Archiv
CW 06 2004
02.02. -08.02.2004
| We leave Coiba earyl in the morning to visit another island in the Golf of Chiriqui. Our destination is the Islas Contreras and we already reach them around noon. Which leaves us enough time to go for a dive on a nearby reef. One of the reefs inhabitants peeks at us nosily, looking out of his coral house. |  |
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On Tuesday we visit the Islas Secas consisting of three large islands and many reefs. The biggest of the islands does have a few nice anchoring spots but we did see a beach wink at us from one of the neighboring islands. So we sail over and take a closer look. We find a breathtakingly beautiful anchoring spot, surrounded by small rock islands and reefs. We drop anchor here at 3.30pm and SILVER BLUE is right in front of a shining white beach we call the paradise. |
| This wonderful place does have a small disadvantage: it opens to the north, and in the dry season we're in now there can be a few winds coming from the north. Yes, and just today one of those "northerners" comes along in the evening. Even though it didn't last for long it succeeded in chasing us out of paradise for a while. In the leeside of the island opposite to ours we find a safe place for the night and simply return to our beautiful anchoring spot in the morning. And since it's such a lovely place and the weather holds we spend Thursday there as well and enjoy the sunsets that are just a little bit better here. |  |
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A light wind makes us sail to the Islas Parida on Friday. They're also one of Panamas national parks. And we see the reason for that as we head towards our anchoring place - and we see the large fountain of a whale in the distance. SILVER BLUE drops anchor in front of the island Bolanus, very close to another enchanting beach. We're so close to shore we can almost walk at night. SILVER BLUE only has the famous "handful" of water under its keel. |
| After this nighttime joke - only possible at a quiet place and only with a catamaran - we reach the mainland, namely Boca Chica, which is part of an extensive river system that can be shipped, on Saturday morning. Unfortunately we can't explore the area more since an electricity cable crosses the river only 15 meters above the water. So we drop anchor at the fishing village Boca Chica and buy some fruit and fresh eggs from happy chicks. And since, on the other side of the river, there is a German, who, together with his Panaman wife, owns a pension and a restaurant, we treat ourselves to a nice dinner on Saturday evening and spend a quiet night anchoring in the river. |  |
On Sunday morning we return to the open sea where a fresh wind, doing up to 40 knots, awaits us. So we reef the sails twice and return to the Islas Seccas doing 9 knots and stop over before we return to Coiba. And since the wind has died down we head back to our anchoring spot in paradise.
More about these and other beautiful places, next week, if you like ...
… until then, take care!
Tom & Nela
