Last Days in Panama

Our final Pacific preparation involved tons of provisioning for food and moving the boat to Taboga Island, outside of Panama City, for some boat work. Taboga was like a Panamanian version of Santorini- a colorful, hot, and quiet town built into the hillside on a natural bay. We spent a couple of days varnishing, cleaning, waxing the hull, and scraping the barnacles off the bottom. We also enjoyed the beach and discovering the town. We saw some niños eating homemade frozen bag popsicles so we asked them where they got them. We were led on a long, winding journey up the town hill where we bought them for 25 cents from a talkative entrepreneurial 5 year old who refused to remove a popsicle from her stained mouth while communicating with us. We also made use of the charcoal grill to cook some bbq curry vegetables and hot dogs. We motored back to Panama City the next day past lots of anchored freight ships waiting to enter the canal.

Two days before we left Panama, we busted out the folding bike and razor scooters, loaded them in the dinghy, and transported ourselves to Balboa Yacht Club, with which we have a complicated relationship. We did laundry and ate dinner while being serenaded by a great cover band playing North American rock music of the 90s. On the way back, we stopped by a parking lot with mango trees that Adam had scoped out. We boosted each other up or stood on trash cans in the dark, filling a bag with more than one hundred small green mangoes. We took frequent breaks to sample them to make sure they were still tasty. Our faces got sticky and Alan started throwing rotted mangoes around as if he was an ape.

The day before our departure, we motored over to Flamenco Marina to buy diesel for our tank, fill our jerry cans, and fill our water tanks. We also made an unusual splurge for 3 huge bags of ice that completely filled our cooler. This would prove a wise decision a week later… Later that day we made one last trip to the grocery store to load up on cans and provisions that would be scarce in the Pacific. That night we were joined by our new fourth crew member, Will. It was nice to meet him and know that the V-berth will be in good hands once I leave the boat in the Galapagos.

The next day was our departure date (March 30^th). I went on a long goose chase to find someone who was willing to fill our fiberglass propane tank, which involved trips to 3 different Propane filling plants and copious unsolicited information on the benefits of having a steel tank. Later that day we had a much anticipated final blast from the past visit from a Tito hench-partner who took the bus from Colon to deliver us (some of) the paperwork that we still needed.

I sent a few emails, bought my return plane tickets, and called home. Then, with all the preparation finished and favorable GRIB weather data predicted, it was time to set sail for the Galapagos and start my last crossing aboard the William T. Piquette.