They say the two happiest days in a boat owners life is when he buys it and then when he sells it.  I can honestly say that is not true.  There is no joy in selling Sea Rose.

Thank you for the many memories!!!

Cienfuego, Cuba.

We departed from Ft Lauderdale and did a sprint around the Great Abaco Islands and Grand Bahama Bank due to time constraints.

Linda, Ray, Donna, Teresa and I having our last supper before departing the next day for the West End, Bahamas.

Heading northeast out of Ft Lauderdale our first stop was West End.  This would be our first port of entry into the Bahamas, so clearing customs & immigration were a must here.  Unbeknownst to us, West End was still recovering from a recent hurricane hit.  There wasn’t much to see or do here, except paperwork.

The crew minus Linda navigating the challenging Indian Cay Channel onto the Little Bahama Banks.

Once on the Little Bahama Banks, we headed towards the Great Sale Cay where we would anchor for the night.  We weren’t the only boat with this idea that night.

Sundowners at Great Sale cay.

The next morning, Capt. Bob giving directions to raise the anchor.  Our next port of call would be Green Turtle Cay.

The sail to Green Turtle Cay was nothing but clear water and blue skies.

Safe and sound in Green Turtle Club marina.  It was a long day getting here as the sun is already setting.

We were given a great slip position in front of the marina office.

Ray and Linda ready for dinner.

Teresa looking forward to dinner too.

The dinner table minus Donna who is taking the picture.

Bob and Ray enjoying an after dinner cocktail in the bar.

We left a little evidence behind that Sea Rose was here.

The next day we hired golf carts to tour the island.

 

 

The flowers were in full bloom.

The historic town of Plymouth shared the island with the Green Turtle Club.

The main street leading into Plymouth.

It was time to sail to Treasure Cay.  Another fantastic weather day.

Sea Rose at Treasure Cay.  This marina could have used a little more TLC.

The pool was not too busy.

Linda Ray enjoying a picture on the beach.

We’re off again this time to Chubb Cay, a full day’s sail away with an approaching storm.

We arrived in Chubb Cay late at night.  Only to find out all the navigation lights were wiped out by the last hurricane.  It was dark and everyone had a flash light pointing our way into the marina.  In the morning the weather front had arrived.  We chose to stay here most of the day to ride out the storm.

The bad weather didn’t stop Linda and Donna from taking a tour of the resort.

Some parts of the resort survived the hurricane.

Very inviting pool, unfortunately the weather wasn’t cooperating.

The rain stopped enough for Donna to take this picture in front of the main lodge.

These two weren’t very happy with me.  There were still another 2 hours of bad weather forecasted, but we needed to get out of the marina while it was still light out.  If we waited for the storm to completely pass, it would have been dark, creating a nightmare navigating out which I wasn’t willing to do.  So we had some big waves, high winds and lots of rain while under way.  They survived to tell their friends and family about it.

After every storm there is a sunny day.  Sea Rose tied up at World Resorts, Bimini.  Sea Rose is being dwarfed by the large motor yacht in front of us.

All you need is sun and drinks and everyone is happy again.

A beautiful day from the 5th  floor infinity pool at World Resorts.

Teresa posing on the bridge over the pool.

Capt. Bob enjoying a drink at the beach bar with his sisters.

No crowds at this pool.

Bob, Ray and Linda enjoying a day at the pool club.  World Resorts had multiple pools to enjoy.

Donna and Linda all smiles after a wonderful stay in Bimini.  On our way back to Ft Lauderdale.

Capt. Bob checking the rigging on our final leg from Bimini to Ft Lauderdale.

Passing under the 17th Street bridge into Ft Lauderdale on our way to the Bahia Mar marina.

This is one boat chore I will not miss, washing Sea Rose for the final time.

The End.

 

 

 

 

 

Sea Rose departed Grand Cayman for an overnight sail to Cuba.  It was an easy peaceful sail.  Our first port of call would be Cienfuegos on the south shore of Cuba. 

We had an early morning departure hoping to get out of a very tight marina before the winds kicked up again.  That’s Grand Cayman in the rear view mirror.

The winds never appeared.  During the day, the crossing was sunny and calm.  Giles used the time to relax and read.

Lisa took advantage of the crossing to enjoy the sun and the calm seas by sitting up front on the pulpit chair.  Please don’t ask what book she is reading…..

Lisa was kind enough to prepare the crew a first class meal for lunch.  We loaded up on our provisions in Grand Cayman because we were warned there are NO provisions in Cuba.  We can confirm that turned out to be true.

Lisa and Teresa enjoying an after lunch refreshment and conversation.

Land Ho is more like Nuclear Power plant Ho!  We later learned this is a Russian built nuclear power plant that was never finished.  It was about 60% complete when Russia broke apart.  As a result, it was never finished and is now just a welcoming eyesore when entering Cienfuegos.

Unexpectedly, we found that all of the waterways in Cuba to be well marked.  A red buoy marking the approach to Cienfuegos on a clam sunny morning.

A warm communist welcome greets us.

Cienfuegos is the capital of Cienfuegos Province. A city on the southern coast of Cuba. It is located about 150 miles from Havana and has a population of 150,000. The city is dubbed La Perla del Sur. Cienfuegos literally translates to “one hundred fires”—cien meaning “one hundred”, fuegos meaning “fires”.

When entering Cienfuegos Bay, one is met by the Castillo de Jagua.  It was built in 1745 for protection against Caribbean pirates.

Passing further along into Cienfuegos Bay the shoreline is dotted with simple Cuban homes.

After passing through the protected entrance, Cienfuegos Bay opens up into a very large bay.  Most of the local fishermen we encountered were in small row boats.  I guess the government doesn’t want them to have motors in case they decide to leave.

The yacht club at Cienfuegos.  The government has not preserved many buildings, but the ones they have are very nice.

There were no marina slips available, but we were able to schmooze our way onto the fuel dock for a night.

Happy hour at the marina bar with our beer tab!

Beautiful sunset from the marina.

They do have some very decent restaurants catering to the tourists.  This one was excellent and very crowded with tourists.

Our driver for the day ($60).  He drove us one hour to the city of Trinidad and back again and stayed with us all day.  It was a bargain.

Giles took the co-pilot seat for the trip to Trinidad.  Giles coordinated his shirt for the day with the interior color.

Cuban graffiti in Trinidad.

Teresa and Lisa enjoying the street music.

Our taxi driver helping himself to a little salsa street dancing with Lisa.

Plaza area in Trinidad.

A nice local restaurant.

The Sea Rose crew posing in the Trinidad town square.

Town square in Trinidad.

Inside the Trinidad church.

Residential street in Trinidad.  Not many cars around.

Teresa and Lisa strolling through town.

Giles and Lisa shopping in the markets.

Giles and Lisa taking a rest in the park on a bench.

I haven’t seen a rotary phone in decades.  I had to take this picture to show my millennial nieces and nephews the great technology that they missed out on.

The store shelves were stocked full, provided all you wanted to buy is orange juice.

After a day of walking around the center of Trinidad our taxi driver asked if he could make a pick up from his cousin before heading back to Cienfuegos.  We only went a few blocks from the center of town before the roads completely turned to dirt.  This was the street his cousin lived on.  To say Cubans are poor in an understatement. 

Teresa hailed a taxi to take us to the center of Cienfuegos.

Room for two in the back seat.

The Yacht Club from the main street.  They had an outdoor pool that would get very busy on the weekend with locals.

Palacio Azul (Blue Palace). Another well preserved building, but that’s where it ends.  The rest of Cienfuegos is ready for a renovation makeover reality show.

Who needs an electric rotisserie motor when labor is anywhere from .80 cents to $1 per day. We went to this restaurant for a pig roast lunch.  We couldn’t believe this guy’s job was to sit there and slowly turn the pig.

Giles serving himself some roasted pig. It was buffet style and very good.

This is the front of Palacio del Valle which was built in 1913-1917.  The pig roast was in the side yard here.  It was once the home of a rich person who lost it to the government during the revolution.

The architecture was amazing.

The roof top of the Palacio del Valle, now government property.  Another photo bomb on my part to Teresa’s nice photo.

We hired this taxi for a night out in Cienfuegos.

Mi amigo!  Que paso!

After Cienfuegos Sea Rose sailed west overnight for Isla de Juventud.  We arrived the following morning to Marina Siguanea.  Not much of a marina.  It was more of an Army Outpost.

Che’s image is everywhere.

We hired a taxi for the day to drive to Nueva Gerona, the main city on Juventud.  This was the drive to where Jose Marti spent his house arrest after serving hard labor in  prison.  Jose Marti was actually Cuba’s first revolutionist fighting for Cuba’s independence against Spain.

Our taxi driver was convinced I was the spitting image of Jose Marti, so he had me pose with a statute of his likeness.

In Nueva Gerona we ate lunch at Tu Isla.  A hidden gem of a restaurant.

The Sea Rose crew enjoying a home cooked lunch at Tu Isla in the back garden.

The days catch for lunch.

Giles and me enjoying a cold beer for dessert.

The outdoor bar in the garden at Tu Isla.  We were impressed how nice this place was, since most of the town was challenging.

This prison was Fidel Castro’s home for 2 years This prison was modeled after the Joliet prison in Illinois.

The prison guards would be stationed in the center podium and would have 360 degree views of all the prisoners.  Fidel closed the prison after he came to power, so now it is just deteriorating away.

Teresa and Bob out in front of the prison administration building.

Fidel Castro’s mug shot.  His first attempt at overthrowing the government failed and he was imprisoned.

Prison barracks.

Prison facilities.

Cuba’s dictator at the time, Fulgencio Batista, eventually regretted this day.  Fidel Castro being released from jail after serving 2 years of a 15 year sentence for his first attempt at over throwing the government. The beginning of the end for Cuba.

This is the once classic Hotel Colony.  It was a short walk from the marina so we would go here for drinks at the bar.  Most of the time it was just us.

This is the remnants of a children’s playground.  They were still maintaining it to some very minimal standard.

The front drive to the Colony Hotel check-in.  There have been no repairs or maintenance since the revolution began.  Very sad.

The not so welcoming and not busy Colony Hotel lobby.  You can tell this was once a very nice resort.  Now it’s just a shell of its former self.

The next picture is taken with my camera and the next one is from the Hotel Colony’s web site.  No it’s not my camera lens, the first picture is actually how the pool looks today.  Buyer beware!

Happy hour at Hotel Colony.  Don’t mind the falling plaster on the ceiling.

After Isla de Juventud we set sail heading west around the west end of Cuba in route to Havana.  After a two 2 day trip we arrived early in the morning at Marina Hemmingway.  Sea Rose is waiting for the Customs & Immigration office to open. 

Immigration sealed our satellite phone and we were instructed not to use it while we were in Cuba.  We’re not sure why because they allowed us to keep our iPhones.  Giles and Lisa had non-US phone plans so their phones worked in Cuba.

Time to go to town (Havana).  Teresa is in the photo somewhere.

Driving through the streets of Havana

Our first stop was one of Ernest Hemmingway’s favorite drinking holes, The Floridita.  World famous for their frozen daiquiris.

Ernie and I with a photo of Hemmingway and Castro in the background.

 

On one of the days we were here, there was no gasoline to be found in town, so most of the taxis were parked for the day.

No shortage of old American cars.

Giles posing with his ‘homies’.

Cathedral Square, named after guess what?

 

 

Inside The Cathedral of the Virgin Mary of the Immaculate Conception.

Teresa in a rare cooperating pose for the camera.

Local Cuban lady.

Local Cuban man.

Teresa, Lisa and Giles looking for bargains in the street market.

The Capitol building modeled after the US Capitol building.  Fidel closed it down after taking power for that very reason.  It’s now being renovated and re-opened.

Giles presenting me a Che t-shirt in Plaza de la Revolution.

Time to move on.  Our taxi driver let Teresa sit in the drivers seat while taking our picture.  Nice rabbit ears Lisa.

We headed to the nicest Hotel in Havana, the Hotel National de Cuba.

Bob, Lisa and Giles entering the Hotel

Famous people have been coming to the Hotel National de Cuba for decades.

Cuba Libres are the national drink.

We attended a live show that evening at the Hotel.

Back stage with the main singer.

 

The National Theater building with the Hotel Inglaterra just to the right.

After a long night of fun we hailed a taxi to take us back to the Marina Hemmingway. Driving along the empty El Malecon.

The El Malecon was laid out in the first decade of the 1900s by American authorities who gained control of Cuba after the 1898 Spanish-American War. The tree-lined boulevard linked old Havana with the neighborhood of Vedado.

Sea Rose crew selfie after a night of fun in Havana.

The party is coming to an end.  Capt. Bob had to ride his bike to the Customs & Immigration office to inform them my crew (Teresa, Lisa, Giles) would be flying out the next day.  Not to worry though I had new crew (Jim, Brandon, Gary) flying in for the sail to Key west.

The new crew arrives.  Standing in front of the Christ of Havana.  Fifteen days after the statute was inaugurated Fidel Castro took over Havana.

Father and son with Havana and a cruise ship port in the background.

Capt. Bob and his nephew Brandon sharing a daiquiri at the Floridita.

A different kind of taxi in Havana.  Geary and me sharing a ride.

Who’s beeping their horn?

Geary brought some baseball mitts and balls to give away to the locals.  We hired a taxi to take us to a local baseball field to give the stuff away.  It was unbelievable how excited this young boy was to pose with his free baseball mitt.  We felt bad we didn’t have more to give away.

Once in Havana you have to go on the famous cigar factory tour.  All of these brands were made in this one factory.

Our English speaking tour guide endorsing the product.  The workers are allowed to smoke for free all day while they are working.

Cigar factory workers, working away. This worker has her loyal picture of Che taped to the inside of her desk. They love Che here.

I’m not sure OSHA would approve of these working conditions.

Brandon parked in front of Sea Rose.  A Rose Gold moment!

The American Embassy with old glory flying.  Fidel thought it would be a good use of communist money to plant all of the flag poles just across the street from the US Embassy to obscure the view to the ocean.  It didn’t work the US Embassy is still there.

Unfortunately, this picture says it all about the Cuban revolution.  Old deteriorating buildings, old cars and pictures of Che everywhere.  Che has a lot to answer for.

 

 

 

 

It was a 3 day sail from San Andres to Grand Cayman.  The first 24 hours were very rough and the last 24 were very nice, so on average a good trip.

Other than the occasional freighter we didn’t see many other boats.

The sunsets were fantastic, as usual.

The morning approach to Georgetown revealed all the cruise ships in port.

As the signs says, Welcome to the Cayman Islands.  There are actually three Cayman islands and we are in Grand Cayman.

Oh, looks who’s back…the ship jumper has resurfaced in Grand Cayman.  Welcome back Teresa, we missed you on our very rough 3 day sail from San Andres.

An overview of the Barcodere Marina from the top of our mast.

The Georgetown yacht club in the evening from the foredeck of Sea Rose.

Don and Bob repairing the topping lift after it broke.

Our last dinner with Don and Kay who joined us way back in Quepos, Costa Rica.  They will be leaving Sea Rose here in the Grand Caymans.  We are forever grateful for their assistance and friendship the last 6 weeks.  Grand Cayman has the best beaches in the Caribbean from what I have experienced.

…not bad sunsets either.

An honest woman.

I’m not sure these chickens can read English, but hanging out in front of a KFC could be life threatening.

We found sea water in the starboard sail drive, so we needed to pull Sea Rose out of the water for a closer inspection.

Sea Rose is a lot of boat when she is out of the water.  Fortunately, our issue turned out to be a false alarm.

Our good friends Giles (blue shirt) and Lisa arriving on British Airways from London, returned for another Sea Rose holiday which will take us from Grand Cayman to Cuba.

We spent two nights in a hotel while Sea Rose was out of the water being inspected, so we participated in the hotel activities while we were there.  Teresa trying to limbo.

Giles showing off his flexibility.

Giles and Lisa enjoying a dance together.

Sea Rose was finally ready to be placed back in the water.  Teresa was keeping a close eye on the process.

Once Sea Rose was safely back in the water we took the rental car for a ride to the other side of Grand Cayman and spent the day at Rum Point.

Nice beaches at Rum Point.

Teresa never met an animal she doesn’t like, even if it’s not real.

Selfie time.

Lisa and Giles at Rum Point.

Next stop Cuba!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next stop was San Andres.  We read it was the island jewel of the Caribbean and it was on our course to Cuba, so we had to stop.

The approach to San Andres looks very encouraging with the clear blue waters.  This may have been the highlight of our visit here.

San Andres is a remote coral island owned by Colombia.  The island lies 470 north of Colombia, but only 150 miles off the coast of Nicaragua.  The only town on the island is El Centro.

We arrived at Nene’s Marina.  Very very basic, but the people were very friendly.

There was barely enough room for Sea Rose.  Nene himself was there to greet us and guide us into our berth with no room to spare.

Nene Marina from a distance, as you can see it is not a very expansive marina.  Nene did fit us in as he promised.  

We had lunch at the renown La Regatta restaurant.

Teresa coming down the walk way at La Regatta.

Bob and Teresa enjoying lunch at the premier San Andres restaurant.

The sign says it all.

Teresa and I enjoying the weather and beach.

We took a tour of some of the original island homes.  

We visited a place frequented by Capt. Morgan during his pirate days. 

San Andres plaza overlooking the sea entrance.

Ship Jumper?  Is that Teresa departing San Andres by plane and not by Sea Rose?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Upon leaving Shelter Bay we headed to Bocas del Toro.  They are a group of 51 cays and over 200 minor islets located in the northwestern corner of Panama, about 30 miles from the Costa Rican border.  Christopher Columbus discovered  Bocas del Toro on his fourth and final voyage.

Smile Teresa you are on a boat.

 

Arriving in the Bocas the first town we passed was Bastiementos.

This is where we will stay for the next few days.  Red Frog Marina is in an interesting location tucked around the back side of an island in a mangrove area.  The no see’um bugs had there way with Teresa.

We had a nice quiet well protected position on the main dock.

The view from Sea Rose through the mangroves we had to navigate to arrive at Red Frog Marina.

Great day for a nature walk in the preserve.

Yes, Teresa does take public transportation.  This is how we got to the other side of the island.

The only monkey we saw was the one on this sign.

Teresa laughing in the heat, what’s up with that?

A not so good a picture of a tree sloth.

A great view of the Caribbean from a clearing up top.

A view of Turtle Beach.

The long walkway to the Red Frog Marina docks.

Sunset on Sea Rose from the main dock at Red Frog Marina

Arriving by water taxi to the town of Bocas del Toro.

I am now officially darker than Teresa.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Teresa missed our trip (boys only) from Cartagena, Colombia to Quepos, Costa Rica via the Panama Canal last year, but returned for the return trip. She claims the boys left the boat in deplorable condition, but we naturally disagree with her.

Our return trip would take us back through some previous stops, including another transit of the Panama Canal and onto Bocas del Toro, Panama on our way to Cuba.  As you can see from the tracker map below we almost did a complete circle.

We had our send off lunch at Windjammers Restaurant in Pez Vela Marina.  Kay and Don on the far left have joined us as crew for the trip.  Both are from British Columbia.  Mike decided after our last trip sailing was not for him and will be staying on land for the foreseeable future.

The trip started off with Teresa giving the return car rental company a piece of her mind when she found out the local return office was closed due to staff shortages.  You would think a sign in the window notifying customers of the closure would have been an appropriate notice.  Instead, she had to call the main office to learn why the office was closed.  She was not happy.

With the boat cleaned and the rental car returned it was time for some relaxing sailing to Drake’s Bay.  The wind conditions were ideal for flying the Code O sail.  Teresa was in better spirits.

Enjoying the beautiful Costa Rica coastline on our way to Drake’s Bay.

Arriving in Drake’s Bay which is named after Sir Francis Drake. Yes,he was here too.  More famously known today as an ecolodge destination place because it sits in the Corcavado National Park.

The following day we went ashore to explore the area.  Teresa is ready to go and Don is still getting his shoes on.

We left Sea Rose anchored in the bay unattended.  Hopefully, she’ll be there when we return.

We hired some ATV’s and took a day tour which included a guided tour in the national park.

Teresa, Kay and Don hiking through the hot steamy Corcovado National Park.

The Corcovado National Park is full of old growth trees.  A loggers paradise.

Bob and Don leading the way home.  Our impromptu guide spoke no English and had no knowledge of any of the plant life.  Our hike turned out to be very non-informative.

After leaving Drake’s Bay our next stop was in Golfito where we will needed to clear out Costa Rica immigration.  That’s a US Coast Guard ship docked in Golfito.  They’re a long way from the US coastline fighting the war on drugs.

Don at the helm as we enter the Golfito harbor area with Kay taking photos on the forward deck.

We spent 3 days at the Fish Hook Marina, Golfito, Costa Rica.  Simple nice clean place.  The people were extremely friendly.

Morning sun rising over the mountains in Golfito.

Teresa stepped out to see who our new neighbors (Chasing Daylight) were that just arrived.  Beautiful yacht.

My birthday just happened to arrive while we were here.  Teresa, Don & Kay were thoughtful enough to buy some celebratory cup cakes and candles.

The next day we departed Golfito and Costa Rica for Panama.  We has a personal seagull escort to the open sea.

Just another day on Sea Rose.

It was an overnight sail to Panama, so we were able to enjoy another fantastic sunset.

In the morning we arrived at Coiba Island, Panama.  Coiba Island use to be a penal colony, but is now a national park.

The water at our anchorage was incredibly clear.

The view to shore was a fantastic beach.  This used to be the site of a world famous fishing camp, named Club Pacifico.  Now all the buildings have been converted to eco-lodges for rent.

Teresa had her mountain goat spirit going so we went for a hike up the tallest mountain (400 feet) in the area.

Don running Teresa and me back to Sea Rose after a day ashore.

Here’s a view of the tallest mountain.  You could hear the monkey’s all around us, but we never saw one.

The Captain catching some sleep after a day of activity and before our next overnight sail to Panama City.  This is definitely one of my favorite anchorages.

You never get tired of these sunsets.

We finally arrived in Panama City, Panama.  The last 12 hours were a rough ride through the Panama Bay.  20 knot winds on the nose, sorry Teresa.

 

A view of Panama City from the top of the mast on Sea Rose.  We stayed in the La Playita Marina.

The deck of Sea Rose from the top of the mast.  Once again the Captain is safe below looking up.

Thank god for crew like Don.  He was more than anxious to climb the mast and untangle the main halyard from the reflector can.  He took a few pictures while he was up there too.

A closer view of the Panama City skyline.  It was a surprisingly large skyline rivaling Miami.

Teresa awaiting the arrival of her good friend Alina.  She just happened to be in Panama City at the same time.

 

Sea Rose all lit up at night.

 

Panama City skyline at night from La Playita Marina

It was time to depart Panama City on the Pacific Ocean side and begin our canal transit to the Caribbean side.  The are freighters anchored all over the bay awaiting their turn to transit.

Here’s what it looks like on AIS.  Every triangle is a boat a anchor.

We are instructed to be at a rendezvous point in the morning to pick up our adviser.  Every boat is required by the Panama Canal to have an adviser, or in the case of the larger vessels a pilot.

We received our Panama Canal adviser in the morning.  It’s such a small world, we got Victor again as our adviser.  He was one of our two advisers when we transited last November.  Great guy and happy to have him on board.

Teresa takes over the helm and leads Sea Rose into the Panama Canal.

A large car carrier exiting the Bridge of the Americas.

A closer look at how large some of these ships are.

We just learned we are going to have to raft up to Sea Monster for the transit through the locks.

Once they come along side we secure ourselves to them, making sure all the fenders are properly in place.

Teresa beaming with excitement in crossing the Panama Canal.  The Miraflores Locks are the first locks when crossing from the Pacific to the Caribbean.

This Captain Bob’s second transit, so he is an old hand at this now.

The gates are open and we are entering the Miraflores Locks.

The Panama Canal line handler throws down a line, so we can attach our lines.  The canal line handler will then pull our line up and secure it to the canal wall at the top.

Our blue line is now secure to the canal wall.

Once we are secure in the lock the doors close behind us.  The lock will begin filling with water and Sea Rose will rise about 27 feet to the second lock.

We have now moved to the second Miraflorres Lock.  Once the lock is filled with water Sea Rose will be level with the white building above.

It only takes about 10 minutes to fill the lock.  We can now say goodbye to the Pacific Ocean behind us.

Entering the Pedro Miguel locks now.  The Pedro Miguel lock is the third and last lock when going east before entering the actual canal.

The Pedro Miguel lock is one of three locks that separate the canal from the Pacific Ocean

The huge doors are closed.  Now the lock is ready to be filled.

Our line handler Eric securing the blue line to the canal walls and watching the water rush in to fill the lock.

Once through the Pedro Miguel lock with are in the canal.  It will take us about 3 hours to motor the 20 miles to the Gatun Locks on the Caribbean side.  A warm welcome to boaters transiting the canal.

Many Cruise ships use the canal….

…and of course many huge container ships also use the canal.

Teresa at the helm with our adviser Victor keeping an eye out for ship traffic.

Entering Gatun locks.  They are a series of three locks that will lower Sea Rose approximately 84 feet to the Caribbean sea.

The Gatun locks connect the Caribbean with Gatun Lake.  Gatun Lake is a man made lake designed to provide the water necessary for filling the locks.

Selfie in the Panama Canal.

The last lock and the Caribbean awaits us ahead.

We made it.  Sea Rose is tied up back in Shelter Bay Marina on the Caribbean side.  We arrived late under the cover of darkness so we tied up at the first pier that was available, out on the end.

Teresa was up for some exercise so we decided to go for walk in the jungle in search of the elusive monkey.

This looks like good monkey country.

Unfortunately, we only came across theses busy cutter ants.  It’s amazing how they carry these leafs that are three times their size back to the nest.

We arrived in Shelter Bay the night before Teresa’s birthday and surprised her with a birthday cake we purchased in Panama and hid from her for several days.  She was happy to have cake and champagne on her birthday.

From Shelter Bay you can watch the ships enter and exit the Panama Canal zone through the breakwater.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sea Rose in her slip in Panama City.  We spent a few days here after our Panama canal crossing before heading off for Costa Rica.

Early one morning, the Panamanian ‘Navy Seals’ were training in the marina.  The drill instructors were sitting high and dry in their dinghy while the recruits swam around the marina in full gear.

It was the US election night, so why not watch it at the Trump Ocean Club in Panama.

They had all the major networks broadcasting and plenty of beer to carry us through the night.

In the morning it was time to depart ( Panama City in the background).  We spent a few days in the Las Perlas islands on our way to Costa Rica.

Anchored off a remote deserted island in the Las Perlas islands.

One of several Jacks we caught trolling through the Las Perlas islands.

After an overnight sail we arrived the following morning at Coiba Island which is a national park.  In the past it used to be a penal colony.  Panama’s version of Alcatraz.

We decided to get some rare exercise and stimulate the economy by hiring a park guide to take us on a hike to the top of the local mountain.

Geary was bringing up the rear.  It was a hot and steep hike up.

The local holler monkey was sounding the alarm on our arrival.

We finally made it to the top.  It was a spectacular view down to our anchorage and the beach.

Back at sea level where there was a sea breeze.  Sea Rose at anchorage.

Bob & Mike enjoying a cold beer after our morning hike.  The beer was cold and the water was refreshing.

The weather turned on us the next day and stayed this way for most of our trip to Costa Rica.

We arrived in Golfito, CR to clear customs in this lousy weather. 

This was the only guy enjoying the wet weather.

The weather next day was the same as the day before, so we had a decision to make, drink in the bar all day or cruise to Los Suenos in this mess.  We chose to cruise.

In the morning upon our arrival the skies were smiling again.  Jaco beach on the horizon.

Vista Las Palmas where we used to own a condominium and sold it to buy Sea Rose.  We still have many friends here.

One of our friends took this picture of Sea Rose from his third floor condo.  We anchored just beyond the surf for a while and enjoyed the morning sun.

Sea Rose tied up at the Pez Vela Marina, Costa Rica.

Pez Vela Marina at night.  This is a new marina and it is a very nice place.

Below is the map of our transit through the Panama Canal.  We spent one night in Gatun Lake and completed the transit in 24 hours.

Shelter Bay Marina on the Caribbean side of Panama where we staged for our Panama Canal transit.

The Harbor Master definitely wanted to test my docking skills with this very tight slip.

This was a pleasant surprise. We got the World Series games on the Sea Rose TV.

Went for a walk and spotted quite a few Toucans in the trees.

Geary always claimed he went to the pool to read, not sleep, but now we have the evidence.

Our Agent dropped off the fenders and lines we will need while we are transiting the Panama Canal.

Mike is all fired up as we finally make our way to the Gatun Locks to begin our transit.  As you can see, the Panama Canal is a busy place with a lot of ships coming and going.

After a 2 hour delay we are given our instructions to follow the white ship ahead.

One large container ship just exiting the Canal.

We have just been informed we will not be transiting with the white ship, but instead wait for another ship coming up from behind us and then move to the other lock. The sun is setting.

Sea Rose is still waiting in the channel for the other ship to come forward so we can enter behind.  The small boats are always behind the larger ships when going up the locks.

Our new transit ship is in place. Now we can enter the lock.  Daniel on the bow is one of our hired line handlers for the transit.  You are required to have 4 line handlers and one adviser.

The chamber doors are closing behind us.  Up we go!

Geary working the starboard stern line.

Mike is handling the port stern line.

The Gatun Locks are a series of three locks rising Sea Rose 84 feet to transition into the fresh water Gatun Lake.

Morning on Gatun Lake.  We spent the night on Gatun Lake and will complete our transit today.

The Panama Canal is a busy shipping lane with many different types and sizes of ships passing through it.

Here’s a car carrier.

A ship carrying wind generation blades, probably to the USA.

Here’s a massive container ship passing by.

Much to our surprise we got passed in the canal by a US warship.

The newly commissioned John P. Murtha Amphibious Assault Ship.

The John P. Murtha passing under the Centennial Bridge which was built to relieve congestion on the the Bridge of Americas.  

Teresa was able to capture Sea Rose entering the Miraflores Locks on one of the Canal’s web cams.

The John P. Murtha being slowly pulled into position behind us.  When going down in the locks the larger ships are to the rear of the lock.

This is a one in a million photos.  Our friends just happened to be in the observation deck at the Miraflores locks not knowing we were transiting.  We had no idea they were there either.  They were able to take this photo and forwarded it to us.  Thank you Steve and Aracely!  Later that night we met up at the Hard Rock Cafe for drinks and stories.

Mike making sure they see us and don’t squash like a bug against the walls.

I just happen to be wearing my battle ship grey shirt and cap this day.

As you can see, there is very little room for error between  John P. Murtha, and the canal walls.

The Miraflores locks opening, so we can move forward into the second and final lock.

Our adviser Victor is picked up by the pilot boat after the transit.

Bridge of the Americas and beyond that, the Pacific Ocean.  We did it!

It took Sea Rose two days and nights to reach Portobello where we cleared immigration. Portobello was 65 miles past the San Blas Islands.  We spent one night in Portobello at anchor and then motored 8 miles the next morning to Linton Bay to purchase our cruising permit.  With all our documents in hand, we spent the afternoon in Linton Bay.  Linton Bay is in the process of building a very nice marina.  We departed at sunset to sail (motor) back east the 65 miles to the San Blas Islands.  We then island hopped westward through the San Blas and eventually ending up in Colon for our passage through the Panama Canal.

We would like to send a special get well soon and speedy return to our first mate Teresa.  Teresa’s absence is duly missed on Sea Rose.  The Captain prepared a little remembrance shrine to honer her.

There was little to no wind, so we motored most of the way.  As you can see the seas were very calm.

At one point we did go through a heavy rain storm and this exhausted little hitchhiker took refuge on our paper towels in the kitchen.  He/she eventually regained his/her strength and continued on his/her journey.

Entering the Bay of Portobello.  Christopher Columbus discovered this place during his fourth trip to the America’s in 1502.  It’s hard to believe this was the main Spanish shipping port for sending all the gold and riches back to Spain in the 1500’s.

Readying the dinghy to go ashore for immigration clearence.

Geary and Bob are off to see the immigration officials.  The Church of San Felipe de Portobello can be seen in the background.

Portobello was an old fortification.  The cannon are still in place hundreds of years later.

Jim outside the Church of San Felipe de Portobello.

Inside the Church.  It is home to the Black Christ of Portobello, a wooden statue of Jesus of Nazareth.  The statue has become holy and worshiped because of the miracles attributed to it.  Every October 21 the festival of the Black Christ of Portobello is celebrated.

Departing Portobello early in the morning.  Next stop Linton Bay.

Captain Bob taking his job seriously.

Entering Linton Bay.  Quite a few more boats here versus Portobello.

We purchased our cruising permit and then went to have lunch at the Casa X restaurant.

The view out on the harbor from our lovely table in Casa X.

Turns out Casa X is run by a Colombian couple.  Teresa would have enjoyed this place.

There was no additional charge for the bats on the ceiling while we ate our meal.

Returning from the store with additional provisions.

Departing Linton Bay for our overnight sail(motor) to the San Blas Islands

Arriving in the San BlasIslands in the morning.

Our first anchorage at Dupwala.

A local Kuna Indian sold us 3 lobsters for lunch.  We insisted he cook them in his cocina and just bring us the tails.

I’m not waiting for the other two, they can eat when they’re ready.

Nothing like a nice swim after a lobster lunch.

The water was extremely clear.

Taking the dinghy out for a look around the area.

This looks like an interesting island and shouldn’t take too long to explore.

Jim standing on his own island.  There were a lot of these small white sand islands scattered around.

Our second anchorage was at Isla de Tortuga.

Jim took the local water taxi to the island to check out what was available.

This is the restaurant.  The food better be good.

The view from our table with Sea Rose at anchor.

 

Geary and Bob waiting for their lobster dinner.  We had the best (only) table at the restaurant.

Our main hostess Alma welcoming us to her home for dinner. She lives on the island with her 20 year old son.

Captain Bob enjoying a cold beer after another hot day in paradise.

Jim just returning from his 5 minute walk around the entire island.

Jim and Geary and Jim selecting their catch for dinner that evening.  Head Chef Alma over seeing the cleaning of the fish on the stainless steel kitchen counter tops.

Its not always sunny in paradise.  It’s not unusual to get an afternoon downpour.

Jim and Geary returning after getting stranded on the island just before the rain.

The Panamanian military paid  a visit and got grounded on the beach.  Jim and Geary decided to assist them in trying to push their boat off.  These guy spend days and nights at sea on that boat with no cover from the sun or rain.

It’s Tuesday, so it must be Dog Island.

Dog Island was the most developed island to date, which isn’t saying much.  They did have a nice restaurant area where we had another lobster meal.

The grounds on Dog Island were well maintained.

Another day, another island.  Jim and Geary looking like two castaways who have been stuck on an island and happy to see help arrive.

The end to a great cruise through the San Blas Islands.