Cat’Leya in Panama : a three-faced diamond!

The San Blas Islands are undoubtedly our most beautiful discovery since we left La Rochelle! San Blas. The name of this group of islands had been stuck in my head since our first tour of the Atlantic, when we met the Biquets, a couple from Toulouse who we expect to meet up with in Polynesia. Coral reef, a sea that goes from blue to green to turquoise, sandy islands, coconut palms just like those drawn by children, but also houses with roofs made from coconut leaves. The Kunas, the local Indians, protect their culture and their paradise. The local rules in place can sometimes seem a bit over the top: no wakeboarding, kitesurfing, underwater fishing or even the use of drones. However, the result is there for all to see! Whether you want    "langostas des sentoyos" (spider crab), or "red snappers", everything is there and we make the most of Nature's bounty! Perhaps it was just a foretaste of Polynesia and the Tuamotu Atolls which awaited us?  The bays of Chichime, Hollandes and Bandeiro, are names which are now etched in our memories for ever. A few days later we arrived at Colon at the entrance to the Panama Canal. We moored on the flats whilst awaiting the pilot boa twhich would guide us to Gatun Lake where we would spend the night. We already had our three handliners, supplied by our agent, to help stabilise Cat'Leya in the locks. In the afternoon, the pilot boat approached and the pilot came on board. We were headed for our first passage. After negociation, or actually categoric refusal to go through with a ferry boat or an enormous old time yacht, it was decided that Cat'Leya would pair up with "Manjaro", another Lagoon (52). Everything went well with no particular problems. When the last lock opened onto the Pacific, it was a magical moment. I had been waiting for this moment for so long, and after all the years of preparation and the thousands of miles that had been travelled, the reward was there at last!   

Who : Jean-Pierre

Where ? Océan Atlantique

Blog. www.sailingcatleya.blue

Boat : Lagoon 52 Sport Top