SAILING IN THE ARCHIPIELAGO DE LAS PERLAS (2 - 9 FEBRUARY 2009)

We have just returned to Panama City after a week of sailing in a group of islands 35 miles to the south west of Panama City in the Bahia de Pamana (Bay of Panama). I have put a few pictures on my picasa site - just limited by speed of connection at the moment - gohere http://picasaweb.google.com/Stephen.Couling/IslasPerlas#
The Archipelago de las Perlas, named when the Spanish conquistadores Gaspar de Morales and Francisco Pizarro sole a large amount of pearls from the indigenous King Toe. A 31 carat pearl known as "Peregrina" belonged to Queen Mary Tudor came from these islands.
Reference : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl_Islands
We motored out of our mooring at the Flamenco Yacht club on Wednesday 4 Feb and set course 130. However as we started to haul up the mainsail we found it had a large split near the top of the sail which had not been there when the sail was last used. Sadly this meant that we were not able to sail further so we motored round into the bay west of Isla Flamenco and spent the rest of the day taking down the old sail and bending on the new one. This is a brand new sail David had bought in St Maartens. We remained at anchor overnight.
Next day, Thursday, we resumed our journey motoring out round the Isla Flamenco, raised main and genoa and set course 130 for the Islas de las Perlas. The wind was from the north-east at 10 knots which gave us some really excellent sailing. It increased during the morning to just over 20 knots giving us some top speeds of 8 knots (which David reckons is top hull speed). In just over 4 hours we arrived at the Islands and selected the straight between Isla Chapera and Isla Mogo Mogo to anchor. These are the islands on which the TV series 'Survivor' has been filmed. This was a very beautiful place - the shore is mostly covered in trees, with rocks at the water's edge and some small bays of pale fawn sand. They look idyllic. Many of the trees looked dead, then I remembered that here in the northern hemisphere (even 8 degrees up into it!) winter is still here, although with day temperatures in the high 20s-low 30s it does not feel like winter. David and I took the dinghy and landed at the nearest beach, then took a walk along the shore. The rocks looked like solid mud and in places seams of pumice showed through - signs of ancient volcanic activity. Some beautiful shells on the beach including pearl shells - just as you might imagine ought to be on tropical islands.
What ought not to be on tropical islands is a line of plastic bits and pieces as high water mark. The oceans of the world have become our rubbish bins - and the ocean currents are duumpiong this imperishable stuff on our shores. I don't suppose the birds and animals care much - but I do..... our own Paradise Lost.
The moon is now waxing towards full and casts a silver net across the sea. In the evening light grey pelicans glide in a line towards the shore, their wing tips an inch off the surface of the waves, as the leader flaps its wings they all follow suit, a few flaps and then a long glide. It is a wonder of synchronised flying.
So lovely is it here we decide to stay another day. David has to fix a septic tank so Sarah and I take the dinghy ashore again. The engine is feeble - something is wrong. After lunch David and Sarah go out again and I stay onboard for a quiet afternoon.
The next day we weigh anchor and motor out into open water and set sails, course north to Isla Contadora. This is a small island but inhabited and with an airstrip. It is, apparently, a favourite holiday island for people from Panama city, but we did not see much activity on the airstrip. It is not a big island, but has some shops for basic provisions. Dry and dusty, it looks like is is waiting for rain. The people were friendly and we went ashore for and excellent dinner in the evening, returning under a bright moon.
One night here was enough so the next morning we left and had a fine morning sailing south before and northerly breeze goose-winging all the way (the mainsail is over one side of the boat, the genoa on the other to catch all the wind). Isla Pedro Gonzales is another inhabited island - a small village of about 500 people. we anchored in a small bay off the village, and spent the afternoon out in the (sick) dinghy looking for places to snorkel. The wind seems to have stirred up the water which was cloudy. I did see some small colourfu tropical fish but nothing dramatic. We did go and look at a wreck on the shore - and again were saddened by the rubbish on the beach (see pictures).
The next day, being Monday, we needed to return to Panama. David wanted to take the torn sail to Colon, get more gas, find out where we can get the outboard motor fixed, and check emails. So in a brisk breeze of 17 knots from the north, we weighed anchor, set main and genoa and course 310 for Panama. After 45 minutes the genoa suddenly started coming down - something had broken at the mast head. Such a shame as we were sailing well. So we haukled down the main and motored into the wind. After investigation we were able to raise the genoa again on a spare halyard and so resumed our sailing - and a very fine sail we had all the way to Panama.
At anchor I volunteered to be hauled up the mast in the bosun's chair - a very scary process. Sitting in a piece of canvas on the end of a thin rope being hauled 60 feet ina gusting wind is not a lot of fun. But I got the end of the number 1 genoa halyard and returned to the deck, not something I wish to do again in a hurry.
So here we are back in Panama at anchor of Isla Flamenco again. I have had the day onboard swabbing the decks (ha ha) while David and Sarah are ashore on these essential errands. The sun is shining, I have the company of grey pelicans.... what could be nicer.