Getting Ready to Leave For The Galapagos

    We are still sitting on a mooring at Balboa yacht club, slowly accumulating provisions for our next passage.  Our water line is lower than it has ever been as we load the food on board,. There will not be much good provisioning until Hawaii.  In Panama City we finally got a new solar panel, a 85 watt with the exact dimensions I wanted.

      With the Canal behind us and Tagish back in the Pacific Ocean we feel  we are on the home stretch.  For the last few months we have often discussed the best route home.  There are several choices.  The most common used route and the most obvious is to turn right and follow the coast back home.  This route is 4100 miles but has often no wind or contrary winds and all the hassles of coastal sailing, it is not a good sailing route. 

     Another option is to sail from Panama to the Galapagos Islands and from there to Hawaii and then home.  But the first 1000 miles is often windless and it is also a very long passage to Hawaii, longer than any we have done.

   So the option we have chosen is to sail to the Galapagos for the first leg which is a bit less than 1000 miles.  Then sail 3000 miles from Galapagos to Nuka Hiva in the Marquesas for the second leg and then 2000 miles from Nuka Hiva to Hawaii for the third leg and arriving there before mid May.  Then leave Hawaii in June for Vancouver about 2700 miles, for a total of  8700 miles or more than double the coastal route.   When we arrive in Nuka Hiva we will have officially crossed our out bound track and completed our circumnavigation.

     On Sunday we did a pleasant walk up Ancon hill for a great view of the city.  There was lots of other walkers going up hill getting some exercise.  This hill has a huge flag on top and some microwave towers.  Can be seen from our mooring.  Panama city waterfront is beautiful and worth a visit, we saw some of it while running our errands.

      We are leaving Panama tomorrow and sailing off into the Pacific for the Galapagos.  It's about 1000 miles and should take about 9 to 14 days being a light wind passage. 

INFO

-We leaving for Galapagos Jan 30 2014

-To use the buses in Panama city you need a bus card with money on it. Get card at the main bus terminal at Albrook mall.  The huge mall is beside bus terminal. .25 to 50 cents for a bus ride.

     Taxies run about $4.00

- It is a great walk up Ancon hill and nice view of city.  We walked from Balboa Yacht club, but that was a bit far.  You 

can take the bus half way and then walk up hill with all the other walkers.

-Went to the port captain and got a zarpe for the Galapagos and he charged $40 and then $10 dollars as they cleared us both in and out, as we never saw any officials when we arrived in Panama city. Panama seems to be one of the most expensive countries to clear in and out off.  See Galapagos post next to see what we did in the end.

-Groceries in Panama city are fairly cheap and good selection, though still missing somethings we like. For example not much choice in dried fruit, the same for snack bars, just found granola bars.

No good shopping close by, everything a bus or taxi ride.