Passage ANXIETIES! First Offshore Passage in Six Months! (Calico Skies Sailing Ep 124)

We leave Bocas del Toro and sail offshore 220 miles to the San Blas islands. We’re headed east and the normally strong easterly winds have left a choppy sea state for us. And, thanks to the current we’re pointed even more upwind than expected. This means a 36 hour bumpy, upwind passage, which is our first offshore sail in almost 6 months . . . welcome back to the ocean!!

Thankfully we fall back into the rhythm easily, sharing watches over the passage. Once we get closer to the Panama Canal we keep a sharp lookout for tankers which are everywhere in this area. We navigate the traffic separation zone coming within half a mile of a giant ship.

Besides a choppy sea state we’re treated to two beautiful sunsets and a bright full moon. Bill’s figured out how to get the local charts downloaded electronically using Open CPN and we’ve got our a wine glass filled with water propped against the inside of Calico’s hull, which is able to transmit the sonar beam and work as a depth sounder since ours is broken. That means we are able to safely navigate reefs in the blackness of night when we arrive, and get a few hours of sleep on anchor until daylight. Best of all, we’ve arrived into exotic San Blas, and we’re officially sea-farers once again!

0:00 Intro
2:35 Recap
3:03 Passage in the Open Ocean
22:45 Arrival to the San Blas

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