The Great Lion Hunt of 2009....and other adventures.

There had been some discussion prior to our arrival about the introduction of the lionfish to the Caribbean and what that meant for the local fishes and human swimmers. Forewarned, we brought with us some information on recognizing and reporting these beautiful but invasive and poisonous critters, and also some hints for what to do if you come in contact with them-ouch. After posting the info with the Kuna congreso and announcing it over the Net (a sort of morning radio talk show whereby some people convey pertinent information and others like to hear themselves talk), we figured we were done with it…and besides we had failed the 1st (and only) inquiry for the "professional marine biologists:" What is the incubation period of hawksbill turtle eggs? (The answer is about 6 weeks and at least the question wasn't about %^#&@^ dolphins!)

That failure aside, Mark and I went on a swimming circumnavigation of Olosicuidup upon arrival at the Coco Banderos (the Coco B's)-a very beautiful group of palm-clad islas with turquoise water and cool birds. We got most of the way around, seeing the ordinary cast of characters, when we saw an unusual stump in about 8' of water. Mark dove down and found a lionfish tucked within the root wad. Thus began the Great Lion Hunt of 2009…

After a re-anchoring to take advantage of the primo spot in the small anchorage, Michael grabbed his spear gun and he and Mark set out to slay the dragon. They did in fact manage to slaughter the wily beast*, dragging it through the waves to shore where they shook it vigorously from the spear and gave it a proper burial after pounding it to bits (by the way, this activity is deemed completely appropriate by said "professional marine biologists" given the invasive nature of the beastie-and the PMBs are decidedly better versed in fishes than turtles).

So, to reward our heroic men for making the ocean safer for both man and (other) beasts, we celebrated by having a delicious dinner of sentoya, a local crab that looks like a cross between an Alaskan king crab and a red rock crab and tastes wicked good-and at the fair price of 2 for $5 we couldn't go wrong-except that the shells were hard, very hard!

Another night in the Coco B's saw us trying for a quick snorkel and then a departure for Moron Island-we are pretty sure at least part of the crew may find their people (that would be the part of the crew that repeatedly bangs body parts on any boat part that happens to be standing by)!

*Note: The referenced wily beast was approximately three inches, approximately the size of your neighborhood goldfish…"its fins were REALLY big though"…and those are the poisonous parts!

November 21, 2009

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Molas, Crocodiles, Late-night Visitors, and Rain

It's been an eventful few days here on Astarte, not the least of which was a humdinger of a squall last night at the convenient hour of 0230! Yuck. The dinghy has subsequently been bailed twice and still has a bit of water. The good news is that the water tanks are full, with water to spare! And our drying clothes got a second dousing while on the line. The bad news is that the squall wasn't the end of it and we continue to see the rain fall…and that once crystal water around Green Island has turned to mud. Yuck times two.

Backing up a bit, we did have an encounter with Lisa, "master mola maker and infamous transvestite" (as per The Panama Cruising Guide) before leaving the Lemmons. Barbara has written a bit about the Kuna's propensity for approaching boats and selling their wares. Having read about Lisa just a few hours earlier, I couldn't help but be intrigued enough to see her molas and chat her up (her English is quite good). And she had some very intricate molas. I'm not really a connoisseur and know nothing about the fabric arts (hell, I can hardly sew a button), but luckily the guide books tell you what to look for. My hopes of finding a Mola mola mola (yes, there's a fish joke in there) weren't realized but we did pick up a few nice ones and a very kitchy mola beer coozie! We'll hang with Lisa again when we talk a river tour in a few days.

Still no joy in the fishing world. We've heard reports of a crocodile (a wee pup at 5' in length) in the vicinity-he seems to be a bit of a local legend. Combined with the murky water, the snorkeling potential is rapidly declining, as you may imagine! We were hoping the murky water might lead to some fishing luck (it is looking more like Chesapeake Bay or the Gulf than that gin-clear water we were lured by), but alas even the changing conditions can't dumb down the local stocks enough to take a bite.

Lastly, we heard the saddest tale of woe last evening when we were approached by two Kunas well after dark. They arrived in the midst of yet another squall. They had been out collecting coconuts (Kuna currency, forbidden to visitors) and as they were paddling for home, their ulu (canoe) was upended. While these boats are very cool, we witnessed their lack of stability when the Kuna man selling octopus toppled out of his earlier in the day while trying to close the deal with us-he came to the surface with the octos held high! At any rate, the guys lost all their cocos, one canoe paddle, and some pride. The younger of the two (15) was a bit scared by the whole episode and they decided we were a safe bet. So, they got cookies and coffee, a towel, some shelter, and time to regain their courage while they waited for a weather window to make the 3 hour paddle home (not sure if that was calculated with 1 paddle or two?). The older one (20) was fluent in Spanish so we chatted a bit, at which point we learned about the crocodiles, turtles, and white sharks (though we're thinking some kind of reef shark) in the area-this story was further compounded by a side note whereby their dog had recently been eaten by a crocodile. Hmmmm. Barbara and I (the cynics in this case) just couldn't help but wonder if we were being put on! At any rate, it makes for a good story!

We're hoping for some clearer air and water tomorrow, but are content to read and sip rum punches for the time being.

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Guests Aboard Astarte

Our guests have arrived - Kathryn and Mark made it to Porvenir and boarded Astarte bright and early Monday morning. The following (entry/entries) will be guest logs from Kathryn.

Buenos dias! After struggling with my ever-diminishing Spanish skills in Panama City, I was glad to board the plane to El Porvenir. Check-in was fairly simple at the airport (the former American military base in the Canal Zone). They bilked us for our extra luggage (gringo surcharge??), but not too bad, and we didn't have to leave all those nuts and that Dunkin' Donuts coffee we acquired behind! Security is considerably lax and they only asked to see the rum we had in our handbags-really, they looked at it and gave back to us. It was a bit disconcerting to see 5 guys standing around fixing the plane before we boarded, but we trusted the pilot and when he gave the okay, we boarded.

While the small size of the Twin Otter was no surprise, what we didn't know about was the size of the runway in Porvenir. I'm pretty sure it would be considered a palm-lined driveway in some neighborhoods. Mark had won the window seat, which left him scanning for coral reefs. I got the aisle seat, which left me looking at the cockpit controls and the approach. I can't say I didn't utter a "Dios mio" under my breath when I saw this thing! We skidded to a halt 50 feet before the beach on the far side. Michael said he saw some pretty green folks deplane-I don't think we were among them, but I'm glad to be avoiding that runway on our return trip. Of course, he just flew back to Porvenir and didn't mutter anything about this runway-obviously he is tougher than I when it comes to sketchy airports! A great start to this adventure, at any rate.

We checked in with the Kuna congreso who lightened our pockets a bit and then it was off to the boat to chill with some coffee and breakfast snacks and watch the rain storms roll in. And it rained. But then it cleared and we took off for the West Lemmons-and as we were approaching, another rainstorm rolled in and this one was serious tropical rain. Barbara bore the brunt of it, being on reef watch on the bow. Though, with a track-line to follow, we anchored without much ado, got settled, and took off snorkeling in the afternoon.

After a scrumptious dinner of lobster and pasta, some good times meeting the Tumshis, and several glasses of wine, we all crashed at cruisers midnight (which fits my sleeping patterns perfectly). A little bit of rain kept us on our toes during the night, but all and all a good rest was had by all.

Today we moved on to Green Island which is a picture perfect Caribbean island. We did a nice long snorkel in the afternoon and Mark and I tried to make up for the lack of fishing joy we had on the passage by trying again from the dinghy-so far we're not bringing much luck to Astarte to go along with all that tackle we brought…there's always tomorrow…

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Treated Like a Rock Star

Michael made it back without any drama. The flights were more or less on time. The weather was iffy for the short flight on Thursday from Panama City to the island of Porvenir. The Air Panama little plane stopped in Playon Chico first and Porvenir second. Not the normal schedule. It missed a couple of other stops because of rain and squalls. It was late getting to Porvenir, but did land safely. Barbara successfully got the outboard on the dink and got to shore to meet Michael. No small feat, doing it alone.

His dad is doing o.k. but is failing fast, so it was a good trip. They had a very good day on Sunday so they had some quality time to share. Marilyn is working hard and is doing everything she can to keep him comfortable and well cared for. We couldn't ask for a better person to provide support.

Michael has received lots and lots of very thoughtful and meaningful wishes from friends and he really appreciates all the kind thoughts. It was a tough visit, but it was something that he really needed to as well as wanted to do.

Tom and Jan were great. They put him up (and put up with him!), lent him cell phones and the use of their computer, ran lots of errands he couldn't get to before things closed, bought many meals and gifts and were very supportive. We don't want to say that the best part was the gift of some new lures, but I guess we just did!

He was a little worried about the hotel in Panama City on the way back. Turns out the Hotel Costa Inn has it all together. He made the reservation on the way out of Panama and was hoping it would work out. They have a courtesy shuttle from Tocumen Airport, the big one, to the hotel. Customs was a breeze. Especially because you can bring in up to $2000 worth of goods without paying duty. He brought in hard cheese, vitamins, roach traps (preventative - not curative!), propane fittings, canvas waterproofing, fishing lures, nuts, and new "not rusty" clothes pins.

He came out of the customs area and was greeted by a very nice man with a big sign with "Michael Hewkins" (so a bit misspelled) on it. He called to Michael (no matter what you do, we look like tourists) and we had a very quick drive to the hotel. It felt like a rock star arriving and being met by a limo! He was in the room before 11p after landing at 8:30.

The next morning the shuttle took him to the small airport where Air Panama flies out of. This one cost $10 but again, was on time and went as planned. The hotel includes a free breakfast, but at 4:30am the kitchen was not open, so they made him a great cup of coffee and toast. All in all, a great experience for the travel home.

We had a big rain day on Thursday. The tanks are full and Barbara is a clothes washing fool. We didn't move, but did move on Friday to the West Lemmons (two "Ms"). They reportedly have lots of bugs, but none so far today, Saturday (probably speaking way too soon). After our projects, we went over to Tumshi and Michael cleaned the carburetor of Freidl's 5hp Yamaha outboard. It actually helped and it runs much better.

Today will be snorkeling and not too many boat projects (some more laundry and maybe a bit of sewing). Michael's glad to be home. Tomorrow back to Porvenir to meet Kathryn and Mark. They arrive on Monday morning bright and early. Sunday we'll empty the "attic" (that would be the V-berth so they have a place to sleep) and the garage (that would be forward head - so they can …). We'll find temporary homes for all that "stuff." With the nor'easter in the DC area - we hope they make it here.

One last note, thanks to Tom and Jan and their computer and internet, NEW PICTURES, no captions.

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Hope Michael Makes the Flight Back

The last full day/night on the boat alone and I can't wait for Capt. Mike to return. We have a lot to do before our guests arrive on Monday. Today (Wednesday), I was awaken by squalls - wind, rain and a swell coming into the anchorage. It's been raining pretty hard - I need the water so some of that is good - and I've had to bail the dinghy twice so far. I have laundry hanging out from yesterday - it got another "rinse" cycle - but means it'll take forever to dry today. Have more laundry in the bucket - but running out of clothespins!

Otherwise, life on Astarte is reading, writing, bailing, cleaning and some cooking. Nothing new but I am looking forward to leaving Porvenir and seeing some other islands. I'm starting to know all the fishermen here by name.

One interesting thing being talked about on the morning "radio net" is that lion fish (a toxic Pacific tropical fish - often seen in fish tanks) is now in the San Blas. Sightings are reported daily and people are trying to kill them as they displace local fish and take over lobster habitat. They are also very toxic and can cause serious pain and worse! So it seems like the lion fish hunting season is in full swing.

A shout out to Tom and Jan for taking Michael in for his Portland stay and helping with lots of the errands.

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Single-Handing: Day Five

Okay, I'm counting down the days. Just two more days and Michael gets back (hopefully) to Astarte. Our friends Friedl and Angelika are now in Porvenir, so I have some help nearby. And some company other than the non-stop Kunas coming buy to sell lobster, crab, vegetables, fruits, molas, bracelets, etc. It really is non-stop. And if you're not on deck - they stay and call you until you come out.

Not much going on - did a small dinghy ride yesterday to run Yoshi and then got the dinghy motor back on board (by myself) and the dinghy all locked up. Also did a short swim. There are lots and lots of small (and some large) reef squids around. They are all around the boat and in the clear water you can watch them.
Last night we did have some good lightning and thunder with some rain this morning.

The other night, there was an incredible sight around the boat. I thought someone was outside because I heard all this splashing - but it was just some splashing fish. And then I noticed the water was "aglow" with phosphorescence. There were short bits, long strands, blinking ones and swimming glows. It was amazing - they were everywhere. It was like an underwater light show. I had hoped it would be that way again last night, but there was nothing. Perhaps it was glow worm sex - being quite close to a reef and also a full moon just passed. Who knows - but it was one of those magical, memorable sights that you enjoy while cruising.

Had company for dinner last night and cooked up a storm. Made my mom's stuffed cabbage recipe and had a lobster salad and a decadent chocolate cake. It kept me entertained (and away from cleaning).

Otherwise, all is safe and good aboard Astarte. She's taking good care of me. I do miss Michael. He'll be back Thursday on the early flight (Kathryn and Mark - it arrives about 0635 and seems to be on-time most days).

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Home Alone

Well it wasn't like the movie.but it is strange to be alone (that would be Barbara) on the boat in Panama. All went well with day one of being a single hander. I did get the outboard off the dinghy and back on the boat - it took some doing. Michael did make it to the mainland and this morning (Saturday) SHOULD be on his way to Portland - an all day adventure. He connected with some old friends from St. Petersburg (Ginger and John) and enjoyed a little time with them in Panama City. They left on the same plane he did from Porvenir - talk about weird encounters.

It's a damp day - not enough for water collection - just annoying drizzle that keeps the solar panels from not working. People come and go in Porvenir - so the "Bay movies" are fun to watch. Our traveling friends from Tumshi will get here Monday - so I'll have some company for at least a day. I'll make them dinner for their efforts to give up good island time to come here.

I did get a few lobsters yesterday (for $3 - sorry Margie) and cooked them up for today's dinner. The Kuna ladies though are persistent about selling their jewelry and molas. They'll stay at the boat for a long time. I hope I don't cave and buy more stuff!!!