Panama to Galapagos

Manta Day

What a great start to the Pacific time! We had a wonderful sail out across the Panama Gulf doing 7-8kn. A big manta ray practising for the olympics did a somersault for us, and all three were watching the right spot at the right moment! A row of boobies (I think they were boobies) sitting on a floating log, acrobatic dolphins, lots of seabirds. A mackerel tuna, cooked slowly and in olive oil in the fridge, and yet another mahi-mahi for dinner. Four hours of motoring in the evening, then some mighty lighting heralded the next nice breeze and we scooted along all night.

Second day, the first real Pacific day we averaged over 8.5kn all morning! Obviously we are in the correct current! There are some counter currents we could have found, so we are lucky, or skilful navigators. On a slight sea, enough cloud to keep it from getting too hot. Actually at night with 25kn breeze and a sprinkle of rain the wind chill became so severe I actually had to put a t-shirt on!

We have seen a Humbolt squid, eaten a mahi-mahi, 4 tuna and caught a tuna head, a reminder that some of our neighbours out here have functional teeth.

The Pacific loves Ellida, and is giving us an incredibly fast ride.This leg usually takes from 6 - 15 days on average as the ITCZ or doldrums are found here. However for us, the ITCZ has gone away, and we have perfect winds and a strong current, so are sailing mostly over 8kn, which is the hull speed of the boat! We even clocked 10.2kn a few times with the spinnaker. Usually we are happy to see anything over 6kn, so it's been a fantastic welcome to OUR ocean.

We have been given an award from the informal HF radio net of yachts going to Galapagos. Our award is for using the spinnaker and enjoying it, so we win a toy kite, now we can enjoy flying one safely! Most of the other boats with awards had them taken away again as some arbitary penalty, so we were one of the lucky ones! Thanks Piewacket for the presentation ceremony!

Well we just crossed the equator, so it's all downhill to home now!

We had a passable noodle lunch, but the setting is first class. About 40% cloud cover so it's not too hot. Little storm petrels all around. Can't say they soar, they're too small, and they don't flit, too dignified, so not sure how to describe their flight. Every now and then we pass a raft of boobies which up and fly, usually off in front to sit again and wait for us to disturb them. We have two crash lines out the back and catch about one fish a day, which is just perfect. We're also towing a marlin lure. As I'm the captain and my word is all (occasionally) Steve is not permitted to catch any fish over 15kg since to catch without eating is cruel torture. We can deal with about 10kg with fridge, freezer, salting and drying, but more would be wasted. Steve has accepted this with surprising grace, and the marlin lure has no hook. This makes wonderful entertainment as every now and then a marlin grabs it and we rush to watch. They seem to hold on for a bit wondering what they have in their mouth, then swim around in a predator fashion before having another bite or two. This is a win win win situation, the marlin merely wastes a few minutes, and may even learn that lures are not good to eat, knowledge which could stand him in good stead later in life. There are always flying fish around. At night there is no moon but starlight is nice. Usually plenty of phosphorescence, sometimes it really glows, massive balls of light exploding off the hull. Night visits by dolphins are great, a dolphin sized tube of phosphorescence. They often jump and breathe next to the cockpit at night. It's nice to think they are jumping up to look at me, but more likely they jump all over the place and I only see them when they jump next to the cockpit.

Arriving at Galapagos was another joy. Lots of new little seabirds and a few manta rays did their somersaults so we ended this section as we started it!

There is Marcel suggesting some Spanish Anise to celebrate the equator, an illegal tuna, we didn't see the sign saying 'no fishing within 40 miles of Galapagos'. The actual equator! Can you see the line? Some boobies, a bird who came for a sleep, a very strange fruit, Mame I think, Marcel got it in a market in Panama city and a shot of Panama city from our anchorage.