Moments and stories: Around the Americas
I hope it is normal for someone of a certain age to vividly remember titles of books or headers in a drawer full of files and then notice some details, backstories and descriptions are a little fuzzy, or missing altogether. It could be the case that after some years there are just too many details and memories for one to remember – or maybe the internal hard drive is close to full. I’d rather not believe either of those things to be true. However, reality (and friends) sometimes remind me of things I’ve mentally misplaced. Once triggered I can usually find the file, whether it is in a file drawer, on a note pad, computer or in my head. In defense, there have been some sailing moments in my life that I’d just rather not remember!
Most of my sailing and life experiences have been happy ones that I like to share, being mindful that not everyone wants to hear one more sailing, Nebraska farming, popcorn or travel story. Rex, Bear and Halcon (deceased best four-legged listeners) heard lots of them but apparently, they didn’t write them down either. As our Around the Americas voyage continues I’d like to share more recent stories with my two-legged friends.
We are now on the 239th day of the Around the Americas experience. One Ocean and crew are taking a break for a few days after the transit from the Atlantic to the Pacific via the Panama Canal. This transit was a first for us. Jenn, Tess and John Dalton added ‘professional line handler’ to their impressive sailing resumes. Jenn and I shared boat handling duties (steering, maneuvering, starting and stopping) at the direction of a required onboard advisor. A veteran Panamanian line handler coached us and the advisor made sure we were where we were supposed to be at specific times – and out of the way of the ‘big boys’ loaded with cargo, containers, fuel and explosives!
The exit from the canal on the Pacific side left us close to a handy marina where extra required gear (8 large fenders/buoys, 4 coils of 1”x 150’ line) was unloaded and Oo was organized, cleaned and washed. So too the crew!
A Panama Canal transit was never on the menu for our AtA route. You may recall in an earlier summary from St. Croix our planned route was direct to Uruguay – a 5+ week voyage along the northeast coast of South America. Weather, current and time convinced us to reset our route for the Canal with the option of then heading south to Southern Chile and Cape Horn. All of that being dependent on time, weather and funding. As in other life’s many challenges sometimes it’s easier/better to ease off a bit and go with the wind rather than against it. So here we are, enjoying some unexpected holiday moments in Panama.
One Ocean has proven herself to be a very capable sailing platform. When we bought her we were impressed that she had carried several different owners and families safely and enjoyably across many oceans. The extensive refit at the Marine Technology Center in Anacortes gave her some necessary upgrades and redundancies for a more complicated project. Included in that refit were extra battery banks and several different charging methods to keep science and navigation equipment powered. Victron inverters supplied the capabilities and worked perfectly until the main unit decided it wanted to be a toaster/heater instead of a converter of electrons - leading directly to why we are still in Panama City. The expensive "toasted" unit was expensive and, happily, under warranty - we hope!
The Panama Victron dealer is located about 20 minutes from this marina. Removing the unit involved 4 hours of grunting, one car jack, a selection of tools and one really good humored young service tech willing to crawl into the cupboard housing the inverter - all in 90+ degrees and 98% humidity. Prognosis is still uncertain but a promise that we ‘should know something’ in a few days gives us some hope.
Meanwhile, the waiting has given us time to plan on where to go next. Being concerned about military activity, drug boats and political posturing adds some complications to what should be a pretty straight forward consideration of weather, ocean conditions and distances. Our goal when reaching the Canal was to turn south and head to Chile with stops in Ecuador, Valparaiso, Puerto Montt and then into the 600 miles of channels to Cape Horn. From Panama that's a 3,800nm stretch. Our original itinerary put us at Cape Horn and some identified kelp sites at the end of January, an ok weather period. On paper that is all still possible. However . . . .
During the 2009/10 expedition Ocean Watch stopped at Academy Bay in the Galapagos where we were hosted by Dr. Stuart Banks of the Darwin Institute. A return visit has been on our agenda and that still looks possible, either on the way south or on the return from Chile. Officialdom in the form of fees, permits and vessel inspections are now required (60 days in advance!) for any visit. We have retained an agent who assures us a permit will be issued - price and time to be determined. If we can arrange an invitation from the Darwin Institute the process becomes easier.
The politics of the day may determine the outcome for our plans. State Department Advice (US) suggests US flagged vessels stay off the coasts of Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador. Retaliation in response to the US blowing up boats in the Gulf of Panama is possible - so US flagged vessels may be a target of opportunity. Many here are asking about transparency and due process with news of today that the US Military is planning to have a much bigger presence in Panama - starting now! We feel like it is time to pick up our repaired or replaced Victron inverter and get out of Dodge before the shooting starts.
We knew when we left Anacortes on May 3rd there would be significant challenges for us along the way. We have written about a few of them and we know more are coming but are confident that our project and mission can and will continue no matter which direction we choose in the next few days. There will be more stories to tell.
My first 'up close and personal' experience with the big Southern Ocean was rounding Cape Horn, west to east, alone in late December of 1982, aboard the Valiant 40, RESOURCEFUL.
I had been at sea for 56 days and had consumed almost that many books about sailing around Cape Horn and there I was, a hundred yards or so away from the end of the continent. The days before had been anxious ones, lots of wind, BIG Southern Ocean swells, fog, rain, hail and cold. A very unexpected change happened while the Horn was abeam. The sun came out, the winds stopped, the swells subsided and a calm settled over the whole scene. It was pleasant but eerie. I knew that I was experiencing something that so many other sailors never were able to experience. I knew how lucky I was and I knew how terrible it could have been. It was one of those truly magic moments in my sailing life. We have now had a few of those aboard One Ocean and I know we will have more along the way. Stay tuned!
