Off on a voyage with Carrousel

Marion and I have been in touch with Damaris and Rudolf for years. They live in Harlingen too, and crossed the Atlantic a year ahead of us. Very handy, then, to learn from them how things work in countries across the ocean.

A few months ago we were having dinner at their place. Naturally we caught up on each other’s news. Damaris wasn’t going to get any time off from KLM this season - all leave cancelled due to staff shortages! On the spur of the moment I offered to help Rudolf sail the boat onwards, because after 2 years in Panama they’re keen to move on!

Fortunately Damaris did get unpaid leave in the end, so now the three of us are sailing from Panama via the Galapagos to French Polynesia.

Yesterday I flew (with KLM, of course) to Panama without any hassle. No queues, plenty of staff at Schiphol and a lovely seat up front. I was first off the plane and outside within 15 minutes. A short wait and there they were! A wonderful reunion. Then a 2-hour drive along the “motorway” (50 to 80 km/h), four lanes and absolutely packed, because today and tomorrow are public holidays here! The boat is in a 6-year-old marina next to a luxury apartment complex. Neat and tidy at first glance, but as usual around here you can tell that day-to-day maintenance isn’t a priority.

Today we’re going to fit some new gear. There’s a new liferaft, and I brought a water heater with me. A hot shower is rather nice in the Galapagos, where it’s only about 20 degrees.

So far it’s bearable here; last night it was fine with the fan on for the first few hours, and now it’s overcast so not too hot.

Tomorrow the men hope to sail the boat back to Panama City while D. drives the car back. Saturday we’ll do the shopping, Sunday we’ll explore the city, and then we wait for a weather window for the Galapagos. That’s somewhere between 4 and 7 days of sailing, depending on whether there’s any wind.