Sailors, Dreamers

    

We are here at Sheller Bay waiting for parts and (still) paperwork. Transport Canada is taking their sweet time to register our boat, so Quand Meme (the current name), is in limbo, like a refugee, while we undergo the Canadian registration and name changing process.  Meanwhile, in-between boat work, we are enjoying the amenities and social functions of this popular marina. There are twice daily shuttles to the nearby town of Colon, where there are large malls and markets as well as chandlers for boat parts. The cruiser community here is also very active with all kinds of events such as weekly barbecues, game nights, and nature walks. We’ve made a lot of friends who are from all corners of the globe.

Shelter Bay Marina has a large resturant, swimming pool, lounge, shops...there's almost no need to go elsewhere!

Evening entertainment

This marina is also a major hub for cruisers transiting the Panama Canal. The Canal transit itself is a major endeavor that takes a lot of planning and logistics. More importantly, after the transit most cruisers go on to major ocean crossings – either through the Southern Pacific Ocean towards the French Polynesian and onto Australia and New Zealand; or to Hawaii and then Alaska and Northern America. And March is a popular month for all these activities as this is the start of the season for fair winds. So while everyone is still partying and doing boat work, there’s an underlying tension, and excitment, in the air: The boat has to be ready, and there’s a tight schedule to be met, for a serious, demanding journey. A sailboat is a complex system that has lots of components, requiring constant attention on maintenance and repair, and for a long ocean passage the level of preparation needed is extraordinary. One such couple we met is Susan and Holger from Germany. They have a larger boat, a 45 ft Hallberg Rassy which was sailed from Europe to the Caribbeans earlier this year, and now, after frantic preparations, they are ready to cross the Canal and onto the big blue Pacific. Susan is a professor who studies society changes as a result of climate change, and as part of her global sailing she’s analyzing and reporting on the changes that she has witnessed. What a perfect combination of work and play!

Professional line handlers arriving to board the boats scheduled for Canal transit. Each boat must have

four crews to run the lines which will be operated from the shore.

 

Our friends on "Dreamer" heading off for the Canal, the boat on the next slip to follow. 

In a short time we’ve made a lot of sailing friends here, but very quickly they are moving on, and new boats arrive and take their places at the moorings. Such is the transient nature of sailing.