Panama Transit #3

Panama Canal Transit

Warm and very Muggy conditions greeted us on deck at 0700 for dock out. Time to let someone else use the fuel dock. Anchored in the canal Zone until the pilot boarded. We transited with 2 good pilots, not always the case..Texting and driving freighters does seem alive and well..However our fortune (mis?) was following the USCG Mohawk through each lock. and his boss a certain Mr Trump did not want his destroyer scratched.

But eventful would be the term to be used. Just the way we like it. We anchored on the Pacific side at 0100 May 3rd.

Panama Canal and Shelter Island

We arrived early in the morning and were soon alongside. A quick wash down and time to start to refuel, and re provision. Shelter Bay is Yacht friendly but it is remote from everything Panama. It is essentially in the Jungle on the West side of the North Entrance. And a 1 hour dirt road ferry ride. from Colon which is not a safe place either!! Lots of bugs and Monkeys but not much Else! Transit of the Panama Canal is due tomorrow, afternoon and evening to Flamenco where we fully provision the food and wash the bottom of the boat before heading SW to the Galapagos and San Cristobal..

Off Columbia..

Day 3 and we are trundling along. Actually doing about 14 Kts as we are in the middle of the Trans Equatorial Current that is giving us a shove at 1.5 kts..But nothing comes for Free and the seas are quite rough even running downwind at about 12’ or 3.5m. However, it makes for a fast passage. What is of note is the massive and I mean massive ribbons of Sargasso Weed. Miles and miles and miles of it. It can’t be healthy for the Ocean. Seemingly a by product of chemicals leeching in to the waters from Farming in Brazil and other countries.

That said we have been visited a few times by our dolphin friends as they wave ride on our bow wave so they do not seem to mind the weed.

ETA for Panama still 29/4. Lots of shipping traffic starting to pick up. As is the humidity…

Heart of the Machine

We have photos of many views..But here is the heart of the matter. Roshearty's Engine Room. Looking ship shape and Bristol fashion..Thanks to hard work earlier in the past weeks and months by Richie and Mark, of Course Boxy is part of this also. Thanks guys.. 3 generator sets in there sound enclosures in the foreground and in the background the 2 Ferrari Red Deutz 1100hp motors with there shiny exhaust covers..

We are cruising off the Columbian coast en route to Panama and our 3rd transit in a year.

Weather is kind, trade winds and that means 15-18 kts of wind, the odd shower and a 2m sea rolling us along.

Off to Panama

As the work list for maintenance and the post Bucket repairs got smaller ( We did push rosehearty hard in St Barts), It was time to prepare Rosehearty for the Panama Canal trip and our Return to the Galapagos. As always the last few days were very busy. Stores, Fuel and last minute jobs that were over looked. However, We did get away on time today from Falmouth Harbour bound Panama. As you can see from the Photo the weather is very kind. Winds are light and the Sea State is smooth.

Back to Antigua

We had a windy trip back to the Antigua Yacht Club where we docked at 1700. We had a few Engine issues to sort out so we were a bit latter than We wanted to be. We are now in a full clean up after the Southern trip and the Bucket. Some needed maintenance on Rosehearty, and a bit of time off for a few crew members. We should be laeving here on the 25th April for Panama and the Galapagos. The adventure continues!

Rosehearty is the one in the middle…. with Hyperion to the right and our Friends on archimedes on the left..

Trophies

Prizegiving Celebration

We WON!!

Day 3 and it is Windy..Nerves are high as we are tied with the 2 sloops for the lead. We sailed a great race and pushed dear Rosehearty very hard but she stood up to it and got us across the finish line 1st…Again …and in 1 piece. Thanks to a great Owner, Crew and Race crew we were 1st in class, 2x daily wins, and the Perini Cup. Our score was 3,1,1.

Day 2 and the Wiggly Course

AND WE WON!

We had a fair start but we sailed downwind really well. We managed to get around the bottom mark nice and clean. we sailed very well upwind and bore away and set all sail. down to the Barrel of Beef we went. At this point we simultaneously Dropped the spinnaker, gybed the boat and opend the jib. on a 190’ boat. Might have been our best ever.. Another spinnaker set and good Gybe and on ,finally to the last leg. This all set up for a thrilling finish and we kept sailing well all the way to the finish where we crossed ahead by a few minutes to be 1st home overall and 1st in class.. Another wonderful day on the water. Well done All Rosehearty crew. These are hard earned points.. Here we are crossing the finish line..

Race 1 and a spectacular Day

Race 1 and a great start upwind.. We are off around the island Anti clockwise. We had a good 1st beat.

After a long run down the back of the island we were doing well. We rounded Isle Fourche…The bottom mark and started upwind back to the finish. We had a few faster upwind boats catch and pass us and so at the end We ended up in 3rd..We should have maybe made second but upwind for us is never our best point of sail against single masted boats. So the 2 sloops overhauled us and were 1st and 2nd. All in all a great day sailing.

Here we are getting the spinnaker down…

Practise Day 3 and a Day off

We had a good last days practice and managed to tick all the boxes we needed So an early back to the dock.

A great crew dinner at Maya’s and a Thursday off for the race crew at the beach So we are all rested and raring to go Should be a great days sailing tomorrow. All the other boats went practicing..So we had a quiet time too on board.

Day 2 Bucket Practise

Today we did a full practise downwind start. It is not easy to get correct and if We had done this as well in the racing we would have been quite Happy.. We practised the Wiggly Course always the most intense for the crew with 3 Hoists and 2 Spinnaker packs on the rail around the rocks we went as all the old Yellow stand off nature buoys have been removed. But another beautiful day on the water..

On the second Photo the course we followed is the red one…

Bucket Day 1 Practise

Well we had a great days sailing ..15 to 18 kts of wind. It was great to have the race crew back on board for the 4th conseutive year.. We sailed around the island and of course had a few issues as you would expect after so long a break from racing and so many miles. However we got around in due order. Looking forward to the week.

Gustavia..Docked..

Back home on the dock in St Bart's

After the great sail up, checking everything was working correctly we docked Stern to in Gustavia

Now We are In the process of final prep for the Bucket and our week of practicing. Now for 1 of those Cheeseburgers in Paradise! or maybe Burger palace!

To St Bart's again

To the Bucket!

Hardly seems like yesterday but it has been a Year and here we are again sailing from Antigua to St Bart's for the Bucket 25,000nm later! So excited to be back here again. We will have the same great crew we have had for 5 years. Very Special

What a day to sail..35 mile visibility 15 knots of Wind, Sun and we are reaching..

As Advertised. Not Fun.

We hopped out of Panama and Shelter Bay Marina and set off. Not too bad at 1st but as you get in towards the middle of the passage between Panama and Jamaica and Haiti the winds and sea are just relentless. 25-30 kts constant up wind gusts higher in a 3.5m sea with a period of 1 sea every 8 seconds. Speed is down around 6-7 kts and the going is slow and very uncomfortable. We have quite a few more days of this before we reach Antigua. hopefully early next week the conditions will moderate somewhat.

Panama Canal Revisited.

Funny We always seem to go through at night..

A quick stop in Shelter Bay on the Atlantic side before braving the Easterly Trade winds in the Caribbean. always strong at this time of year..

Bridge of the Americas.

It is always a marvel to come through the canal. Usually the experience is enhanced by the Pilot..However eventually you get someone who just does not understand the boat they are on. But Capt Markus and Brian got Rosehearty through safely even if the pilot was not sure of the bridge clearances at the tide height we were transiting and always better to be in the middle of the bridge span!. Clearance was about 3m but looks so much less. Now Out to the Caribbean. Not going to be as much fun for sure..

Equator Crossing

As is the custom We found some Pollywogs on board. (those that have not crossed the equator by Sea) and the Shellbacks ( those that can prove they have) were rubbing there hands with glee. In the past this was a very rough initiation and it did not matter who you were, Captain or Cabin boy everyone got treated the same. 1st a summons and the crimes against you read out to the assembled court.. Then the court meets to deliberate, about 1 minute. Finally King Neptune and his Royal court arrive to dispense the sentences. Mostly unpleasant. Raw eggs, very old slops buckets of slime and a final shaving with a blunt wooden stick in this case. Oh Yes and you need to kiss the Royal Baby’s Belly…