Friday, January 08, 1999 – Puerto Balboa

G’day cyber sailors

As I write we are pulling into Balboa. Looking around as we cruise towards the Balboa yacht club, we are dwarfed by cargo ships of all sizes moving out, in or at anchor waiting to be cleared into the canal. Balboa is not actually a town but the name of the area within the former US Canal Zone containing port and administrative facilities this side of the canal.

To facilitate our transit through the Panama we have engaged the services of an agent, Pete Stevens. He has come highly recommended and from the first contact we have had he seems like a very capable man. Agents are a good thing, as they have the connections to the authorities and will ensure that all the paperwork is processed efficiently and at a minimal cost. I have heard of many stories so far, where some yachts have had to pay exorbitant prices and/or wait days in port for their vessel to be cleared. Here at the Canal, agents can also paramount as they know all the Canal procedures.

From Microsoft Encarta 99

For all but Ib who has done the trip a dozen times, it will be our first. Actually it is the same with Panama; none of us have ever had the pleasure. Evidently Panama is an Indian word which means a profusion of fish. Rodrigio de Bastidas discovered the country in 1501 and a year later it was visited by Columbus. Sadly, his visit resulted in the demise of the indigenous Indians due to their wealth in gold ornaments so treasured by the Spanish.

With our arrival in Panama, we have completed the first leg of our 3-year journey. To date, STARSHIP has traveled 7456 nautical miles (13808 Km) in the Pacific Ocean and by Sunday she will be in the Atlantic. It is a good feeling to have reached this milestone without all that many hiccups. More importantly, there has been a flood of wonderful memories, many of which we have been able to document for you. With this in mind I will sign off.

Pura Vida! As they say in Costa Rica