SSL703 ~ no more electric...

Sailing from Bavella to Limon Bay – A Journey Through History and Adventure

Our journey continued as we made our way from the historic town of Bambello in Panama, a place rich with pirate history, towards Linton Bay. Along the way, we met new friends and shared unforgettable moments on the water.

Bavella – A Town Rich in History

We had previously done a feature on Bavella, detailing its fascinating history that spans back to 1597. It was one of the biggest discharge ports for gold and silver in the Spanish Main, attracting over 200 years of extreme acts of piracy. The bay itself was strategically advantageous due to its geographical position, allowing for easy transportation of gold from ships coming up from South America on the Pacific side.

The town saw its fair share of attacks from notorious pirates like Sir Francis Drake and Captain Morgan. Despite fortifications built by the Spanish to protect the city, the strategic defense was ultimately abandoned in favor of building new ports along the west coast. This way, if the pirates did attack, they would never know which port to target.

Heading Towards Linton Bay

After our day exploring Bavella, we set sail towards Linton Bay with our mission clear: to pick up our next crew member, Laura from Denmark. She joined us for a two-week liveaboard course as we sailed through the San Blas Islands on our way to Colombia.

New Friends and Adventures

In Linton Bay, we met Manuel from France and Vivana from Colombia, who were on their first cruise with their two kids. One of them was nearly the same age as Richie, so they spent hours playing together in the marina, knocking down pylons and stacking them back up again. It’s those simple moments that truly make the sailing life magical.

Challenges With Electric Dinghy

The challenges of traveling with a family on an electric-powered dingy became evident during our time in Linton Bay. While we prefer using solar power for environmental reasons, we also understand the need for some speed and range, especially when it comes to longer excursions or when Rich’s mom wants water sports like kneeboarding or wakeboarding.

Currently, there isn’t an electric engine fast enough to provide the desired speed without adding too much weight. The batteries are heavy, limiting our davits’ capacity, which affects our overall experience.

A Day In The Life – Continuing Our Adventure

In the end, we don’t let these challenges discourage us from continuing on our adventures. From sunrises to navigating through unknown waters, there’s always something new to discover. Whether it’s overcoming technical difficulties or sharing moments with friends old and new, life aboard our sailboat never gets boring.

Join us next time as we continue our journey through the San Blas Islands on our way to Colombia!