Limerence Update #33
One-Year Anniversary Report
Panama Canal Zone
November 1. 2001
We just celebrated our first anniversary of cruising. We pushed off the dock last
Halloween from San Diego and sailed nearly the whole way to Cabo San Lucas, almost 800
miles. We didn’t realize how fortunate we were to have constant wind, and
haven’t had a sail that long since. We expected to spend a year in Mexico, but the
travel bug got us and we just kept going. We entered the Panama Canal Zone last week and
have cruised over 3000 miles.
We have learned a lot this year. Our boat has performed well and all the preparation
and planning was worth it. One of the best things we did was build a stainless steel arch
on the transom of Limerence. It enables us to hoist our dinghy up and down in minutes. It
also holds our radar, solar panels, wind generator, anchors, grill, and anything else we
hang on it! Other essential gear is our autopilot, windlass, watermaker, computer, and SSB
radio with email capabilities.
We enjoyed cruising Mexico for 3 ½ months and took inland trips to Taxco, Oaxaca, and
Tapachula. Taxco is the silver capital of Mexico and is perched high in the Sierra Madre
mountains. It has the feel and appearance of a European walled city. The weather was
always much cooler and refreshing on our inland trips. Mexico offers pleasant cruising
with anchorages a day-sail away, friendly people, and lots of American cruisers.
In mid-February we sailed to Guatemala. We stayed in the industrial port of Quetzal,
and took wonderful side trips to Antigua and Lake Atitlan. The Guatemalan people are
distinctive and many wear the colorful hand-woven clothes that they have made for
centuries. The women wear long skirts, colorful blouses and head wraps. The men often wear
wrap-around skirts, heavy belts and cowboy hats. We passed many people walking on the
roads carrying huge loads on their heads, with several small children in tow. While
fascinating to visit, the Guatemalans only seem to tolerate tourists.
A surprise was in store for us when we entered El Salvador. We had no expectations, but
found ourselves caught up in an earthquake relief effort sponsored by the cruisers at
Barillas Marina. We met the people of our adopted pueblo of Hacienda Lourdes and made
contributions to their rebuilding project. Staying for five weeks enabled us to travel
inland and to learn about the tragic history of the Salvadoreanos who have suffered years
of civil war, hurricanes and earthquakes, corrupt government, and deforestation. We had a
brilliant guide who tirelessly explained her culture and political history to us, and
lived with us for three days.
We entered Costa Rican waters on April 1 and spent nine days hunkered down in Santa
Elena on the northwest corner of the country. We were pinned down by 40 knot winds called
Papagallos that blow relentlessly and sound like jet planes roaring down the mountains. We
were able to launch the dinghy, motor several hundred yards to shore, and explore the
Santa Rosa forest and see our first monkeys and parrots in the wild.
Working our way down the coast took a month and then we contracted for a berth in the
Los Sueños Marina - Herradura to hold up for the hurricane season. Being in a safe marina
also gave us the opportunity to take trips back to the US and many inland trips around
Costa Rica. The funky surf town of Jaco became our hometown for four months. We rented a
car for the summer and drove all over the country. Our favorite spot is the Arenal Volcano
and Lake, with its surrounding tropical rainforest.
Leaving Costa Rica on September 10th we explored the southern coast and then
made our way to Panama. We spent seven weeks cruising the Panamanian islands on the
Pacific side and saw very few people other than locals in dugout canoes and small fishing
pangas. We were happy to be in the company of two other cruising boats, Kumbaya and Double
Dragon. The six of us enjoyed lots of snorkeling, shelling, and hiking on the beaches.
On October 27th we entered the Panama Canal Zone and anchored with sparkly
views of Panama City on one side of us, and huge cargo ships anchored on the other side
– waiting to transit the Canal. We will be here for at least a month doing some boat
jobs and reprovisioning.
Thinking back over the past year, we have seen indescribable sunsets, sea life,
tropical fish, rainforests, and jungles. We have had glorious days of sailing, met many
friends for life, learned about the history and culture of Central American countries, and
have become completely self-sufficient on our 37- foot sailboat. We have also felt
frustrated, hot, scared, concerned, confused, and irritated! The good times far outweigh
the bad . . . hopefully just like life anywhere, and this cruising life suits us just
fine.
The year 2002 will find us in the Caribbean Sea with the San Blas Islands as our first
stop.
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