Drifting in the Las Perlas Archipielago

Fleck
Fri 14 Mar 2008 17:54
Back at sea, at last, and my last anchorage tonight
until the Galapagos. Left Panama City one day late, but got a lot of jobs done,
and everything, even the fridge, working at the moment. Will be a very slow
passage: the Pacific is just that, at present! I'm doing 2kts thanks to a tidal
stream, not the 3kts of wind from astern. I have two more reserve cans of diesel
cluttering the cockpit, but not enough to motor for 900 miles! A whale
came up alongside the boat yesterday evening: awesome, but of course the camera
was nowhere to hand. Few gulls here but thousands of Pelicans: they fly about in
long single file lines. the Islands are very scenic, with extensive beaches now
that we have tides again (none in the Caribbean Sea): about 4 metres at
present, glad I remembered to buy tide tables for the Paficic before I left
Blighty. Have one luxury for my dessert Island trip: a small casio music
keyboard from a posh mall in Panama City ($85).It even stows in the wardrobe
cupboard. Charlies rollup keyboard not really up to the task, as it double
plays many of the notes regardless of whether the sun is past the yardarm! I
will be for ever grateful for the inspiration that it provided. I'm on page
60 of my teach yourself piano book, but this does not represent any more
progress than our current 2kts through the water!!
Richard
|