San Blas Islands 2 March 2024.
The anchor alarm did not go off in the night which was good so we had not moved. I could hear the water crashing over the reef and it was another lovely day and a bit less windy than the day before.
We had breakfast and the shower pump which drains the shower stopped working and out seemed to be a similar problem to what had happened in Davids shower. I took it off and cleaned it but when I out it back it kept shorting. Luckily I had an old but serviced pump and fitted it and it worked. After this we then decided to go ashore and explore Green Island. We thought we would take all the bits of Puffin (our nestling dinghy with us and assemble her ashore where it was more sheltered. We therefore towed Puffin and went ashore. Green Island was a lovely Island with a sandy shore and lots of tall palm trees and it was uninhabited which was nice. We rigged Puffin and I went first but the wind was quite fluky and it took some time until I had some wind with which I could use to sail. I sailed around for a while amongst yachts at anchor and then I headed ashore to join the others who were walking round the Island. I had to use an oar to get me in the last a bit. Joyce and Carolyn went next and I had a swim and we went to rescue them for the last bit in our rubber dinghy. David got in Puffin and we went back for lunch and David sailed Puffin back to Stormbird. We had a light lunch and then headed off to the reef to the west of Green Island where we had been told that the snorkelling was good. We saw another dinghy anchored on the reef so we did the same. The coral (variety of colours), fans (mainly purple or violet), sponges (mainly orange and brown) and coral trees (black, brown or green) under the water was amazing and they were all swaying with the current from the water flowing over the reef. This was the best we had seen so far in the San Blas. We swam for some time and then had to get back into the dinghy which was a slightly undignified process of clambering over the sponsons (floats). On our way back we passed a Catamaran coming into the anchorage which had two aggressive – bulldog looking dogs on board and as they passed us the dogs barked and ran down to the back of the Catamaran and one of them jumped off into the water. I thought of running it over bit decided against this. The Catamaran carried on and did not stop for its dog. Perhaps it had done this before and it would swim to where they anchored.
We picked up Carolyn as we passed Stormbird and within a quarter of a mile behind us was a small sandy Island with about 8 Palm trees on it and a small hut. It looked so inviting we went to explore and it is called Wailsafadup. Once we hauled our dinghy on to its small beach we met a lady with a small dog who explained that she knew the owner of the Island and that a man who came here regularly had drowned last week and she had made a small shrine for him. She said the little reef around the Island had fantastic coral etc so we went to explore. She was right but it was on a lot smaller scale to what we had seen on the reef.
We returned to Stormbird having enjoyed our trip and David decided to take Puffin out again whilst I prepared a chicken curry which we enjoyed later in the evening after sundowners on the back. It had been a relaxing and satisfying day and Puffin had been given an outing which was great and thanks again for Mark for building her.. As I write this everyone has gone to bed and I am typing by light from little inflatable solar lights I bought in the Caribbean in 2019 when I did the Atlantic and all I can hear is the roar from the reef some 200-300 meters away and the dinghy on the back and the little wavelets as it rides up and down. I have the boat to myself which is nice and once I have posted this blog I will go and sit on the back deck and gaze at the stars for a while. Good night all and hope this blog is curing those with insomnia. If you have not been to the San Blas it should be on your bucket list.
The blog will continue as we head off to Panama and beyond.
If you have any comments or suggestions about the blog do email me on hine.nick9@gmail.com I can only upload one picture a day and visit our website www.stormbirdgoesglobal.co.uk