Shelter Bay Marina, Atlantic Coast of Panama

After almost 2 weeks in Paradise, we bid a sad goodbye to the San Blas...somehow I don't think it will be the same when or if  we ever get back here again..the charming culture of the Kuna Indians is slipping from their grasp and global warming is causing many of the tiny islands to simply disappear from the charts.

Kuna children entertaining the lady with the candy!

We headed to the big smoke of Panama where we joined up with the rest of the Oyster fleet at a marina in Shelter bay.

The marina is relatively isolated from the city of Colon and the Marina restaurant was the only place for the boat crews to eat and drink. A great time was had by all and the fleet is getting to know each other really well.

Too well in some instances! Several home truths were shared at the bottom of dozens of bottles of wine and rum  and some people have gone home! However, what goes on on the rally stays on the rally!

The forest surrounding the Marina is inhabited by Howler and Cappuchin monkeys and the noise of the Howlers at dusk and dawn was matched only by the revelry of the Oyster youngsters at a 2am pool party and the drunken sailors at the pirate party at Fort San Lorenzo.

Blood thirsty? or just thirsty?

Really blood thirsty!

Oyster treated the fleet to a lavish lunch at the old Spanish fort which was overcome by Henry Morgan and his blood thirsty band of real pirates in the days when the Spanish were plundering  South American gold. Entertainment was provided by Voodoo dancers and the previously mentioned Oyster revellers.

Oyster revellers or voodoo dancers?

While we were in the Marina we hauled the boat out of the water and had the bottom cleaned and antifouled...For the benefit of the uninitiated, a boat needs to paint its under water bits with toxic chemicals regularly to keep weed and barnacles from growing. These unwanted passengers slow the boat down and heaven forbid this should happen to any competitive skipper!

The main advantage for the skipper's  wife is that she got to spend 2 nights in a hotel while the weeds and barnacles were being nuked. All very civilised ..not for the barnacles of course!

Ready to face the Pacific Ocean...clean bottom.