Puerto Oscoses to Nianega

Hi everyone,

We spent two nights at anchor in Puerto Oscoses.  Nice quiet place.  Yesterday we went for a dinghy ride with the Ceruleans  to explore an indigenous shelter.  Lots of shoal areas around the periphery of the bay.

Cerulean and Zen Again in Puerto Escoses (Port Scotland)

Fishing platforms on the east side of the bay

Zen Again, Cerulean, Avanti & Pacifica at anchor

Around dawn this morning it started to rain, accompanied by impressive thunder which literally shook the boat.  Didn't see any lightning.  The rain was pretty heavy - at least 75mm in 3 hours.  Mother nature's water-maker filled our tanks and jerries in 15 minutes.

Downpour

Despite the thunderstorms we managed to run the Escapee SSB Net.  Two member yachts are at sea and it was good to record their positions and hear 'all well aboard'.

Early this afternoon all four of us weighed anchor and headed NW along the coast.  There was no wind so we motored under a still overcast sky.  We passed two river mouths which were spewing out the rain in chocolate-coloured water, 'spiced' with twigs, branches and small trees.

Departing Caledonian Bay

Entering the river outflow

Anchored of Nianega

Our overall track and graphs are shown below, followed by the Depth Graph for the passage.  Note the three sudden shoal depths shown...

Overall Track

Graphs

Depth Profile

By combining the time of each shoal depth with our track we plotted them as waypoints in the two chart excerpts below.  The arrival shoals may be ledges vice isolated outcrops since sv Avanti encountered them too.  The charts are from the 4th edition of Eric Bauhaus's excellent book "The Panama Cruising Guide".  We have a paper copy.  These shoals may be shown in later editions.

Departure Track with UNCHARTED 3.5m SHOAL

Arrival Track with UNCHARTED 3.5m SHOALS

We compared Bauhaus's charts with Navionics and there's no comparison - Bauhaus wins hands down.  Navionics's SonarCharts are a little better than Navionics-proper.  However it appears they've crowd-sourced data from where everyone goes and interpolated from there - very inaccurately.  Few of the shoals are shown in Navionics because no-one goes there.  Beware!

After arriving we were welcomed to the anchorage by a three-man delegation in a dugout canoe.  Very welcoming.  They asked for a US$5 anchoring fee, pencils for the kids and a snack for themselves - all gladly given.  Reminds us of fun times in Indonesia - ten years ago.

Our visitors also invited us ashore tomorrow.  We declined since we contracted Covid shortly before leaving Colombia.  Basically a bad cold since we're vaccinated and triple boosted.  We're isolating aboard until well over it.  Glad it wasn't like our first encounter in London before either lockdowns started or a vaccine was created.  For me that was a fortnight-long headache with a bad cough.

Trust all's well where you are!

Santa Marta to Puerto Obaldia Passage Summary

Hi everyone,

We arrived in Puerto Obaldia, Panama at 1730 last night, 15 minutes before sunset.  It was a great passage with good winds throughout.

Panama Ho!

Here are the usual plots...

Overall Track

Arrival Detail

Graphs

Our track took us past the mouth of the Magdelena River.  We stayed 12nm off the coast there.  We continued west until north of a projected S-flowing current.  We gybed there and made good progress south.  First however we had adverse current but positive current appeared and pushed us south all the way.  The wind varied as we progressed south so reefs came out and went back in several times.  We motored the last few miles as the wind gradually died.

Here are the vital statistics...

• Distances/Speeds
• Route Distance = 293nm
• Log Distance = 297nm
• Track Distance = 297nm
• Duration = 2 days 6 hours (54 hours)
• Average boat speed = 5.5kt
• Average ground speed = 5.5kt
• Average day's run = 134nm (through the water)
• Best day's run = 134nm (5.5 kt)
• Minimum boat speed = 4 kt
• Maximum boat speed = 7 kt
• Weather
• Minimum wind speed = 4 kt
• Average wind speed = 15 knots
• Maximum wind speed = 31kt
• Apparent wind angle range = 100 to 170
• Seas up to 2.5m
• Swell negligible
• Mostly sunny with a few small cumulus.  A couple of light showers.
• Engine
• Total = 2 hours
• Failures
• None
• Stars
• The boat!
• Starlink for accessing GRIB files and email
• SailnSea SailingGen hydro generator
• Icom IC-7300 SSB for 12 hourly position reporting net with friends

The Puerto Obaldia anchorage provided good holding in 9m over silty mud.  Overnight a couple of rainstorms came through and we stayed put.  At other times however the wind dropped out and we were left rolling heavily beam-on to the seas.  Not much fun!

Zen Again at Puerto Obaldia

View from the Police Jetty

This morning sv Cerulean and sv Avanti arrived and anchored nearby.  We went ashore in our dinghy and visited the police, immigration, maritime administration and back to the police.  At the end of that, and US$260 poorer, we were cleared in to Panama for 3 months with a cruising permit for the whole country.

We had a quick look around the town.  It's very much a border town with many government offices and substantial police presence.  But everyone was friendly despite our limited Spanish.  We found hardware, clothes and general stores.

Back on Zen Again we hoisted the dinghy aboard and weighed anchor.  We didn't want to spend another night in that anchorage!  3 1/2 hours later we were in Puerto Oscoses, about 20nm west.  This is a very nice bay with calm seas.  Anchored in 8m over silty mud at 08 49.7N 077 38.0W.

Motoring west along the coast

In Panama!

There was very little wind so we motored along the coast.  Very jungly!

Overall Route

Arrival Detail

Graphs

Puerto Escoses

From here we expect to travel westward through the San Blas islands.  But first, a good night's sleep!

Panama Inbound

Hi everyone,
At 1200 today we were at 09 02N 77 05W steering 240M, sailng under double-furled main and single-furled yankee at 5.5 knots.  Happily we have about 0.5kt current with us.  It is sunny with small cumulus clouds.  The wind is 12G15 from the NNE.  Our noon to noon run was again 134nm (by the log).

Sunset Yesterday

Mid afternoon yesterday we rehoisted a double-reefed main as the wind gradually eased.  In the early evening that continued and we shook out a reef.  We had a few light rain showers later in the evening but the wind held in at 12G16 from the NE.  We had about 4/8 cloud.

In the small hours of the morning the wind started increasing and the second reef went back in the main.  The skies cleared and we enjoyed another great starscape.

At 0700 we again ran the Escapee SSB Net with four boats taking part. Cerulean was about 35nm behind us and trying to slow down so as to arrive at dawn tomorrow.  Meanwhile we hope to get in this evening, hopefully before last light.  If not we may heave-to off the port.

At 0900 this morning we gybed to head SW towards Puerto Obildia.  The NE wind had backed to NNE, taking us east of our route.  All the GRIB files say we shouldn't have much wind now, but it's holding in so far.  Won't last!  The current is certainly helping.  Here are the details for the last 24 hours…

Trust all's well where you are.