BOATBUMMS LOG: SHELTER BAY

Where to start, where to start. Sorry folks if several months have passed without an update. We do have a good reason for it:

Right after we came back from Switzerland Carol and Greg left for Canada and needed a cat sitter so for 3 weeks every evening we would sit on their hauled out boat which seemed to us being on the second story in a building with jungle view on one side and on a very clear day we could see the mountain chain all the way to Portobelo and beyond.

We enjoyed our daily cocktail hour up there playing with the cat. While Sid’s brain worked the best time to tackle the engine repair. After Greg and Carol were back Greg helped Sid to lift the engine as he had the perfect tool. I think the only other time we had a more unlivable boat was when we changed the teak floor which took 9 weeks, this one almost as long.

Carol

Greg

Ever since we replaced our heat exchanger, a little over a year ago, we’ve been having a leak. All this time Sid tried to find it unsuccessfully. Our motor mounts were all but one rusted, great we had 3 spare onboard. The mounts were the main reason to pull engine along with hoping to find the leak. There are parts of the engine Sid can’t get to. While the engine was dangling in the sling and both inspecting all sides of the engine Greg noticed a crack in the heat exchanger and stated that this was sent to us with that crack. There was our leak! Of course the company we ordered it from decline to replace it and we had to buy a new one, ouch. As Sid started going over the engine he found more including a leaking main bearing seal, which is easy to replace, you just take the gear off (transmission) then the damper then the fly wheel then the seal housing; when the damper came off two of the five springs fell out. Our engine is a Westerbeke and if you order from them directly you pay pretty much double than going through one of their distributors. Sid found the parts online with Discount Marine. Parts he ordered were all in stock so he ordered them to be shipped to our Airbox address, which is a shipping company in Miami. Once they get the parcels they will be flown cargo directly to Tocumen Airport and within 3 days we pick up the parts at their Colon office at Copy Matic. 4 days after Sid ordered those parts he realized we needed another motor mount as all four were in bad shape and found it with Discount Marine. We received an email if we wanted to pay $35 extra to expedite so they can send everything together as it will otherwise take 10 days for them to receive it. I thought our order was underway already as it was in stock hmmm?!!! Considering 10 days extra pay in marina we opted for it and gave them the OK. A day later another email stating that Westerbeke had just sold that part. From here on emails went back and forth: how long? Next Wed to Fri and we will keep your parts here until part comes in. No please send us the parts now so we can start working on repairs. Parts are not here yet. When will they be in. 10 days or so. Well 4 futching weeks later they received the parts and another two weeks later we finally had all the parts, whilst our engine was in the middle of our salon floor. Guess we will not go through Discount Marine again.

It was tough with the engine in the middle, couldn’t sit on the port side as the bathroom door was open with motor in the way. Felt like a monkey when I had to climb over engine squeeze between door and table climbing up on the cushions to get to the lockers. There was not much cooking going on in this boat I’m telling you. We shared the lunch special at the restaurant at least 3 times a week. There also was no room for me anywhere else on the boat. We only had one side to sit on so mostly I sat either on the bottom step or on the toilette lid in the bathroom. Cockpit was a no sit down situation as well. Tools everywhere inside out, this was a huge project.

Giving the engine a bath

Right in the middle

During day Sid was working on the boat and Manuela was off the boat for the entire 7 weeks.

Some of you may remember two years back in Portobelo we lost our great sun awning to a freak 60 knot wind storm. It shredded that poor thing. Since there was no room on Paradise. Manuela decided this is the best time to make a new one, after buying the material, the question, where to sew it.

The marina was building an outdoor BBQ area for the cruisers so in a conversation I told the marina manager that would be a great area for the big sewing projects. He immediately said: “Welllll…..we don’t want to have cruisers work there”. “OK I will use the lounge upstairs then”. “Wellllll…..we don’t want to have cruisers sew up there either”. “Well where can we cruisers sew John?” in the several times we have been here cruisers sewing in the lounge. There was no place, he offered me the new storage area all walled in, no lights, no electrical outlet, rough floor and humid and hot so that was a no go. John offered me the key to the vacant Chandlery which was just perfect. Except nobody knew where the key was. Don’t tell me they only have one key?!!! So I set up a table in front of the gym ran an electrical cord through the Gym’s bathroom and started sewing all of my small project until the key was found.

Slip covers for our salon

New Blous

Image a yard $ 2.49 a yard. Made slip covers for cockpit cushion

After 2 weeks of that the key was still not found so I offered to pay to exchange the locks. Two weeks later still no key. In the meantime the entire marina watched me sew out there and some brought their pajama or pants to repair. Well it’s just a small job right, so I did them a favor.

The sail loft seamstress prior to April mended the guys, pants

I felt sorry for him and changed it. A guy saw this and said: "my gosh she fixed my dodger like that". Needless to say she is no longer sewing and April the now seamstress is very professional. The prior one now is the Marina Social Coordinator, kinda same way in doing her job

Still not good but a lot better, told the guy he needs new Pijamas LOL

Next time I will tell them to wash their dirty pants first, close pin on my nose didn’t help for the stench. Lots and lots of cruisers asked me if I could repair their dodger, upholstery or sails. Each time I would tell them that I don’t sew for anybody but me and that they should check with April who runs the marina sail loft. By the way she does an incredible job. Another cruiser came up with her repair she was going to do herself and asked me for advice and since her boat was all torn up like ours I offered her to use my machine. Someone saw us and reported to the marina that I was taking work away from the sail loft and guess what the key immediately was found and I was able to sit in the no air-conditioned vacant chandlery, yeah. I immediately started sewing the new awing. This room was just perfect for it. Still lots of people came buy asking me to do a job.

The Shelter Bay Marina Sail Loft April on Spirit of Argo works. Incredible setup her and her hubby setup

This used to be the theater for the US military living here during the Panama Canal time

My Loft

View from my Loft

Fabric store

Adding

Our marina stay turned into a routine Sid getting up around 5, Manuela 6.30 for pool exercise when she came back Sid had coffee ready and right after a quick breakfast, Sid working again on the engine or other boat projects and Manuela went to her loft sewing.

Evenings were always fun. Go for Happy Hour at the Restaurant’s outdoor patio by the 5 o’clock somewhere clock, they had seats for both of us LOL. You know I love Karaoke so when I heard the marina had one I offered to run it. Well, they had the mike and TV but no speaker. After 3 months the restaurant manager finally told me that he is buying one on Thursday. Thursday came along no speaker and still to this day no speaker. Luckily Sue and Geoff on Spent bring their speaker up. It’s always a great turn out but it gets old after a while hearing same songs week by week so we took a break and just now and then surprised the cruisers with a fun Karaoke night. I did organize one on our 26^th Anniversary. Sid had no idea, we all sang a few songs and about 1 ½ hours into Karaoke I sang our wedding song to him “Wind beneath my wings” at the last sentence Sue handed me a bouquet of flowers behind my back and the last word I handed him the flowers. There was not one dry eye at the tables. It was beautiful.

Since we are in a marina we can leave the boat overnight and visit with friends. Since Manuela had a late afternoon doctor appointment in Panama City on a Friday we contacted our friends Jim and Melania and Ida and Manuela and spent the night in town. We stayed at the El Parador Hotel, noisiest Hotel ever.

The roof pool is pretty nice

view from pool

Karaoke was at El Sante near Hospital National. A taxi stopped in front of the hotel we hopped in, price arranged was $4 for all of us which is the going rate. On his way there the taxi started his act, saying he did not know where it was, even after talking with Ida on phone for directions he tried to change the price to 10 buck then 8, even called the restaurant himself and told them he wanted a commission for sending tourists over there. Tourists!!! Melania almost lost it, she is from here and we all are residence. Should have left taxi right there and then. After we arrived he still wanted 10 dollars, I handed him the 4 and we all walked away from the taxi leaving him angrily sitting there.

I have learned in all the Latin countries never to ask how much the fair is. You tell them where you want to go and what you will pay. Sometimes they add 25 cents.

El Sante is a wonderful restaurant, sports bar surrounded with big screen TV’s and has a Karoke/Disco room and outside patio, on Friday night a wonderful Duo playing.

Not just was my Doctor appointment canceled that day but there was no Karaoke happening either as the mayor of Panama City had his Karaoke Birthday Party. We all were bummed but had a wonderful dinner and waited until 9 we were told they were leaving. That never happened but instead Manuela was able to sing with the Duo. Several bottles of rum were enjoyed including a pitcher of Passion Fruit Mojito, yum. Yep they sell you the whole bottle of rum with a pitcher of coke and a bucket of ice, not bad.

Carpaccio

Two weeks later another doctor appointment and overnight but this time we went to El Sante on a Tuesday at 5 for Karaoke. Nobody was there so we sang our hearts out, had dinner and went right back to Karaoke. We were all by ourselves and closed the restaurant down.

Getting to and from Marina we have two opportunities to cross the canal, by ferry or across the locks. The new locks have now 3 locks that can be used to cross so each time you have a different view of the new extension. Best crossing is the last lock into the Caribbean as the road takes you alongside the huge ships.

On this photo you can see the two first locks we drive across the canal

Mauricio the driver. We are on the last lock before Lake Gatun. you can see the control tower and above the steep wall on very right is the new tourist center

These are the basins that suppose to fill and empty the chambers but it's not working, it would take a boat 5 hours to get through the lock so they are using the water from the lake. Designer flaw

Driving across the bridge, this chamber is empty the next one is a freighter heading up into the lake

This is the lowest chamber on the Caribbean side

On the Ferry. New Bridge that should be finished in 2 years

We needed to pick up the batons for our new awning and when Joachim invited us for a Sunday drive to Linton we combined it with picking up our parts. Mike on Ooroo (Catamaran from Australia that was hit by lightning) joined us. We had a wonderful time and ate pretty much all day long. We first stopped at the wonderful bakery in Sabanitas, then had Cuban breakfast sandwiches at the Portobelo bakery. From there we went to the Linton Marina to see what had been done since we left. The yard was full of boats and the parking lot still a mud pit of a glorified parking lot. They actually have started the foundation of the clubhouse with showers/bathroom/laundry wow, but still a long ways to go. The marina was pretty full and still very rolly.

Future Club House

After a tour on both docks we headed to La Guyra for lunch to our favorite place Adriana, had some appetizers and a couple drinks. Mike loved it. On our way home we stopped at El Castillo and ate and drank again. It was a wonderful day, Joachim’s driving was a little scary, but a fun day.

My Orchids were blooming again, seems like every 6 weeks. They are called lady of the night and the scent after 8 pm is amazing. Not just us loving the beautiful orchid plants each of them has a gecko. Love those little cute critters.

Ida invited us for a weekend at her house and since we were still waiting for parts we could use a break from the uncomfortable living situation. As every time we had a lot of fun, lots of wonderful food and Jim’s Karaoke machine.

Ceaser Salad with toasted Parmesan pocket

Veggie Lasagna with Gorgonzola Bechamel Sauce

Nap time for Melania

Lots and lots of food

Some family friends came for a couple of hours doing some odds and ends in Ida’s garden then left. Like last year as we had that little slipping down the steep hill in the car, the kids did the same. They were almost hopelessly in the ditch it took 2 hours to get them out.

While I was babysitting

Sid the Hero

One of the cruisers in the marina found out I play the guitar (well still learning) and as he usually plays in the marina bands that occasionally happen if there are several players available. Frank the dock assistant has a whole setup with speakers, mikes so the three of us got together and practiced in the air-conditioned gym for a night and played for the cruiser’s the following Saturday. It was huge fun.

We went a couple more times to Ida's:

Ida's sister Maria Isebel

yes Sid was singing

Bill on Stella Mares, everybody had talked about, came back a week later. He always runs his band “Landfall” with whoever he can find that plays an instrument, so I was part of the band. He especially loved my harmonica playing and we had a really great evening. He adopted a few of my songs. It was a great evening. He asked me if I would join them for the Halloween band night. Sure.

Rainy season was in full swing and on September 22 Hurricane Matthew developed not all too far away from us. He started on the tip of Colombia and Venezuela so close to land, luckily it’s an almost uninhabited area but further down in Rio Hacha and Santa Marta they experienced damaging winds and waves 17 feet high. Matthew lingered way too long and gained super strengths. In history no hurricane ever started this low and where he was. Matthew developed into a powerful, long-lived and deadly hurricane which became the first Category 5 Atlantic hurricane since Felix in 2007. His wrath brought widespread destruction and catastrophic loss of life during his journey across the Western Atlantic, hitting parts of Haiti, Cuba and Dominican Republic, then the Bahamas and southern United States. We saw effects of Matthew with lots of rain, but as he headed further north our moist air was pulled behind leaving us with a week of nothing but sunny weather.

October is here now and rainy season will intensify with stronger rain and lightning storms. Rainy season finally ends around mid of November to end of December depending. It now rains pretty much every day and since rainy season started Boat number 18 limped it hit by lightning. This year more boats then ever have been hit. Ooroo’s damage is over $100 000. By the way Ooroo in Australian means see you later. Eternal Bliss stored in yard was hit hard as well. One boat a mega sail yacht that just came out of the yard in Holland where she was built was on delivery from there to New Zealand to her first owner. Well they were hit here in the marina. Luckily with the carbon fiber mast and Dimia rigging no big damage was done and by now she should be in the hands of the new owner in New Zealand. The rain sometimes comes down so hard you almost need a mask and snorkel and the streets flood so fast you would never believe it. One of those downpours we were in Panama City in a taxi, the water came up to the door and the road looked like a raging river:

For us here in the marina at each one of those rainfalls we wait for a power outage as usually a jungle tree will fall across our power line which can take up to 14 hours to be fixed. We have one pretty much once a week.

approaching storms

I have to say in all the marina stays in our cruising time we have never met such a great group of people. Even though the marina now had a “Social Coordinator”, (which is a joke as she is a joke) we still organize our own fun gatherings. At 4:15 Aqua Fit hosted by April the sailmaker, Tuesday night Bar Games hosted by any cruiser offering, occasional Karaoke by Manuela, Birdwatching tours with Vicky, Friday night Potluck by Vicky (now by social coordinator as it was such a hit she took it over to get credit for it), Sunday BBQs, open mike with Matador (violin, guitar and banjo) and Manuela (guitar, harmonica) or anyone else who likes to play. Sunday morning walks across the military base to a sand beach we collect beach glass. This is the Quinn (a dog)and Aptril walk. Boys are not allowed on this walk only reason the millitairy boys would not let us walk if guys were with us. I think this is Quinn’s favorite day of the week as he has plenty of girls to play fetch. I had the pleasure to babysitting him for 4 days, what a fun dog.

Quinn is a very smart Terrier

Sue hosted a Tea Party for her Birthday. Definitely different but huge fun and food was all authentic Brittish. She gave the restaurant kitchen instruction and it was a hit.

The restaurant needs help in catering a bit more than just the regular boring menu. So I talked the chef into making Buffalo Wings once a week during happy hour, gave him my recipe and what a success, cruisers love it. He is very happy with it, but he does not announce when he is doing the wings, instead he comes to our table at happy hour and sais: Manuela why are you not ordering Manuela Wings, that’s what he calls it. So we order and everybody else does same.

Since the marina bus breaks down way too often I organized trips to Panama City then shopping with Roger and he would drive us back to the marina. By the way Roger has been working for cruisers for over 20 years. We met him in 2000, great guy and very reliable, a great asset for us cruisers.

Shelter Bay Marina, they should be ashamed of their bus, not just is it broken all the time but look at the inside:

Back Seat

Row of seats missing

Two months ago they advised us that they bought a new bus and two months later the bus is still not here. They keep claiming it is still in customs waiting for an agent to come inspect the bus to be released. Do they think we are fools? Pay the damn import tax and you will get the bus. At first when one of the owners Ok’d a new bus the other said no we fix it. New bus $72 000 verses fixing $55 000, each repair they have been doing over the last year is over $ 2000 each time. It’s a no brainer but like everything else it’s just talk but nothing gets done. Gym had no AC cruisers complained for over 6 months finally we have AC. Leather seating area in lounge you literally have a spring up your ass when sit down. Management does not care. Laundry room out of 8 machines 3 work plus same for dryers, no AC in room but an old fan that just broke, the poor girl who works in there is in tears daily. Get this new industrial machine we ordered and as for bus they are hung up in customs, unbelievable.

You saw the bus photos, you can imagine now how the walls look like on the marina building, showers etc. Paint is flaking off, the roof in store fell in, luckily employee was not hurt. That happened 2 months ago, still not fixed. The roof on hotel started collapsing and tiles falling down, that was just repaired. The owners are weekly told by cruisers to fix this or that, owners take notes, thank the complainer then walk away, I know these notes just make it into the trash as nothing gets done. Heard the marina is for sale, that explains it. they don’t put anything into repairs.

The yard is a mess too with incompetent mechanics, riggers etc. They pay the employees 25 bucks a day but charge the owners 50 plus bucks an hour. Workers are inexperienced. One boat suffered over $30 000 damage as mechanic, I can only say the word “fucked” up. Another boat that had hit a reef and hauled out to see what the damage is and to fix it was told they had to take the mast out. Why? They told the owner they needed to see the keel. Owner told them it was deck stepped and not into the keel. They took the mast off anyway and screwed up putting it back together. So the “marina rigger” unqualified fixed it. Result owner had to hire a professional rigger to fix screw up while owner then got charged a 30 dollar fee for the guy to work in the marina. Not to mention the 6 months they were stuck in this marina. This is not the only story. Another boat limped in here with broken fridge. One of the owners insisted that they use their mechanic. 9 months later they are still here and Greg fixed yet another one of their screw ups. There is a lot of disappointments here and owners don’t care. The marina is getting a worse and worse rap.

Beautiful Sunrise

The Sail Loft with a cruiser's Graphite

new BBQ area

Shelter Bay is also called Shelter Pay or Drama Bay or Soap Opera Bay. It’s the only place though to be in a safe marina on this side of the Canal and so close to the canal. Plus I have to say the comradery is great.

All my projects were done but we still waited for the parts.

Little fold-able baskets,make great Xmas gifts

Carrier for hot baking dishes

And cover to keep it warm

So I told Carol her upholstery was way due for something new I would help her. We rented a car for the fabric shopping plus some provisioning and to scope out where to get the foam.

On the bus into town

As Carol and I picked up the car it was not ready at Sixt and as we lost time already waited an extra hour I was told since I was a preferred customer I will get an upgrade. Holy van look at that:

I was so jazzed I missed the 2 inch step down and did an elegant forward flight and landing stopped by my bumpers called boobs. Luckily these puppies were in place and there was just tiles so no blood or skid-marks. Carol said it was elegantly done, sure did. it was a 4 point landing, 2 boobs and 2 knees. I felt like a soccer player celebrating a score and I did. My knee still hurts. The van was worth all that and worked out great as the following day well prepared we took the hubbies including all of Dutch Dreamer’s cushion parts into the van. We could have done it without the flight but definitely not without a 12 seated van.

Greg and Carol were so happy they treated us for dinner at our favorite local Grill at Centennial Mall. This restaurant was originally next to Abernatty in town for 65 years together with a car wash. While your car was washed you enjoyed a wonderful lunch. The owner sold it and split the money with all his loyal employees who had worked for him, some for 45 years. The employees got together and opened this new place with the same food they had and same tables and chairs. In the mean time they added many more wonderful items to their menu. Both Carol and Greg said this was the best dinner they had in Panama.

Carol was so excited when I started her project, so was I. In just a couple days the project was finished and oh wow, looks beautiful. She chose a kewl pattern that reminds her of Dutch tiles matching the boat name “Dutch Dreamer”.

Before

As it was finished Carol happened to be in town shopping so we snuck everything up into her boat and surprised her. I made a few extras, a mat for a vase, cover on fridge and a little bread basket with same material.

Carol was so happy she invited us for her Canadian Thanksgiving dinner along with Geoff and Sue. Great Turkey dinner and great company.

I had a few projects left that I had prepared for the San Blas but since Sid still worked on engine I finished them off.

Finally parts came in and Sid could finish the repair and put engine back in its place. Halleluiah, I had my boat back, but what a mess to clean. Nice to be able to sit down again. Sid still had another task to change the coupler on the fridge, which meant one more day off the boat. How quiet that now runs and only 13 minutes every 5 hours.

Nice an clean

Greg and Sid at work

Day of the Halloween party Greg and Sid did the finish touches on the engine. Unfortunately Juan the restaurant manager who organized the party with Sue was not here as his mother fell ill, so I helped Sue decorate the restaurant.

Moriz the Kuna Chef carved the pumpkins

It was fun. I left her with the finishing touches, wow what a great job she did. I had organized two hotel rooms for Melania and Jim, Ida and Manuel, unfortunately Manuel did not make it. It was a great party. I was excited to play with the band and arranged a close table for my friends. Unfortunately the Landfall band was a total bust. As Patrick told me during one of the songs: “have no idea what his problem is but he sure is an asshole tonight”, no kidding. The first three songs was a guess game what he started playing instead of telling us. In the practice we did a few days ago he gave me a play list so I spent a few hours on downloading, printing and arranging it. Then the following practice the play list was not what I had so I wrote all the songs down and did the downloading and printing again and now playing in front of all the cruiser he yet played only songs we did not practice. Patrick finally told him let’s play one of Manuela’s. First he insisted we never had played this song then he started the song for me in wrong key. We all stared at him while he was playing he stopped and I could start my song. What a full of himself band leader. After another few mishaps like this I walked off the stage and chose to have fun with my friends instead.

Melania and Jim

Manuela, Melania and Ida

Special Menue

There was a lot of fun costumes and 50% pirates including Sid. Jim won with his Zorro costume best male costume, a bucket of beer. For best Female I won a night in the hotel (used it for one of the rooms so my guests split the cost of one room). Best couple was awarded to April and Laura, Cat woman and Robin. These two girls worked hard on their costumes. Their husbands one was a pirate and one a doctor. Sid by far the best and ugliest looking Pirate, almost did not recognize him if it wasn’t for his outfit LOL. Everybody had a hard time to recognize me. Ida only did as she saw I had the same ghost puppet in my hand I had given her.

Right after the rewards everybody but a few left and sat outside. Later I was told by all my fans that every time I sang Bill sabotaged the song by turning his equipment way up, plus we sounded like a bad Karaoke, mainly coming from his side of the band. One even said that she has seen 6 people already walk away from him Carol told me her son did too. Some said it was painful listening. Right after the costume reward pretty much everybody left and partied outside. Funny thing this guy is playing the band every Saturday in the restaurant, last time everybody was up there but outside and only 4 listened to them inside. Hey you get what you put out. I truly enjoyed playing with Patrick and Frank, we had a great time, I will play with them in a heartbeat.

Engine was done now Sid worked exchange the coupler on the fridge. I had to laugh as the coupler was in. Sid had painted it red: “helloooo the engine is blue! ROFL. We had just made the living area livable again so when I came home from my sewing room I broke out in laughter, this is what I encountered:

No problem I grabbed a glass of bubbly and sat on the galley counter, actually quite comfy up there. All is fixed and put back in place and the boat turned more and more into our home again. Sid needs new glasses and engine a new blower which we can get in one day than we are out of here, yeah, San Blas here we come.

Old Coupler

New Coupler. HELLOOOO Sid the rest of the motor is blue not red

Well deserved beer on this sweaty job

Just a few odds and ends:

When I picked up the motor parts I took a taxi from Copy Matic to Textalindo the fabric store. From there I went across to the Kuna Fabric store and as this is not a very safe area I went straight back to the 99 store where a female police officer was patrolling. Thought this is a good place to hail a taxi. She asked me if I needed anything, that was nice. Anyway, taxi stopped unloaded an earderly woman so I took the taxi to get me to the Oriental store. He started driving the right direction but after 2 blocks he said we are going up this road. “No”, I said you keep going on this road to the Terminal then turn left.” He turned anyway, then there was what looked like a traffic jam so he went around the car in front and started turning into this dark and narrow alley. Told him to turn around, he kept going. Luckily the road was very bumpy so he drove slow and easy for me to jump out of the driving car. I ran up to where I saw a lot of people. Comes out the road was completely blocked as the road was torn up for water pipe repair. This dude knew this. I think I was very lucky that I bolted, a friend of mine got robbed in a taxi here in Colon.

Another cruiser had a similar experience at Millenium Plaza were Novy’s is. He got into a taxi that as he started driving another man jumped into the car. The Cruiser bailed right away. Watching the taxi drive off he watched and saw him stop about 50 meters further down and the guy that had just jumped in got out and taxi started to circle area again. A report was made and we warned all the cruisers about this taxi. As the holidays are getting closer robbery and theft rises again, so all keep your eyes open, stay alert and be safe.

We received a disturbing whatapp text from Debi. They went on BBQ island to have lunch at the kuna hut.