Old Panama

Sign by the Panama City waterfront declaring it to be the beautiful life. What we think we're living.
 

During our stay in Panama after returning from the States we were able to spend time visiting the "tourist" sites.  As we travel around the Caribbean we try to visit lots of cultural and historic sites in the regions where we stay. The history and geopolitical story of Panama has intrigued me since I first learned about the canal and it's importance in world history.

Ancient cannons guarding the entrance to the Visitors Center of Panama Viejo.
 

Panama has had a significant place in history since Columbus first sailed here in about 1502 in his fourth and final voyage. During that trip he sailed the Caribbean coast including Bocas del Toro and along to Portobelo all of which he named. Shortly after that Spanish explorers and conquistadors began investigating the isthmus and realized the opportunity that it presented because of the short distance between the two great oceans of the world.

The Harbor at Portobelo.
 

In 1519 Vasco Balboa charted the isthmus and in 1521 the Spanish established the parish of Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion de Panama in an area that is now part of Panama City but is about 7 miles from Casco Viejo. Casco Viejo is the area now usually identified as the Old City or Old Quarter.  

The beginning of El Camino Real in Panama Viejo.

In 1521 the City of Panama was laid out and built on the Pacific to serve as the port for the exploration and trans-shipment of minerals across the isthmus to Portobelo where they would be removed to Spain. A highway was established between the two ports called El Camino Real, the Royal Highway and for hundreds of years the spoils of Spanish conquest moved between the City of Panama and Portobelo and then to Spain over the fabled Spanish Main.

The tower of the old Cathedral still standing.
 

The Spanish failed to fortify the City because it was assumed there were no threats in the Pacific. However, in 1671 the infamous English Pirate Henry Morgan attacked it having come across the isthmus but the inhabitants burned the City rather than have it fall into the hands of pirates. 

The inside of the cathedral and houses along the next street.
 

The survivors then moved to a peninsula about 7 miles north and built the new City of Panama on what has become known as Casco Viejo, or the "Old Quarter." 

An interpretive placard depicting the Cathedral and major buildings that surrounded the plaza.
 

Old Panama is distinctive because it isn't actually a safe harbor for ships. Ships anchored offshore near islands in the Bay and the cargoes were brought to shore in small boats. The new Panama was closer to the anchorage where the ships were unloaded. Now, those islands are part of the mainland having been connected with spoils from the construction of the Panama Canal.

Inside of the ruins of Iglesia del Arco Chato. One of the earliest examples of brick arches without keystones that have survived earthquakes when the church didn't.  Located in Casco Viejo.

The external facade.

 Here's an interesting site with pictures of the 7 principal cathedrals still in use. https://www.thelostandfoundhostel.com/blog/the-seven-churches-of-casco-viejo

The new Panama remained relatively unchanged for about 200 years until the US got interested in building the Panama Canal. Up to that time Panama was a step-child province of Colombia and the present fate of the Panamanians depended on the Governor of Colombia who was in power at the time. After the failed French attempt to build a canal the US proposed to buy out the French interest in a deal 

The entrance to the Panama Canal Museum in Casco Viejo.
 

with Colombia that they reneged on. The US then helped the Panamanians gain their independence and quickly made a deal with the new government. As part of its program to control and eliminate the mosquitos that were largely responsible for yellow fever and malaria on the isthmus and a major cause of the French failure, the US as part of its Canal project paved the streets of Panama and Colon; installed a water and sewer system; and electric power.

Panama City Hall

Views of Herrera Plaza dedicated to Tomas Herrera, a significant military and political leader in Panama. In Casco Viejo

 

                            Casa Casco, one of our favorite restaurants.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With the opening of the canal and modern utilities the city began to grow. Today, the Panama of the pre-canal days is the area known as Casco Viejo and is probably less than 5% of modern Panama City. Over 500 years of history exists in one of the oldest and most influential areas of the western hemisphere. Settlements in the western hemisphere predate Panama by a few years. But, Panama was established and its influence in history begun less than 30 years after the discovery of the western hemisphere. Even today it is one of the very few true crossroads of the world where traffic from every corner passes making it a truly unique and culturally rich community.

Panama's BioMuseo that traces Panama from its earliest development from volcanoes through present day.

Panama Viejo or "Old Panama" is a World Heritage Site as it should be and I can't help but marvel at the accomplishments of these early settlers and what has been accomplished in the intervening years.

Visit old Panama and share the rapture of this history.

    The modern skyline of Panama City from the rooftop of Casa Casco in Casco Viejo.

 A closer view of the modern Panama Skyline.

The States and Getting Ready for Cruising, Maybe

 Beachwalk on Caranero Island in Bocas area.

It has been several months since I updated our blog. Partly from being busy, partly from malaise, partly having an ongoing parade of issues, partly because of internet issues but mostly from uncertainty about everything. 2021 seemed to be the year that everything that could go wrong. Did go wrong. It has been 7 years since we bought this boat and have been living aboard cruising so I called it the "7-year itch." If you've never heard of it, the "7 year itch" was a 1950's movie about a theory that after 7 years people in a relationship reach a point of turmoil and point of reckoning. So I think our boat reached that point and we are having to deal with it. Well, that's my story

Lunch in Coconut Grove during our first quick Miami stop. 

 The seal we had to get called an Apistile

 

We continue to move on and look forward to getting back on our plan. Besides the gremlins on the boat the world has been in a constant state of change in dealing with Covid and the economic consequences. Looking ahead, new health protocols will play a big role in where we can go and what we can do as they have for many cruisers so far. So while passing through this vortex over the past 6-8 months we flew back to the States to do what we usually do in the summer time. We go back to take care of personal business; see family and friends; shop for things we need to bring back; and have a short glimpse back into our former lives. 

Stopping for dinner at Iron Hill Brewery in Lancaster on our trip there.
 

This year going back to the US was unsettling. Living very remotely and mostly in a state of isolation when we return to crowded bustling highways, stores and spaces it's a big adjustment. As an example, last year when we flew back to the States we got in an airplane of about 200 people when before that the most people we had been close to at once for months was 5-6. We also don't hear the local news and are not subject to the influences of local media so how people are acting seems very different. The first few years was easy because we weren't that far removed but the longer we go the more removed we become. 

Pretty Illinois field and flower farm near friends where we stay when in that area.
 

As we made our travel plans there were many things to consider. We had events with friends and family that had been planned that we needed to consider, scheduling our medical appointments and time to visit the people we needed to see. We also were handed some business that should have been addressed by a firm we paid to manage our paperwork for our Panamanian residency. When the documents came back the Panamanian Consulate did not complete them correctly. So, our first order of business back in the US was to visit the Panamanian Consulate in Miami to correct this. So, we scheduled a day there and got the matter resolved quickly that gave us time to play a little bit before heading on. 

Watching my grandson do his first solo flight.
 

The next day we had to leave for DC so we could drive to Pennsylvania to attend a luncheon for one of my nieces that just got married. With that air leg in mind we concocted a plan to do all our flying in one large loop. From DC we flew to Chicago, from Chicago to Dallas and from there back to Miami. The trip made it easy to see everyone we needed to and the airfare was very cost effective. Another one of the shocks we experienced in our trip was the high cost of hotels and rental cars. It took a significant amount of work to find good pricing and by mixing the use of points from my hotel and rental car 

Watching my youngest grandson play soccer.
 

accounts to keep the costs down. For the first time we used Air BnB and used Uber much more extensively. We found off-airport rental car locations that in several instances saved us over a thousand dollars on rentals. We stayed in hotels when the prices were reasoanable, Air BNB's when they weren't. In several instances we reused hotel locations when we found ones with good rates. We also stayed with several friends that helped keep down the hotel costs. But, in the entire trip from Bocas del Toro, we used 8 flights, 5 rental cars, 60 nights in hotels, countless Ubers, most of our meals in restaurants or takeout and it was good to get back after getting everything done. 

Our view from our quarantine hotel.
 

When we returned to Panama there was a requirement that travelers from the US needed to do a 3 day quarantine and get a negative test before reentering Panama freely. Panama had negotiated rates with 8 hotels that were published. Since I have elite status with Marriott I looked at those properties and the Westin at Playa Bonita had a reasonable rate. I figured if we had to be stuck in a room we would be stuck in a nice place. The hotel upgraded us to a huge 2-room suite with balconies. They 

Cathedral ruins of Panama Viejo built in the middle 16th Century.
 

gave us a complementary fruit plate on our arrival and as a welcome gift the next day they gave us a bottle of wine with a cheese and cracker platter. As Sam says in "Casablanca," sort of takes the sting out of being occupied. We got to the hotel late Thursday night and Sunday morning tested out so it was really only 2 days and 3 nights. We got meals by room service. So after 2 months of nonstop go-go in the US a 2-day break was welcome. We had a great view of a beautiful beach and the ocean.

The Panama BioMuseo displaying the natural history of Panama
 

After leaving captivity we remained in Panama City to do what we needed to obtain our residency status and do some sightseeing. Panama City has a tremendous amount of history and of course the canal. Panama City is very cosmopollitan with restaurants of all types and for the most part everyplace we ate was very good. In addition to the ever popular Casco Viejo (Old Quarter) we walked from our hotel to Panama Viejo. Panama Viejo (Old Panama) was Panama City before Casco Viejo. It was the original Spanish port built in 1521 where the riches being extracted on the Pacific side of South America were shipped to Panama and then transported overland to Porto Belo where they were dispatched to Spain. 

The newly renovated Bocas Town Hall
 

Panama Viejo was sacked by Henry Morgan and the townspeople burned it to deny the pirates any haven. After its destruction the new Panama was built at the current site of Casco Viejo. Since the opening of the canal the city has grown substantially and beyond the site of Panama Viejo. 

A ship enters the Miraflores Locks of the Panama Canal
 

It was wonderful to get back home after being gone more than 2 months. Being accustomed to our lifestyle of the past 7 years we tolerate the diversions back to the States and the tourism is fun but we really miss our home. Even though the boat is a lot of constant work. It's home and it's wonderful. 

After sightseeing enjoying a rooftop bar at Casacasco in Casco Viejo
 

From the time we finally arrived back home in October until we left to go back to the San Blas in February we did some fun things and enjoyed socializing with friends but mostly we did work. We worked to get our boat ready for more adventures but we did some longer term projects as well. We replaced the anchor light that was dying before we left. I replaced the galley faucet with a new and upgraded one. I was able to finish an update on all of our boat teak to keep it fresh looking and tuned the rig which is an annual event. But on to the cause of our delays. 

Amekaya sporting her new bottom paint
 

We had scheduled a routine bottom painting in October and after dropping off our dinghy for some canvas upgrades we motored over to the yard in Almirante for haulout to have the bottom repainted. That's when we began to discover issues. The first one we discovered on the way to the Boatyard. Our engine wouldn't go above 2500 RPM at wide open throttle. We normally run about 3000 rpm and the max is about 3800 rpm. So we needed to discover that issue and resolve it. Then while at the Boatyard 

Participating in a harbor cleanup dive with Bocas Dive Center
 

in checking I discovered we needed a new Cutlass bearing. The cutlass Bearing is a metal tube with a slotted rubber liner that supports the drive shaft where it goes through the hull allowing water in to cool it but not enough water to be an issue. I didn't have a spare for it. When the bottom work finished we motored back to our slip. I ordered a new Cutlass Bearing from the States and we chased down the engine issue. After some analysis we decided to replace the injectors. So, we ordered those. A seatrial after replacing them showed they were the culprit for the engine woes. One of them seemed to be defective. 

Horseback riders on the beach and on Sunday they do rodeo events in the corral.

Not everything we did revolved around the boat. There were other aspects of life. One day in November I was talking to my oldest son that now lives in Germany and he told me he had found a way to marry his fiance that lived in Vietnam.  He could do a Zoom Wedding. He found a county in Utah that recognized them, he found an official who could perform the ceremony and he setup all the technical connections. So one Saturday in November we sat down to watch the computer wedding the power went out in town and knocked out the internet. We missed it. I later saw the unedited video of it. So I'm happy for them.

Watching the video of my son's wedding in November.

While we were working on our issues one of our good friends went into the hospital just before Thanksgiving for initially unknown causes but they soon diagnosed it as Prostate Cancer but nobody knew how bad it was. After being kept a few days he was released but only a few days later returned to the hospital and passed away. We went to Changuinola where the hospital was to be with his wife and have been helping her through the affairs.

  Our friend Jim Baumgart who passed away in December.

While doing the engine analysis we debated about where to replace the Cutlass Bearing. I could do it myself but would need a yard with tools I didn't have and we wanted to be on our way to the San Blas. We thought about leaving and going to Linton Bay in the eastern part of Panama but we didn't want to do any damage to the engine and I didn't really get a sense of how good the work there would be. So, I decided to do it at the Bocas Boatyard. It was close, we liked being in Bocas and if we got stuck it 

Chiquita banana boat being loaded at the Port of Almirante.
 

wouldn't be a bad place to be stuck. Initially things didn't go badly. We got the old bearing out and the new one installed. Everything reassembled and launched. But, when we tried to motor out the boat shook from the vibration. It was too late to haul us back out so we spent the night on a mooring next to the Chiquita Banana dock. The next morning they pulled us back out and re installed the prop correcting several issues that were discovered and relaunched us and we still had vibrations. The Boatyard wouldn't haul us out again because of other boats needing to be launched and not knowing exactly the cause we limped back out to the mooring and called for a tow back to the marina. 

Amekaya decked out for Christmas.
 

Perplexed, we discussed with lots of people searching for insight. A consensus seemed to be that it was that the engine was now out-of-alignment. I worked on that but it didn't seem to help. This was all happening over the holidays and the Boatyard was closed. After the holidays we scheduled a return and the Manager announced that the parts of the prop were not aligned properly. I'm not sure how he 

Putting the gear cone back onto the shaft nut that determines the prop pitch. This part was initially reinstalled incorrectly and was one of the first issues fixed but not the real issue.
 

suddenly arrived at that epiphany but, after hauling us out he removed the prop and reinstalled it. The next morning they dropped us in the water and we went backwards. Again they lifted us out but this time they were too busy with another boat so I removed the prop and reinstalled it myself. The next morning they dropped us in the water and it worked. 

On a jungle walk we saw this 3-toed sloth climbing up off the ground.
 

We still needed some tweeks to the engine alignment but we could now see that the light at the end of the tunnel wasn't a train. What a relief having resolved that issue. Now that we could see a realistic exit it was a scramble to cleanup all the loose ends of tasks to be able to go. I had both of our outboard engines serviced, we started provisioning for long term remote anchoring, did a shakedown on all the systems, had necessary air conditioning reparis completed and checked out everything to avoid more surprises. So after too many months bound to the marina we left for Linton Bay Marina on 08 February 2022 as we went off to the San Blas. Or so we thought. 

A sunset over Bocas
 

From the San Blas to the States

 

Linton Bay Marina at the base of the hill

After our productive week in Linton Bay, we planned to head back to Bocas to keep the boat for the summer. We wanted to get back to Bocas to escape the severe weather in the eastern part of Panama, to avoid the heavy lightning and squalls that occur annually in that region. Bocas has some extreme weather too but not with the frequency that happens in the San Blas.

Sunset as we head west after passing the Panama Canal                                                                                                                                                           

Our trip plan was to sail from Linton Bay and go to the island of Escudas Veraguas that was just off the Panama Coast near Chiriqui Lagoon that is the other major body of water in the Bocas Del Toro Archipelago. We didn't have any reason to stop at Shelter Bay on the return and after our last experience with them hope never to stop there again.

The small tear in our mainsail

The trip was only about 100 nm and we would be fighting current but have some favorable winds and seas so we didn't want to leave too early in order to get there in the daylight. We figured it would only take about 18 hours so we left Linton in the early afternoon to get across the canal anchorage in daylight. 

Our first sunset back in Bocas after what turned into a very long ride                                                      

 

The anchorages at Escudas Veraguas are on the south and west side. Forecasts were for winds out of the northeast for the next several days so it looked like we would have a chance to anchor there for a couple nights before heading on to Bocas. We thought we might also spend a night or two in Bluefields anchorage which is in the Ngobe region inhabited by the Ngobe people. One of the other indigenous peoples of Panama.

A view of Bocas from Maya Point on Shepherd Island

The weather was as advertised and we got through the canal anchorage with little trouble although we had to maneuver around to avoid ships leaving the canal. Overnight there was lightning around as there usually is.

Another beautiful Sunset

There was a beautiful sunrise that soon faded into clouds but we could see the island ahead of us. We had our sails up with the wind behind us when suddenly about 0700 the wind shifted 180 degrees and was directly on our nose. Soon the waves turned as well. I pulled in the sails except for a little bit of main sail that I left out to help with stability. We were now less than 10 miles from our destination and we could see squalls all around. Then without any warning the canvas on the boat began to hum and pressure shook the boat. The gauges registered nothing but we must have been hit with a microburst. A sudden vertical downdraft of tremendous force. 

A

 A friendly dolphin that came by for a visit.

Stunned from the experience we began to question whether or not we could anchor and enjoy the island. After another mile or two and the horizontal wind intensifying from the west we decided it would be impractical to anchor in the face of the west wind and swell. So, we altered our course away from the island and toward the entrance to Chiriqui Lagoon. With the wind dead ahead of us it would be a beat into heavy winds and seas. Something with which we've had a lot of experience.

 

 

 

Tropical foods continue to make up a large part of our diet. Above is a raw cacao pod with the cacao beans in a sort of nougat that is very sweet compared to the bitter of the raw chocolate but a very tasty and healthy snack. We love our bananas right off the vine and we always have dried coconut for use in lots of dishes. Also a very healthy food that helps build a good immune system.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The rest of the trip was uneventful and the wind calmed as we made our way back into the Bocas archipelago. We decided we would spend the weekend in our quiet cove to decompress and get reoriented so we could plan our next steps.

 

On our return we connected with old friends. This dinner is at BB's on the Beach with John and Jennifer Stark and Wilson who was busy elsewhere.

For the next month we hung out in anchorages, spent time with friends, did boat chores resuming the enjoyable lifestyle of Bocas until we needed to get the boat ready for our departure back to the States for 2 months beginning the end of July.

Our lunch stop at Yanasori on Bocas del Drago with friends

The end of June we went back into Bocas Marina to complete scheduled maintenance; do some repairs and modifications; decommission our systems and deep clean for our absence. In years' past at the end of the season we winterized our boats for cold weather. But here we simply condition them so they will continue to perform. 

Most nights of the week banana boats come in to the Port of Almirante to pick up a load of Chiquita bananas. Panama has 3 ports on the Caribe. Almirante is bananas, Chiriqui Grande is oil and Colon is general cargo.

Our engine requires servicing every 250 hours. Before we came to the Caribbean I serviced it several times a year. Since we've been in the Carib I only need to service it once a year because I never hit the hourly requirement. In 7 years of cruising we've only added 2,000 hours to the engine log. In the Rio and up north I never worried about a fresh water flush. But, last year I realized the engines here need to be flushed with fresh water. This year in addition I pulled the heat exchangers from the engine and generator and cleaned them along with flushing the cooling system. Everything performed well.

A visit to see our friendly Red Frogs.

Our generator, likewise, is under utilized. In our 7 years we have only run it less than 2,000 hours. For the first time I replaced the coolant in that and pulled the heat exchanger to clean it. 

Pulling the heat exchanger off the genset.

Our mainsail was original with the boat and has been beginning to show it's age. Also, in the microburst we suffered it got torn slightly so I called a sailmaker who came and cut it down and fixed the tear. He also did some repairs on the jib that were needed. With this work we can hopefully get several more good years out of our sails.

Our mainsail was recut to hopefully avoid jamming in the furler. I later tuned the rig to be sure the mast was perfectly straight as well. 

I rebedded our chainplates for the first time in 5 years. Most of them looked good but one had been leaking so I redid them all. The chainplates are fiberglassed into the hull of the boat and hold down the shrouds that support the mast. If a shroud or a chainplate fail the rig can collapse. From what I could see they looked good and since I repaired the leaking one I've seen no evidence of any leaking.

Time to replace the LED anchor light. It has a photo sensor to turn it on in the dark and off in the light. A nicely sealed self-contained unit lost its luster possibly when we were hit with the microburst. 

Last year I rebuilt our windlass and after rebuilding it only worked one way. In talking with the experts it was their recommendation that one of the gear assemblies might be jammed and could be repaired or replaced. I discovered that after I had completely reinstalled the windlass. It worked fine on the workbench before it was reinstalled but, rather than assume I could unjam the gears I bought a new one. It had to come from England so instead of waiting on it I knew we would be back in Bocas later so I waited to rebuild the windlass again. In the last anchoring before we came into the marina something happened to the windlass so I could no longer use it to retrieve than anchor with the motor but I could bring it up by hand. That turned out to be a simple fix once I tore the windlass apart. It's now been rebuilt and fully functional.

Our hotel view of Panama.

Living on a boat there is always work to keep everything "shipshape." The elements of sun, wind, rain and sea deteriorate everything quickly and to have a viable home it's essential to keep after the requirements. It's a love-hate relationship. I hate to do the work but love what we're doing.

The harbor walk from Casco Viejo was a favorite tourist destination selling Panama souvenirs. 

After a month of working on the boat we left for Panama City on 26 July. Two days before our flight to the States so we could get our Covid test and other business in the City. On 26 July we left Panama, for our 2 months in the States. Our plane to Miami was late but we were back in the States.

The Panamanian Ministry of Culture

Casco Viejo

Cathedral Plaza