Along the Pacific Coast to Panama City

Sailing along the coast of Panama was an enjoyable experience. We had great wind as we sailed SE and approached Punta Mariano, the southern most point of our Pacific journey. At one point we encountered a "super-pod" of Pantropical spotted dolphins, hundreds of them surrounding us in an area of about a square mile. Some were swimming in small groups, some were hunting - swimming rapidly in circular patterns, and others seemed content to ride our bow wave and just check us out. We also chanced upon a very large Humpback whale swimming quite close to us as we passed through the dolphin pod.

Rounding Punta Mariano we turned northeast into the anchorage at Punta Guanico, where we stayed for two days while Jon of S/V Prism helped Chris change out the starter on the generator. Shannon and I explored ashore, but found not much more than a small restaurant and a few homes here. Leaving the bay with generator repaired, we rounded Punta Mala, so named for the bad conditions to be found there when the current and wind are working against you. Fortunately for us it was not too bad. Yes, we had an adverse current of a few knots, but we had a fairly strong southerly wind to assist us. We sailed around the point and headed northwards, passing Isla Iguana in a squall that brought 30 knots of wind and whiteout conditions. I watched the storm approach as we neared the island, which is low lying and home to many Great Frigatebirds. They dipped and swooped lower and lower as the rain came down and the wind picked up until eventually they flew only a few feet above the water, hundreds of them surrounding our boat as we sailed onward through the clouds and rain, the island now completely obscured from view.

Our plan was to head to a little used anchorage just inside the mouth of the mangrove lined river Mensabe, about 12 miles past Isla Iguana. We needed to wait for the high tide, so when we arrived early we floated around the entrance and relaxed for an hour waiting for the water to be deeper upon our approach. Legend has it that an ancient Spanish ship became stranded here and while offloading the contents of the ship in order to lighten the load, a gold statue of the Virgin mary was lost overboard. The chief of the local Mensabe tribe tried to dive and recover the statue, but he drowned in the river. Henceforth it was named in honor of his tribe. It is unknown if the gold statue was ever recovered, but likely it was at some point.

We motored slowly into the entrance at near high tide and passed through a large field of moored fishing vessels before being directed by a local in a panga to tie up to a mooring ball at the back of the field on the southern side near the mangroves.

Checking the depth, we felt comfortable with 34 ft, but by low tide we were only sitting in 18 ft of water. We spent a restful night here.

Morning brought the next high tide and after watching crocodile slip past us as we drank coffee at dawn we released the mooring line and passed out of the river with the tide.

A beautiful old ketch lay stranded along the southern shore, reminding us of the dangers of the shoals.

The wreck of an old 100+ ft long Ketch sits stranded on the beach outside Rio Mensabe, Panama

The town and dock at Las Tablas. The dock was built in 1924.

Fishing boats moored in the mouth of Rio Mensabe, Panama.

  Next stop was Isla Otoque, where we found good anchorage along the NW shoreline  near the small village.

In the morning we made the final passage on to Isla Taboga. This small island is a favorite weekend getaway spot for Panamanians who find it convenient to take the ferry over from the Panama City area, about 7 miles away. We tied up to a mooring ball that was described to us as "first come, first served" while S/V Prism anchored on the northern side of the small beach. Getting to shore proved to be a challenge with the extreme tides and the dock which was only large enough for one or two boats, which were subject to removal when the ferry arrived. We hooked up with a local fisherman and got permission to tie up for a couple hours between scheduled ferry arrivals.

Today the picturesque colonial-style town sports various restaurants and bars and a nature preserve, but during the French canal building period it was a hospital island for patients suffering from malaria and yellow fever. Among those lucky few who recovered here was the French Impressionist painter, Paul Gauguin.