Shelter Bay Saturday

Tatt av vinden
Bjørn Larsen
Sun 8 Feb 2015 02:54
Shelter Bay is the place where people make their boats ready for the Panama Canal and the Pacific. The Panama Canal is regarded “the point of no return”. Once in the Pacific you have to sail west and take the long way home. It is not entirely true, but there is enough truth in it to cite it. When in the Pacific, most boats make a stop at Islas Las Perlas, still in Panama, then they sail for about a week to Galapagos (Equador). Who does not want to go to Galapagos? – even if Equador charge ruining fees for a visit by boat. From Galapagos most sail 3000 nm to Iles Marquesas, in French Polynesia, and after that they spread out. Some instead of going directly to Marquesas from Galapagos make a detour to Easter Island and maybe Pitcairn. Some spend one season in the South Pacific, others many seasons. During the cyclone season many escape to New Zealand, others find safe hurricane holes in the islands in the cyclone belt, a few escapes to the northern hemisphare.
 
When you stay in this marina and meet other sailors you cannot avoid thinking (and dreaming) of the longer way home...