Location: Ogoppiriadup, East Holandes, San Blas, Panama
We leave Providencia in company with our long time sailing buddies on Diva. Diva and Rachel are almost the same length, sail at about the same speed, and both crews have a similar (relatively low) tolerance for foul weather and boisterous seas, making us good traveling companions.
Rachel sails wonderfully. We have about 20 knots on the beam and are making 6, sometimes 7 knots through the water. We are relaxed and happy. Unfortunately, we also have a pretty strong current against us for much of the trip, slowing our progress to only 4 to 5 knots toward our destination. This lengthens our planned 48 hour trip just enough that we arrive off the San Blas after sunset.
Not wanting to enter these reef-strewn waters in the dark, we opt to spend the night "noodling around" about five miles off until the morning when we'll have sufficient daylight to enter safely. The seas build a bit and the wind dies a bit, there are a few showers, a lot of cloud-to-cloud lightening, and lots of big ships heading to or from the Panama Canal, so our night involves a lot of rolling and not much sleep. But our spirits are high as we look forward to the daylight and our first sight of land.
In the morning as we approach Porvenir (where we will "clear in" to Panama), our friends on Osprey (who have already been here for almost a month) hail us on the VHF radio to tell us they're going to meet us. They offer Mark a ride to immigration and the port captain's office, so we don't even have to take our dinghy off the deck!
After clearing in Diva opts to head for the nearby West Lemmons while Osprey and Rachel haul anchor and motor-sail into the wind heading straight for the East Hollandes, about 12 miles East. We drop anchor at 3:15 in the afternoon, tidy up, have a wonderful dinner on Osprey, get to bed early, and sleep hard.
We awake in paradise. Surrounded by small islands complete with sandy beaches and palm trees, crystal clear water, and protected from the ocean swells by the barrier reef, our anchorage is stunningly beautiful. Rachel sits calm and flat while we watch 10' seas crash and spew on the reefs. All the hatches and ports are open allowing the cool air to refresh our living space. We finally made it! Cruising the San Blas Islands has been a goal of ours for several years and we're thrilled to be here.
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