HAWKEYE HAPPENINGS 1, July, 2003

HAWKEYE HAPPENINGS July 1, 2003

Latitude 8 Degrees 30 Minutes North, Longitude 79 Degrees 01 Minutes West

Well, we are still in Panama and enjoying it immensely! Our Lat/Long hasn’t changed much since the April newsletter. Sailing into the Panama City area from Costa Rica was a thrill all of it’s own. Seeing the skyscrapers was a shock to our systems, as we hadn’t seen skyscrapers like this since the U.S. We had been informed via the ham radio net that our new AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) batteries were in from Miami, so we went directly to Balboa Yacht Club and tied up to a mooring. We can’t begin to tell you the thrill of looking up and seeing the Bridge of the Americas and all the ships from all over the world passing through on their way to or from the canal. Both of us had just read “The Path Between Two Seas” by David McCullough, an outstanding history of the building of the Panama Canal and the political shenanigans, technical, medical and other problems involved. Since we were not planning to transit the canal (at least, not this year) we were anxious to sign on as line handlers on other boats going through the canal. John was busy installing the new batteries, so Linda had a chance to crew with Elaine on MORNING STAR, a boat that had left Grand Marina, Alameda, CA. the year before. Elaine is single handing her Valiant 34. Her brother came down to crew with her through the canal but she needed 3 other people. Two of the others had been through before as line handlers, VIVA Bob and Steve of the ketch WITCH OF ENDOR.

The crew was on board at 5 a.m. but our “Advisor” didn’t arrive until well after 7 a.m. Each boat passing through the canal, large and small, is required to have an Advisor. We were to “buddy-boat” with another sailboat, DREAM CATCHER, and all went well with the trip. Dropping back down to sea level through the last 3 locks, we had a cruise ship in the lock next to us and people on board the ship kept looking at us and pointing. We know they were saying, “I can’t believe those people go out in the ocean in those little boats!” I told Elaine, if they only knew that she was single-handing, it would really blow their minds!

We did some city life as in eating out, seeing a movie, grocery shopping, doing laundry and visits to a dermatologist (gringos have a hard time with the tropical sun) and a chiropractor. Oh yes, an important social event happens every afternoon from 5-7 p.m. at the Balboa Yacht Club restaurant. It is Happy Hour and pitchers of beer are $4 each. All the yachties gather to swap stories and look for crew for the canal, etc. The Yacht Club has a nice swimming pool that Linda visited for lap swimming prior to Happy Hour. As some of you may know, the yacht club building itself burned down several years ago (fortunately, swimming pools don’t burn very well.) According to the club members, the club has the money to rebuild and have the plans but not enough mordida has been paid out to the proper authorities to start the construction. However, there were some guys out at the old foundation last week using picks to break up the remaining concrete; could that mean progress?

Later, during our time in Balboa, we both made a transit as line handlers on a 48-foot trimaran called MALU-HIA with Tom, Beth, and their son Richie on board. They had bought their boat is Puerto Vallarta recently and were taking it through the canal to the Caribbean and on up to Florida. Again, we were up at 4 a.m. and on MALU-HIA by 4:30 just as they heard the advisor wouldn’t be there until 7 a.m. We all went back to our respective boats and tried to go back to sleep. At 6 a.m. the advisor was on their boat so we all headed back and by 8:30 were entering the first lock. All went well through the 3 locks up to Lake Gatun and across the lake. We entered the first down lock on the Colon side after seeing monkeys in the trees in the Banana Cut, a shorter but shallow route across the lake not suitable for ships. Since we were going to side-tie to another boat going through the locks, Tom started to slow down. Suddenly he yelled, “I have no reverse!” This meant there was no reverse power to stop the boat and we were fast approaching the other boat and the lock gate. Lines were quickly tossed to the other boat, already side-tied to the wall, and we came to a halt feet from hitting the wall. Luckily, there was no damage to either boat or to any crew short of frazzled nerves. We were now in the front of the lock and the advisors were talking about what should be done. According to the Canal rules, every boat going through the canal must be able to ‘move under its’ own power’. While the debate raged back and forth, with the other advisor insisting that we should be towed back into the lake to anchor and await a mechanic, a big car carrier moved in behind us. This is what our advisor was hoping for and we were now committed to continue through the locks.

They tied us alongside a huge ocean-going tug on one side with the sailboat on the other, so we were sandwiched in. There were several anxious moments through the other two down locks but all was o.k. until we were told that another tug had been ordered from Colon to take us from the last lock to the anchorage. This caused a lot of unnecessary trouble and expense as the other sailboat had offered to tow us there (the bill for this episode came to $1,950, before repairs to the transmission.) This, however, this was “against the rules”. We were still tied to the first tug outside the locks going faster than MALUHIA had ever gone, when the second tug came along side and tried to tie up to the quickly moving combination of tug and trimaran. The tug we were first tied to, with his 8,000 horsepower engines, would not or could not slow down as the huge car carrier was now bearing down on us from behind. The second tug was now trying to adjust his speed and direction to come up right next to us so we could tie to him – then, crunch! As a result, MALUHIA suffered two broken stanchions and it felt like we were being pulled apart like a wishbone. This did not make anyone happy and there was lots of shouting in both Spanish and English. Finally, we were tied to the second tug and free of the first and headed for the Colon anchorage. The anchor was dropped and a bottle of champagne was opened and we all relaxed a little before the crew headed to the bus station and the 2 hours bus ride and taxi back to Balboa and our own boats. We arrived back to HAWKEYE at 9 p.m. after a very long day.

Our Avon inflatable dinghy, after 10 years of service, decided to give up the ghost. John had other ideas, however. He spent weeks working on patching the leaks. He thought he had finally fixed it and we headed out to explore the Las Perlas Islands located in the Bay of Panama (on the south side of Panama; the Panama Canal runs basically north/south not east/west as most people think.) On the way out to the islands, our dinghy started acting up again. It had a huge air bubble erupt where a seam had been fixed. John spent another week at anchor working on it but couldn’t get it to stop leaking. We were now without our “car” which meant we couldn’t go exploring once HAWKEYE was anchored. Fortunately, some other cruisers were kind enough to include us in their exploring, which we really appreciated. During the full moon, when the tides are extreme, 15-18 feet, we went to a little island with Danish friends aboard ORNEN to gather scallops at the minus tide. We gathered buckets full of scallops and enjoyed them for several days. For the next three weeks at the islands, we anchored in several different places and encountered a few violent thunderstorms. Our skills were certainly tested during these electrical storms; they come up quickly, have lots of wind, rain, and lightning, and pass equally quickly. We collected lots of rainwater when at anchor and did not have to run our water maker. Frequently, locals in dugout canoes came by, selling bananas, limes, lobsters, pearls, and drugs. We bought bananas, limes and lobsters, but declined offers of the latter. There are not many chances to wear pearls cruising and drugs are not our form of entertainment.

After 3 weeks, we headed back to Balboa to re-provision and get a little city life. As our Visas were expiring after 3 months in Panama, we decided to take a trip to Cartagena, Colombia via air for a little exploration. The travel agent found us an all-inclusive package of airfare, hotel, and meals as well as some tours for 5 days $388 each. Our friends on MAMOUNA had taken such a trip from Costa Rica and went for 3 days. They really enjoyed the trip and suggested we stay for 5 days. We were so glad they did as the time flew and we would not have been able to see and do as much as we did.

First of all, we are not usually the upscale, all-inclusive resort type of travelers but more the “shoestring backpacker” variety. This sure was different for us! We had a suite at least 3 times bigger than HAWKEYE, in a 23-story hotel on the beach in Cartagena. Food and drink were available all day long as well as entertainment and tours. Dinner was in a different restaurant each night either in the hotel or in old town. We made our reservations each morning for the evening meal. There were buffets for breakfast and lunch with exotic fruits and desserts not to mention whatever else you could possibly want to eat. Entertainment was poolside as well as breakfast and lunch. Linda got her hair braided and a massage (at the same time) on the beach for $18. We really played the tourist role!

As we were the only people not from South America, we stood out and were recognized by staff and visitors as well as people on the streets. Our coloring, or lack thereof, gave us away. Not many blue eyes in Cartagena! Consequently, we had our own private guides who spoke English. Old town Cartagena is quite fascinating. There was originally an 11-mile long wall around the city, of which 7 miles still remain. The buildings are beautiful with balconies that hang over the streets with a profusion of flowers. Most of the streets are not open to traffic as they are too narrow. We were given a tour of the old town and learned some of its history. Stories abound of selling slaves, the taking of gold and emeralds and their defense and protection against the forays of French and English pirates such as Sir Francis Drake. Finally, the Spanish fortifications and defenses became so strong in the 1800s that the attacks against the city finally ceased.

Sadly, the guerilla fighting and the drug business continue to plague Colombia. We were fortunate to be able to talk to other people staying at the hotel that live in Colombia and to find out what life is like there. All vehicles including taxis and buses leaving and entering the city limits of Cartagena must have a permit. People are not free to come and go as they choose. Travel outside the city is dangerous. A couple we had dinner with one night lived in Bogata, the capital. They come over to the coast frequently to get away for a long weekend and always fly. They said the roads are not safe to travel. The people of Cartagena are very proud of their city and all say it is very safe but we certainly got the impression that Cartagena was not the real Colombia and they are not proud of the drug warfare aspects of their country. After thirty years of civil war, funded by the illicit production and distribution of drugs, perhaps it is time for a new approach.

On our last day there, we hired a guide and vehicle with driver for the day to take us out of the city to see a little of the country. After going to several places to make a copy of a permit (it was a Sunday) and getting the necessary papers, we headed out to a caiman farm. Caimans are crocodiles and they are grown for their skins and meat. After the tour of the caiman farm we went to a Botanical Garden and walked through it, overwhelmed by the rich profusion of flowers, plants and trees. We now know what the leaves of the coca plant look like! It is an innocent-looking, nondescript bush that has caused nothing but problems for the world. Our trip and being treated like royalty was over much too soon and it was back to HAWKEYE.

After reprovisioning and purchasing our round-trip tickets to the states via the Internet, we are now back out to the Perlas Islands exploring again. Our dinghy was repaired in Balboa but we don’t trust it and are using a borrowed one from THE WITCH OF ENDOR. We caught a nice Sierra on the way out here and have been snorkeling every day collecting scallops, etc. Linda is having fun trying new recipes such as Moroccan Scallops and John enjoys eating them.

Our schedule is to be back in Balboa July 18th. We promised to crew with friends on FAIRWYN, homeport Vancouver, B.C., when they transit the canal on July 19. As Stephen said, “It is a unique experience that we want to share with good friends.” How could we turn them down? By the way, there is a video camera on a tower at the Pedro Miguel locks and friends can watch the boats going through on the Internet. The web page is: www.pancanal.com.eng.photo.camera.java.html, so tune in for real-time pics. We will try and let you know the best time estimate for our transit; it probably will be around 0800 Panama time (1300 Zulu or GMT.)

Back when John was working on the dinghy in Balboa, Linda took a bus ride to downtown one Sunday. There is an area called Cinco de Mayo where there is a street that is blocked off from traffic and is all shops. On the way in the “cab driver”, a lady driving a SUV who was picking up people and giving them a ride for $.50 to town, said to watch where you go in this area. It can be dangerous for you tourists with the light hair, skin and eyes. Great, just what Linda wanted to hear. She had a good time walking through the shops and was stared at a lot but this is nothing unusual in this part of the world. From there she got a cab (cabs are cheap) to Viejo Panama Ruinas to look at an old fort and convent built in the 1600's and to look in some shops run by the Indians of the San Blas Islands. After viewing the ruins, she was approached by two police officers asking where she was going. She said to see the shops and then she was taking the bus back into town and to the yacht club. The police told her that they would escort her to the bus stop when she was ready to leave. So, when it was time to head to the bus stop, sure enough, there they were. With one on each side (on their bicycles) they went with her to the bus stop, waited until the bus came, and told the bus driver where to let her off. When asked if all this was necessary, they replied they were there to protect visitors and, by the way, a tourist had been robbed of her backpack the day before on the road to the bus stop. Upon arriving back to HAWKEYE, Linda read an e-mail from fellow cruiser, Betty, on FALCOR. Betty told of her experience walking through the Cinco de Mayo area with husband Mike and some other cruisers. Someone tried to take her purse and they had a big struggle but didn’t get her purse. This was the exact same area and at the exact same time, a Sunday morning, that Linda was wandering through the area. Believe us, we don’t look for these situations, but they do happen. Probably, they are more frequent in the large US cities.

Just a few items of “cruising life” interest:
1. An inventory of all the battery needs on HAWKEYE finds us using 12 different kinds of batteries-from watches to flashlights, etc.
2. The light bulb inventory includes 14 different types of bulbs.
3. Grocery shopping averages once every 3 weeks and we spend about $100, including beer and wine. In the states, you probably can’t even get a week's groceries for that amount.

Keep in mind that we cannot run down to the nearest shopping center to get something we forgot and so must carry extras of whatever we can and John has to fix whatever breaks which, in a warm, saltwater environment, is quite frequently! Linda has to calculate what to buy as far as foods go, where to store and monitor the ripening of all fresh foods. We have a small refrigerator and no freezer so Linda has become the “queen of marinades” to keep our meats from spoiling.

HAWKEYE will spend August and September tied to a mooring at the Balboa Yacht Club while we are back in the states visiting family and friends. After visiting his family (son Mike and Mary with new addition, Caitlin, and daughter Jane and her family, John plans a trip to England for a family wedding and a reunion with childhood friends. Linda will visit family and friends from Texas, Colorado, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, and California. We will reconvene in Panama September 30 to continue our adventures. Linda and John de HAWKEYE

P.S. Another interesting tidbit.

We were on our way out to the Perlas Islands from Balboa (35 miles) last week and were sailing along quite slowly as there wasn’t much wind. We were approached by a large military launch and were asked by one of the guys where we were coming from and going to. John was then handed a radio and we were politely told that we were interfering with their filming! We said we would start the engine and move out of their way as quickly as possible and were thanked profusely. Apparently they are filming something called “Survivor Panama” on the beach at one of the islands. Don’t know if this is another of the “Survivor” programs we saw when in the states a few years ago; if so, it’s a bit of a joke since there is a small village, with stores, about one mile from the beach! One of the other cruisers thought they should do a real life filming of surviving on a sailboat. Maybe a contest of who can fix the most complicated system, located in the smallest space, with the minimum amount of tools, in the heat and humidity, etc, etc.