8/6/09: At 0330 we depart Playa Benao to Punta Naranjo, approximately 85 miles along uninhabited coastlines and the notorious Punta Mala (Bad Point), known for its’ strong currents. 0610 motor sailing along at 5 kts, we’re amazed by the numerous whale sightings encountered, breaching, spouting and frolicking as we sail quietly past these gracefully mammals. On two occasions, at 0830 and 0930, the fishing reel spins madly out of control and two precious lures are lost as the line snaps crisply and quickly. Egads, must’ve been some very large fish. Too large for our small reel and broken handled gaff. I guess that’s what’s called a blessing in disguise. At 0905 we see several water spouts off in the distance. Ominous, powerful, funnel shaped spouts spinning furiously and seemingly out of control, twisting and flickering as they connect dark skies to the oceans’ surface below. Gratefully, they travel in a direction opposite ours. On a better note at 1110, along comes a pod of approximately 20 dolphins, hop scotching along the waters’ surface in a race towards our bow. They playfully swim alongside the bow, gracefully twisting their sleek bodies to take an upwards peek at who’s standing and watching them from the bow spurt above. We smile and wave and they return the gesture, silently breaking the waters’ surface with dorsal fins and flippers. In a flash they’re gone! The mood darkens. Chris scans the water and spots dorsal fins off our Port beam. Sharks! Now we understand their sudden disappearance. Need to regroup and protect the pod. 1520: drop anchor at Punta Naranjo, a small bay providing safe anchorage near shore. The dark jungle looms just off the tiny beach, a sharply rising peak of shrubs, monstrous trees and mossy undergrowth. Cloaked within the forest, Howler monkeys loudly voice their displeasure at our visual intrusion. My thoughts of safety provided by the seas’ separation of land and boat are quickly quelled by Chris’ simple comment. Monkey’s can swim. Exhausted, we call it a night by 1930.
8/7/09: 0820 departure from Punta Naranjo to Isla Cebaco, a much shorter distance than the previous day. 1310 arrival at Cebaco Bay, on the SW corner of Isla Cebaco. There’s a rumored surf break called “Dos Rocas”, translated as Two Rocks, obviously named by geological surroundings. We launch Opihi in search of surf, and are presented with our first skunk factor. Disappointed, we return to Iwalani at 1400, seconds before a torrential downpour. I gleefully race around deck, hanging my rain catcher buckets and successfully filling our water tank, cooler and 5 liter rain water bottles. I even have time for a refreshing rainwater shower! With the rain continuing for over 2 hours, Chris grudgingly gives up hope of hunting down any more surf spots today.
8/8/09: Armed with surfboards and packed with emergency gear, Chris and I hop onto Opihi and depart Iwalani at 0800 for an early morning surf expedition in search of Dos Rocas on the south side of Isla Cebaco. Colin stays aboard to do home school and keep watch on Iwalani. We find a pristine coastline teaming with the ocean’s wildlife, glassy swells, and no surf. Skunked again. Chris is majorly bummed, as Dos Rocas was the primary reason for this destination. Sometime during this transit, Chris manages to lose my one and only long sleeved rash guard, which I use on a regular basis. He had wedged it between the boards for cushion, but apparently not snugly enough. One more item reclaimed by the sea. Take note to email purchase request to Tim Clearwater prior to arrival from Hawaii - one women’s long sleeved rash guard please. He and Chris Kopra will be joining us on Iwalani for 2 weeks for a surf trip. Upon return to Iwalani, Chris tackles the project he’s been avoiding since we departed Colon, Panama. Organizing the lazarette. It’s a deep, dark crawl space with little, if any, fresh air, and no light. It houses our desalination unit, auto pilot, tools, lines, fenders, A/C unit, battery charger, inverter, heat exchanger, hydraulic day tank and miscellaneous ropes, shackles and trim wood. Colin helps his dad as I surgically slice off a portion of our mattress, fitting it to the contours of our berth, and hand sew it back together in a Frankenstein method. Upon completion, Chris is officially dehydrated, and takes 2 days to recover. BUT, the lazarette is now in order!
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