to be ready to go for the Panama Canal. So: farewell Atlantic, you were good to us!

Kippis Bernhard!

• Distance today: 27.4NM
• Lunch: potato salad
• Engine hours: 1.2

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