News

When we left off in Part I, I was just getting back to Carti after finishing a 2-night trip. The weather was just ok, and the guests were in a bit of a hurry to catch their ride back to Panama City. I taxied Andiamo to its anchoring spot, and dropped the hook (yes, this time VERY far away from the waterpipe’s location, geez, always a smart-ass in every crowd…) 😛 .

The guests’ lancha had been waiting, and came alongside Andiamo to take them and their bags aboard. Strangely, another lancha showed up on the opposite side of Andiamo, and came alongside. There was a kuna guy standing on the bow. He was very animated and anxious. He yelled at me in unintelligible spanish as the lancha drew just a little too close to Andiamo’s unfendered topsides for my comfort. I asked them to stay a bit more away from the boat so as not to hit and mark up the hull paint. I just had it touched up in Cartagena last month! I have enough trouble keeping marks off the hull paint as it is. I asked them to wait a minute. (more…)

It was another trip-ending in Carti’ without a hitch. Carti’ is actually a group of four village islands that are close the mainland in San Blas. It serves as an effective thoroughfare in and out of San Blas due to the fact that the only road into San Blas from Panama’s InterAmericana highway ends there. It also has an airport, which is the other reason it’s such a key access spot for tourists and Kuna alike.

Andiamo typically starts and finishes its trips in Carti’, making use of this good access. It’s also a great place to leave Andiamo there when I head to the city in between trips. Dino, my faithful kuna guy takes care of Andiamo while I’m gone and gets her ready for the next trip. He also makes sure that Lucy stays alive, fed, and at least somewhat entertained.

This particular time around, the anchorage was rather crowded with quite a few other boats. I decided to anchor Andiamo in a spot that lies closer between the islands in a protected channel. This is usually a safe place, because the boat is protected on all sides except for some slight exposure to the north. On the southern end of this same channel, there is a 3-inch PVC pipe that delivers fresh water from the Carti’ River on the mainland via a neighboring island. It sits along the bottom in about 25 feet of water. On most days you can see it in plain sight through the clear water. Most of the boaters in the area know to anchor well away from it, as I do. (more…)

Ok, so I’ve had my twitter for sometime now, but hadn’t really done anything with it. I admit it. I haven’t been “Twitter-savvy”. However, I’m starting to “get it” with Twitter, and you know what? It’s purty cool. It’s a simple concept, but you can do so much on it, it’s mind-boggling. I also now have Twitter tied into my Facebook and my Blog, so all get updated dynamically. I know that doesn’t sound like a big deal, but for a guy who does most of his netting by phone, it is. My thumbs appreciate it. 🙂

So… in an effort to harness my new Twitter-ness for good and not evil, I invite you to join me on it! If you already have it, great! Twitter me dammit! If not, go to Twitter, and catch up already! Don’t you know it’s 2009? :p

With the nice lay times we’re having here in Bocas, and considering that the weather has been absolute total crap lately, I’ve been able to get some much-needed updates done to the site! 🙂

I’ve updated the graphical look a bit, tightened up some elements, and just generally impoved the layout and navigation. I’ve also updated the header with a new look.

Anyway, surf through and let me know what you think… Your feedback is important! 🙂

I’ve been getting quite a lot of emails and inquiries regarding our schedule for the rest of the summer. Well, I’m happy to announce that I’ve FINALLY updated the schedule through September! Check it out and nail down your dates. If you have some specific dates in mind, then LET ME KNOW! It’s still early enough that I can adjust the schedule to meet a group’s needs. See ya out there! 😉