Spoiler Alert! We decided to stay on the Caribbean side of Panama until Fall 2021, and defer the Panama Canal crossing until November/December.
As COVID infections have been very very limited in the marinas and anchorages on the Caribbean side of Panama, we have been enjoying less restrictive activities with fellow cruisers. Note, we limited our interactions in the city, having our food delivered from a veggie truck that comes to the Marina and direct to boats in anchorages. We did go a few times into the smaller Panamanian town of Colon but even that, mostly to the smaller Sobey’s Mediterranean grocery. Sobeys has less density, plus they give Shelter Bay Marina clients a nice discount.
Upping our game
In addition to paying poker on Zoom with my Potomac, Maryland girlfriends, Don and I have been snorkeling, playing poker, Rumicube, and Boule, and having fishing competitions with our good friends Sara Edwards and Neil Gatt (SV English Sally).
Fishing
Poker
Neil and Sara learned Texas Hold’em but it didn’t help that I got a Royal Straight Flush!
Boule
Don and Neil ruled this game 
Neil won, again… 
I won once… 
Best COVID buddies ever!
Water play
Unfortunately, no pictures from the windsurfer, SUP, and wake boarding activities!
Music makes the world go round
We’re getting better on our ukuleles played a lot of music onboard with Neil and Sara (SV English Sally), and Jack and Fizzy (SV Carpe Diem), and previously at Shelter Bay Marina with Carrie and Ken (SV Griffin) Steph and Stew (SV Matador), Susy (SV Stargazer) Frank from SBM, and other musicians who came and went over the months.
Maintenance and new sail drives
After years of fighting with the SD-50 sail drives on our Yanmar engines, we bit the bullet and exchanged them for the newer SD-60s. Work was performed by the new Panama Yanmar dealer, Dominic at Mike Marine Services, and his most excellent mechanic, Galvez, at both Shelter Bay and later Linton Bay Marinas. More to come on this topic later.
Professional shots
For those of you who scrolled all the way down on this blog, this is what you get when you hang with a professional photographer! Sara Edwards Gatt has the eye!
