In February  2004, I crewed on the delivery of a new 57' Nordavn, from Dana Point, California through the Panama Canal to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.  The following is my personal trip log.

Delivery route, click on image to enlarge

Delivery trip - M/V Betty G   Nordhavn 57, Hull # 32                            
Dana Point, CA to Ft. Lauderdale, FL via the Panama Canal. Mid February to mid March, 2004.                                                                                   

Lat. 30.32 - Long. 116.13.
Vicinity Isla San Martin, Baja Mexico 
24 hours out of Dana Point, 203 nm out

With 24 hours under our keel, and the crew having had a full round of both day and night watches under their belts everything is under control and all systems are go.

In charge is Captain Peter Pisciotta, of SeaSkills and San Francisco. Peter has been planning this trip for

Capt. Peter Pisciotta, Off-duty!

 

 

Sam Gregory 

 

The Writer, Dennis at helm Betty G

 Rick  Olson

After a hectic morning, the Nordhavn 57, Betty G, departed Pacific Asian Enterprise Yacht's dock at Dana Point, California at 1100 on Tuesday, February 10.  We are averaging around 9.5 knots, and the seas so far have been "pacific". We expect the 4400 mile trip will take around 20 days of steaming, plus fuel stops (2) and the Panama Canal transit.

Dana Point on the Horizon

We have four crew doing watches individually, three hours per shift. Rick Olson is the 12-3 crew on duty, Dennis follows with 3-6, then Sam 6-9, and Peter, the Captain has the 9-12 watch. We keep the same rotation day and night. The first day or so all the crew is becoming familiar with the electronics and autopilot controls and functions. The boat is equipped with the most up to date electronics, including autopilot, chart plotting and radar interfaced, 600 gallon per day water maker, and all the other bells and whistles one could ask for. The systems are new to everyone on board, but Peter is fairly familiar with the general operating principles of most and busy introducing the rest of the crew to the operations of all.

With 24 hours under our belts we have traveled 223 nautical miles at noon on day one. The weather is cloudless, temperature around 60 degrees F and water temperature 62 degrees. Saw a whale spout at around 1000. Crew is nicely settled into the shipboard routine of watches, meals and time off.

1200 Feb 10,2004

Location Lat. 29 58  - Lon.116 00

229 miles traveled to date. We are located about six miles offshore of Punta Baja. Weather continues cool but clear and bright. Send first e-mail from the boat via Iridium phone. To limit use of time we bunch mail into a word document and submit to Peter for his processing into the satellite phone system.

1200 Feb 11,2004

Location Lat. 27 03  - Lon. 114 16   about even with Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Total miles traveled to date 452 nautical miles - Miles last 24 hours - 223

Everything is fine except still a bit cold for sunning. At noon it feels like around 60 degrees even with bright sunshine. We saw a small pod of whales at around 1100 a few hundred yards off, but did not seem to get closer. We got cold enough though, that standing and sitting in the engine room for several minutes taking pictures of the complexity of the systems there seemed a good idea. While it's fresh in my mind, I'll run through some of the myriad systems contained therein.

John Deere main engine

First off, one walks down a companionway about eight steps, and making a quarter turn. A fire tight door leads into the engine room, with standup head room around the main engine, a six cylinder turbocharged in line marinized John Deere putting out 340 hp. Running at 1450 rpm the engine is incredibly noisy in the enclosed space, necessitating ear muff protectors. After about 48 hours, we are burning about 6.0 gph and getting around 1.5 miles traveled at an average 9.0 knots per gallon of fuel burned. In the living spaces of the boat the noise level is comfortable, low enough for easy speaking interchange.

Fuel filtering system

Engine controls at the helm include the normal function gauges, plus one small gauge reading sequentially all the other readings, plus such minutia as gallons per hour being burned, miles per gallon traveled to date, engines hours accumulated and so forth. Built into an engine room bulkhead wall is an engine lubricating oil change system to allow quick easy removal and refill of the 42.3 quarts of lube oil. Also built into the engine room walls are four fuel tanks constructed of fiberglass and all controlled by a large manifold allowing pumping of fuel from any tank and return of unburned fuel to any tank, as well as an onboard fuel polishing or cleaning system. This manifold is composed of an incredible number of labeled values allowing most anything but manufacturing more fuel. Fuel tankage totals 2,000 gallons, with a resulting range of around 3,000 miles. Plumbing and wire runs are very neat and well thought out.

Multiple inverters for 120 volt power

The main engine is cooled by a keel cooler allowing interchange of engine cooling fluid heat with seawater in a contained exchange system under the boat's keel. The main propeller is 36 inches in diameter and driven by a 3 inch stainless steel shaft. The main engine is dry exhausted to a heavy exhaust piping system at the top of the boat above the fly bridge.

Other major items in the engine room include a "wing" or "get home" engine. This drives an emergency shaft and folding propeller in case of main propulsion system failure. The wing engine also drives a large hydraulic pump which powers both a bow and stern thruster for maneuvering in close quarters as well as a hydraulic windlass for the chain anchor rode. The wing engine is another John Deere, this time four in line cylinders, putting out 85 horsepower.

Nothern lights genset

The final big piece of equipment in the engine room is a Northern Light Genset driven by a 32 horsepower Alaskan Diesel engine. This produces 240 volt ac current for all house systems including heat, air conditioning, water heating, the cooking oven, and two freezers and one refrigerator.

The boat is stabilized by two hydraulic amidships mounted horizontal rudder devices. They operate when the ship heels a bit in one direction, and a sensor tells one to turn up and the other down to counter the movement of the ship. As the ship moves the other way, they move in the opposite direction. All this is done automatically with no detectable result except that the boat is quite stable, at least in the seas we have had so far. A small sensor at the helm shows the relative movement of each of the stabilizers, and they are both busy all the time.

Fuel tank selection valves

Another engine room item is the 600 gallon per day Sea Fit water maker providing all the fresh potable water needed as well as abundant washing water for crew and the boat. This unit uses reverse osmosis to remove salt and other ions from seawater. Seawater at very high pressure is pumped through a semi-permeable membrane with particles as small as salt ions excluded while water molecules pass through.

All the lighting in the engine room is 120 volt and very abundant. The balance of the boat's spaces have multiple fixtures providing low level floor lighting, mid level space lighting and higher decor lighting.

Next entry I'll relate some of the details about the layout of the ship itself.

Life is good.

1200 hours  Feb 13,2004

Lat. 24 10 - Lon.114.44    about even with Marathon, FL

Total miles traveled 675 - Prev. miles trav. 452 - Last 24 hours 223 nautical miles

Captain Peter's 43rd birthday today. Celebrate with big breakfast of scrambled eggs, chirosa sausage, and home fires. Brownies in afternoon, plus the rest of the crew did one hour longer watches to give Peter the evening off.

Fourth day straight of 100% sunshine. Temperature decidedly warmer, with high around 70 degrees. Water temperature up to 71, a rise of 10 degrees in four days, and mostly in the past two days. Dennis spent the late morning and afternoon on the foredeck in the sun.

We passed a small seal and also a sea tortoise swimming. Also a cruise ship was passed in the night, then a trawler northbound and a lone tug and tow southbound.

Weather reports from both Lee Chesneau and Peter's guru warm of upcoming high pressure gradients resulting from a disturbance in the Gulf of Alaska colliding with something elsewhere. Heavier seas probably in the offing, hopefully after we make the crossing from the southern tip of Baja across to the main land mass of Mexico, probably landing at Manazatan.

1200hours Feb.14, 2004

Lat. 22 53 - Lon 108 55 - about even with the middle of Cuba

Total miles traveled 875 - Prev. 675- Nautical miles last 24 hours 200

Skies clear, wind blowing like stink - Seas 10-12 feet

 
Yesterday was a great cruising day until around 1700, with a light wind from behind, and very slight seas, as well as the Captain's birthday.

Well, yesterday I suggested that we were due for some weather. Right on schedule it showed up at around 1700. I had just taken over the watch at 1600, as each crew member was doing an extra hour to give Peter an evening off

At around 5PM I saw what I thought were dolphins breaking the surface about a half mile ahead. By the time we got there, the wind changed 180 degrees and whitecaps were blowing off 4-6 foot seas right on the nose. This after four days of following light seas and little wind. It increased steadily until by dark it was really rough and throwing seas onto the windshield every wave. The stabilizers worked well though, although one chirps like a whistle with every movement.

Dolphins off the bow

I took one of the double bunks at 2000 so I would not fall out of mine. Sometime around midnight it calmed a bit while we rounded the cape at the end of Baja. During my watch (0300-0600) the radar was on auto track, looking for other vessels, when we passed the tip. Cabo San Lucas is just around the corner and we expected to see some shipping. Sure enough several blips appeared and all seemed to be n the same course as we. I watched until they became 7 different tracks, all going at various bearings toward and away from us.

A bit of detail here.  The radar not only shows you where the other vessels are with blips, but can be set up to track their course and direction, tell you their speed, and the closest their present track and speed will bring them to your proximity.

When several finally got to within 0.35 miles and I still could not see a damn thing out the windows, I woke up Peter and called for help. He had a look around, cancelled all the tracks, and nothing came back. I guess the machine was set a little sensitive! He was like Mama talking the booboos away.

After rounding the Baja tip a few hours ago, it's really rough again. We've modified course to due east crossing the base of the Sea of Cortez, and are headed toward Matazalan, so if it continues very bad we can hole up there if needed. It's about 140 nm there, so we can be assured of a nighttime arrival of course. If it calms by evening we will change to more southerly course and go on.

We slogged on into that weather for about four hours, until around 1200 hours when decided we had done enough easting to head south again with the seas behind us. Now we are on a sort of "Nantucket Roller Coaster" and I a m happy to have the big bulbous nose on the bow under the water to keep us from plowing deeper into the waves as se slide downhill. Sadie B would be burying the bow plank every time.

Skies continue crystal clear, and it would be nice to get a bit of sun, but everything is salt covered. Everyone in the crew is holding up well, although napping more as no one is getting enough sleep now as the conditions roughen.

Not much else to report and it's rough as hell, so I'll cut this short.

1200  Feb 15, 2004

Lat. 20 32 - Lon. 105 58 - about even with Guantanamo, Cuba and Guadalajara, Mexico

Total miles to date 1093 - Prev yesterday 875 - Miles last 24 hours 218 nautical miles

It was around noon when we turned southeast again yesterday, and heavy seas (8-10) followed us all afternoon and into the evening. By dark it was calming to some extent, but still rough, and the whole crew was tired from getting banged around constantly.

Peter came up with a nice meal of chicken cordon something, with cheese and ham filled chicken breasts. We called it latitude 22 chicken, and are looking forward to a repeat of same going up the Caribbean Sea in two or so weeks.

I settled into Rick's lower bunk to avoid falling out of the upper, but the noise level is much higher as the bunk is closer to the waterline. By around 11 or 12 I woke up and got into the upper to finish the night at 1 AM. My watch was easy and peaceful with 3-5 foot following seas.

Did a washdown early, then relaxed and enjoyed the sun all the morning and into the afternoon. Tropical sun certainly works fast. We've been out of sight of land for more than 24 hours now, and have just come into sight of the state of Jalisco, where Guadalajara is located. We will shore hug now for about 300 with a fuel stop planned for Acapulco, sometime on Monday where I'll try to call home.

So far we've been six days at sea, and I can't remember seeing a cloud in the whole sky. Evenings now are in the mid 70's and days not much higher, but very bright sunshine feels warmer. 

Pacific sunset

A spectacular sand beach, very long with no apparent development just came into sight. We are 4-5 miles off, but I can see naked ladies gesturing us ashore. We try to resist.

Mixican shoreline

Balance written 2/16 AM. Slept great last night for the first time in a while. A schedule I really like; eat at 6, bed by 7, and sleep until 2 AM or so. I'll be a bear to live with when I get back! We did just cross into the Central Time Zone last night and changed our watches this AM, so I am right on my normal schedule in terms of sunrise and sunset.

Seas nearly flat now, and we are running 6-8 miles offshore with spectacular beaches and mountains off in the distance.

It's amazing how many sounds one can hear when sleeping below. Often it seems like riding on a bus with frequent stops (waves coming up and under us, changing the engine noise), or a train roaring down the tracks. But last night it really felt like I was on a space ship on a slow glide path leaning one way then the other. As the ship rolled I could see lights on shore at resorts coming and going as we rolled. Truly felt like a plane on a glide path in to land.

We expect to stop in Acapulco in about 20 hours for fuel, around 1500 gallons burned so far!

Feb.  16, 2004

Lat. 18 32 - Lon. 103 30

Miles to date 1300 - Miles traveled last 24 206

Bright cloudless skies and moderate temperatures continue. Last night's passage fairly flat, and today's with slight rollers of 1-2 feet. No whitecaps. Weather expected in the next 48 however, and we may wait it out at Acapulco.

Rick and Sam fixed the squeak yesterday in the stabilizer wing on the port side. Q tips with motor oil swabbed on the noisy bushing did the trick. Great sleep last night, 6:30 to 2:00 AM for DB!

Local scenery more and more attractive with sandy beaches, cliffs, and green vegetation on shore rather than desert. Saw three tortoises today in only a half mile or so, one very large; perhaps 36 inches across.

Approaching Acapulco

Changed our time two hours today to reflect Central Standard Time. Good morning of sun on foredeck.

Feb 17, 2004

Lat. 16 55 - Lon. 100.13

Miles to date 1499 - Yesterday 1300  - Last 24 hours 199

Acapulca Harbor

Weather continued flat calm all day. Arrived Acapulco harbor around 2 PM with spectacular scenery. We anchored off Yacht Club and Peter and I dinghied ashore for Customs at Yacht Club. Fairly short procedure and found we can have a dock for fuel and overnight tomorrow mid day tomorrow. Lots of big yachts in marina, including one owner by Cisco head which we saw earlier this season in San Francisco. Also a spectacular 130 or so foot sailboat St. Jean. Acapulco Bay is round and perhaps three miles across, rimed with high rise hotels, condos, and spectacular cliffs everywhere. Lots of small boat tour traffic, jet skies etc.

Acapulco resort hotels

This evening we are reminded of a cruising guide we have on board relating that cruising into Acapulco Bay is like "Cruising into a bowl of diamonds". Nearly totally surrounded by tall hills, and with homes and streets and lights around half way up all the hills, the night view is spectacular.

Acapulco sunset

Around 4 PM we dinghied ashore for a few beers, but with Peter not feeling well we stayed only a short time and head back to the boat around 5PM. Quiet evening on the boat with no noise from the engine for the first time in eight days.

Acapulco marina

0530 hours, Feb. 19, 2004

Lat. 16 50 - Lon.99 54

1528 accumulated nautical miles

Leaving Acapulco at 0 dark thirty. The night before last we were anchored in Acapulco Harbor, just off the Acapulco Yacht Club. We had reservations for a spot on the fuel dock for fuel and overnight beginning at 12:30. We had a slow morning on the boat, enjoying the scenery and reading until around 12 noon, and then pulled up the anchor. The windlass is hydraulic driven by the wing engine and has around 500 feet of one half inch chain. The anchor is a 120 pound stainless steel plow. Raising and lowering the anchor is effortless. Especially impressive is a chain wash down system installed below the anchor roller. This discharges seawater at a very impressive rate through a 2 inch outlet aimed at the chain as it passes under the bow roller. The result is a clean chain going through the gypsy and into the anchor locker below.

Anyway, we arrive at the fuel dock at the appointed 12:30 and find it full with two boats, as well as a fuel pump being worked on by several marina employees. They wanted us to return at three PM, and Peter held out for 2 PM, but in any event, we were not going to get any fuel until they had fixed the pump problem. So, we elected for a harbor cruise for a couple of hours, making a slow loop around the three mile diameter round harbor.

Arriving back at the fuel dock at 2:30 we find it empty and come along side without incident. Rick and I leave for a short shopping trip with a list, leaving Captain Peter and Sam to fuel up. Of course we need to stop at the small bar first to wet our whistles. Then a long walk, hoping our masculine auras would find us a hardware store. Unfortunately, we had forgotten the word for hardware in Spanish, but as it turns out there were none anyway, or at least none handy to where we were.

Off duty Capt. Peter

A little later in the afternoon, following several more cervesas, we get cleared to leave in the morning, Sam decides to take a cab to Walmart for some of the stuff we could not find, and we chat up an interesting local winter resident and Michigan native. We spent an hour or two swapping local stories, lore and jokes before returning to the boat around 6 PM. Sam finally returns to the boat around 8:30 with a few souvenirs for his kids and wife and some of the items we had on our list. Everyone to bunks early for an early start in the morning.

Position noon Feb. 19, 2004

Lat. 16 24 - Lon. 99 07 About even with Dominica in the southern Caribbean

Total miles 1581 - Miles previous 1499  - Total trav. in 48 82

Back at sea again after around 36 hours in Acapulco. Seas nearly flat early, then building from south. Continued very warm and sunny.

1200 hours, Feb. 20, 2004

Lat. 15 59- Lon. 95 24

Total distance accum. 1807 - Yesterday'

Small boat in big ocean!

About a third of the way across the Bay of Tehuantepec, incredible scenery and near gale winds in this windy spot. Waves light at 2-3 feet but very windy. Heard from my sister that she was here just yesterday with a group of students. Have seen several sea turtles, a whale spout or two, and lots of heavily feeding birds, along with a few native fishermen in small boats built for this bay, with high pronged bows to shed waves.

Gulf of Tehuantepec, World's windiest?

This bay is reported to have 140 days per year with gale force or higher winds. Just now passing a sand dune, perhaps three hundred feet in elevation and ½ miles long, ending in a sheer rock cliff. The Bay is about 250 miles across and will take us more than 24 hours to cross. We are staying quite near the shore to avoid even larger winds offshore.

By the oddest of coincidence I got an e-mail forwarded by my wife from my sister today relating that she was in Tehuantepec just yesterday, and reported that the wind was blowing like hell, as it usually does.

Saw two whales quite close-up (perhaps 100 feet) this afternoon.

Position noon 2/21/04

Lat. 14 45 - Lon. 92 29 - Or about 50 miles from Mexico-Guatemala border

Miles traveled to date 2010 - Miles trav prev 1807 - Last 24 hours 203

Shortly after dawn this AM a Mexican helicopter marked marina buzzed us two times taking a good look at us. On his second pass a chopper rotor hit a passing bird making it look rather like a good skeet shooter blasting a clay pigeon to smithereens. Our passage across the Bay of Tehuantepec was uneventful, and the we4ather forecast is continuing light winds so we are taking the shorter route aimed directly at the western most tip of Costa Rica, Cabo Nelas. We still have to pass by Guatemala, El Salvadore, Nicaragua, Costa rica, and finally Panama. But of course some of these are small countries compared to the Mexican coastline of well over 1500 miles of Pacific Ocean.

Mexican Navy chopper inspection

The days are sliding past just like the boat sliding over the water. For me it's up a 2 AM or so, on watch at 3, enjoy two or so pots of coffee and listen to light music on the CD's, and a light breakfast of yogurt or milk and granola. Off watch at 6, an hour or two of computer work and correspondence until around 9 when it's workout time with two 25 pound dumbbells, then a shower and laze in the sun until noon, followed by a short rest but generally no sleep until 3 PM watch. Off at 6, dinner shortly thereafter, and bed shortly, generally by 7:30. And another day goes by!

The high point of each hour on watch is the turn of the hour which occasions writing in the ship's log the lat and lon, engine hours run, miles accumulated, speed over the ground, and a couple of other items; plus a quick walk around the engine room. It does not take much to keep us occupied!

Noon Feb. 22, 2004

Lat. 12 31 - Lon 8931 -  Or, just off Honduras

Miles accumulated total 2229 - Yesterdays 2010  - Miles in last 24 219

Weather calm and sunny, temperatures near high 80's, with little change at night. Seas flat. The little central American countries are flying past, Guatemala last night, El Salvadore this morning, Honduras now, Costa Rico coming up. We are 40-60 miles off shore and not much to do except read and watch the dolphins. Just now we had a big school of them cavorting in front of the boat. Little else to report.

We decided to head southeast offshore directly for the largest point of land in Costa Rica that we have to pass by. This put us offshore about 60 miles around 3PM and with the passage of time during late afternoon and evening the distance off shore got larger and larger, at the same time as the winds were coming up. By the end of my watch at 6 PM the wind was doing a steady 30 or so right in our face and seas were 3-4 feet and short and steep. By midnight, with no moon they were estimated at 6-8, in the dark and regularly breaking over the bow, forcing us to both slow down and modify our course back toward land to try to get in the lee, or at least quarter into the head seas.  We actually cruised from midnight to around 7 AM headed slightly north of east, watching the latitude numbers going up instead of down. This was bad enough by itself, but we were only doing 4-5 miles per hour as well.

It turns out that we are not really very much farther along the coast of Honduras than we were yesterday morning.

Noon Feb. 23, 2004

Lat. 12 00 - Lon. 86 57 - Just south of Honduras in Costa Rico

Miles accum. Total 2392- Miles acc. Yes. 2229 - Miles last 24 hours 163

Seas flattened out around noon as we got to 5-8 miles offshore. We continued in closer and cruised 3-5 miles offshore for the next 24 very comfortably. Captain Peter decided to make some water and do laundry in the evening, so the get set went on and we spent the night in air conditioned bliss for the first time. WONDERFUL sleeping along with the flat seas.

Early afternoon yesterday I discovered my bunk was soaking wet on the bottom, from a port light not being dogged down sufficiently, or vibration shook it loose in the rough weather previously. I had not slept in it for last night when it was rough, and breaking waves have been sloshing in all night and the next morning. We took it out to the aft cockpit, hosed it off and let it drain for a few hours, and then put it in our clothes dryer, the engine room.

The night watch was uneventful, and culminated by Pete's making brownies for breakfast prior to shutting the generator down.

Noon, Feb. 24, 2004

Lat. 9 28- Lon 85 03

Total miles accum./ 2599 - Total yesterday 2392 - Yesterdays 24 206

Crossing Bahia Coronada, just below the westernmost portion of Costa Rica.

Following the brownies, Peter was inspired to make cranberry muffins, as the oven was hot. The eating is good!

From where we are as I write this it looks like 450 miles to Panama, or arrival Thursday 26th late afternoon if the conditions hold as they are now. I am assuming the Canal transit will take two days from when we arrive there; with Saturday looking likely. We will do some provisioning in Panama City, while staying at a marina there until we can transit the Canal. From Colon, on the Caribbean Sea side of the Canal, it looks like 1,200 miles up to Ft. Lauderdale, or six days of cruising.

Crossing the Bahia Coronado today reminds me of making landfall at some South Pacific Islands. The land, perhaps 50-75 miles away and out of sight, is topped with puffy cumulus clouds just like in the far middle of the ocean, with the clouds marking the landfall. Other than that, the horizon is clear.

The boat continues to perform flawlessly.

Excellent meal of tip roast barbecued on the aft gas grill last night. Spectacular meal.

Overnight was flat and calm. Around 48 hours now of flat seas. Around 300 miles to Panama City. Mike, son of owner Frank is expected to arrive in Panama at 8 PM Friday. With good luck we can get cleared to get through the canal on Saturday.

 
Noon Feb. 25, 2004

Lat. 7 43 - Lon. 81 56  -  50 miles below Panama/Costa Rica border

Accum miles ot date 2815 - Accum yesterday 2599 - Total past 24 hours 216

Weather continued flat and nearly calm for past 48 hours..

Approaching Panama

Noon Sunday Feb. 29, 2004

Lat. 9 44 - Lon. 82 00

Accum. Miles to date 3229 - Prev. accum. Miles 2815 - Last couple of days 404

In Caribbean Sea, near Panama Costa Rican border

No log/diary entries for a few days as things were either uneventful or very busy for the period since then.

We arrived in Panama City at around 1:30 PM on Thursday the 26th. We went along side the fuel dock to take on about 1200 gallons of fuel. The port aft tank, the largest, will take fuel only very slowly, so the entire project took well over two hours. Then a move to another longer term dock, mostly occupied by sport fish boats from the US. We took the opportunity to enjoy several cervesas at a small waterfront bar, then had a lovely dinner at a very modern shopping/dining complex adjacent to the Flamingo Marina.

Betty G dockside in Panama

The following morning Rick and Dennis taxied into Panama City to provision and do a bit of sightseeing and personal shopping. The cabbie left us off in an older shopping district specializing mostly in electronics. Lots of interesting sights and sounds.

Provisioning was done at a Rey Market, with a not especially good selection of either cheese or fruits, both of which we are short on. The experience was exactly as I remember it from Panama earlier with young boys helping with checkout, bagging and carrying the provisions to the waiting taxi.

Kuna Indian ladies

We did take on a case or so of local Panamian Beer, at around $8.00 per case of 24 cans, a definite improvement over the waterfront bar's price of nearly $2.00 per bottle. Another nice dinner shore side was enjoyed in a different restaurant in the same complex. The marina and associated businesses are located in a series of islands at the mouth of the Panama Canal and just north of Panama City itself. Considerable development is happening now and planned for both residential and commercial development here, so things are growing rapidly.

The anchorage at Balboa Yacht Club is still there, but a major fire around eight years ago destroyed the Yacht Club building I remembered from our earlier trip.

Panama Canal detail

Around 9 Friday evening, Mike Gregory, son of the boat's owner arrived on a flight from New York. He will join us for the Canal transit, then the balance of the trip to Ft. Lauderdale. MIke is a MD specializing in Emergency Medicine and was able to sleep at the drop of a hoat.

Dr. Mike, seasick again!

The Canal transit was accomplished on Saturday with little trouble. A broker was engaged for the administrative paperwork, a definite help. He also provided a Panamian line handler who showed us the ropes, literally. We left the dock at 0730, took on a pilot at around 0900 and entered the first lock at 0915. Going up from the Pacific in the first three locks, we rafted along side a canal excursion boat, so little line handling was needed. Going down at the other end, we went against the front wall, with an enormous car carrier behind us.

Everyone on the boat enjoyed the trip, and took lot of photos. Near the famed Culebra Cut, a new suspension highway bridge is newly under construction, and will be a spectacular span when complete.

New "Bridge of Americas"

Culebra Cut in Canal, Continential Divide

 

 

We exited the Canal at around 1600, left our pilot and line handlers off, then headed out up the Caribbean Sea in fairly rough conditions, with seas of 4-6 feet. No one slept particularly well.

We may be stopping for a day or two for a weather delay, depending on how things develop in the next 24 hours.

Electric tractor "Mules" to move ships in Canal

Freighter and tug in Canal

Noon, Monday March 1, 2004

Lat. 11 59 - Lon. 83 30 - About half way up Nacaragua Coast

Total accum. Miles 3419 -  Prev  3229 -  Last 24 hours esterday 190

We are still slogging along in 20-25 NE winds, with seas 8-10 feet, lots of whitecaps and big sprays of foam from bow waves. Everyone slept better last night as it calmed some, but the seas built in again today around 1000. Most all the off watch crew sleeps as hanging about and chatting is too tiring.

Hopefully we can push through this rather than having a weather delay, as its really not all that heavy for this part of the Caribbean, and it may be a long time until it gets really calmer.

Pasta and meatballs last night was a bit of a challenge in the seas, but good.

Noon Tuesday March 2, 2004

Lat. 15 21 - Lon. 82 58 - Located off the Nicaragua/ Honduras border, headed toward Grand Cayman Island, 260 miles away.

Miles to date 3627 - Miles to date previous 3419 - Last 24 hours 208

Third day steaming out of Colon, Panama. Winds continue heavy at 20-25 from northeast, seas 8-10 and up. Nearly every wave breaking over the bow and slamming the windshield. By 5PM we will have done about 600 miles of this passage, all the way into the weather.

Sandwiches and leftovers for diner last night. Crew getting tired of needing three hands to hang on with, plus no outdoor time is possible. Sam slept on his glasses last night and broke them. A major problem as he only has one eye!

Sam, after a rough night!

Noon Wednesday, March 3, 2004

Lat. 18 38- Lon. 82 27 - 65 miles SW of Grand Cayman I. - 250 from Westernmost Cuba

Miles to date 3827 - Prev 3627 - Last 24 hours 200

Seas continued high until now. Conditions mostly unchanged. Pete was able (inspired) to come up with a chicken fillet dish last night with mashed potatoes, plus biscuits this morning.

Around a total of 700 miles to go to Ft. Lauderdale, or perhaps 72 hours if we get a good lift from the Gulf Stream.

At 1600 we turn from a course of 12 degrees to a new course of 300 headed toward the western most tip of Cuba. For the first time since Saturday at the same time we are cruising with the wind and seas instead of against them. Off with the A/C, open the ports, wash down, and clean the flying fish off the decks. All aboard enjoy a great sleep after Pete's turkey meat loaf banquet.

Nearly full moon set at 5 AM.

Noon Thursday March 4, 2004

Lat. 21 23 - Lon. 84 48 - 40 miles south of Cuba's west end

Days accum. Total miles 4053 - Previous 3827 - Last 24 hour total  226

Caribbean Sea

Back into cruising into the seas in great comfort. Boat open all day and get in a good wash down of decks and some sunning. Turned the corner at Cuba's west end at 1700 into a bit of a weather sea, but hoping that the land mass of Cuba will blot it out as we get around the corner more From here it's about 425 miles to Ft. Lauderdale, and all the crew is looking forward to the end and some real rest. At an estimated 10nm per hour this should take us 42.5 hours putting our arrival in Ft. Lauderdale at around noon on Saturday, March 6.

We've e-mailed Esther and Judy about picking us up and are waiting for their response about our driving a rental car back or they coming to get us.

Lots of flying fish seen today, one caught on the aft cockpit deck.

Pete spent the past day producing a Powerpoint presentation of our Canal transit. Very nicely done, and tomorrow I'll get a primer on how to do it myself.

In one of Pete's few kitchen disasters, today's brownies were a failure. Too bad we did not have some ice cream on board, as they would have functioned well fudge/chocolate sauce.

Noon Friday March 5, 2004

Lat. 23 54 - Lon. 82 53   Off Dry Tortugas

Total accum. Miles 4267 - Prev. totals 4053 -  Last 24 -  214

Big time swells came back last night about the time we turned the corner around Cuba's west end. Winds on the nose (northeast and seas as much as 10-12 and very steep and short, perhaps 4 seconds between. A very noisy and uncomfortable night with little sleep. Same all day and into evening as we pass Key West.

Around early morning we pass Key West and everyone on the crew has their cell phone to their ear, calling loved ones and making plans for arrival and leaving the boat. Mike is off to Colorado to ski with his wife, Sam is flying out on Monday, Pete is staying a few days in south Florida with friends after orienting the owner with his boat, and Our wives Esther and Judy have already driven from Kissimmee to Ft. Lauderdale and spent the night awaiting Rick and I.

Pete on cell call to CA

We are still in some uncomfortable and steep seas with lots of pounding, and we decide even if we give up the Gulf Stream, it will be comfortable nearer shore. Going past Miami we are only two to three miles offshore and really hit the Stream with a flattening of the seas, and a favorable current of 3-4 knots. Suddenly we are doing 12-14 mph, the best we have seen for the entire trip; what a great homecoming! Around noon we enter the Government Cut into Port Everglades at Ft. Lauderdale with lots of traffic and spectacular large yachts everywhere. About eight miles up the ICW, and four different lift bridges of which we have to wait for openings on three, we dock at the owner?s new home right on the ICW, with a slip especially for Betty G.

"Judy, come and get us!"

A really festive atmosphere prevails, even with the docking of a new boat in a new slip. After perhaps two hours of unpacking, adjusting lines, inspecting the boat, we depart, completely forgetting about Customs. After a few minutes, luckily Pete remembers his responsibility as Captain and calls us reminding us of our need to report. A quick U turn to Port Everglades and we are legal, and headed back to Kissimmee, arriving home just after dark at Cypress Cove.

Ft. Lauderdale cruise ship

Final totals

Days at sea 26

Main engine hours  521

Nautical miles traveled 4497

Fuel consumed 2964

Gallons per hour 5.69

Miles (n) per gallon 1.51

Dennis with month old beard