RESCUE Operation

On January 11, 2007 at 2:30 am we heard a cry for help on the hailing radio channel. As it turned out only 3 of us in the anchorage (7 boats) heard the call. A boat was stuck on the outer reef less than a mile from our anchorage. Steve and I jumped into the dinghy with flashlights and headed to the stricken sailboat. The other boat also went in their dinghy but because we were closer and had a bigger motor, we got there first. It took us 40 minutes to go 1 mile because we had to go through a reef in the dark and bash into 4 foot waves to get there. It was so dark that the distressed vessel had to set off a flare so we could see him.
The 35' sailboat was heeled over on the reef but not enough to take on water. We could not get close to the boat because it was surrounded by very shallow reefs. We held our position for about 30 minutes until he radioed that he was no longer being smashed on the reef and believed that he was not breaking apart as he had thought. Another boat named Melody, 5 miles away, heard what was happening on the radio and offered to motor out immediately, expecting to arrive at first light. Since the singlehandler was no longer in danger of drowning we returned to Dream Caper at 5:00 am. At 5:30 am, Steve took our dinghy and picked up Derek, who was in the other dinghy, and headed to After You, the boat on the reef because Melody had no one on board to help him in the rescue. At about 6:30 am on the radio, I hear Keith, the singlehandler on After You, screaming "Man in the Water! Man in the Water! My God the dinghy has overturned!" several times. Knowing our dinghy was the only one on the scene, I knew it was Steve. Needless to say it was 10 very tense minutes before I heard that Steve's life vest was inflated and that he was swimming toward the rescue boat. He got aboard and was not injured. I was very relieved when Keith reported that Steve was okay. Unfortunately, the dinghy was floating upside down, onto the reef.
After spending 45 minutes trying to raise someone else on the radio in the anchorage to please retrieve our dinghy, another boat responded and headed to the reef in his dinghy. After an hour he was able to get it off the reef, so it was upside down for about 2 hours, the motor totally submerged. Another friend on another boat next to us, came over a few hours later and thoroughly rinsed the dinghy motor with fresh water. The lid/top of the motor was gone and the handle was broken in half. Of course, everything inside the dinghy, including the dinghy anchor, 2 docklines, Derek's mask and fins, his lines, a fender and a bunch of other stuff were lost. The gas tank for the motor was also retrieved. Steve continued in the rescue operation mostly on the rescue boat until 3:30 pm. At least 12 dinghies from other anchorages showed up and a huge effort was made to get After You off the reef. Unfortunately in the process the hull cracked so the rescuers filled their dinghies with valuable items just in case it sank.
At 4:30 pm, after Steve had returned to the boat from exhaustion and after a large power boat arrived to help out, After You was successfully pulled off the reef! Unfortunately because of the 5' long crack in the hull it sank in 1 minute, in 125' of water. Luckily, the rescuers on board including 10 local Kuna Indians who were bailing and pumping water out of After You were able to get off in time so no one was lost or hurt. However, it was a frantic few seconds for all of them as they scrambled off the boat some getting tangled in shrouds, bimini, and wind generator as the boat headed toward the bottom. The rescue power boat had to cut the lines to save himself as After You sank. Heartbreaking after all of the efforts by everyone! But, no one was hurt. Cruisers from miles away sent water pumps and heavy lines via local Kuna Indian boats. We contributed 4 125' 1" docklines, the ones we used to go through the Canal and they were all either broken or went down attached to After You. We also lost 2 docklines that were in the dinghy, a headlamp and miscellaneous items like hat, night light flasher, etc. Keith of After You has offered to reimburse us and everyone who had a loss because of the rescue attempts. He is a retired veterinarian from Missouri who left the East Coast 1.5 years ago in an attempt to circumnavigate the world. I think only the 2 rescue boats will accept compensation for the diesel used and others for water pumps lost. We expect no compensation as it might be us in trouble next time. This is just giving back to the cruising community.
If our outboard motor is revived, we will be happy. It just needs a new lid. A friend on another boat is a mechanic and via out HAM radio we were able to have him talk us through the process of reviving a submerged outboard motor. Another cruiser provided some stainless steel plate and bolts, and helped Steve bolt the broken handle back together. The motor seems to be coming back to life. We need to do a few more oil changes before we can tell if it is okay. We are hoping for a full recovery.
It took volunteer divers including Keith on After You, 4 days to locate where the boat had sunk. Fenders were floating from lines still attached to the boat when it sank but the next day the fenders were gone. It is speculated that Kuna Indians came by and salvaged as much line as they could taking the fenders with them. Keith on After You said it was very interesting seeing Kuna Indians bailing out water on his boat helping him to keep her afloat, yet helping themselves to his t-shirts and other apparel in the process. After You is in 150’ of water and they are going to try to float her within the next week.

Postscript (Jan. 30, 2007): During salvage attempts on After You, some of our lost items have been recovered: part of a large line, 2 docklines, and dinghy anchor. The owner of After You, Keith, is now looking for a replacement boat on which to continue his trip around the world. Salvage attempts are being made by cruiser-divers and items are being returned that were lent in the rescue attempt.

Cruising the San Blas Islands

From December 9, 2006 to February 7, 2007, we cruised the San Blas Islands on Dream Caper. During that time we thoroughly enjoyed the picture perfect islands and made lots of new friends. The cruising community is generally ½ American and ½ European. Also, there are many more catamarans in the Caribbean than in the Pacific. In one anchorage there were 2 other boats of the same model as Dream Caper.

Our days were spent snorkeling, kayaking and exploring many small islands. We took a wonderful hike up the Rio Sidro River on mainland Panama with several other cruisers visiting a Kuna Indian cemetery on the way. Kuna families and friends often cook and eat dinner in the cemetery to be near their loved ones. It was wonderfully refreshing to frolic in the freshwater river and wash the salt water out of our hair. On the return trip we hiked right through the river rather than taking the trails back. It was a blast jumping off rock cliffs and swimming in order to continue our progress back to the ulu. The “ulu” is a dugout canoe. For this trip, the ulu was large and motorized, capable of carrying 14 adult passengers. Our boats were anchored some 6 miles away at a wonderful island named Salardup. Through the waves it took us an hour in the ulu. The cost of the hike including the ulu ride? $8 including a Kuna guide.

We are often asked what we do in a typical day on the boat. Here is an example: Portia is usually up by 6:30 am, after the sun has been up for a ½ hour. She checks email over the HAM radio using the computer. Steve is usually up by 8:00 am. We eat breakfast and listen to the Panama Connection Cruisers’ Net on the Ham radio at 8:30 am. Most cruisers listen to the Net to hear what is happening in the cruising community. Boats check in and report on weather and sea conditions from Cartagena (Columbia), Honduras, Ecuador, Belize, Costa Rica, the Galapagos and Panama City. Any boat emergencies or news of interest involving cruising in our area are reported. Sometimes significant world news is also reported. Those cruisers needing information or repair parts or assistance ask their questions. It is remarkable how most of the questions get satisfactory answers and how often some solution is found for needed parts or information. The cruisers connect with each during the Net, often giving one liners to each other or changing to another frequency to carry on a conversation.

Immediately following the Net which usually lasts until 9:15 am, we take the dinghy or kayak to a nearby island to do yoga with Shirley from the sailing vessel Bruja. We enjoy wonderful yoga on towels under the palm trees, with the sounds of water lapping on the beach. It is truly invigorating and good for us. After visiting a little while afterwards, we usually get back to the boat around 11:30 am, just in time to clean up and have lunch. There is always something to be repaired on the boat so we usually do chores for a few hours. In mid-afternoon, we are normally in the water snorkeling or kayaking. We often take the dinghy to coral reefs in the area looking for good snorkeling locations. Steve likes to spearfish so we are often in the water for a few hours. The air temperature is usually about 85 degrees and the water temperature is 84 degrees. After snorkeling or kayaking we usually relax before cooking up the fish for dinner. Often times we have another boat over for drinks and snacks or we go to other boats to do the same. A favorite evening is “Burn Garbage” night when all of the cruisers in the area bring their burnable trash to the beach to be burned in a large bonfire. We all bring drinks and snacks to enjoy as the sun goes down and our trash gets burned. It is always a happy occasion to get the garbage off of our boats. There is no trash service in the San Blas Islands. Often Kuna Indians will take cruisers trash for a fee and them simply throw it in the water. So, we either carry out what we have brought in or burn it.

By dark, all cruisers are normally back to their boats unless they are visiting another boat for dinner or an evening of dominoes or cards. Even then, a late night is 9:00 or 10:00 pm. On evenings when we are alone on our boat, we are usually in bed around 8:30 to 9:00 pm. It is dark by 7 pm so 2 hours of using electricity for overhead lights is enough draw on the batteries. Many evenings we pick a movie from our 350 movie CD library on board. We often exchange movies with other cruisers for variety.

Cruising in the San Blas Islands is outstanding in so many ways. Besides being surrounded by outrageously gorgeous scenery every day, there is an abundance of delicious fish to catch and cook. Steve regularly shoots small reef fish for every day eating. We drag 2 fishing lines with lures when we sail between islands. In early February we caught two 10# tunas at once on the drag lines. The tuna rolled in sesame seeds and singed in a hot pan for a few seconds resulted in yummy sashimi dipped in wasabi! Steve shot a huge grouper while snorkeling a few days later. It was 25# and it bent the steel spear into a pretzel. It was delicious and we invited 2 other couples over for dinner, sent them home with fresh grouper to cook, and later gave pounds of it away in Colon when we returned to the marina. On our sail from the San Blas to Colon, we caught a nice sized Wahoo. We have been providing fish to lots of cruisers in the past month.
There are a few enterprising Kuna Indians who sell fresh fruit and vegetables to cruisers. Thank heavens, because the small tiendas (stores) on the islands have very little to offer in the way of fresh produce. For the 2 months we were in the San Blas our generator was not working and since it powers our watermaker we had to obtain fresh water from islands close to the mainland, mostly river water. It was a chore to tie up at the small island docks and have water carried in 5 gallon jerry cans until our 160 gallon tank was full. On the other hand, it gave us a chance to see village life on the more densely populated islands.

After securing Dream Caper at the Shelter Bay Marina in Colon, we spent 2 days in Panama City before departing on February 14. We flew to Miami for the big Miami Boat Show mostly to check out generators, buy a few boat parts, and view some of the new catamarans on the market, just out of curiosity. After 3 days in Miami, we flew to San Francisco to do taxes, check up on our properties, visit friends and family, and ski a few days on fresh Sierra snow. Portia’s son Mako joined us for great skiing through the trees!!! After 3 weeks we will fly back to Panama City and then Colon, to Dream Caper and return to the San Blas Islands for 2-3 more months before putting Dream Caper on the hard at the Shelter Bay Marina sometime in June, assuming their new lift and storage area will be completed and ready for us.

Christmas in Panama/San Blas Islands

On December 7, 2007, we left Shelter Bay Marina, Colon, Panama for the 100 mile trip east to the San Blas Islands. We made 2 overnight stops on the way and arrived at Chichime anchorage (San Blas Islands) on December 9. We checked into the Kuna Yala Port Captain’s office on December 10, paid the $8 fee and started our exploration of these beautiful islands. Most of the islands are only a few miles apart. The tradewinds at this time of year are wonderfully cooling making sleeping at night very comfortable. Temperatures are in the mid-80’s with the water temperature is between 83-84 degrees. The longest trip we have made within the islands is from Porvenir, port of entry island, to Nargana, some 20 miles east.

On December 19, we left Dream Caper anchored off Nargana in the care of Frederico, a trusted Kuna Indian, who at night sleeps in the cockpit of our locked boat to guard it. We took a flight in a Twin Otter via Aeroperlas Airlines to Panama City, a one hour flight where we met Portia’s son Mako who flew in from California. We spent 3 days in Panama City staying with our friends in the Albrook Condo and enjoying Panama City. On December 22, we, along with Mako, flew back to Nargana. We took Dream Caper to various islands over the next 5 days, snorkeling and kayaking. We spent Christmas anchored in the “Swimming Pool,” named because the water is swimming pool blue. In the evening we attended a Christmas potluck on “Barbecue Island” where 70+ people attended including a dozen local Kuna Indians. The food was delicious and the camaraderie enjoyable. On December 27, we sailed to Porvenir where Mako flew back to Panama City to catch his flight back to California. It was wonderful spending time with Mako.

INFORMATION: SAN BLAS ISLANDS, PANAMA

The San Blas Islands are located 100 miles east of Colon, Panama on the northern coast in the Caribbean Sea. There are over 340 islands in this archipelago. They are governed by the Kuna Indians with little interference from the central Panamaniam government. All islands are owned by the Kuna Indians and most are uninhabited. Only huts are built on most of the islands. Some of the islands which are closer to the mainland are densely populated with narrow passageways between the reed walled homes.

A few of the islands have forsaken the traditional Kuna ways and have used concrete in their buildings. Every palm tree is owned by a Kuna Indian and therefore taking a coconut from any of the islands is stealing. Columbian boats regularly visit the islands to collect coconuts for export. The Kuna transport themselves by paddling in their dugout canoes, called “ulus.” The women dress in bright traditional skirts, head scarves and blouses with strands of tiny colorful beads often totally covering their calves and lower arms. Some of the women have gold rings in their noses and some a line of paint down the bridge of their noses. The women hand sew “molas,” a colorful reverse appliqué cloth product of intricate design. They are priced from $10 to $100, with the average in the $25 range. Molas are now sewn primarly for the tourist trade but are traditionally made to decorate the women’s blouses, front and back. Although some understand Spanish, they speak their own Kuna language. We communicate with broken Spanish and sign language. Many enterprising Kuna row to anchored yachts with molas stored in 5-gallon containers often bringing their children with them. Many of the Kuna men come by to sell lobster ($3-$5 each) or crab ($2-$4 each). We are told that scuba diving is not allowed in the San Blas Islands because it would compete with the Kuna’s ability to free dive deep to collect crab and lobster to sell.

The islands are absolutely gorgeous! Most are sandy white beaches with palm trees in the middle. The various hues of blues surround the islands and shallow reefs fringe most of them. They vary in size from a tiny sand spit with one palm tree to a ½ mile long covered with palms. The reefs contain healthy hard corals and numerous reef fish. Several long time cruisers in this area have informed us that in just the past 2-3 years many of the beaches on the islands have shrunk or been eroded by rising waters. We have seen numerous fallen palm trees with exposed roots lying in the waters around many islands. We have also heard of several islands that have disappeared under water. What a great shame it will be if these beautiful islands are wiped out by the rising waters caused by global warming.