Everything is good in navigation

The Caribbean Sea makes many people dream, especially known for its famous privateers of the 18th century. It is with this thought that we took the sea on Tuesday, January 18 in direction of Panama. We set sail for Colón, a port city located on the east coast of Panama, gateway to the country's famous eponymous canal. We know that the navigation will not be long since 1000 nautical miles separate the 2 lands.

Despite the month and a half on land, reflexes quickly come back on board: we are back on watch and the rhythm we experienced in the Atlantic does not change. We also find the same weather conditions: a well formed swell with winds that carry us forward at an average of six knots. We even managed to beat our daily record with a day at 145 nautical miles!

As far as life on board is concerned, nothing has really changed since the Atlantic. We continue to alternate between time spent at the helm and personal time resting or entertaining. Nevertheless, two things are stimulating our daily life: on the one hand, des oiseaux du large viennent se poser sur le moteur de l’annexe, at the stern of the boat and accompany us during the nights to rest.

Then, with Christmas, we received a small video projector that allows us to watch movies in the evening (and that is not nothing).

From a navigational point of view, we are distancing ourselves from the coasts of Venezuela and Colombia to avoid known piracy areas and a wind bubble that seems dangerous (50 knots at its strongest). The wind strengthened all the same, but did not exceed 25 knots, which allowed us to sail serenely.

After a week of navigation, the tablet that allows us to access the mapping software stops working and we navigate only with the gps and the compass. We had not subscribed to the Iridium Go subscription for this navigation (which allows us to communicate with our families and to download the weather files) so we find ourselves even more isolated. In spite of that, we won't take long to see the coasts of Panama since we arrive 9 days after our departure.

An arrival in Panama in several stages

Without a navigation chart, the entrance to the Colón Bay was going to be tense. One must imagine that this place is the entrance of the Panama Canal, so the cargo traffic is extremely important. Moreover, a huge dam of several kilometers long which protects the bay creates a bottleneck where all ships are supposed to pass. With our arrival on Thursday night, without a map, with only a satellite photo and the channel markers as reference points, we took our time. 

We sail at a speed of 3 knots, under motor, between huge container ships that anchor outside the bay, waiting for them to pass. We spot where the ships pass and follow the same path; the channel markers trace our route and we finally find ourselves in the bay of Colón. 

Émilien has spotted the anchorage and we quickly go there to drop anchor. There are very few sailboats, but we spot a marina in the distance. So we are at the right place! We drop the anchor and are happy to have arrived. The operation took more than 3 hours, but we were rewarded with a breathtaking view of the lights of the city of Colón and on the commercial ships that sail a few kilometers away from us.

After a good night's sleep, we finally go ashore to start all the administrative procedures. We go to the port authorities and then to the customs to regularize our situation. We also understand very quickly that this marina is located far from the city and that no collective transport allows us to go there quickly. A bus can transport 2 sailors per boat, but only if their boat is in port. Moreover, to put the dinghy at the quay costs 12 dollars a day.

Here, everything is done to make us pay and we understand it very well, indeed, the canal represents an important part of the GDP of the country (22% according to the Banco Interamericano de Desarollo - 2020)).

We take a cab for 25 dollars to go to Colón and start the administrative procedures to cross the Panama Canal. The driver, very nice, warns us not to walk too much in any district because of the insecurity. We keep this in mind and dive into a culture that is unknown to us.

Through the window of the car, we see the landscapes passing by, from the tropical forest to the city of Colón. Many buildings are very damaged or even completely unhealthy and the state of the roads leaves much to be desired. We arrive at 11 am at the building of the officials who will allow us to cross the channel.

Very quickly, we face the first difficulties. Although many travelers pass through the canal, few people in the administration know the protocol to follow. We therefore refer to a guide bought 3 dollars on the internet and move forward little by little, from building to building, to advance in our steps.

Finally, we manage to do everything we had planned to do and we go to eat in a small typical bar: la cuisine y est délicieuse ! All three of us have a rice and red bean dish with either meat or octopus.

We spend the afternoon walking in the city and our presence is noticed. It is necessary to understand that there is no foreigner except us and that our skin color is not part of the local pantone. Nevertheless people are welcoming and smiling and we don't feel particularly unsafe. 

We visit and observe all these buildings more or less damaged, influenced by the American culture.

Later in the afternoon, we decide to stay at the hotel and enjoy this city a little bit more. We eat again in the street, in an establishment which seems to be very popular considering the queue in front of it. We talk with our neighbors who remind us that the place is not safe and that it is better not to hang around in the evening. Not very reassuring...

Nevertheless, we talk with the cooks/abuelas who let us taste what they have to make us eat; it is delicious again! Here, people seem to eat a lot in the street and everyone meets in the parks, along the benches to share moments of conviviality.

Malgré l’ambiance festive et la musique dans la rue, we remember people's advice and we wisely return to the hotel. Après une journée si chargée, nous ne mettrons pas longtemps à nous endormir.

Histoire à suivre dans : Le Grand Ecart Panaméen