End of an Era; Our Last Passage in the Atlantic (Calico Skies Sailing, Ep.136)

We leave the San Blas after cruising the tropical paradise for a whole two months – It feels too short but a canal crossing is on the horizon! We haul anchor, set the Spinnaker and zoom off following Delos our buddy boat. It’s a lovely passage and after several hours of sailing we arrive into a pretty spot called East Lemon Banadup, one of the western most islands in the San Blas. This will be our jump off point for the next leg of the voyage but before then we’ve got time to squeeze in one more dive before our official last day is over so we check out a shipwreck at nearby Dog Island which boasts crystal clear water and an abundance of fish and coral.

Early the next morning we set out as the sun rises and Bill sets up the code zero. Its a beautiful morning and conditions are perfect for sailing. We reflect on our journey thus far since today will be our last passage in the Atlantic Ocean for who knows how long.

We’ve spent the last six years and over 30,000 miles in this body of water and in it experienced many defining milestones. Bill’s first blue water sail in December 2016, crossing from the Chesapeake Bay to the USVI’s with his good friend Ryan, for one. Following this Bill sailed solo around the Caribbean getting as far south as Grenada while Grace worked another year. He next sailed back to NYC to pick Grace and two good friends up for a buddy boat sail down to the Bahamas. And then it was off to the Caribbean before eventually crossing the Atlantic Ocean to the Azores. We tore ourselves away from the enchanting islands – to date our favorite place we’ve cruised – to meet Grace’s sister Molly in in Lisbon, officially completing our Atlantic Crossing. Afterwards, we spent a few months in Southern Portugal and Spain before running out of visa time, escaping to Gibraltar and finally beginning yet another new journey – Our YouTube Channel.

The rest is history (136 episodes later!) and it all culminates in our exit from the Atlantic and entrance into the break wall for the Panama Canal . . . with the breeze up at 20 knots it feels appropriate given our sailing history! When we’re seconds from entering the break wall a giant tanker decides to get underway unexpectedly and forces us to do a huge circle in the choppy and confused seas. Unfortunate timing but it doesn’t stop us from completing our passage and finally entering the calmer waters behind the break wall at Shelter Bay Marina.

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