position N09 22 035 W79 57 061
Sunday Eve.
Back at home after a long but trouble free journey once we found the airport. We did have a puncture which the ferry crew noticed and required a wheel change. We also had some tricky moments trying to find the immigration office in Colon to get our passports stamped. The 1st office sent us down the road to the port gate where a lady told us to go to 'home port'. I was worried that she was sending us back to Lowestoft but a passer by directed us to the other side of town. That put us into another grid locked traffic situation but this time just 1/2hr to go a mile or so. Two offices later we found a young man who looked doubtful but after puzzling over our papers produced a stamp and marked up the passports to our relief. Luckily the home port was near the car hire office so we called in and they sorted out a replacement for the speed limit m tied spare tyre.
The airport immigration officer did seek out the stamp and asked if I am a commercial seaman in which case I should have another mariners document. I explained my lowly status as a yachtsman which seemed to satisfy him. One of these days we are going to find ourselves stuck in a remote country with the wrong stamp.
Road signing in Panama is extremely minimal so the airport is only marked when actually in sight. We had a couple of false turns, required directions from a policeman and as a last resort while stuck in another jam, asked a taxi if we could follow him.
KLM came good with another comfortable and well catered flight. Food not quite as interesting as on the outward trip but did the job. Rather a long stopover at Schipol with hard chairs and expensive sandwiches.
The position given is the boat rather than crew. The separation is already painful but it is quite a relief not to be permanently damp and itching.
I have been trying to think what I forgot to turn off or tie down. Usually something occurs when back home.