​The adventures of
Saecwen and her crew

By the time this blog is posted, Saecwen will be out in the Pacific Ocean as she embarks upon her 900-mile passage to the Galapagos Islands. Our final weekend in the Americas was action packed and unforgettable as we competed a significant rite-of-passage for many cruising sailors: transiting the Panama Canal. Final rig check before departure The first attempt to build a canal was led by the French, in the 19 th  century and involved attempting to dig a way through the thick

Panama´s claim to fame is undoubtedly the Panama Canal, an incredible feat of engineering that connects the Atlantic to the Pacific ocean, however far less well known is the incredible biodiversity in the tropical forests that cover over 50% of the entire country.   First glimpse of the Panamanian rainforest With Saecwen safely tied up in Shelter Bay Marina, alongside dozens of other yachts preparing for their canal transit and adventures into the Pacific, we took the opportu

The San Blas Islands comprise an archipelago of over 350 tiny islands on the Caribbean side of Panama, ranging from the tiniest strip of sand with a handful of coconut trees to larger islands a few hundred metres long.  These magical islands are part of the territory of Guna Yala, home to the Guna people, one of the few indigenous communities in Latin America who have managed to preserve the political and cultural autonomy of their land and traditions. Saecwen checking in at