Stravaig's Travels

Well, we hope you all had a great Christmas and we wish everybody the most wonderful New Year.2008 for us was far too exciting for our liking and we are hoping for a quieter life in the year to come, ie no whales, no storms and no equipment failures would be much appreciated. We did enjoyed most of it though and are just very happy and grateful that we are here to look forward to a next year, it could have been very different. In order to transit the Canal we first were required to be measured and generally checked out by a Canal official and upon receiving his paperwork blessing we were then permitted to pay the fees and agree a date for our transit. Just before we were due to go, there was a very bad spell of significant weather which caused landslides and other catastrophies and for us such high winds that we cancelled the trip and opted to go a few days later when things had settled down. OUR CREW FOR THE TRANSIT We picked up our advisor( pilot)and four friends to act as line hand

Have gone succesfully through the canal, will get whole story online asap! had a great time!

BRIDGE OF THE AMERICAS RAINSQUALLS OLD AND NEW IN THE PORT OF PANAMA WHERE WE HAD TO FIND THE PROT CAPTAIN FOR OUR CRUISING PERMIT ON SEPTEMBER CELEBRATING HANS BIRTHDAY A ROCK THATS ONLY VISIBLE WITH LOW TODE, SO THANKS VERY MUCH FOR GPS! SEPTEMBER MOTORING ALONG ON THE WAY TO PUNTA GUANICO, THE LAST NIGHT STOP BEFORE PANAMA IS THAT A SHIP?????? PANAMAX (WHICH IS THE BIGGEST SHIP THAT FITS THROUGH THE CANAL), SEEN FROM WHERE WE ARE ANCHORED THE BRIDGE OF THE AMERICAS IN A RAINSQUALL, ALSO SEEN FROM OUR BOAT IN THE FLAMENCO ANCHORAGE, SORRY HAD THIS ONE ALREADY! A LOCAL HOUSE ON THE LITTLE ISLAND IN THE MIDDLE OF BAHIA HONDA, WHERE WE HAD A TOUR AND VISITED THE SCHOOL GABY WITH SOME OF THE CHILDREN WHOM ALL WANTED TO HAVE THEIR PICTURE TAKEN JEFF IN THE LOCAL BAR IN BAHIA HONDA AFTER OUR TOUR THE REEF NEXT TO ISLA CATALINA WHERE WE SPEND ONE NIGHT ON THE WAY FROM SUNSET IN PLAYA PLANTANAL (BANANA BEACH) ANOTHER OVERNIGHT ANCHORAGE JEFF ASHORE IN THE ISLAS SECAS FOR A WO

Very sad, this was what happened to our flag in Alma! We now have a new one, swapped it for a very big British flag in the yachtclub in Puntarenas. Hello to all our family and friends! We are on the move again! We finally got our parts, what a lot of problems and delays, but at last everything is there. Now we just have to install it all, but we decided we wanted to get out of Puntarenas. We had a great time there, but there is not a lot to do and we really would like to find some nice, clear water so we can go snorkeling again.Left early morning; you have to leave with high tide, the river is very shallow in places and high tide was at 07.00.They give you an escort in a panga, the guy will guide you out. We could have done it ourselves, but they are very happy to provide the service and you can then blame someone else instead of yourself if you run aground! SOME OF THE FISHINGBOATS COMING OUT OF PUNTARENAS Well, that was some weeks ago! Since then we have had a small engine problem,