Guest Log Entry

As is a tradition on Astarte, our guests are asked to submit a log entry. So enjoy the adventures of our friends Margaret and Lloyd from Maine. They are racing sailors who own a J120 (note they are "racers" - we are cruisers and Astarte is our home!)

Enjoy.

On January 6th, Margaret and I left Brunswick at 0600 with 10 degrees F on the thermometer and Casco Bay freezing up quickly. We spent a night in Ft. Liquordale with relatives and then flew on to Panama City. After a pleasant evening there, on the 8th we took the puddle jumper across the isthmus to land on a glorified driveway at Corazon del Jesus, only to find that it is still winter down here! For the last three days we have had unremitting weather in the low 80's in the steady tradewinds. Water temperature is also in the low 80's, but we will struggle on and try to bear up with the hardship.

But seriously folks, we have had a wonderful welcome from Michael and Barbara, lucked out at the tienda with a great selection of veggies and fruits before our departure sailing, and have been happily bobbling in the turquoise water. Barbara has been cooking up a series of terrific meals for us. And they have introduced us both to snorkeling on the reefs, which I think is almost as good as sailing! I'll let Margaret tell you more about that in her entry, but we did a long dive yesterday drifting with the current for a half mile over the grass and coral, marveling at the sights. Only this morning does Michael tell we were floating in Alligator Alley! All fingers and toes are present and accounted for, though.

A great part of the cruise is getting to know Michael and Barbara better. We hit it off well last October at the wedding, and it's still feeling good. Michael and I were up till eleven last evening talking of battery technology, downwind tacking angles, and generally solving the world's problems. The last turns out to be remarkably easy: delete all the assholes and we will be good to go. More in few days. Margaret is next.

I am thrilled with my new snorkeling mask that opens up an amazing view that really doesn't look much like the dentist's office. Actually the viewing lens is much larger than my normal glasses, so all is clear to me now. Michael reports as we speak that they are squid hanging out by the anchor chain – what we have to put up with!

I was a little worried about the heat down here and it is indeed hot, but 2 hours plus in the water yesterday took care of that (the 15 knot trades blsoing through the boat probably helped too!

The float snorkel yesterday was interesting because of its variety. There were long stretches of sand or grasses with little that I could see except star fish. Then we would cross a fabulous block of coral that was loaded with fish. I saw the most incredible ray winging past me and wasn't even scared.

For all of you looking at your atlases, the first night we were at Esnasdup, 2nd in the Western Holandes Cays near Waisaiadup. Then last night we spent here in the Eastern Holandes near Kalugirdup and Ukupsuit. Westerns have nick-named this last the "Hot Tub". "Dup" means island in Kuna; "Hot tub" means fabulous snorkeling in English.

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