Crew blog: Panama to Polynesia

Written by Justin Buckland, Heloise's brother who joined Saecwen in Panama on the 13th March and departed from the Gambier islands, French Polynesia on 16th May.

I was delighted to be offered a place on Saecwen’s voyage from Panama to French Polynesia: crossing the Panama Canal, on to the Galapagos Islands and then a 3000+ mile Pacific passage.

Part of the deal was that I would bring a few items for the boat: in the weeks before leaving the UK I accumulated a bewildering array of hard-to-get supplies and spares, from sea shampoo and mung beans for sprouting to battery charging electronics and courtesy flags.

Spares and supplies for Saecwen

When I arrived in Panama, these were put to use straight away: DC-DC converters (and reconfiguring the battery management system, which needed a Windows laptop and a password from the Elephant Boatyard), Pacific charts, a light for the chart table, and a mast-head wind instrument were installed. Activity continued on many fronts with whippings to mark key positions on halyards, downhauls and control lines; galley hand pump replacement; anchor chain screw-on markers, hopefully more durable than the paint they replaced; and assembly of a “Fortress” back-up anchor with an extra-long line. There was much to do before setting off and it was satisfying to tick items off the snag list at the end of each day.

Saecwen getting ready for the Panama Canal transit

One of Saecwen’s most useful and critical pieces of kit is the Watt & Sea hydrogenerator (“Wattie”), which charges our batteries and avoids having to run the engine on a daily basis. However, Wattie had recently stopped generating – presumed to be the converter electronics, which were duly replaced. The fault seemed to be fixed.

Transom dangling to reattach Wattie's downhaul

While inspecting our vane steering equipment (“George IV”) a few days before setting off from Panama, I noticed a small cut in the cable running from Wattie to the transom, so we added insulation and tubing for protection. On passage to the Galapagos and away from any marina we were alarmed to discover that Wattie was still not generating power – diagnostics with the multimeter showed that at least two of the three wires in the cable were severely corroded and we would have to cut out a section and reconnect before setting out across the Pacific.

Saecwen going through Miraflores locks (last raft port side)

As soon as we reached the Galapagos we went in search of crimp connectors and self-amalgamating tape to combine with spray-on insulation and a waterproof housing for triple-layered protection against water ingress. I carried out the repair while perched on the transom with my toes dangling in the water just above the black-tip sharks. This was complicated by the large wakes of speeding water taxis, so it was a great relief when Wattie started generating again on the passage from Galapagos to Polynesia!

Panama fruit and veg market

 With boat prep under control, provisioning became the priority: first a supermarket and “zona libre” shops in Panama for non-perishable food and duty-free drinks, and then to markets in Panama City and Puerto Ayora, Galapagos for abundant supplies of fresh fruit and veg - in Panama followed by a local breakfast of spicy cow’s lung stew and yucca.

Spiced cows lung breakfast for the lapsed vegetarian

On passage, hectic activity subsided and we had more time for our rotating chef duties, which involved preparing lunch, the main meal of the day. Memorable meals included mahi-mahi fillets, wahoo ceviche, yuca cheese rolls, and a series of Ottolenghi dishes inspired by the ship’s copy of “Plenty More”. These were more challenging to prepare, particularly in strong winds and heavy seas, when ingredients would leap out of their locker as soon as the door opened, a benign version of Pandora’s box!

Plantain fritters, yucca cheese balls & Ottolenghi's Plenty More

At the start of the Pacific crossing a new moon and clear skies gave magnificent views of thousands of stars, with familiar constellations at odd angles and in unexpected places. Two weeks later the full moon made mesmerising reflections in the waves, overwhelming the stars but giving light to spot squalls which became more frequent in the second half of the passage. Night watches gave time to take in the night skies and morning sunrises, and days slipped by as we made steady progress in the south-east trade winds. The rhythm of watches and meals gave structure to the day, and it seemed not long before were close to the Gambier Islands, making landfall after 21 days at sea, averaging close to 7 knots.

Saecwen - the only yacht in the anchorage at Floreana

When not involved in preparation and passage-making, we visited so many amazing places: in Panama a forest walk and the canal transit; Galapagos exploration with our Floreana island guide Santos, swimming in a lava tunnel and snorkelling with sealions; wonderful sub-tropical forest treks, island exploration and pearl farm visit in the Gambier Islands.

Soirée avec les bretons à Shelter Bay

Conversations with fellow cruisers gave new insights into the places we were visited and approaches to sailing. Some live on board permanently, while others were partly land-based. Most had travelled widely and had interesting experiences to share. Saecwen was always admired by the guests invited on board.

Playa Tortuga Bay, Santa Cruz, Galapagos

It was a joy to discover local customs and restaurants: in Puerto Ayora, Galapagos a passion for form-filling (Saecwen’s visitors log and stamp met with approval) and lunches at a ceviche restaurant with a recipe later used on board; in Rikitea, Gambier Islands a wonderfully welcoming and laid-back French Polynesian commune complete with gendarmerie, poste, mairie and delicious steak-frites.

Rikitea anchorage and the northern ridge of Mangareva, Les Gambiers

My two months on Saecwen with Heloise and Charlie were punctuated by alternating rhythms of boat preparation, provisioning, passage making and island exploration. Life on board had a strange effect on the perception of time: nearing the end of my stay, Panama and Galapagos and even the Pacific crossing already seem a long way in the past, while the whole experience has passed all too quickly.

Swimming in the gorge, las Grietas, Galapagos

Saecwen's TransPacifix Crew