Onboard Update Day 1, Wed. March 31st

EYEOTW students, teachers, and followers alike,

Alan here with an update from the WTP. As you may know we shoved off on a falling tide yesterday at around 6pm local time (GMT minus 5 hours). In no time we had the mainsail and our large #1 headsail set and the engine went silent. Weeeee! Finally sailing again and it sure feels great. We cruised with the wind from behind at about 7.5 knots (nautical miles per hour) while dining on our dinner of chicken and rice with tomato sauce onions and corn. Will took over the helm at 8pm and everyone else hit the sack. At 11pm Alan took the wheel for the 11-2am shift, Trevor 2-5am, and Adam 5-8am. Sailing in shifts gives everyone some free time and time to sleep.

Life onboard: It is 10am onboard now and everyone is awake. Adam is cutting up some mangos, leftovers are waiting for anyone who gets hungry, Trevor is lounging in the V-berth and Will is taking his morning shift. Our fishing pole is set, dragging a tasty lure. A cool breeze occasionally wafts through the cabin. The days heat has yet to build. All is well.

***Update as of 4:30pm*** Since writing the above, the wind has calmed. We are still making 6 knots with the sails "wing on wing". Tuna salad sandwiches for dinner. Lots of resting and reading being done by all.

The Boat: The boat is in top shape. Our wind generator is currently charging our batteries at a rate of about 3-5 Amps per hour depending on the wind and the solar panels though partially shaded by the sails are doing their best. During the day we are using minimal electronics to give the batteries a chance to recharge. Our wind-vane "self steerer" (which acts like an autopilot for steering) has been in action almost constantly since we left. This is great because it means that the skipper can read or eat during his watch while occasionally scanning the horizon, checking our heading, and making necessary adjustments.

Weather: We are enjoying a northerly wind at around 12 knots and are still making about 7 knots under sail heading SSW. Our weather data tells us that we should have wind today and hopefully tomorrow but that we may see a drop off as we enter an area known to sailors as "the doldrums" (also called the Inter tropical Convergence Zone).

Position:
7 deg 19' North
79 deg 47' West

That's all for now.
Alan and Crew

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Poised for the Pacific

With nothing left to fix (imagine that) I've got my sunscreen on and a shiny new bag of fish hooks! I am ready for the pacific.

Things to watch for. More or less daily updates here on my journal via the ham radio. What we are doing, weather and wind conditions and any oh so important food updates! (Fingers crossed for fish)

I will also be checking into the "Panama Connection" SSB ham radio net each morning where we will report our progress toward the Galapagos to whoever is listening. We will also get valuable info on wind and sea conditions from other boats checking into this net. Its nice to know that were not completely alone out there.

Off we go into the wild blue! Check here for more updates soon!

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Back on Board

What's been going on in Alan world? Well let's see...

With Adam off defending his dissertation, my wonderful girlfriend Taylor (who is currently studying to be an ESL teacher) flew in to visit for a week. Trevor, Taylor and I had an awesome week of exploration into the western regions of Panama.

We took a bus to David and stayed at the "Purple House," a hostel for backpackers. We went up into the mountain town of Boquete next to the Baru volcano and the highest point in Panama. It sure was cold and rainy up there but a welcome change from the heat of the lowlands. We got lost hiking an easy 3 km trail and managed to turn it into a 6 km adventure in the mountain rain but with smiles the whole way.

For a change of scenery we headed south to Sona and to the beautiful, and practically undiscovered beach of Santa Catalina. We stayed in a small cabin by the beach for next to nothing and were amazed at how much tidal influence there was on the pacific shore.

Finally a trip into the old city of Casco Viejo (a world heritage site) rounded out our trip. Although once all there was of the original Panama City before it's expansion, today Casco Viejo is made up of fascinating old buildings including cathedrals, theaters, and most of Panama City's monuments. Despite it's charm, abandoned buildings and rocky ruins still tell of the attack on the city by the pirate Henry Morgan.

I sure was glad to have traveled and seen some of the "real" Panama. Colon (easily the most dangerous city we have been to) definitely paints an unrealistic picture of this friendly and beautiful country.

And Now?
Now I am back on board awaiting our canal transit date with much anticipation and working to finalize our pacific preparations. I was fortunate enough to have a whole week back in the US (in the Florida Keys) to visit my dad and sister. We were all there supporting my mom who was finishing a week-long kayak race in the Everglades. Chances are that our next stretch in the Pacific will make visiting very difficult and it was great to see them again.

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