Checking into the morning radio nets (SW Carib. Net 1315 UTC 6209 USB & Panama Connection Net 1330 UTC 8107 USB, VHF 72 is cruiser hailing and standby) gave us some idea of where to start exploring. Names of boats, people and places were noted as well as what was available there. After a…

Today, after three weeks in Panama’s San Blas Islands, we begin heading for Shelter Bay Marina at the Atlantic Panama Canal entrance. We plan a stop tonight, Monday and Tuesday at historic Portobelo where in the 16th century the Spanish had a trading center and treasury to collect the gold plundered from the Americas.…

Yesterday afternoon we arrived at Portobello Panama (9d33.51’N, 79d40.11’W, 50 ft) after a scenic 60 mile motorsail along the coast from the San Blas Islands. Of note were four unique to us fish farms with huge pyramidal nets up in the air near 9d42′ N, 79d18’W. Another one was at the entrance to the…

Touring Portobello with its historic Customs House/Museum, forts and batteries was worthwhile. We hiked up to the three levels of the San Fernando Fort Battery ruins above where Interlude was anchored for a spectacular view of the Bay. There is a morning VHF radio net on channel 72 at 0900 local where the cruisers…

We are scheduled to transit the Gatun Locks (up to lake Gatun from the Atlantic) on January 4 around 1000 to 1300 PST. Then we spend the night anchored on Lake Gatun and go down the Miraflores locks to the Pacific on January 5 around 0500 to 0800 PST time. According to our agent…