TRICKY NAVIGATION [Iron] SAILING to the San Blas Islands | Harbors Unknown Ep. 75

TRICKY NAVIGATION [Iron] SAILING to the San Blas Islands | Harbors Unknown Ep. 75

After finalizing the work on our main sail we FINALLY head out to the San Blas Islands aka Guna Yala. We have been waiting for this since we arrived 3 months ago! Naturally, there’s no wind so it’s iron sailing for us, lol. The archipelago of 365 islands and a thin strip of land stretching for about 120 miles on Panama’s northeast coast, are remote, undeveloped, pristine specimens of what tropical paradise dreams are made of. And of course, if it were easy everyone would go there. But because of its remoteness and extensive reef formations, navigation is quite tricky. We heard from many cruisers that Navionics charts are extremely unreliable in the area (28 vessels sank last year!), and the only charts and guide to use are those produced by Eric Bauhaus. These charts are not available for purchase but are passed along from cruiser to cruiser and fortunately we have some new friends that gave us the Bauhaus charts. The charts are used on OpenCPN, a free navigation software developed by cruisers for cruisers using real world data. Since we have all Apple tablets and phones our only option is to use OpenCPN on our computer, and to make full use of the application we really should have a GPS puck plugged into the laptop to show our vessel’s location. But since it’s such a challenge receiving shipments where we’ve been, we don’t have a GPS puck. So we’re entering the Bauhaus coordinates into our B&G chartplotter to create safe routes and always have one person at the bow as a lookout when entering anchorages.

Once we arrive in the Central Holandes Cays, we set anchor in Los Bajos Lagoon, begin our digital detox (no cell service, no internet), and immerse ourselves in the wonders of this pristine paradise, above and below the waters surface.

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If you’re new here, Harbors Unknown is the story of two dreamers, Kristin and Fabio Potenti, and our French Bulldog Yoda. We’re a small family living aboard our catamaran, Wanderlust, sailing to Harbors Unknown. Exploring the world, connecting with people and places through the local cuisine, and showing how great food can be cooked on a boat with limited space and resources. Seeking to balance the desire to explore and travel to beautiful, remote locations while leaving no footprint, minimizing the Hawthorne effect of the observers who change the environment she or he observes.

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TIMECODES
00:00-02:38 Final adjustments to our main sail.
02:39-12:06 [Iron] Sailing to the San Blas Islands
12:07-14:10 Waking up in the Central Holandes Cays
14:11-16:25 Snorkeling the reef in our backyard