Land diving on Pentecost

Written by gunilla on July 2, 2025. Posted in Blog, Uncategorized. 2 Comments on Land diving on Pentecost

Pentecost Island

The following morning, we set sail 13 nautical miles from Ranon Bay on Ambrym to Homo Bay on Pentecost, navigating through a rough and confused sea with winds gusting at 20 knots. The Pacific Ocean funnels between the two islands, creating waves that reach 2.5 meters. We made good time, averaging 8 knots, and soon found ourselves anchored in the serene waters of Homo Bay.

Beach in front of Bema Village on Pentecost

Nangol – Land Diving

Pentecost is renowned for its land diving, known as Nangol, which is considered the original form of bungee jumping. During our time in Efate, we learned that this spectacular event only occurs in April, May, and June, as the vines used as ankle ropes are most elastic during these months. Historically, there was one notable exception: when Queen Elizabeth visited in September, the Ni-Vanuatu set up a special performance, which tragically resulted in a fatal jump due to a broken tie line.

We found conflicting information on Vanuatu’s official websites regarding the schedule for the diving events. Fortunately, we had the “Rocket Guide to Vanuatu,” which included updated contact details for Bartholomew on Pentecost Island. After reaching out via email and WhatsApp, we received confirmation that the land diving took place on Wednesdays and Sundays. We carefully planned our sailing route and scheduled our visit for Wednesday, May 14th. In the weeks that followed, Bartholomew frequently checked in to ensure we were coming and asked us to spread the word to other sailors, although we found few boats in the area at that time of the year.

Bema Village

Upon our arrival in Homo Bay, we were warmly greeted by a wooden canoe paddled by two men, Lala and Wotah. They lived in the mountains of Pentecost, adhering to traditional customs and clothing, and had traveled to the Bema village in Homo Bay with the sole purpose of showing us the land diving the next day. We invited them aboard our boat, and through a mix of Bislama and English, we arranged to meet on the beach at 6:30 the following morning.

Nilla togerther with the children of Bema Village

Lala tour guide and a traditional long house in the background.

That afternoon, we explored the village with Lala and the chief of Bama, walking through the tranquil hamlet accompanied by local children. One boy proudly showcased a toy made from a plastic bottle filled with sand, which emitted a delightful crackling sound when rolled across the ground. Most of the village men were busy constructing a new house with earth floors, bamboo-pole walls, and a thatched sago-palm roof supported by a rectangular frame. We witnessed one man climbing a tree to harvest Baby berry fruit, which we sampled; its pit tasted pleasantly reminiscent of almonds.

Baby Berry Tree -do you see the man climbing up the tree?

Grateful for the tour, we asked the chief if we could gift some colored pencils, and he kindly agreed, bringing joy to the children. While the Bama village had a school, the children from the mountain villages, who lived according to traditional customs, did not have the opportunity to learn to read or write. As we prepared to return to our boat, the chief, friendly but firm, requested to join us, so he, his brother, and Lala accompanied us for a beer.

Chief of Bema Village and this brother and Lala visiting Yaghan

Kastom village in the mountains

The next morning, we eagerly made our way to the beach, where Lala escorted us to the home of the chief’s brother. The air was thick with smoke inside the house as the family enjoyed breakfast—cookies and tea—around the fireplace. The dwelling comprised a single room, with a log dividing the women’s cooking area and children in the front from the men in the back. We waited in silence, uncertain of the proper etiquette until our transport arrived.

We took our seats inside a vehicle while the chief and several villagers hopped onto the truck bed for an hour-long drive, crossing rivers and following roads constructed by the French to reach the inner village of Pentecost. Finally, we arrived at the Nangol site, where the famed diving tower stood. The core of the tower was build from a lopped tree, with scaffolding poles tied together with vines for stability. Several platforms extended about two meters from the front of the tower, supported by sturdy struts. These impressive structures can reach heights of up to 30 meters, and the community dedicates several weeks each year to construct a new tower.

Lala was precise when he said that the Nangol would start promptly at nine, leaving us with an hour to immerse ourselves in the tranquil village life. Guided through the lush green landscape of the mountain village, we made our way to the chief’s hut, where we could sit and be a part of the quiet morning routines. The chief tended to a fire, boiling water in a big pan while the dogs basked in the warmth of the coals.

Introduction to kastom clothing – the Namba

A man entered the hut, wearing only a t-shirt. Initially, we thought he was bare underneath, but we soon realized he donned a namba, a traditional penis sheath made from the leaves or bark of the pandanus plant. This resilient material is also commonly used for weaving baskets and other items.

As we walked to the Nangol site, we encountered women and girls adorned in traditional kastom skirts called rasket, crafted from dried grass, while the boys and men wore only their nambas. Pentecost, a relatively small island with a population of under 20,000, attracts visitors from across the region to support friends and family during this momentous event. The ritual is intricately linked to the yam harvest, as a successful dive is believed to ensure a bountiful yield and serves as a fertility rite for young men. Women are prohibited from touching the vines or any part of the Nangol structure; Nilla was mindful of this, keeping her distance to avoid any misfortune.

Proud wearing a Namba made of pandanus leaves

Namba made of banana leafes with matchning sunglasses

Lala’s wife adorned Lala, Nilla, and Anders with flower garlands before we entered the site as the only two spectators. The men had meticulously prepared the area for the tower, clearing away rocks and tilling the soil to create a soft landing for the divers. Various stages at different heights marked the tower, with older men typically leaping from the higher platforms. During our visit, three boys would dive: the first was just ten years old, the second was fifteen, and Lala’s twenty-year-old son would dive from an impressive height of 30 meters!

Women are not allowed to touch liens or and part of the Nangol

The Nangol experience

The courageous divers got encouraged by a large group of dancers They chanted, sang, and whistled, moving rhythmically from side to side while waving leaves and sticks. The ground trembled beneath us with the force of their stomping and the enthusiastic chants of the community, creating an electrifying atmosphere filled with support for the land divers.

Female dancers are whistling and waving their leaves

The ends of the vines were meticulously shredded, allowing the fibers to be wrapped securely around the ankles of the first jumper. The ten-year-old boy was about to make his debut dive, and he seemed to enjoying the moment. It felt profoundly special to witness this initiation. The short fall was a success.

The dancers continued to shout like cheerleaders, and soon the next boy was ready, receiving his strings attached before swinging down from the middle station to land softly on the brown, fluffy ground.

Land diver jumping from the middle station of the Nangol tower

Perhaps it was the continuous chanting that heightened the anticipation. Lala’s eldest son prepared to ascend the tower, a daunting task in itself, as he climbed to the highest platform. The shredded vines were carefully looped around both of his ankles. The wind was particularly strong that Wednesday, raising our concerns for the diver, but he appeared to thrive on the excitement.

The energy in the air was palpable, and we collectively held our breath as he leaped headfirst from the platform. A moment of silence occured before the snap of the vines echoed, followed by the thud of his body hitting the earth. He smiled upon landing, and we breathed a sigh of relief as help arrived to release the vines from his feet.

Jumping from 30 meters with only two vines attached to the feet

Surviving the jump, the yam harvest is saved

Lala’s 20 year old son diving from 30 meters!

After the dives, the atmosphere was filled with happiness and pride, and the divers eagerly posed for photos. Every diver got a pamplemousse as price. We were once again invited to the chief’s hut, where we were treated to steamed manioc and cassava. Nilla shared a traditional Swedish song, and soon the women began conversing animatedly in their Saa language, a testament to the connections forged through music.

The women stay in the front part of the house

Back to Bema village

As our taxi arrived, the chief of the mountain village joined us for the journey to the shore. We felt immense gratitude towards Lala Worasul tour guide and all those involved in providing us with such an unforgettable cultural experience. Upon arriving at the beach, we discovered that the Bema villagers had gathered their harvest, preparing it for transport on the next boat bound for the island. With heartfelt thanks—“Anto,” meaning thank you in the Saa language—we bid farewell to the community.

The villagers are selling their harvest to the incoming freighter.

The two Chiefs of the villages inspecting our dinghy

Epi and Ambrym Islands

Written by gunilla on June 23, 2025. Posted in Blog, Uncategorized. 6 Comments on Epi and Ambrym Islands

Epi Island

We left Havana Bay through the Furuma Channel and sailed wing-on-wing for 66 nautical miles in ten hours until we reached Laman Bay at Epi Island. The sun was about to set, but we found good holding. A local ferry approached the beach, and many islanders got ashore despite the big swell. We made a short trip with our dinghy with the idea of touching land, but the swell was too strong. By now, we have learned to listen to the wobbly feeling of insecurity and not tempt fate. We have learned to respect the sea and decided to call it a day.

The night was the rolliest we have experienced on Yaghan so far. Sleep was impossible as we grappled and slammed into each other until daylight. This was definitely not Sandman Bay! The thought of finding dugongs in the bay felt as distant as the idea of Christmas in June.

Sailing to Ambrym

With the first gentle sunrays, we heaved the anchor and sailed to Ambrym, the second of the Vanuatu Islands with an active volcano. Climbing the mountain alone is not allowed, and for several months, the volcano is considered tabu to avoid disturbing the spirits preparing for the yam harvest.

Ambrym Island

The northwest coast of the mountainous island was swept by katabatic winds, prompting us to maintain a safe distance from the shoreline. After seven hours, we anchored peacefully on the black volcanic sands just outside the village of Ranon.

The ocean lies calm and peaceful. It is a Sunday afternoon, and on the beach, children greet us warmly, helping with the dinghy. We ask an old man if it’s alright to explore, and with his approval, we follow a path where we meet Winnie and her two young children. She is waiting for her husband and eldest son to return from work in New Zealand for the son’s wedding in July. While they are awaiting many guests, they are in the process of building a new house made from palm tree leaves for the venue.

Palmtree building materials for a house for the wedding.

The next day, we stroll through the neighborhood again and meet Willy, a teacher. Currently, the school is on a two-week holiday. Ambrym is famous for its wood carvings, so we ask Willy for directions to a carpenter. He says, “Just go to the concrete house where you see a rotten car, and you’ll find Samuel.”

We locate the rusty car and ask a young woman in the concrete building, which is a newly opened shop. She tells us that Samuel is her uncle and kindly shows us the way. Samuel’s statues are beautifully carved, featuring traditional ancient patterns. He mostly sells his masks and statues to cruise ship visitors. We purchase a mask figuring a man and a woman—and receive some papayas as a gift.

Port Vila after an earthquake in December 2024

Written by gunilla on June 18, 2025. Posted in Blog. No Comments on Port Vila after an earthquake in December 2024

Marina Port Vila on Efate island

After covering 80 nautical miles, we arrived in the morning and contacted Port Vila marina via VHF. It took some time before we received a response. The marina has a depth threshold of 2.5 meters at low tide, and Yaghan’s draft is exactly 2.5 meters, so we had to wait for high tide to enter. Since the dock was still under construction, we had to use a mooring while waiting. On December 17th, 2024, Port Vila, the Capital Town of Vanuatu, situated on Efate Island was struck by a 7.8-magnitude earthquake, causing buildings to collapse and roads to be destroyed. At least 14 people lost their lives, and over 250 were injured. Rocelyn, the marina manager overseeing the yacht club, recounted how she fell and injured herself on the dock during the 9-second earthquake that shook the town.

Rocelyn in her office showing us Port Vila

Port Vila Marina helping us to catch the mooring ropes

Not far from the marina is the café called Coco-Co. Several women were bustling around in the cool air-conditioned room, which was so beautifully decorated it could have been a posh café on the Australian Gold Coast. The delicious breakfast featured fresh avocado, freshly pressed juice, and tasty omelets. The café had only opened a month ago but was already a busy place. Many of the buildings in central Port Vila had collapsed during the earthquake, so we were glad to see some new beginnings. Port Vila is famous for its “Mamas Market” where Women from the different island sells their delicat handicraft. That market was closed after the earthquake and only a few have come back, now sewing and selling their amazingly colorful dresses in small shops along the street. Judged by how the people dress in Vanuatu, they could win the title “happiest people”.

We moved from the buoy to the marina, proceeding slowly over the shallow water. Near the marina, there is a 19-meter-high electricity cable, while our mast is 26 meters high, so there was no chance of passing under it. Yaghan was able to dock at a four-meter-wide section of the dock, as the rest had sloped into the sea during the earthquake last December. The marina staff were busy rebuilding the concrete dock.

A Sea of colors on the Market

Saturday is market day, so we walked to the large market buildings near the shore. However, there were no sellers, only a giant roof and an empty space. Later, we learned that the roof had become unstable after the earthquake. We asked a man where to find the market, and he kindly led us to the other side of the main street. He stopped a local taxi, told the driver our destination, and soon we were heading up the hills, enjoying a beautiful view along the way. The streets were busy, crowded with traffic and full of potholes. Bislama, one of the official languagues is sometimes easy to understand when you read it out laud.

The other passengers were curious about where we came from and asked how we liked Vanuatu so far. Once again, we felt very welcomed. After about fifteen minutes, we arrived at the market, where most products were beautifully arranged on handwoven mats on the ground. We saw fresh peanuts, papaya, cocoa beans, several varieties of clementines and oranges, and many fruits we had never seen before. A sparkling sea of colors with various tropical flowers was the highlight of the market.

Different banans and papaya (or baba in Vanuatu)

South of Port Vila lies the world’s only underwater post office, nestled near the reef of Hideaway Island. Upon arriving, we purchased waterproof postcards and then dove two meters beneath the surface to drop them into the submerged mailbox. Now, we wait to see if they will ever reach their destination! The water was slightly murky, and the corals partly damaged in storms and earthquakes, but we could find some cute nemo fish swirling around the swaying anemones.

The only underwater post office in the world.

RIP Juliette Pita

Before we sailed to Vanuatu, we got our hands on the german book “Vanuatu – Kleines Land im Großen Meer” by Katja Dorothe Buck. She tells the stories of the Ni-Vanuatu (the people of Vanuatu) she meets on the Island of Efate 2019 shortly before Covid closes the boarders all over the world. Weread about a local painter and artist in Port Vila who had become recognized internationally. Her name is or was Juliette Pita. We found out that she had most sadly died only a month earlier. However, we heard that some of her paintings could still be seen at a gallery half an hour away from the center of Port Vila.

At the Fondation Bastien gallery we met Juliette’s lovely daughter Amalia Pita, also a painter. We spent a couple of hours and learned much more of the family story, the painting techniques and the symbolism of the motives. The family come from Erromango, the island we visited before and where we met David who was running the “Yacht Club”. Amalia told us that David is her uncle.

Nilla and Amalia connected big ways and got a picture of a boat symbolizing our lifes journey. Since ancient times, the turtle has represented the feminine, while the fish symbolizes the masculine. Though parting is part of a sailors life, its sometimes more difficult, but the connection luckily remains in the heart.

Havanna Bay

Loaded with Tanna coffee and chocolate from Efate Island, we left the marina and sailed to the north side of the island to Havannah Bay. Shortly after we dropped anchor at Moso Landing beside the only other boat in the bay, we received a visitor. Lawrence docked his long wooden boat alongside Yaghan and offered us some fruit as a gift. When we asked what he wanted in return, he just smiled and said, “nothing.” As dark clouds and rain slowly rolled in, we stayed inside and spent a few days doing boat maintenance.

When the sunshine returned, we snorkeled in the shallow coral garden on the east side of the Bay.

Havannah Bay served as a US Navy base from where the Battle of the Coral Sea was fought during WWII. As Europeans, we learned a lot about the Second World War in school, but it truly broadens the perspective to see the impact the war had on small islands on the other side of the world. The presence of Australian and American soldiers in Vanuatu marked the beginning of a new era of meat production on the various islands. We had read about the small WWII Museum in Havannah Bay and took our dinghy ashore to see if it still existed. It was a Saturday, and as we approached the small museum, with the message “Rust in peace” on the walls, a young man eagerly came forward. He welcomed us proudly and showed us all the items his grandfather had collected from both land and sea.

Island ladies at the bar close to WWII museum. They are preparering for the one week long presbytarian meeting.

We had hoped to see Dugongs in the Bay, but they hadn’t hope to see us, so the next day we sailed 66 nm north to Epi Island.

Refreshing rivers on Erromango, Vanuatu

Written by gunilla on June 14, 2025. Posted in Blog, Uncategorized. No Comments on Refreshing rivers on Erromango, Vanuatu

Dillons Bay / Erromango

Early morning on April 30, we left Port Resolution and motored in calm weather ca 50NM to Dillon’s Bay outside the lovely village Unpongkor on the Erromango Island. We easily found a good holding, since we were the only boat in Dillons Bay. Shortly after we dropped the hook, and elderly many paddle his traditional styled outrigger canoe, once upon the time crafted by his father. He came on board, and brought us gifts: Bananas, lemons, a grapefruit and a snake bean. He was David, of which we already heard and who started and built the very nice little Yacht Club many years ago. He is now 73, but very fit, super friendly and speaks good English. We invited him for a “Swedish fika” -a cup of coffee and cake and he happily accepted and stayed with us, playing the guitar and singing some songs and invited us to come ashore tomorrow for a walk in the village and if we wanted we could also make a trip to a cave with skulls. We didn’t want to disturb the dead, especially since cannibalism was common a hundred years ago on Erromango and declined the offer.

The village Unpongkor

The next day we met David at nine on the beach and he showed us the impressive yacht club that he has built. A beautiful house, built with the rocks he has found. Flags from almost all countries of the world decorated the room, even the World ARC and Oyster rallies had stopped there several times.

We followed him on a tour through the village and met the builders of a house, starting with making all the bricks by hand. Some of the men cooking local food like laplap for the other men.

Three little girls, Rose, Mary and Elena, followed every step we made and sung with us on the way meeting 85 year old Priscilla, David eldest sister, who was blind and so kind and welcoming. Further on the road we passed teenagers relaxing and playing football at the school.

It was first of May, which is a holiday in Vanuatu and the children are in boarding school from other islands or villages. We continued the path, David had not been there earlier this year, so sometimes he had to cut the path through the thick rainforest with his machete.

Erromango is famous for its sandal wood trees and kauri trees. The European union support the protection of the trees. We followed the river up to an amazing freshwater basin and could take a splendid refreshing bath and just frolic in the cool and clean water in the gentle stream. The three little girls were happy playing along.

Many friendly villagers stopped and talked to us and Nilla was happy to practice some Bislama, one of the official languages of Vanuatu. The way to express connection, possession or belonging is to say for example “mobil blong me” which means my car. So Birk was presented: “Boy blong me” – my son. The locals were very happy to hear that we tried to speak their language. We had another wonderful day in Vanuatu and thanked David for the refreshing walk and learned to say thank you in the language of the village in Upongkor: Kompalong!

We are very happy that times have changed and that the people of Erromango no longer pile up sandalwood to lure traders to com ashore and then be killed and eaten like in the 18th hundreds.

Just before sunset we continued to the next island, Efate with the main capital; Port Vila.

Sailing from Aotearoa to the vulcano Yasur on Tanna, Vanuatu

Written by gunilla on June 12, 2025. Posted in Blog, Uncategorized. 4 Comments on Sailing from Aotearoa to the vulcano Yasur on Tanna, Vanuatu

Leaving Bay of Islands

After six months in beautiful New Zealand, it´s time for Yaghan to sail to new horizons again. Together with our family crew, Linda and Birk, we went to the customs office in Bay of Islands Marina in Opua early morning on the 22^nd of April. Only half an hour before we had been debating whether we should go or not. The weather forecast showed little wind in the beginning followed by a through. Together we decided that we should give it a try even though we had to go a slightly longer route. The friendly customs officer asked how we liked New Zealand, stamped our passports, checked that the time was 8:40 and gave us 30 minutes to leave the dock and country.

We had already said goodbye to the nice staff in the marina and now we let the lines loose and waved to fellow sailors on Seamer when we passed on the way out, leaving Opua and Russels, the oldest town of New Zealand, behind. We motored out saying farewell to Waitangi, the place where the treaty (Te Tiriti) between the British crown and Mauri chiefs was signed in 1840. The lush green coastline of Aotearoa (Maori name for New Zealand meaning long white cloud) and the islands around Kerikeri got smaller and two small penguins were cheerfully swimming around Yaghan and we hoisted the sails and looked forward to our journey to Tanna in Vanuatu.

The sea around the north tip of New Zealand was quite choppy after some days of strong winds, but the further we came, the calmer the sea got. We could sail on reach for 23 hours and then some hours downwind, until we had to start the engine. Some squalls made us change the course and strong winds ahead let us go west. On the third day we sailed wing on wing with winds of 17 knots on our stern. We had come halfway and were surrounded by clouds, sailing on the edge of a depression. The next night we got 35 knots of wind for some hours and all four of us was awake in the rolling sea, sails reefed so we felt safe but alerted.

We still had around 400 NM miles to go and the sunrise with calmer sea and swell was very welcoming. The weather forecast promised lighter winds and we started the engine and had to continue motoring for some days.

Approaching Tanna, Vanuatu

On the Morning of the 28^th of April we finally saw land, the cone formed island of Tanna with smoke rising from the active volcano, Mount Yasur. After just little less than 6 days, and 1100 NM, we arrived at Port Resolution on the Tanna island in the magic island nation Vanuatu.

The bay of Port Resolution, named after captain Cooks ship Resolution, gave us a good anchor ground and we were amazed to see smoke arise from hot pools on the northeast side of the bay. The tiny Tanna island hosts 29’000 of Vanuatus ca 300’000 inhabitants. There was only one other sailing boat in the bay and the French solo sailor, Eric, came to greet us. We were told that we are the third international visiting yacht in 2025.

Clearing in to Vanuatu in Port Resolution

Anders had been contacting the customs in Port Vila and also in Lenaka on Tanna several days in advance and now also emailing and calling them again. We got promised to check in at 1:30pm, so we slept a little and cleaned the boat after the six days sail. Half past one, there were no sign of action in the bay and nobody answered the radio. Anders called the customs again and we heard that they were on their way from Lenakel to the bay. At three o’clock we finally got a message on VHF that we could take the dinghy ashore, which we quickly did and on the beach, we had to ask bathing children for the way to the Yacht Club.

We climbed the rainforest hill and saw a shack with flags and a patrol car. Customs, Immigration and Biosecurity had to drive on almost non existing roads from the other side of the island to clear us in. They were truly friendly and welcoming. The customs officer greeted us, and we sat down under the roof in the provisory yacht club. The paperwork was complete in the shade of a roof which was what remained of what was the Port Resolution Yacht Club until destroyed by a cyclone a few years ago. The officer excused for the delay and said the conditions of the road made it very complicated to travel. We were happy that he came all the long way to clear us in.

Tanna village Irepuow

We met our new friend Stanley who brought us to his village, helped us to book lunch in the little ocean front “restaurant” – to celebrate Nilla’s 50 year birthday tomorrow. The village was very close, and we walked the path through the vibrant green rainforest, with goats and chicken grassing around banana trees and Stanley showed us the village of beautiful huts with walls made of bambu and roofs out of coconut tree leaves. The children `pikininis` were curious and glad to meet and play with us. We were looking for a restaurant to have lunch the following day and heard that one was closed, because of a funeral in the neighbor village, but the Seabreeze restaurant on the beach would be open. On the way through the village, we also passed the Kava place , or Anders and Birk could pass and meet the men, women were not allowed to be present while the men were drinking their kava.

Stanley

Birthday on the Vulcano Mount Yasur

The next morning, Nilla woke up to song and cake on her fiftieth Birthday! After some celebrating and snorkeling among beautiful corals, we had a delicious lunch on the beach with manioc, christophin, pumpkin and a beef stew, made by the chef Kalo and his daughter. It was a beautiful day with sunshine and men were fishing close to the shore, looking for octopus around the corals. After lunch we went with a pickup on the bumpy almost nonexciting road to the Vulcano, Mount Yasur. We passed large banyan trees, so large you can build a house inside them. Now and then the driver stopped and got messages from the villagers.

After an hour, we arrived at the foot of the mountain of Yasur, Tanna’s main attraction. A 300 meter high active volcano, with a round crater with three “hot spots” erupting with few minutes intervalls and have done so since it was first described by James Cook and most likely several hundred years before. Repeatedly we could hear the active volcano roar. We waited in the small museum which exposed different kind of volcanic rocks, some large but still extremely lightweighted, other dense and heavy. Together with five other cars, we drove on another bumpy road and were happy we had scaffoldings to hold on to.

Mount Yasur

The amazing view rewarded all the efforts. We walked on the black volcanic rocks to the ridge of the crater, where we could look down in the sulfur cloud without any fence protecting us from falling. A quite terrifying feeling. With local guides walking bare foot around us, we felt quite safe and could enjoy the breathtaking views while the sun set over the ocean. When it got darker, we lightened our lights and walked to the other side of the ridge were we could look down and see bright orange lava, 2.6 km downwards. Every now and then the volcano was roaring and puffing a cloud of sparkles. We had never been so close to feel the earth breath with the sounds of waves inside a drum.

From Galapagos to Marquesas with Idalina crew rescue mission

Written by gunilla on June 8, 2025. Posted in Blog, Uncategorized. No Comments on From Galapagos to Marquesas with Idalina crew rescue mission

With a necklace of white clouds hanging calmly Santa Marta, it was time for us to leave the enchanted islands on March the 22^nd. We would now start our next leg of approximately 3000NM from Galapagos to Marquesas on the other side of the Pacific. An important part of the departure planning was, as always weather forecast and routing. We were lucky we could sound-board our routing and departure data with John at C&OC, a seasoned Pacific Ocean sailor and weather guru in New Zealand.

At 10.30 AM we got a team of authorities onboard for clearing us out and make the required exit inspection, stamping passports and issue the zarpe certificate. After half an hour, we could heave anchor and leave all sharks and iguanas behind. As Galapagos is just about south of the equator, and north of the southern hemisphere’s trade winds, there is normally necessary to start off by motoring, not seldom for a couple of days. We motored SW for 45 minutes on a flat sea with compassionate sunshine before we got enough wind to set sails. We sailed with a speed of 7 knots in 8-10 knots of wind, competing with the Estonian Oyster Larimar.

Our first 48 NM across the southeast Pacific from Galapagos to Marquesas we sailed in a beam reach of 10kts, speed of 6-7 kts STW and 8-9 SOG with an extra help of current going our way. Even though no other vessel was in sight, we didn’t feel alone. Our Milky Way whatsapp buddy boats were somewhere on the ocean, either close bye or already on the Marquesas.

We quickly got used to a life on the Pacific Ocean. Sailing with a beam reach up to 10 knots. Now almost 400NM SW of Galapagos and another 2600NM to go, before reaching the Marquesas.

The first night we had the most comfortable sailing on rather flat water, and brightness from an almost clear sky which also offered a beautiful view of the stars, including the Southern Cross.

The second night was gray with drizzling rain for some hours, variable winds and a bit more bumpy waves and swell. Small rain showers scares the wind away and we motor for 10 minutes. But after 6AM the sun was rising and dried all the rain away.

We could sail on beam reach in more than 10 knots over ground.

Anders night watch was completed with Nilla serving Oatmeal-Banana pancakes with homemade jam. Red super delicious bananas from Isla Isabel – a stock with ca 50 fruits for USD and jam from special Galapagos pears, not that tasty to eat directly but made a very nice jam.

Small repair project on deck – small but essential set of screws on the side of the boom hade became loose, noticed by Nilla who found a screw on the deck. Anders could tighten them with Loctite and the remedy seemed to work.

On our fourth day, we were flying over the ocean with the wind of 19 knots and Yaghan made even 11 knots of speed over ground (the ground is 4000 meters under us…)

We sailed out of the cotton candy fog and a clear moonlight lightened up the vast sea. Soft waves swung us gently. The swinging shaved the preventer line, so it was time for captain Anders to fix it. In comfortable 6 knots we sail through another moonlit nigh with some soft clouds.

We soon got the rhythm of long-haul sailing with only the liquid sea and open sky as company. During daytime we had all three sails up, but at night we rolled in the staysail.

We enjoyed this kind of downwind sailing. On the sixth day of our Pacific crossing, we were 1100NM from Galapagos and had still 1900 NM to sail to Hiva Oa in the Marquesas in French Polynesia. Life was blue and life was good.

This red footed friend of ours agree. He landed on our davit and stayed there for a few hours until he found his spot slightly higher up, on our stern radar mast. He was sitting there for more than 48 hours. After some infrequent flights to catch some flying fish around the boat he returned to his lookout.

On March the 29^th our red footed booby (lat. sula sula) was spending his fourth day onboard and had sailed with us over 600NM. The wind was becoming more absent, and it was hard to keep the course. Another silent night on the pacific ocean.

Under the smooth surface some greedy longnecks were having a perfect feast on Yaghans hull. We tried to get rid of them while rubbing a long line from portside to starboard. We might have succeeded with the strategy because the speed exceeded with one knot after the treatment.

On April the third we had less than 1000 nautical miles to go, still with the company of our booby bird friend. He on the other hand was accompanied by two other red footed boobies, not to his liking. He (or she) was loudly upset and tried to push the others into the sea. Very interesting fellows.

During the night some strong squalls come close, and we reduce our sail area. Som strong squalls in the night and we reduce our sail area.

One magical sunset is following the other and we continue to sway our way to the Marquesas. Wave by wave we are coming closer and on the sixth of April we had less than 500Nm to go. With great sailing during the day in the southern trade winds Yaghan flies forward. At night a lot of rain pours down on us and we are surrounded by confusing sea. We jibe.

Our booby bird left us after 15 days and we continued our fluid days on the ocean with navigation and changing sails. The whisker pole came down again and we continued with beam reach. Only two days left to our destination and we are curious to arrive to the legendary Marquesas.

On April the eight, we finally see another boat on our plotter. A yellow boat on Navionics, revealing our friends on the Swedish boat Idalina. We contacted Tina and Ingmar on WhatsApp and were happy to sail close again after 17 days on the Pacific Ocean.

Around noon Tina called us and said that they were having some steering problems. We asked if we should turn around and help, but Tina reassured that we could continue, and she would let us know when they knew more. Anders woke Nilla out of her lunch nap and we discussed the situation, we felt quite worried, having read about too many steering problems not ending well. Anders found the Swedish sailing vessel Pacific Wind sailing 12 NM behind Idalina, so he called captain Ulf, who directly altered the course to get closer to Idalina. Tina and Ulf didn’t answer our messages, which was worrying, so we decided to turn around and motored against 25 knots of wind and 2-meter-high waves. After an hour Tina called, explaining that their rudder shaft had snatched and the hole in the hull was growing bigger and bigger due to the movements of the rudder. They had tried all their best to stop the leakage, but without success. The hull had an uncontrolled water influx.

The only remaining thing to do was to prepare the life raft and to leave the boat. As a pilot and well trained in emergency situations, Tina was very calm, and she and Ingmar managed to collect nine bags of food and clothes and food and fill the life raft in the rolling sea. We saw the sign of Pacific Wind approach Idalina, reaching closer minute by minute, until Idalina disappeared. She sunk to a depth 4000 meters 200 miles before planned arrival to the Marquesas and luckily Tina and Ingmar were safe in the life raft and to be picked up by Ulf and Monica on Pacific Wind. Luckily it was daylight and boats nearby. Yaghan and Pacific Wind stayed close to each other the remaining way to Hiva Oa in the Marquesas.

On April the 10^th we arrived shattered but safely in Hiva Oa after 3300 NM crossing of the South Pacific!! The nearly three weeks on the ocean have been a kind and meditative journey which only the ocean can offer, but sadly we also saw how fragile one can be and how quickly your home and all dreams can be smashed and lost. We deeply felt the shock and despair of crew Idalina and offered them to come and sail with us and heal among the sailing community. We are happy that they came onboard Yaghan and stayed for a month.

The enchanted islands of Galapagos

Written by gunilla on October 18, 2024. Posted in Blog. No Comments on The enchanted islands of Galapagos

Santa Cruz

It´s not prohibited to take your own dinghy to the pier in the bay of Santa Cruz, but it is not recommended because your dinghy will soon be occupied by sea lions and since the taxi boats are only one dollar per ride and they are in service 24 hours a day, it is an easy choice. The only trick is to call the taxi boat on the VHF and precisely describe the position of Yaghan among more than 60 other boats. The most successful call was to say ”al lado” which means “next to” a local boat and be persistent. We jumped on a taxi boat with a friendly driver that took us to the very modern concrete tourist dock of Puerto Ayora where we were welcomed by several sea lions lingering peacefully. It’s very obvious, this is their territory not ours. The next one to welcome us was Darwin, not himself but as a statue or brewery and on every second T-shirt. It is amazing that a man who only stayed for two months around the Galapagos has had such a big impact. The other half of the T-shirts are showing the logo “I love boobies” with a reference to the blue footed boobies (birds) on the island.

We took a very nice walk between busy cafes with delicious fresh food and Galapagos coffee, checked the surprisingly well stocked builders market and continued to Playa del Director, the local beach where we joined the black sea iguanas and laid down on the lava sand to relax and feel the ancient times reflect on the rough black volcano rocks covered Sally Lightfoot crabs. We were happy to be here and just enjoy the tranquility.

The next morning was a Saturday and we joined other sailors to take a walk to the fresh market in the middle of the town. We were astonished by the big variety of bananas, and vegetables, even strawberries. We tried thin cinnamon rolls, that gave us a taste of home with a south American twist. In the afternoon we took a taxi to the tortoise sanctuary. On the way there we already saw several land tortoises and our driver told us that the fences where not for the tortoises, they were free to move and walk wherever they wanted, but to stop humans from walking everywhere. The islands are really a free haven for animals.

The tortoises are free to move, but they come to the sanctuary to eat and sometimes to take a bath in the natural pools, made by tortoises by pushing the earth from one side to another. Tortoises are very sensitive to vibrations, and we learned to take care when we approach them and only come closer calmly without running. When they make a silent sneezing sound, they are upset and say: stay away! Our guide showed us the difference between small flatter female and bigger male tortoises. These slow creatures have survived thousands of years, adapting to different habitats with a longer neck or a different shape of the shell. Many subspecies of the tortoises are extinct, but 12 are still alive on the different islands of Galapagos. It was a magical feeling to meet these time wanderers.

On Sunday we had booked a tour to the small island of Seymour, north of Santa Cruz. We met the accompanying tourists around a statue of the extinct giant tortoise, Lonesome George. We were transported by bus and drove across the hilly island to Baltra from where we boarded a ship. It was a treat to be guest while someone else was doing the provisioning, steering, planning and cooking. We could just enjoy the landscape. A dinghy brought us ashore to the nature reserve Seymour island with bluefooted boobies, and yellow iguanas. At landfall there where only one or two iguanas, but as we followed the path, we saw them almost everywhere and they even crossed our road. We learned that an iguana could stay without water for a very long time. They are really like dragons, telling stories from a forgotten past. Frigate birds are also mating on Seymour Island. The male birds are competing about who has the biggest red balloon chest to attract a frigate lady. The sound of the ballon drumming became very load when the female birds flew by. Some happy blue footed boobies were chilling and looking out over the ocean, blue as their feet.

For the first time since we started our sailing fom Valencia, there were four Swedish boats in the same bay: Matilda, Elin, Pacific Wind and Yaghan. It was great to meet all and share plans and experiences during a delicious sushi dinner.

Isabela

It was time to sail to the island west of Santa Cruz: Isabela, the only one of the islands where you can step on the equator on land. Halfway there, we met the Spanish boat Ahlam again. Unfortunately, our schedules are not in sync anymore. Some turtles crossed our course underway. When arriving to Isabela we anchored among six other boats outside of Puerto Villamil. Our space in the anchorage got quite a bit of swell, so we were happy that a boat further in to the bay chose to move and we could get the perfect protected spot. Now we only had to wait for our agent Manuel to come and check us in. He arrived some hours later together with his girlfriend and a military officer.

Tourists are not allowed to explore Galapagos on land or sea by themselves, so we took an amazing tour to “Los Tuneles” with a beautiful snorkelling into lava tunnels where we saw seahorses tangle around underwater branches. We swam into a cave with resting whitetip reef sharks, quite happy that they don’t hunt in daylight. The most fascinating however was to swim with more than twenty giant turtles, so unshy, big and beautiful. We could swim side by side and just share space and time for a moment. This is an experience we will never forget. On the way back we even saw Naszca Boobies on vulcanized islands.

Back on the boat we had a guest on our transom, a brave sea lion had elegantly jumped up to the first step and enjoyed the perfect comfortable fit. When it made its way on deck, ou hospitality came to an end and with the help of some sprinkled freshwater, he backed back to the transom. He went away to hunt for some food, but returned every day to hang around and relax on Yaghan.

Another day we spend horseback riding on Sierra Negra on Isla Isabela, guided by Alfredo, an experienced and well-educated botanist and geologist.

Sierra Negra is a mountain with a height of 1000m above sea and a still active volcano with the second biggest crater in the world. The last eruption was in 2018, but the crater was shaped some 5000 years ago. Striking volcanic formations developed by the age of various lava waves from different eruptions over time. The age can be determined by the height of the candelabra cactuses that grow across the lava fields as they grow constantly 3 mm per year 3m in one thousand years. Look at the cactus next to Nilla!

Heavy rainfalls transfoms the street of Puerto Villamila into swimming pools and the local festivities with Miss Isabela are drowned by the shower.

It’s time to sail back to Santa Cuz and a tiny Galapagos penguin is diving under Yaghan as a farewell. We stock up our supply with delicious red banans from the tiny market of Isabela.

Back in Santa Cruz we prepare for the second part of the Pacific crossing by filling up our diesel tanks. We pay in advance and order 800 litres from a taxiboat with big barrels. So we spend the day waiting and are happy when the little boat with the barrels finally arrives. Another mission is to find small floaters for the chain, wich we will need in the Tuamotus islands. Having searched five marine stores, our taxi driver and a local guide helps us to find some used ones in the fishermen’s marina and we are happy.

In the evening, we meet other OCC members to celebrate 70years of the Ocean Cruising Clubs glorious existence.

On March 22 we follow the call of the ocean and start our next 3000 NM long leg – Galapagos to the Marquesas. At 10.30 AM we got a team onboard for clearing us out and make the required exit inspection, stamping passports and issuing the zarpe certificate for Hiva Oa.

At 11 we could heave anchor and we motored SW for 45 minutes before easterlies funnel along the side of the volcanic islands and Yaghan tears downwind to the Marquesas with 7 knots in 8-10 knots wind.

Sailing across the equator to Galapagos

Written by gunilla on July 20, 2024. Posted in Blog, Uncategorized. No Comments on Sailing across the equator to Galapagos

Tricky decision

Long time in advance we had to make the decision whether or not we were going to stop at the Galapagos while sailing to the Marquesas. It was one of the harder decisions to make, since the bureaucracy is quite demanding and the expenses high, but on the other hand it’s a once of a lifetime chance to see the exceptional sea and land life of Galapagos while being there with your own boat. We didn’t want to miss it.

Preparing for the Galapagos

Nilla contacted Javier from Yacht Agents Galapagos and he sent us dozens of documents explaining how to prepare for the Galapagos islands. On our WhatsApp group, one boat also published a compendium with photos and good examples of what was important to know while preparing for the Galapagos and also informing on nice excursions on four of the islands. We got a “Professional Hull Cleaning Certificate” from the Shelter Bay Marina and we also managed to get a fumigation done before we set sail from Playita Marina in Panama City. The further requirements where an international zarpe, a list of the last ten ports visited and, last but not least, a certification of our antifouling paint. Before we set off, we put the required signs, saying “don’t throw garbage in the water” in the engine room on the reeling and on every bin.

Companied by Dolphins

On March 2^nd we left Playita Marina in Panama City shortly after eight in the morning. First sunset on the Pacific Ocean. The first six hours we were mainly motoring until sailing in 6-7 knots in 14-15 knots downwind. It was a great joy to finally sail on the largest ocean, glittering in sunshine. On March 3^rd 660NM out of 780NM to Galapagos remained. Wind strength was fading, and we got just below 4kts speed over ground and could enjoy a green flash on the ocean. Magic, calm moonlight was lightening up our night on the Pacific and next day we were halfway from Panama to Galapagos. With only making 2-3 knots we sailed slow and then motored for some hours when the wind died out. Slowly the wind picked up above 7 knots again and we sailed, jibed, the wind died, and we continued motoring for 10 hours. On March the 5^th a flock of dolphins enjoyed the pacific sunset with us.

Pacific squid on deck.

Crossing the Equator

We had been quite worried about sailing the distance from Panama to Galapagos, because friends of us have had thunderstorms, strong winds on the nose and big waves. Luckily we didn’t get anything of that. The Pacific was peacefully flat as a blue ball floor. We rig the whisker pole again and sail with 8 to 10 knots. In the afternoon Captain Anders is making Tarta de Queso a la Yaghan. Nilla is braiding a Neptun beard out of lemon straw for Anders. All in preparation for our Tribute to Poseidon when we might be crossing the equator the coming day.

On the morning of March the 7^th we sail over the imaginary line of the equator at 0 degrees latitude and are no longer pollywogs but shellbacks. Happy to be exactly half distance between the north pole and the south pole. We cheered to the very good health of Poseidon, enjoyed captain’s cheesecake and took a swim in the clear blue water.

Reaching Galapagos

We continue southwards and at noon we finally see the silhouette of the enchanted island of Galapagos rising above the surface. It feels amazing to see the contour of the islands that we have heard so much about, mainly due to Darwins theories. We dropped anchor in BAHIA DE LA ACADEMIA on SANTA CRUZ in GALAPAGOS at 3PM. Soon thereafter our local agent arrived with the immigration clearance team. All together eight representatives of the government, immigration, police, coast guard, environmental control, etc. inspecting and documenting the ship, food stores, machinery, holding tanks, navigational lights and at least 10 different forms were filled and sign by them and us. All in a very friendly atmosphere. The process was completed in about 40 min and Nilla then served ice cold beers which seemed to be much appreciated in the afternoon tropical heat.

Panama Canal

Written by gunilla on May 29, 2024. Posted in Blog, Uncategorized. 1 Comment on Panama Canal

Shelter Bay Marina

After ten hours of nice beam reach sailing, we are arriving to Shelter Bay Marina in Panama on Friday evening February the second. We are welcomed into a vivid sailing community with sailors crossing the Panama Canal from the Pacific to the Atlantic or vice versa. Many haul out and leave their boat in SBM during the Hurricane season or just stop by while sailing in the Caribbean. It’s a melting pot of different cultures, experiences and languages. With the Whatsapp group administered by Debbie we are quickly up to date and connected with thousands of other sailors.

On Saturday the Cruising Rally Ocean Posse organized an infotainment day with seminars about how to set up opencpn charts, security at sea, interesting sailing grounds in the Pacific and a great Caribbean party in the evening.

Shelter Bay Marina is located on the historic ground of the decommissioned military base Fort Sherman with safety still a key with an active military base close by. The United States took over the construction of the Panama Canal 1904 and fortificated at both the Atlantic and Pacific entrance to the canal to defense the anticipated passageway. Fort Sherman was established in 1911 and the seven defense batteries can still be accessed by foot despite suffocating under verdant jungle. When operating, it was a complete base with barracs, a chapel, a cinema and family housing. After World War II the base served as jungle training for the US army. Since the Panama Canal was handed back to Panama in the end of 1999, the buildings have been abandoned and ripped of any valuable material and instead give a new home to termites and bats. The former officers quarter is now transformed to a very busy hotel and marina office.

Senor Carlos Chiari happily guides everyone who is interested in the history and wildlife of Shelter Bay Marina. And while Anders was travelling to Sweden for a week, Nilla took the opportunity to see the abandoned fortifications. Big blue morpho butterflies and smaller red doris longwing butterflies are thriving in the jungle where you still can find the remaining of a zoo. In the distance howler monkeys are roaring, slughs are crawling, coatis and agoutis are hiding. It would be a perfect scene for an Indiana Jones movie.

The crested oropendola bird is building its nest high up in the palm trees, hanging down like a pendulum from the tip of the leaf.
On Monday February the 12^th we hauled out in Shelter Bay to clean the hull in preparation for Galapagos’s environmental inspections but also to change the anodes – ant to check the propeller shaft, after a significant encounter with a very long and strong fishing gear line – just outside St Barth in January.

We planned to be back in the water today for our transit slot in the Panama Canal on Saturday but the shaft bearings were damaged. A worrisome message was that the aluminum housing for the Aquadrive (original from 2003) had a crack. We got a great tech-team onboard with a promise to fix this within a week – and we have a new Canal slot for Saturday the 24^th.

While Yaghan was on the hard, we spend the first three nights in the rather non exciting Radisson hotel in the totally non exciting and partly dangerous city of Colòn and then booked a room in lovely Riu Hotel in Panama City. Midday Thursday we were informed that two critical spare parts – a metal shaft bearing and the so called Black Jack rubber seal – was nowhere to be found in Panama. But hopefully three hours drive from Miami. It can take weeks to ship the part by mail, so early Friday morning our flight to Miami departures. No effort was spared and we got our spare parts, driving 370 km to the Tampa Bay where we met Joy at General Propeller who had prepared our spare parts. Thank you Joy!

One problem was solved but the next just waited around the corner. Yaghan still on the hard and we were moving between optimism and despair. When we did our spontaneous, fun and challenging trip to north Florida, the shipyard disassembled the propeller axis and realized our Aquadrive had a bigger crack that couldn’t be fixed. It fell in pieces. Not good, but lucky it happened here and not in the middle of the ocean.

Philip arriving in Panama

The only solution would be to get a new, 27kg heavy piece, which were nowhere to be found on this side of the Atlantic and initially also not in Europe. With support from Hallberg Rassy, Rodahls, the Swedish Aquadrive representative, and particularly Göran ”Bamse” Moberg, one single unit in a warehouse in Kerpen, 35km from Düsseldorf in Germany could be located. Now the organization of the transport started. We managed to get it delivered to the Sheraton hotel at Schiphol, from where Philip, a friend of Nilla’s son, was flying with the spare part to Panama. Luckily all went well and the aquadrive could be replaced and Yaghan splashed on Friday morning so we could use our slot to transit the Panama Canal the next day.

View of the Gatun Locks from the Atlantic Bridge

But firstly we needed to fill our food storage, so we took an Uber to Colòn and found most of the things all we might need in the next months to come, because where we are planning to sail in the Pacific it will be complicated to find food. We were lucky that Philip could help us and the supermarket gave us a ride back to the marina.

The receipt was longer than a meter and a half!

Swedish bags have found their was to Panama!

Transiting the Panama Canal

Months ago we contacted an agent to arrange a date for the transit through the Panama Canal and he also organized lines and fenders, well firstly some tiny ones, but later the right size.

We get the following message: “Good day dear Capt. Anders! Please be advised that transit schedule of your boat has been published by the Panama Canal and the specifics are as follows:

You should undock from the pier at 1430hrs/Feb 24th, then start moving towards the Canal entrance, stand by on VHF radio channel 12 for Cristobal signal station instructions, they will tell you the specific coordinates of where to wait for the transit pilot, he will come to your boat at aprox 1530hrs/Feb 24th, the transit have been scheduled to be “all the way through” departing the last locks at Balboa side at approx. 2330hrs/Feb 24th.”

So that’s what we do. The pilot is not a he, it’s a she, Victoria is boarding and we can proceed to the Gatun lock tied up together with the boat Rebel. Onboard are also Tina and Ingmar from the boat Idalina helping us as linehandlers and Philip (who got lost in the jungle yesterday, but luckily was found! )

The canal locks operate by gravity flow of water from the Gatún, Alajuela, and Miraflores lakes, which are fed by the Chagres and other rivers. The locks themselves are of uniform length, width, and depth and were built in pairs to permit the simultaneous transit of vessels in either direction. Each lock gate has two leaves, 20 metres wide and 2 metres thick, set on hinges. The gates, still the same since 1914,range in height from 14 to 25 metres. It is so impressive to be close to the gate and see the leaves open up to the new adventure awaiting us. You suddenly have the feeling being in “Lord of the rings”, waiting for hobbits to come entering the boat.

When we enter a lock, we wait for a line with a “monkey head” being thrown to us and we then connect the thin line to our rope, which is now collected by the professional linehandler on the wall of the lock. The lock chambers are 300 metres long, 33 metres wide, and 12 metres deep. In the Gatun lock, we are behind a big container ship and we are feeling really small. Luckily Victorias friend is a pilot on the big ship, sending us nice pictures of Yaghan.

After the three lockages upwards we entered into Lake Gatun, relaxing after well carried out activities with the crew – not only Nilla but three additional linehandlers operating the four 30 meters long stern and bowlines that ties us up to the walls of the canal. Big thank you to our new lovely friends Tina and Ingmar who took their Arcona Idalina through the canal a couple of weeks ago, when Nilla was onboard and got experience as linehandler. And also to Philip, a friend of Nilla’s son who was kind enough to transport spare parts from Europe earlier in the week and now is staying onboard for the transit.

Out of the locks we could motor in 8.5 knots, while the sun was setting over the Gatun lake, the moon was rising and Nilla served Chili con Carne. After little less than three hours and 21 NM we reached our assigned overnight mooring location where Veronica was picked up by a pilot vessel.

At 8:45 AM we anticipated a new pilot to come onboard for the additional 7NM before getting into the next set of locks, downwards to the Pacific. But we had to keep on waiting for another hour until the next pilot came. We were still very happy that we had come so far. The new pilot showed us the way to the Pedro Miguel locks. We pass the Gold Hill, which never has hidden any gold, but the canal workers were told so to be motivated to dig deeper. The American white canal builders were paid in gold though, while non-American workers were paid in silver, or “plata” in Spanish. In Panama, money is still called “plata” in the local dialect.

Because of the delicate nature of the original lock mechanisms, only small craft are allowed to pass through the locks assisted by linehandlers. Larger craft are guided by electric towing locomotives, so called mules, which operate on cog tracks on the lock walls and serve to keep the ships centred in the lock. When we arrive to the third and last lock, the lock of Miraflores, the linehandler on the lock wall manage to tangle the thin line on the bottom of the wall and Yaghan slides down to the starboard side of the gate. Everyone on board and on land get busy, but it takes time to get a new line and we press against the wall, luckily only damaging one big fender and getting a small scratch on the metal molding. Behind us, the giant container ship is approaching, pulled by the locomotives. Its quite a stressful situation. You can see us sliding to starboard side on the picture from the live cam above. This day, the new platform for spectators was opened and we gave the 1600 visitors a good show.

We are so happy when the last gate opens and we can sail out in the PACIFIC!

We continue to Marina La Playita where we are staying and installing solar panels, enjoying Panama City and preparing for the next destination: Galapagos.

Guna Yala

Written by gunilla on April 7, 2024. Posted in Blog, Uncategorized. No Comments on Guna Yala

Guna Yala – San Blas

Ever since we started to plan our journey many years ago, we heard that the San Blas Islands in the Archipelago of Panama would be a place almost like paradise. We left Aruba together with our buddyboat Ahlam at dawn and with with favorable winds and current going our way we have done 200NM in the first 24h or just above a third of the distance between Oranjenstad, Aruba and San Blas, Panama.

It was worth waiting in Aruba for the right weather window. We got pleasant downwind sailing in 18-22 knots NE. We reefed both sails quite a bit to ensure we keep below 8 knots SOG (speed over ground) to avoid arriving before sunrise.

Hola Panama! We finally arrived in San Blas and Isla Porvenir or Gaigirgordub and anchor close to Ahlam.

This is Guna Yala, formerly known as San Blas: an archipelago off Panama’s eastern coast that contains more than 300 islands, 49 of which are inhabited by the indigenous Guna people.

Very friendly locals paddled out and greeted us, and sold their traditional molas. Molas means ”shirt or piece of clothing” in guna language, and is a skilful reverse applique art form. A long time ago, when the guna people lived in the mountains between Panama and Colombia, they didn’t wear clothes, but painted their body in beautiful patterns. The Spanish conquistadores made them start wearing clothes and dispelled the gunas to the archipelago. The beautiful and historic patterns are now sewn on the molas. We got invited to celebrate the 99 year anniversary of the revolution when San Blas inhabitants won the right to maintain their traditional lifestyle against Panamanians, who among other things had forbidden them to wear their molas. Their flag sports a black, left-facing swastika, said to represent the four directions and the creation of the world.

Gunas still live as their ancestors did, in small wooden shacks covered with palm leaves and hammocks representing the only furniture. We learned that when a young man is married off, he moves into the brides home. From that point on, his work belongs too the woman’s family and its the woman who makes the decisions. Beautiful bracelets cover the women’s ankles with one layer symbolising one year.

Together with Toni, Ana and Carlos on Ahlam we are curious about these paradise islands and move forward to another island called Cabanas Niadup or Isla Diablo. where we find a wonderful anchorage, enjoy swimming and really fresh fish.

After just two nights with the breeze going through the palm leaves we had to leave this paradise and sail to Shelter Bay Marina on mainland Panama to secure a good spot for transiting the Panama Canal. Before leaving, two young and very kind San Blasian fishermen came by our anchorage in their traditional canoe- and sold us fresh tuna, only 2USD per fish. On February the second we are leaving Guna Yala at sunrise.