The Good Life

We have had so much fun and well a few minor incidents, but an adventure for sure! Where to start. OK, well we left portobello and had a great sail to the lemmons. It rained really hard during my watch and I had to go out and empty huge bowls of water out of the sail's reef. No one got sick! that was awesome! Nancy slept on the floor on a cushion and we tried not to step on her during shift changes!

It is a really small boat. 3 people on a 33 foot boat with all the new crap I brought. we frequently play sit in a corner and wait till one person does their thing. First thing we get to the lemmons, I jump in of course. We take blinding photographs and go snorkling the reef.

So much to tell, but here we are again in slow internet land on the island. We sailed to the Swimming Pool and poked sharks in the nose. A spotted leapard ray poked back and got nancy on the palm. We played doctor for a couple hours to make sure she didn't go into anaphylactic shock. She is fine! Night diving was intense...we watched a shark chow down on something, then he came right at me, I poked him and he left. Oh and I caught my first fish with a hawaiian sling! It looked much bigger under water!!!!

We sailed to Nargana and toured the town with Frederico and gave him the glasses and presents from my mom. He sold Nancy a mola and we bought bread and veggies. The next day we rowed up the Rio Diablo! so many birds! and a 5 foot long "Gator" The teeth were pretty menancing, but they say they don't bother people but dogs should look out. We hiked up the water pipe trail and saw a turtle, well I did. and lots of Tucans and really exotic butterflies and flowers. Some really cool mushrooms. I met Donaldo on the trail to where he was working on his plantation. I invited him to visit the ship that night. He came at 6 and we spent two hours drinking wine and playing cherades. Pantomine between kuna, spanish and english. He understood Glug Glug Glug when I described where we got our water!

Back now in the lemmons, Venancio and Lisa both came aboard and displayed all their molas. I got a cool pillowcase this time and an old and a new kuna flag! It's lightning out and gonna rain so I will quit yapping and try to load a photo real quick. ok so photo don't work yet, next time,

Cheers, jellyfish

The ants go marching 10x10

And they all go marching down... in the ground. Yes, it's good to be back! Nancy "why not" is visiting for two weeks. We have a great calm day in the bay at Portobelo and yesterday we hiked up the hill at the fort and showed her the amazing leaf cutter ant trails. They are indeed marching on. Up to 7 across.

Captain Morgan did not keel haul me when he saw the amount of luggage I managed to arrive with. Now to make room for it! I enjoyed the brief show and tell with my captive audience. My proudest find was the 3 gallon water jugs. Now to figure out how to arm the auto inflating life jacket.

Immediately after boarding the boat, the wooden ulu stopped by with limes and coconuts. I readily bought some of each. But now I have to watch castaway again because I have no idea how Im going to get the coconuts open. I'm thinking hammer and chisel. I'll let you know how it goes.

Well sorry about the short post. But we got places to go and people to see. Fish to catch. Later gaters

October 12, 2010 Spearfishing

Captain Marcos is the champion spearfisher! His backpacker Franko shows off the yummy pineapple, and Captain Morgan eagerly awaits his daily ration of freeze dried beef stew!

 We have to wait for the Kuna to paddle off. They left their cell phones aboard to charge while we were off spearfishing. We wouldn't want them to know how successful we are.

Now we can have our photo shoot. Franko shows off Mark's giant dog snapper in front of Melody. I think his arms were getting tired holding the fish up for the photo. The smiles in the subsequent shots were deteriating rapidly into grimaces!

This is the day where I poked a nurse shark in the nose with my lobster pole pricker thingy. The shark was swimming around keeping his distance, but then this one time, he swam right towards me. About a foot from my face, I jabbed him in the nose. He recoiled and hurried away never to bother me again....

October 20, 2010 Three Toed Tree Sloth

Every now and then we go exploring up a river in the dinghy. Usually to get water, but I take a camera and binoculars just in case. You never know what you might find. Today was no exception.

We rowed up the river near Portobelo.

 As the river winds its way into the mountains, the vegetation changes from mangroves to more of these type trees and large fern like plants

Birds are everywhere. These silly creatures kept flying up river in front of us. We can only keep going in one direction. They have 360 degrees of options. eventually, they stayed put and we passed by.

And so I'm looking up into a tree right on the river bank and there's this large ball of hair. At first I think it's a nest. Then I saw movement. Verrrry sloowwww movement. I get the camera out of the dry bag.

It's a Three Toed Tree Sloth! I'm so excited. I get out of the dinghy trying to get a better photo....I walk all around the trunk of the tree in gooey cow poop and river mud, but the best photo was this first one from the dinghy!

Did I mention...they move really really slow....

October 19, 2010

The boat has a propane stove and makes great meals. we broke down and bought a new frying pan that don't stick. What an improvement! I'm getting used to cooking with oil instead of butter, but it doesn't taste the same.

 Today, I had the boat to myself most of the day, so I made a new mapset of the bluechart america. Now I can actually see the charts on my gps. Tiny as it is, it will be a back up to the ray marine chart plotter that has no mapping on it. You can see how beautiful the woodwork is inside the boat. I think it is just so well made.

 The fridge continues to be a problem child. In Cartagena, we borrowed a vacuum and got it working again, but there must be a small leak in the compressor. It quits, then the captain adds more freon and it works for a while. sometimes he gets too much in and it won't work for a long time. like today. so all the new fresh veggies are sitting out in the heat. That just means I got to eat them up quicker.

 The lighting is just so beautiful in the evenings. This is not our boat. It's the view looking out of Portobello Bay from the boat.

 The view towards the town of Portobello!

 The church of the black christ and the hilltop fort of Portobello.

And the old Balboa Explorer in the bay.

My sister comes to vist!

Kristie flew down to meet me in Panama City! It was so great to see someone from my past life! We talked the whole 3 hour taxi ride to the boat non stop. My throat was sore from telling her all the stories I have not been able to upload here and I promise I will do as much as I can now while I have a brief interlude! 

We rowed out to the sailboat in the pouring down rain loaded to within 1 inch of the transom with 6 golf cart batteries and her little day pack. She packed light! said this was her "Adventure Race". But she did fit in a new waterproof camera for me and some gifts from my mom! It's a tight fit on a small boat, but since it was really rocking and rolling, she took dramamine and went right to sleep in her berth.

Hot cocoa in the morning and a bright beautiful day! I blew up the kayak, but ended up rowing her to the fort in the dinghy. She got to see the leaf cutter ants and their crazy 7 lane traffic trails! The photos still didn't come out but here is my best attempt!

We went to Portobello in the afternoon. It was pizza night at Captain Jack's and the monkey was biting and the place was hopping. I think it gave her a headache. 

The next day, we went to Portobello again and toured the small quiet village, now that the black christ festival is over. There is still quite a bit of trash around and a few vendors are still selling their wares. She tried a coconut candy and a smoothy with what I call a passion fruit cause I don't know the real name. It has a bunch of black seeds in little gel cells and it's delicious whatever it is!

We took the bus to Pirate's Cove and went snorkeling and got a shower and walked back past this fort here.

Monday, we headed for Panama City! We took one of the brilliantly painted buses to Sabanitas and was picked up once more by our taxi driver Roger. We toured the old architecture and had a margarita (of course, i know) at the Tequila Bar. Tourists! what can I say! but we also tried a chicheme corn based drink and I bought my niece and nephew a mola mask. It seems weird to be doing touristy things after living in Panama for two months! It's expensive too! We got a cheap motel and spent the night before flying out the next morning. It was the first time in two months that I have had a long hot shower! I felt a bit guilty, well not too guilty.

Black Christ festival

October 21, 2010

Sunny morning in portobelo. The music never stopped last night. The
fireworks are going off already. Today is the black Christ festival.
People have dressed up in purple velvet robes and walked or crawled to
get to the church of the black Christ. There are like 20,000 people in
this normally sleepy port town of Christopher Columbus and air Francis
drake fame.

I cleaned out all the cubbies in the sailboat and threw out and gave
away anything that hadn't been used that was not survival gear.

Then headed to captain jacks. The town is simply crawling with people.
Iran literally crawling on their hands and knees following statues.
There's self flagellation involved but I didn't see anything
serious. We ate cocnut de leche candies and I met a local who
ordered me a sandwich with pepperoni and mozzerella. It was delicious.
I wandered into the church and made my way up to the black Christ
statue and back out among the throngs in tact. A kid gave us candle
for the parade. Now I have retreated to the little oasis of americana
at the hostel to await the parade of the black Christ.

Sent from my iPod

Photos from October 1, 2010

A Kuna canoe on Isla Elephante!

My kayak on deck the sailboat in the Lemmons!

Lunch on board!

Checking in with the authorities at Porvenir!

The little airstrip at Porvenir. That's the tower. Meet your passengers on the grass.

Augustino, our shopping guide to Wichubwala and his seasick son, Augustolino.

Beautiful welcome signs

Buying eggs and other little items.

Looking for bread in the village of wichubwala.

Augustolino in the dingy, right at home, no life jacket, dad left in the canoe.

and back to the sailboat!

Favorite Photos So Far

This is Agustolino! His father set him in the dinghy as we followed him in his wooden canoe to the other island to buy bread!

Buying eggs and a few other goodies in Wichubwala!

Some of the Kuna canoes have junk rigs!

Another rainy sunset in paradise!

And another beautiful little island in Kuna Yala

One month at sea!

One month at sea!
September 26, 2010
I haven't slept on shore for a month now. How do I like it? I love it.
Even though I got a tiny bit sick coming back from Cartagena. I'm home
sick for friends and family. And I'm pretty cut off from outside
communication. I'm currently back in the lemmons right where I started
a month ago. And hope to get wifi some day soon.
I love the swimming, the snorkling, the spearfishing, swimming with
sharks and rays and dolphins is absolutely amazing. Lobster hunting. I
got my first just a few days ago but im real good at spotting them.
They taste delicious in ramen noodles with cheese! We caught a dorado
that was really tasty. And I'm still losing weight.
I have my own dinghy of sorts now. An inflatable kayak. Got it from a
boat in cartegena for $100. It's good transportation but I need an
achor to go out exploring yet.
Sailing lessons are coming along slowly. I still don't think I want to
singlehand the boat yet. Yesterday we had a good wind and heeled the
boat over so there was water over the lee side again. I like that. At
times I wish I had more time to practice on my own. But there's so
much else to do I am not bored at all. I can't seem to keep up with
all my reading. Something interesting is always distracting me.
The kuna boats are one of my favorite distractions. The one I call red
hat lives alone on BBQ island. He paddled by and asked a favor. Could
we charge his cell phone. When he came back for it he misjudged the
landing and went in head first! He smiled and laughed but I'm sure he
was embarassed too! The canoes are very tippy hand carved and his was
especially narrow.
I bought some molas from a lady and three kids yesterday. She handed
up cloth after cloth. Then asked to come aboard. She was yelling at
the kids the whole time. I gave them water and an apple and two
oranges. When she was leaving, she asked for 3 onions. The cloths had
animal designs and bright patterns but not especially new looking. She
has been peddling these same molas for a while I would guess. I did
get a carry bag, a mask, and three small patches.
Another boat stopped by with a man woman and little girl. He collects
$10 a month from each boat for anchoring and gives a reciept. The
little girl asked for a magazine to take to school. She's learning to
read. How I wish I had brought kids books or school supplies. Gave
her my souvenir brochure from the fort at Cartagena. It was all I
could think of. And even though I really woul have liked to keep it, I
guess this is part of my training. There's no room on the boat for
such keepsakes and no way to mail things out real easy either.
Well I better get back to work. If I can call it that! Hasta luego!
Jellyfish

Sent from my iPod

Back in the San Blas

So basically, it just took me three hours at 3$ per hour to upload this photo! I am about to abandon the blog till I find a better system. But just so you know, if it weren't for the frustrations of infrequent email, no phone and slow

internet by firewire only, no wifi! other than just that high tech stuff, I couldn't ask for much more! Life is good! sun and sand and wind and fish and lobster and good people! The veggie boat came today so we have fresh papaya, pineapples, and tomatoes! I really have so much to send on my itouch if i could get wifi, someday! Hope you are all well, email me!

Week three at sea Cartagena, Columbia

So much to tell, so little Internet! Ahh, life at sea is very cut off from the world and yet I'm seeing a whole new world. I've sailed from Portobello, Panama through the beautiful San Blas islands and now spent the week in Cartegena, Columbia. This is a very old yet very stylish modern city. I've toured the huge fort with tunnels and cannons and lookouts. I've walked the city wall and the harbor sea wall. It's a very romatic city and yet it still has old donkeys pulling cates of vegetables down tiny cobbles streets. And one legged old men sleeping in the streets. Some of it is so heartbreaking and others are so annoying with their constant begging.

It's hot and muggy here and the water is not clean so I don't swim. I look forward to getting back to the clear blue green water of the San blas. And the quiet! I've learned about zarpes and customs and counting in columbian pesos. The food is wonderful and I'm getting used to taking showers in the cockpit. I got an inflatable kayak from another cruiser so now I have my own wheels so to speak. Soon as I get an anchor I can go snorkle on my own. When I have time. I have learne a lot about diesel engines and alternators and anti siphoning exhausts and even refridgeration. Lots to know on a sailboat. Lots to double and triple check. But I'm living it. I can't think of anything else I'd rather be doing right now. Well, a margarita would be good. But icream will do for my last treat from the city. Hasta luego amigos!

Week 2 at Sea

Yay! i figured out how to log in on a spanish keyboard. there is a special trick to use the @ key you have to hold down the alt key and then 64 on the keypad.  not the numbers up top even! I am holding my own. The spanish is coming back ever so painfully and slowly, but my new friend Gina from columbia is very good to me and we practice a lot!

Tomorrow we leave Portobello, Panama and will take backpackers to Cartegena, Columbia. We will cook for them and take them snorkeling and spearfishing in the San Blas along the way! I can`t wait. I think it will be fun. This last 4 or 5 days has been a lot of work, but to me it has been great fun. We have crammed a little nissan suv full to overflowing full of food, batteries and fuel in quantities you would not believe and the four of us crammed in on top of all that. The back window is blown out so we inhale fumes and keep taping plastic over the window to try to keep it out! then load it all into small inflatable dinghies and haul it to the boats trying desparately to keep it onboard and dry!

I wish i could take more photos, but even so, i have no way to add them yet! It is incredibly colorful here. There are so many new sights and sounds. The howler monkeys (look them up online) they make such a horrible roar in the mornings and when it rains! I want to see one, but they say they are mean and dangerous! the little bait fish swim in huge schools all around me when i swim! the locals in their wooden canoes and simple handline fishing is all so amazing to me.

I was fishing off the boat and one came by. He showed me a small fish, but he was so proud! What an enormous smile on his face! later he stopped by and asked if i had a hook. his looked very dull! I didn`t have one like it, so i offered him a soda. then one for his friend! again, the smiles are so amazing! I stocked up on hooks like they use this time.

So much to say, but the internet is about to expire. all i can say is ¨life is good here!

First Week at Sea!

Well, I made it to the boat in El Porvenir, Panama and have since cruised to the East Holandes Cayes, The Lemmons and am now currently anchored in Portobelo. I took the bus this morning into Sabanitas, the first "town" since Panama City! Still can´t find wifi, but will post my journals when I do! I promise! In short, I have had an amazing time, and incredibly steep learning curve, but I´ve only managed to really embarrass myself twice by rowing away in the dinghy with it still tied to the boat! Navigation is very basic! a crude chart plotter and a panama cruising guide. Glad i brought my GPS! The anchor and lines are all manual. A good workout! and the boat is small! 33' but it is loaded down with food! Believe it or not! we eat a lot of ramen noodles on board, but it is always mixed with cheese and sprouts grown on the boat and fresh fish or lobster we caught ourselves or bought from the Kuna natives!

The natives are very interesting, colorful, and my spanish is getting a good workout! Very few speak english, even here in Sabanita! well my hour is up on the computer, but please email me! i need to hear from my peeps!

Panama City

August 24, 2010

Panama City
Hotel Stanford provided a good nights sleep once the air conditioner
caught up and I put my ear plugs in! It's cloudy this morning, but the
veiw is so colorful below. I stood by the window for an hour just
taking it all in. Eventually my need for food and water made me get
dressed and venture out. I stopped in the lobby and used their
computer to check my email. Since my phone went in the river, it's my
only communication with the outside world. I tried a phone card
yesterday in Miami, but I could only hear and not be heard. Maybe it
was just that phone. But the phone in my room doesn't work either.

The keyboard is different. Especially the punctuation. But I don't use
it correctly anyway. My friend Rob sent me the best new name idea!
Actually I think it was his wife's idea to use "Jellyfish"! It made me
laugh. I really like all the comments both on Facebook and the blog so
I hope they keep coming!

Out in the street, there are lots of buses and taxis. Police officers
blow a whistle and stop traffic for people to cross. Most are dressed
in causal western wear, but there are many Kuna natives in very
colorful dresses and sandals. I got a bag of Cheetos and water at a
little store and ate them under the raised highway and deciphered the
altura libre 5.50 m. I guessed first it was the highway name with the
clearance height. Then my Spanish started to work a bit more and I
realized that it wasn't the name at all, just "height free" or
"clearance" duh!

Across the street and actually on the sidewalk, 8 barber chairs were
lined up under a tin roof. I couldn't tell right off who was waiting
for a hair cut or if they were all barbers waiting for clients. Then I
saw a couple guys get their heads shaved. You know what I did don't
you? Yes, I went over and in my poor Spanish and with a lot of hand
gestures managed to get a quote of $3 and sat down on the curb to wait
my turn. It's an interesting way to spend time at the barber. The bus
stops only 10' from me and unloads passengers who pay their dollar as
they exit the bus. People of all kinds. School kids in uniforms.
Nurses. A family carrying their little girl with braces on her legs.
Polio? A traveler like myself with a small backpack. Old men with long
hair and sandals. All the while the kid in a black rock band T shirt,
black jeans and a silver belt buckle in the molded shape of a pistol
shaves around my ears and cuts my hair! Ok so now the grey shows on
the sides of my head, but it's an improvement nonetheless.

On the way back to shower and get the loose hair off my shirt, I
stopped and bought 2 bananas for a quarter and climbed the four
flights to my room. Then, anxious for more of Panama, I walked down
Avenue Central. I looked at phones but couldn't tell what I was
supposed to do for a sim card or minutes. Found the equivalent of a
walmart and looked around. Foods about the same but other stuff is
pretty cheap by US standards. I bought 5 cards and got charged for 6!
Didn't pay attention till I got back to my room. Oops!

A 74 year old man, Conrad Grant, very dark skinned, and only a couple
teeth, asked me what country I was from and proceeded to give me a
"free" tour. He did show me where the good hostel is. I guess you want
to stay at the hospedaje Casco Viejo. It's $10 a night but looked very
clean. A nice upstairs dorm and balcony and a buzzer to secure the
door. The other hostel is supposed to be only $5 but dirty! He
recommended the restaurant Coca Cola. He said tip many times and so I
sent him on his way with $5. He asked for 2 more! I was aware this
would happen, but this one time I followed my instinct and he
delivered. After all, I wouldn't have found the hostel on my own or
known where to eat. And it was very good. It's the oldest restaurant
in panama! I had the chicken Parmesan with rice and beans. The owner?
followed me out to tell me where the post office was. I guess I walk a
little fast. He was out of breath!

Sent from my iPod

The Long Flight!

August 23, 2010

Phoenix to Miami
I can relax a bit now. The backpack took some stuffing to get it in
the bin, but I can close my eyes now for a while. I'm wondering what
it will be like. There's a young boy sitting next to me. He keeps
bumping my elbow and kicking me. Accidently of course. He's curious as
to everything I do. His father, well dressed, downloads his very
impressive camera to a laptop that is his constant amusement. I'm so
glad it's not me! I feel already like I'm free to be who I want to be.
That I can go where I want to go. It's all in my head of course. Right
now I can't even stretch my legs out comfortably.

I'm looking out the window at the United States of America. My
homeland. I've driven most all it's highways. Ridden many of it's
byways and hiked the Pacific Crest and Appachian mountains. And yet
there's so much I haven't seen. I'm a restless wanderer and I need to
seek out new experiences, new places, new people.

Well...they're out here! The guy hitting on the stewardess. The fat
lady with too many carry ons. The arrogant, the nervous, the geeks.
I'm the only one dressed for the outdoors and I'm really not sure when
I will ever wear the dress I wore to Teri's wedding.

Will I fit in with the Captain and crew? Can I handle the sea
sickness? Did I bring enough bug spray? Can I survive malaria? Dengue
Fever? What if nothing happens? What if it's like heaven with no bugs,
no disease, no sickness or sorrow. Will those endless days of
snorkling along beautiful coral reefs and lounging in a hammock
stretched between cocnut palms on a white sandy beach become mundane?
Will I tire of the simpleness of reading books snuggled in a cozy bunk
and sipping hot cocoa?

What if it's not! What if it's all hell broke loose all the time. The
water tank leaks. The stove smokes up the cabin. The rigging bangs on
the mast annoyingly allowing no sleep. The waters are polluted with
oil and the officials are always boarding the boat and checking
papers. It's too hot or too cold or wet.

How long will it take before I wish I could just go home and
everything be as it was before? Or will I never want to go back! And
what does it mean to circle the globe? I can't stop at evey port! How
long does it take to really know a place?

Miami to Panama City
Met a lady while charging our gadgets from panama. She gave me a quick
run down of what to expect. Says it's absolutely beautiful in the San
Blas and the wind blows the mosquitos to the mainland! Told me what to
check out near my hotel tomorrow too! I got to tour the whole of the
Miami airport as the first delayed the flight two hours, then it was
on time at the other end of a mile long concourse. Then when I thought
we should be boarding, I noticed another gate change. Yes, back near
where I started. So far I've forgot my book in the car, lost a bottle
of water on the first plane and a salad in the Miami airport. I might
be able to keep the weight under control if I keep this up!

Panama City
Traveling solo is definately different than with a group or family.
There's more interaction. At least for me. I needed a taxi to the
Hotel Stanford. The first quote was $29. I told him that was almost as
much as the room, but he didn't budge. He kept saying "collectivo"
which I finally figured out meant I might share a cab with two more
people then it would only be $11. Since I didn't know two more people
who might just happened be staying at the same time, I put my pack
down and figuered I was in for a long wait! It really surprised me
when almost immediately they found a guy who would need a ride to the
cruise terminal which is in my direction. A couple others declined to
share, but it wasn't long when a lady needed a ride to the Hotel
Veracruz and we were on our way! It took a while, a couple toll booths
later, I realized it probably was a long walk and was happy to pay the
$11 and a tip.

The motel is a huge corner building. My room has tile floors and
marble top furniture. The TV cables hang from the two tone walls. But
it's clean and perfect for my rest day. I love the veiw from my 4th
floor window. I can see the plaza below with a round pool and a
triangle pool and a tall phalyx statue. It makes me think of the
Washington monument in DC. Taxis and buses slowly beep and brake their
way through the streets. I went out and sat on the bench and set off
my SPOT.

Sent from my iPod

I'm on my way!

Still sitting at the gate in Phoenix. Last chance to chicken out.
Stomach full of butterflies. Leaving everyone and everything I love
behind. My bags are too big for the overhead. Betting they make me
check one. That means an even longer night at baggage claim. Watching
a hurricane on the TV and hoping it will all be worth it!

Sent from my iPod

Water and Electronics...They don't play nice together!

It was my birthday yesterday and it also just so happened to be Martigras on the River! My sister and niece (The best sister and niece in the world EVER!) surprised me with costumes! So anyways, we went tubing down the Salt River outside of Phoenix, Arizona! I got this really cool pelican waterproof case for the iphone for my birthday too! Trouble is...I'm an idiot! While in a hurry to get on my alligator and get in the water...I left my phone in my pocket and didn't put it in the case! So here I am happily floating down the river, laughing and catching beads from the bystanders on the river, and popsicles! (Yeah, that was way cooler than a strand of beads!) when it dawned on me that music would be nice. So I checked the fanny pack and sure enough, no phone in the case. Checked my pocket...yup, It was there all right, but not working of course! To make matters worse, my alligator was leaking. So, I'm holding the wet phone in one hand, plugging the hole in the alligator with the other and trying to get to a shore that isn't getting any closer and I can't touch bottom!

I ended up floating the rest of the day holding on to my sister's inner tube and putting my feet on my niece's inner tube. I have a great set of sore abs this morning!!! I think I even had more fun once everything was all wet and there was nothing else to worry about getting ruined. We continued down the river of debris and drunken tubers to the cliff where we like to jump off. Kristie had no problem jumping off the 20' cliff, but there was a huge crowd and that made Lexi a bit nervous. We were afraid one of the more drunken guys would push her off, but they were nice. By the time I got half way up the cliff to rescue her, she had jumped!

I've put the phone in a bag of rice, but I don't hold out much hope for it! In fact, since I fly out tomorrow, I'm not even going to replace it. I am now not only free of the automobile licensing and DEQ...but also free of the cell phone companies. Even the SPOT got water in the battery compartment. Water is no friend to electronics!

Packing for a lifetime adventure in 25lbs or less!

It's a new life. I turn 46 tomorrow and on Monday I will fly to Panama to crew on a 33' sailboat. They only allow 25 lbs of luggage on the small connector plane that will take me to the dock where I will meet my ship's captain. What do you take when you're leaving for the second half of your life with the possibility of never returning to life on land?

The old saying is true. You can't take it with you! But I want to.... I have been doing long distance hiking since 2002 and so I am familiar with weight limits, but I always could get mail drops. I don't know where I'm going, so that kinda makes mail drops out of the question. Then, I've always travelled by car or truck. I've not had to deal with customs except on vacations, where they practically hold your hand through the whole process! Well, there was that one time coming back to the US after finishing the Pacific Crest Trail. I bought a roast beef and cheese sandwich and had a bite left when the bus crossed into the US. The customs official really gave me the what for. Apparently there was a mad cow disease outbreak! (They weren't rushing me to the hospital!!!)

OK, so back to the question. What do I pack? Well, my pack of course. That's what I know. I won't feel comfortable with a duffle after so many years of backpacking. Then I want shelter and a sleeping bag. How can I take a bulky bag? I love the compactness of goose down. But will it survive the obvious moisture issues of living at sea? And for shelter? I probably should not be worried about it, but since I have a Hennesy Hammock with mosquito netting and tarp, I thought it would hang nicely on a deserted island between palm trees!

Clothing! again a hard choice. The captain suggests I bring lightweight, quick drying, light colored, but not white clothing! Perfect...I already have that in my hiking wardrobe. But I got this ingenious idea of wearing several layers so as to get more options and not use up my luggage weight. I'll wear my underwear, tight shorts, running shorts, and zip off hiking pants. My sports bra, sleeveless top, surfer top, and long sleeved hiking shirt all at the same time! Maybe if I can get away with it, my windbreaker and wool sweater too! Then my spare hiking set, swimsuit and dress clothes can be tucked away with my new snazzy crocs in my carry on.

Speaking of shoes, I was told the deck is Teak and it's not a new boat, so I can bring my trail runners! Yay! But I got white soled crocs with the heel strap just in case. I may not always be on this boat. After all, It's a long way around the world and it might take more than one boat to get there! And I may go around again and again anyways. Maybe even on my own boat someday!

So then the survivalist in me wants to take the cool little sea-land-air kit my mom found me a long time ago. Turns out the most important parts of those kits are not allowed in carry on baggage anyways. So of all the cool knives, hatchets, and multi-tools I could take with me, I'm basically down to just a GPS and a light strobe from my whitewater kayak days. Oh, and the SPOT! The satellite personal transponder. I'm thinking...I have so little knowledge of what my daily life will be like, but...I'm thinking I'll set it off everyday at noon when at sea just like the navigators always took noon sights with their sextants. (That's gonna be cool to learn too!) So check below for the link to see where I'm at!

The last concern is can I fit my computer in! I'd sure like to have it. Phone service could be far and few between. But how often will I find wifi? How fast will it upload pictures? Yeah, so much to know! So little info. So little time. As I will be leaving it all behind, I've even thought of not taking the computer and just using what I can find along the way. It's almost as if I am just now abandoning ship. I truly am starting out on a life raft. Having only grabbed a 25 lb survival grab bag and making do with whatever comes my way. My first rescue boat waits at the end of 48 hours of airplanes, hotels, and taxis in a foreign country that strangely uses US dollars and Panama Balboa coins.

Cheers,
Jellybean