Blue Water World Rally Report Archive 11

In Panama the Support Team announced Rally Photographic Competitions. We shall be judging the following competitions as the yachts arrive in Tahiti:-

We hope that these competitions will provide some worthy additions to this web site and look forward to seeing the various entries in due course.

As Rally Director, Peter Seymour, said farewell to the crews in Galapagos on 11 March, Blue Water Rally yachts were already starting the clearance process for their crossing of the Pacific - the longest leg (over 3000 miles) of the Blue Water Round the World Cruising Rally. A final report, with photographs, will be posted on the web site in the next few days.

During the crossing UK Rally Control will receive a general position report and news from the yachts twice-weekly. We shall post this information in the Fleet Positions Section on this web site.

By 5 March all but 3 of the Blue Water Rally yachts have arrived in Darwin's "Enchanted Isles" - the Galapagos Islands - and are anchored in Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island.

On 6 March "Dutch Link" (Mike and Jeanette Priest) arrived safely, leaving only Tulipano and Kastaway to join the fleet on Saturday 9 March. Met by Peter Seymour and local agent, Ricardo Arenas, crews have been rapidly cleared through officialdom and prepared for one of the major highlights of the Rally - local cruising amongst the Galapagos Islands.

Two local cruise boats have been chartered by Blue Water Rally crews and 26 crew members will depart on 6 March for a 4-day guided cruise, visiting some 5 islands. Crew members will see a huge variety of wildlife unspoilt by contact with man, including blue-footed boobies, pelicans, flamingoes, penguins, iguanas and, of course, the famous giant tortoises which give their name to the Islands. On their trip participants will swim in unspoilt bays amongst sealions and view amazing sealife.

For those wishing to spend more time at Puerto Ayora, the support team have organised day trips, both ashore and by cruise boats to local islands.

Blue Water Rally yachts are planned to leave the Islands on the next stage of their world voyage around 11/12 March via their longest ocean crossing - en route to the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia.

Tony Diment has submitted his report and photographs of the Fleet's arrival in Central America. Click here to view his journal.

The Blue Water Rally yachts are making good progress. The PCA are highly professional and the whole operation is going very smoothly. The first three yachts went through yesterday (Saturday) as planned and the crews found the transit very enjoyable and memorable.

By 14 February all yachts had gathered at Colon and the Support Team were kept busy all day with the assistance of the Panama Canal Authority (PCA) measurement teams. By the end of the day all yachts had been measured and all formalities completed and yachts are now "ready to go". A liaison meeting between the Support Team and the PCA and close co-operation has resulted in a transit plan for 3 Blue Water Rally yachts to transit daily, with 3 non-Rally yachts, starting on Saturday 16 February.

Some crew members have volunteered to act as "line-handlers" on short-handed yachts to make up the regulation crew numbers. These crew members will then go through again with their own crews. Peter Seymour will be in Balboa (the Pacific end of the Canal) from 15th to meet crews and co-ordinate any outstanding "jobs". These include liftouts for "Robinson", "Totem" and "Kalypso".

The plan for the transit, therefore, anticipates all yachts being through the Canal by 21 February, as originally planned. Each transit will take one day, starting very early (0600 hours) and exiting at the end of the Canal in the evening of the same day. The first yachts should be in the Gatun Locks some time between 1300 and 1500 hours UTC/GMT - view in near real-time on the Panama Canal web site www.pancanal.com (linked to the Blue Water web site). It is estimated they will be at the Miraflores Locks between 2200 and 2400 hours UTC/GMT.

Blue Water Rally crews were pleased to meet up with their fellow participants in historic Portobello. There they had a very enjoyable gathering in the beautiful gardens of "Los Canones" restaurant, where they partook of a delicious lobster lunch.

'I arrive in Panama tomorrow (Monday 11 February) and shall be there until 27 February. I shall then be in Galapagos from 5-11 March,

In the first instance I will try to give prior warning of the transit schedules for the Rally as soon as they are known, hopefully with 48 hours' notice. The first transits may be around the 15th - we hope!! We will do our best to give warning to those who might want to watch the transits on the PCA site. '

THE SAN BLAS ISLANDS AND THE PANAMA CANAL - report from Tony Diment

All pictures can be enlarged - click on the thumbnail to view

Having independently cruised the Caribbean since Christmas, Blue Water Rally yachts were keen to meet up in force at the San Blas Islands prior to their transit of the Panama Canal. Tony Diment arrived on the island of Iskardup, now renamed Sapibenega, ahead of the yachts and was able to get the Kuna indians geared-up for a major onslaught! One half of the fleet arrived on 5^th February having had a fast sail from Cartegna in Columbia and the remainder arrived the next day having sailed from Curacao and Aruba also in brisk conditions. Everyone was immediately enthralled with Sapibenega island which simply has not changed over the years.

The island is in the San Blas archipelago off the northern coast of Panama and is home to the Kuna indians who remain largely unaffected by modern cultures. Sapibenega is about the size of a football field, dotted with coconut palms and covered with a green lawn that would be a credit to the most avid of gardeners. There are a few palm-thatched accommodation huts and a long-house which has a bar and restaurant -the Blue Water Rally were to have it all to themselves!

Although the stop-over was scheduled for 3 or 4 days most yachts stayed for a full week sucking up the wonderful air of tranquillity and peaceful anchorage. The Kunas live in Playon Chico, a small village about 2 miles away and come in each day by dugout canoe to help run the bar and restaurant. Many of the Rally crews took the excursion themselves to meet the Kunas in their village and to visit an ancient burial ground on the nearby mainland. In the evenings the indians, accompanied by their haunting pan-pipes music, danced for the Rally before dinner which was normally a mix of locally caught fish, crab and lobster.

Significantly, this remote island was the rendezvous point for several yachts joining the Rally for the first time. Ralph and Sharon Kast and their crew `Skip' from Shelter Island, New York were first to arrive in their Bowman 48 ketch `Kastaway'; quickly followed by Barry and Christiane Cager in their lovely new Dixon design 57 ft yacht `Coco de Mer'. Happily, Sapibenega was also to be the place that Peter and Hannah Vrolijk in their Farr 65 `Tulipano' managed to catch-up with the rally after their earlier delays in departure from Europe. What a venue to make their first appearances - on this small pin-prick of island only accessible through an intricate series of channels through the off-lying reef! People started to drift reluctantly away from Sapibenega's comfortable anchorage to explore the other San Blas islands by the 9^th February. After a short spell of individual exploration all yachts convened in Portobello by the 13^th February for a Rally lobster lunch at the delightfully situated `Los Cañones' restaurant overlooking the sea where each table had its own thatched rooftop.

Spot-on according to schedule the Rally yachts arrived in Cristobal on the Atlantic side of the Panama Canal to start the transit process. Now joined by Peter Seymour, the Support Team sought to ease the paperwork, yacht measurement and preparation phase for skippers prior to the canal transit. As a result of Carnival fiestas, lasting for over a week of celebration, a backlog of some 40 independent yachts had accumulated in the anchorage off Cristobal. Nevertheless, the Canal Authorities kept to their original promise and successfully managed to get all Rally yachts through the Canal successfully by 21^st February. Transits were all achieved in one day and all involved transiting with a ship, however, with the exception of Coco de Mer everyone completed the crossing from Atlantic to Pacific Oceans unscathed. Coco de Mer had a worrying brush with the dockside and suffered superficial marks to her topsides that are now the subject of an investigation of the canal pilot's actions. Fortunately, no serious damage resulted and Coco de Mer now looks as prim as always. The waterfront at Balboa has improved immensely over the past two years and now has a luxury hotel and brand-new Yacht Club overlooking the Bridge of the Americas. Anyone having passed this way a couple of years ago wouldn't now recognise the area!

The final days in Panama involved frenetic re-victualling by all crews. Aware of the bountiful stores available at cheap prices everyone shopped 'till they dropped and the water-lines well and truly disappeared. Several yachts, notably `Robinson', `Totem', `Kalypso', `Sea Bunny' and `Oasis' were lifted out for antifouling jobs at either Balboa Yacht Club slip or at the Flamenco Island Yacht Club. Everyone commented on the hard working labour force that helped to scrape and washdown and paint in temperatures of 33/34 degrees Celsius. The younger members of the Rally allegedly `discovered' downtown Panama City to be a tiring place where return was rarely possible before 5.00 am and somehow involved headaches and remorse the day after! Finally a big thank you to the popular crew of our Portuguese yacht - `Oasis' who entertained everyone so magnificently with their guitar, drums, singing and maracas in the San Blas - Nice One, Manuel, Carlos, Nuno and João !

During the Blue Water Rally crews will have many opportunities to sail "off the beaten track" and there are few places in the Caribbean where such a possibility can be found. However, the San Blas Islands remain relatively unexplored and unspoilt by mass tourism.

The San Blas Islands lie on the eastern coast of Panama in the south-west corner of the Caribbean Sea. A series of small, low-lying islets, the Islands are the home of the Kuna Indians. A race of pygmies, they subsist on fishing and raising vegetable and fruit crops. Most of the islands are no larger than a football field and home to the Rally for the next few days is the islet of Sapibenega (previously know as Iskardup).

There is one large straw-thatched longhouse and a number of smaller thatched huts set amongst well-manicured grass and swaying coconut palms. Here Tony Diment, the joint Rally Director, will meet Rally yachts as they arrive over the next few days. Tony has had an interesting trip - flying into Panama City, then by light aircraft to the nearby mainland, where there is an airstrip cut into the jungle. The final stage of his journey is by dugout canoe out to Sapibenega Island.

Crews will find an idyllic setting for a very special get-together - a dance of welcome from the Kunas and a BBQ dinner. This depends heavily on the success of the Kuna fishermen, but usually includes huge quantities of lobsters, which can be found in abundance amongst the islands.

Blue Water Rally yachts and their crews will then have several days in which to cruise slowly other San Blas islands towards the entry of the Panama Canal at the port of Colon (named after Christopher Columbus).

Between the San Blas Islands and Colon lies the old Spanish fortress of Portobello. Rally yachts will anchor here close to the fort. Portobello played an important part in Spanish history as it was to there that a fortune of gold and silver from the mines of Peru was transported across the Isthmus of Panama to await treasure ships to take it to Spain.

Portobello was sacked in the 16th century by Sir Francis Drake, who died and is now buried at sea a few miles from that spot. Crews will certainly feel a sense of history as they look out from the battlements.

On 13th February a "Rally lunch" is to be held in the aptly-named local restaurant - "Los Canones" (The Cannons.)

For the crews of the Blue Water Rally the transit of the Panama Canal will be one of the highlights of their circumnavigation. A triumph of engineering, the Canal is certainly one of the wonders of the modern world. Some 50 miles long, the Canal runs from NW to SE and a yacht first rises some 85 feet in 3 steps at the Gatun Locks, descending at the far end of the Canal through 2 further sets of locks and into the Pacific Ocean.

Blue Water Rally yachts will pass through the Canal in two stages. On day one they will pass through the Gatun Locks and then motor through the Gatun Lake for some 23 miles before anchoring overnight in the Gamboa Lake. On the second day yachts will complete the transit, passing through the amazing Gaillard Cut, named after the American engineer who was in charge of this section of the Canal work. This portion of the channel is about 8 miles long and was cut through rock and shale for most of the distance - an epic feat of engineering, which resulted in the loss of many lives. Passage through the Pedro Miguel and Miraflores Locks will see the Blue Water Rally into the Pacific as yachts pass under the Bridge of the Americas.

Preparations for the transit begin at the port of Colon, where crews will complete their customs and immigration formalities. But this is only part of the story, which began some months ago with close co-operation between the Rally organisers and the Panama Canal Authority (PCA). Yacht fees have had to be pre-paid for the transit and a special system of measurement has to be carried out at Colon before transits can be programmed. The 2-man Rally team of Tony Diment and Peter Seymour will be liaising closely with the PCA to expedite the formalities, starting around 14 February.

The Blue Water Rally yachts will be required to fit in with the daily transit arrangements for dozens of commercial ships - an extremely complex process. Each yacht is required to carry 4 line-handlers in addition to the skipper and will probably be transiting in small groups of 3 yachts "rafted" together and sharing a 1000 ft-long lock chamber with a commercial ship.

At the time of writing the scheduling of Rally yachts is unknown. The PCA will decide when Rally yachts will transit the Canal only a few days beforehand as all will depend upon the arrangements for commercial shipping.

We hope that transits will start around 16 February and that the whole Rally fleet will have passed through the Canal by 24 February.

The PCA has an outstanding web site, which allows its visitors to watch ships transit the Canal in near real-time. We hope that you will see the yachts transiting the Canal and we shall try to give visitors a rough idea of the dates concerned (see Stop Press Page).

The PCA web site can be connected through our Useful Contacts Section, or direct www.pancanal.com

Yachts of the Blue Water Rally 2001-3 are now "free-cruising" towards the next supported stopover at the San Blas Islands in Panama. Due there around 6 February, yachts will now choose their own itinerary as they cruise southwards through the beautiful islands of the Caribbean. There is no organised daily radio net and we shall not, therefore, be receiving specific reports about yacht positions to post on this site. Visitors to the site will find reports starting again early in February, marking the arrival of Tony Diment at the San Blas Islands, where he will be meeting the Rally yachts.

Members of Rally Antigua have become close friends with those who will be sailing around the world with the Blue Water Rally 2001-3. They now remain in the Caribbean. We wish them well, fair winds and good sailing and look forward to meeting them again somewhere, some time.

We are pleased to announce the arrival of Peter and Hannah Vrolijk on their new yacht, "Tulipano". "Tulipano" had been dogged by delays in Tenerife and was unable to catch up with the Rally until Antigua. We look forward to having them with us from now on.

Whilst crews found much to do on their yachts everyone soon relaxed into party mode and the slow-moving Antiguan lifestyle. Despite mixed weather most participants found time to swim at the Jolly Harbour beach or in the swimming-pool next to the Marina.

Early on the social programme was a Welcome Party given by the Jolly Harbour Marina. Blue Water Rally participants were welcomed by the Management and treated to rum punch whilst listening to the sounds of a live steel band. Not to be outdone, Jim Darch of "Robinson" arranged a beach barbecue a few days later, which was attended by all the crews. The party went on well into the night and crews were entertained by Bill Carlow of "Matata" playing the guitar.

The last "official" event at Jolly Harbour was the Reception given by the Minister of Tourism for Antigua and Barbuda. Held at the Jolly Harbour Golf Club, the organisers met their promise of making it a "memorable evening". Most memorable, however, was the effect of the local tropical storm, which drove Force 10 wind and rain through the open Golf Club Restaurant. Tablecloths were, in fact, "borrowed" as protection against the elements and Wolfgang Hasse won "first prize" as the most genuine Julius Caesar look-alike. (See Photo Galleries!)

Before departing crews were briefed by Peter Seymour at the Dog Watch Tavern (not open at the time!) on the next leg of their cruise to Panama. Most yachts left around 16-17 December for Falmouth and English Harbours to the south of the Island.

Rally yachts had a wide range of choices for berthing or anchoring. By the time of their arrival the Charter Yacht Show was over and some participants took the opportunity to berth at the Antigua Yacht Club Marina, although most chose to anchor in Freeman's Bar or stern-to in Nelson's Dockyard.

Nelson's Dockyard is one of the gems of the Caribbean. Originally rescued by local volunteers with the assistance of volunteers from the Royal Navy, the Dockyard has been restored to much of its original form as the home of 19th century Royal Navy. The old wooden buildings and beautiful gardens made a restful and memorable venue for the Blue Water Rally's Christmas stopover - several yachts choosing to berth in the Dockyard itself.

Crews gathered for a welcome rum punch at the Antigua Yacht Club on 17th December. Situated on the hillside overlooking the AYC Marina, crews enjoyed the view over Falmouth Harbour and the super yachts remaining from the Charter Show. Visits for the world-famous Sunday night "jump-up" at Shirley Heights was also on the programme.

First of the truly Christmas events was the gathering of Rally crews at the famous Admiral's Inn in Nelson's Dockyard for a visit by the local carol-singers. Participants began to feel that it really was "that time of the year". The spirit of Christmas continued that evening, when crews took up the kind invitation from Graham and Steve Dimmer of "Windfall" to join them on board for a "Sausage Sizzle" and drinks. Despite being an anchor, "Windfall" was not difficult to find, as she was dressed overall with Christmas lights and the sound of carolling carried across Freeman's Bay!

Christmas Day at Nelson's Dockyard starts with the traditional champagne at the old capstans (used for careening ships in Nelson's time). Most Rally crews made an early start buying champagne and drinking to the sound of a steel band. (All this is done in a good cause - profits from the party going to local charities. It is said that Rally crews made a significant contribution!)

By lunchtime most participants were ready for their Christmas meal and gathered at the Admiral's Inn for a long buffet lunch on the terrace overlooking the harbour. A good time was had by all.

Each Boxing Day the Antigua Yacht Club holds a race open to visiting yachts. This year it was the turn of "Windfall" to represent the Rally and, whilst she did not win, she provided a great day out for the large number of other Rally yachtsmen who were invited to crew.

Visitors will wish to see further Antigua photographs in our PHOTO GALLERIES section and by visiting the SULMAR WEB SITE at www.sulmar.com

"Hecla of Uist" was berthed safely in Jolly Harbour mid-morning on Monday 10 December marking the last arrival of the original group to depart Tenerife. Bill and Jane, the only crew to sail 2-up, had been forced to sail cautiously over the last few days, where they had been in squally conditions and remarked on arrival that it was somewhat like being "Hecle IN Uist" rather than "Hecla OF Uist"! However, a warm welcome from fellow Rally crews soon had them relaxed and enjoying the Caribbean ambience.

Tony Diment has reported from the UK that "Tulipano" (Peter and Hannah Vrolyk) have now left Tenerife and are en route to join the rest of the fleet. "Oasis" is arriving from Martinique and is due in Antigua on Thursday 13th.

Part of the philosophy of the Blue Water Rally is local cruising in the beautiful areas of the world visited by the Rally. Antigua is no exception and a number of yachts intend to cruise locally before sailing into English Harbour for the Christmas celebrations. "Windfall" expects to visit Barbuda and "Scipio" will be going to the French island of Guadaloupe before returning on 17th. Most yachts will be sailing from Jolly Harbour over the weekend 15/16th December to English or Falmouth Harbours, where they will stay until after Christmas.

The options for anchoring or berthing are very varied. For those wishing to anchor there is Freeman's Bay, with its dinghy access to historic Nelson's Dockyard. For those seeking a more open anchorage there is Falmouth Harbour, with the benefit of its easy access to Pigeon Beach - the likely venue for the Blue Water Christmas BBQ. (It is also slightly closer to the well-known yachtie hang-out, "The Mad Mongoose"!)

For those wishing to have the comfort of marina berthing some Rally yachts will be going to the Antigua Yacht Club Marina in Falmouth Harbour, while others will be going to berth stern-to in Nelson's Dockyard.

Rally crews have found plenty to occupy them in the excellent facilities of Jolly Harbour Marina. Within a few yards of the yachts crews have been able to eat and drink in pubs and restaurants and most have taken a swim in the Caribbean at Jolly Harbour's own white-sand beach.

For those who had arrived early enough there was an exodus to Shirley Heights. Shirley Heights housed the Lookout for the soldiers guarding Nelson's Dockyard and is now the venue for what Ralliers call "The Shirley Heights' Experience" each Sunday. Yachts crews gathered to watch the sunset over the island of Monserrat and shared in one of the most magnificent views in the Caribbean. A steel band played well into the night and liberal quantities of strong rum punch made the evening go with a swing. Later arrivals will be going together this Sunday (16th) or just before Christmas.

On Tuesday 11th many Ralliers will be going to a BBQ and Steel Band evening at Jolly Harbour. The social programme at Jolly Harbour will conclude on Thursday with a Reception given by the Antigua Tourist Board and Jolly Harbour.

On Thursday 13th, crews will be briefed by Rally Director, Peter Seymour, for the next leg of the Rally from Antigua to the San Blas Islands and Panama. For those who have no Caribbean cruising experience, there is already plenty of knowledge amongst the fleet, with several skippers who have sailed the Caribbean before and who will be able to pass on their personal knowledge. Thanks to "Blackwater" and "Coco de Mer" a handout of cruising notes has been produced, which will be given to each crew. Blue Water Rally crews will also be given a briefing on their arrival at the San Blas Islands and receive further information about their Panama Canal transits.

Jolly Harbour has also been the scene for reunions of family and friends of Rally crews. In particular members of the Rally have been delighted to renew friendships with John and Linda Elmes of "Magic Dragon" from the 1998-2000 Blue Water Rally and Phil Watkins from the same event.

All yachts that departed from Tenerife in mid-November have now safely arrived in Jolly Harbour Marina, Antigua. Our Portuguese entrant Manuel Mota arrived in Martinique after a "very nice" 12 day Atlantic crossing from the Cape Verde Islands. He intends cruising up to Antigua to arrive in English Harbour on 14th December in time to meet the rest of the fleet when they sail round to English/Falmouth Harbours in a couple of days' time.

We have also heard that Peter and Hannah Vrolyk, in their new Bruce Farr 65 `Tulipano', have departed Tenerife and should manage to make Antigua and catch up with the rally by Christmas. Likewise, Chris and Sue Swain, having suffered frustrating delays in `Kokomo' along the Portuguese coast, hope to make the crossing from Tenerife in time for the festivities in Antigua.