Linton, Panama

Forty-four nm W of San Blas (E. Lemons) and nine nm NE of Portobelo is where we landed after an 8 hour sail in moderate seas and 10 - 25 knot winds. Steering was a little fluky so getting in here riding the 3 ft. swells and the tight channels was a little worrysome, but we made it handily in front of Southern Comfort. We anchored for the night and in the morning motored the additional 9 nm. To Portobelo which we'd been told was a great anchorage: NOT! Very muddy water - 4 or 5 rivers empty into the bay there - and poor holding.Southern Comfort dragged in the middle of the first night in as every wind and rain storm and had to re anchor in the dark with us shinning our spot light on the various anchored boats, to include a car ferry, to assist them. We came back to Linton the next morning, but after having gone ashore in this historic spot. Mighty poor and rundown with trash everywhere in the streets and lots. There are Chinese markets and a hardware store, so we were able to get some "things".

This is the turn into The Linton channel, right around the headland and between it and Isla Grande island behind it.

Linton anchorage and Kuhela.









Puerto Lindo on the right and the Linton anchorage in the background on an unusually sunny day. We've had thriffic thunder/lightening storms and rain galore since we arrived. Even washed out the roads or filled,them with mud and debris. But it has helped greatly to fill our water tanks.
Bats on the Brazilian flag (they like the green apparently) at Hans' eatery and dingy dock in town.

Looking back from Puerto Lindo to Hans'

We all went by bus into Panama City (on the Pacific side) several times to stock up in parts. We toured around this magnificent, modern city as you can see below. Lots of money has poured in here from Columbia and Venezuela.

When the US invaded to get Noriega they disbanded the Panamanian Army. They all became police instead. There were so many that they even formed a tourist police!

We found our Aussie friends, Derrick and AnnMarie on Sand Groper, in La Playita getting ready to set out for Galapagos. They had transited the Canal to the Pacific several weeks ago. We were all going to go together, but they couldn't wait. They are now in Bora Bora.
I don't know why, but on the Caribbean side the tides are at best 1 ft.; on the Pacific, 15 ft. Same latitude!????

Our next adventure with Rob and Lauren was an 18 hour bus ride to San Jose, Costa Rica. We got a time-share in Jaco on the Pacific side at a Best Western where for $40 pppd we could turn it into an all inclusive. Rob rented a 4-wheel Path Finder (we thought the roads were a mess not knowing the Chinese had funded a nationwide reconstruction plan for fishing rights on the Pacific side) and drive the 50 km in the dark and stormy, but on excellent roads. On the way, every one came down with a nasty upper respiratory infection except yours truly. We did make three forages. One was to Playa del Coco where Lauren and Rob had been invited by a cruising Belgian couple they'd befriended 5 years earlier in Nassau to come stay. The couple were trying to run a charter business and had the use of a house 'till November. Nice place, but terrible work climate given the non existent work ethic, lack of Rule of Law, and government regulations against foreigners: not even just gringos (Nord Americanos)? Lovely couple on Spiritof theOcean.

Another trip was in the hinterland at a garden called Pura Vita:

A third trip was to Manuel Antonio which reminded my of Marin County north of San Fransisco

El Avon restaurant where a left over CIA cargo plane ended up after the "Contra Affair" ended.




All along the roads were fields of rice (dry land) and palm oil plantations:

These are the seeds they process into oil.

On our return trip to Panama City the bus broke down at 2:00 a.m. A second bus was dispatched which got to us at 6:00 a.m. adding 4 hours to our 18 hr. trip.





Now we're back in Linton waiting on a new generator to be shipped. Our old one bit the bullet. When we get itinstalled in the next week or two - if we can get Norpro off the dime and get the dimensions and weight to the shipper - we'll head for Bocas del Toro up near the Costa Rican boarder.

Posted with Blogsy