HAUL OUT IN SHELTER BAY MARINA

We had planned to put Kwanza into storage for a couple of months while we returned to Europe to take care of things. So we had a haul out date arranged for the 28th May at 08.00.
While waiting for haul out we prepared Kwanza for the storage by removing sails, ropes, bimini, spray hood, and doing all those interior cleaning jobs and machinery preparations (pickling the water maker).

THE PREPARATION INCLUDING WASHING AND CHECKING THE SAILS

view of the marina

the haul...

washing down

SAILING TO COLON AT THE CANAL ENTRANCE

After a lovely stay at the Red Frog Resort in Bocas del Toro it was time for us to move our yacht Kwanza to the canal staging point of Colon. Specifically to the Shelter Bay marina.
This is where we planned to keep Kwanza until we were ready to transit the canal.
The trip was fairly uneventful but the entrance to Colon Harbour was hectic, and it was raining hard.!

last view of the Bocas del Toro islands and the (mainland) volcano in the distance

approaching the canal entrance in a storm

following a cargo ship through the entrance breakwater

AIS showing the other ships. Kwanza is depicted in black

STORMS !

being very attentive..!

THE BEE AND BUTTERFLY FARM IN BOQUETE

On our last day in Boquete we moved from the Boquette Tree Trek lodge down to the town, and went to see a butterfly and honey farm.

in the butterfly tent

butterflies feeding

hatching from a crystalis

nice

now we see the bees.. they are a local variety that don't sting

their hive

in amongst the coffee trees

coffee trees and their respective shade trees

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honey tasting time...!

GUESTS AND A TRIP INLAND TO BOQUETE

We invited some family guests to stay with us for a week, and join us on a trip into the interior of Panama to see the Cloud Forest and look at coffee farms etc.
Here some pictures:


THE COCA FARM VISIT

cocoa tree

our cocoa guide

ground cocoa beans

relaxing on the cocoa farm terrace

RELAXING IN AND AROUND RED FROG

young guest

going snorkelling

pain reducers

meeting the other marina residents

JUNGLE WILDLIFE

Sloths, Frogs, Birds and many others, brought us intrigue...

The famous Red Frog only found on the island of Bastimentos.
He's poisonous (if you want to eat him..)

Sloths galore..!

catapillar

Sloth in a palm tree beside the path

A Kiskadee bird. He had an enchanting manner and song.

Big old roach..

BOCAS JUNGLE AND BEACHES

Bocas and Bastimentos scenes.

Floating bar near Bocas town.

North coast of Colon island

cycling through bamboo forests

Dense undergrowth

more beaches.

view from the club infinity pool

sand and sand

nice

related to the banana plant

Red Frog resort entrance

wide open spaces