Update Panama Canal

Just paid our transit fee today and got an at least approximate date to go through, the 10th of May. So everything is sorted out now and all we can do is wait.
Until then we'll kill time around Colón, there's a rivermouth just a few miles east from here and we also might check out Portobelo too.

Panama Canal

We are now in Colón, sorting out all the paperwork and seeing and paying the officials for the Panama Canal transit. It all looks very good, the boat has been measured and inspected, linehandlers are found. On Tuesday we'll pay the fee and hopefully receive a date for the transit. We'll do it in two days and stay in the Gatun Lake overnight.

PS: There's a new load of photos in the San Blas post!

There's crocodiles in the marina!

 Birka and Barracuda

 Overexposed Lionfish

Amelia and her lobster

Fun with Nursesharks

Olly on the hunt

Colón, Panamá

This midday we arrived safely in Colón after a not so enjoyable overnight motor- sail over from El Porvenir, San Blas. We went through a squall that lasted two and a half hours with pouring rain and constant lightning... But now we're here, enjoying the luxuries of civilization.
So now Team Barracuda is down to two again. After Marion left us from the Carti islands, Amelia is going to fly out to Europe tomorrow and will leave Olly and I on our own again. A sad moment to everybody but as we all know: life have to go on.
Photos are on the way,
Laz

San Blas Islands

Sailing - a good team

Ollie's wahoo...

Arrival in San Blas

Aguardiente - drink of the times

Epic sunset

El Porvenir

IGOR - emblem of our new genoa

Club Colombia

 Barry!!!

 Our signature drink

 Olly and Laz

 Dinghy ride with Mary J

 Las chicas!

 Look out for reefs

 Lemon Cays

 Amelia's little feet

Sailing to San Blas!

Team Barracuda's heading off to San Blas today!
Looking forward to an easy downwind sail, probably two or three days down to El Porvenir and then the Hollandaise Cays. See you on the other side.

Back in the water!!

We're back in the water!! All went well. Except for the engine which is still overheating...

So we had a very relaxing sail over to the anchorage, felt good to be sailing again after all this time on land.

We first thought this was a coral inside the engine, but turns out it is a zink anode!



Success!!

In the lift

Aaand on friday we're going to set sail for the San Blas islands off the panamese coast where we want to chill for a good week and recover from all the working before we head for the canal and eventually the Pacific!