Gallery

21
Jun
2025
Gallery – Puerto Lindo

Gallery – Puerto Lindo

Back from San Blas, we are on anchorage near Puerto Lindo in Linton Bay. Here our friend Moni disembarks again, and Karin also sets off on a research trip to the Pacific coast. Meanwhile, I repair Mabul’s minor aches and pains and once again encounter major problems. The almost new shaft bearing is already showing some play again, so there’s still something wrong. One way or another, Mabul has to go ashore again and a new shaft bearing has to be ordered and delivered. But the area here has a high recreational value and so we explore various small islands, meet new animal friends and immerse ourselves in local life. This should actually be the last stop before the canal, the canal administration has already approved all the documents for the transit and Karin’s sister has also booked a flight to go through the canal with us as linehandlers. Once again, plans are there to be changed. Read more in the blog Stranded in Linton Bay

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07
Jun
2025
Gallery – Birding in Panama

Gallery – Birding in Panama

The wildlife and especially the birdlife in Panama is simply amazing and too often I was unable to capture them well in photographs. Even the most modern smartphone camera gigantism is not enough, the flight distance of the shy animals is simply too much. So I’ve been carrying a longer lens around with me on our walks for a quarter of a year now. And all of a sudden, it’s become a new incentive to explore nature. So I spend hours and hours birding in Panama in the forest, in the mangroves or on the dinghy to get to know more and more of this diversity. All the photos were taken on the Caribbean side of Panama, between Colon and San Blas.

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21
Feb
2025
Gallery – San Blas III

Gallery – San Blas III

From Isla Tigre, we sail on to Waisaladup in San Blas, where our friend Moni comes on board. We continue with her to the so-called swimming pool: here we meet up with many old friends from the Turtle Cay Marina in crystal-clear, turquoise waters. After various dream islands, we also make a detour with the dinghy into the Rio Mangles on the nearby mainland. We are immediately surrounded by the intense green of the mangroves, and the contrast to the piles of sand and palm trees could not be more striking.

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31
Jan
2025
Gallery – Isla Tigre

Gallery – Isla Tigre

After the very first anchorage of the season at Gardi Sugdub, we continue east in San Blas and sail to Isla Tigre. We are the only boat anchored there and feel like aliens at first. We peer through the camera and binoculars and observe what is happening on the island in front of us. Tourism doesn’t seem to have arrived here yet, nobody comes to Mabul to collect an anchoring fee, sell molas or fish. The former airstrip can only be recognized as such from the air; volleyball and soccer have long been played here. The village is surprisingly well developed with a hospital, school, functioning water and electricity supply, small stores and clean streets. We even find a restaurant and make friends with the crew of a Colombian merchant ship that is moored at the dock here.

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30
Aug
2024
Gallery – Hurricane season in Panama

Gallery – Hurricane season in Panama

Refreshed and energized, we return from Jamaica to the Turtle Cay Marina, where Mabul is patiently waiting for us. We actually want to replace the rudder bearing as quickly as possible and then sail to Cartagena in Colombia to spend the hurricane season there. After some back and forth, we decide not to sail to Colombia but to spend the hurricane season in Panama. Mabul will therefore remain in the Turtle Cay Marina for most of the time, so the rudder bearing can wait for the time being and its repair can be planned properly. This immediately takes off all the pressure and stress, and we can relax and enjoy the untouched nature here.
It’s already time for Karin to fly to Switzerland to work for the SRF for five months. Alex stays on board for another eight weeks and deals with lots of little things and some larger projects. Then it’s off to Germany and Switzerland for him too, for the first time in two years…

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09
Aug
2024
Gallery – Jamaica

Gallery – Jamaica

After Mabul is fixed, we make our way to San Blas. San Blas is over 200 nautical miles to the east, and we want to set off from here with an improved angle to Jamaica. The passage will be a tough ride upwind anyway. But we don’t want it to come to that. We continue to be dogged by bad luck and notice a loose rudder on the passage, the rudder bearing is completely worn out. As a result, we are unable to sail as far as Jamaica and Mabul has to be hauled out of the water again for repairs. While still in San Blas, we decide to park Mabul in the Turtle Cay Marina and fly to Jamaica for a (boat) vacation. It was a good decision. We enjoy two carefree and boat-free weeks on an incredibly green island in the best of company. We take a small rental car on a round trip through Jamaica, which takes us from Negril to Kingston and over the Blue Mountains to Portland and back.

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26
Jul
2024
Gallery – Bocas del Toro

Gallery – Bocas del Toro

Finally, a weather window opens up that allows us to safely leave the atoll of Cayos Albuquerque without an engine, and we set sail. On the way, we are accompanied by a few birds that are still asleep when we drop anchor at eleven at night. There are lots of boat jobs to do here in Bocas del Toro. The priority is clearly to replace the cutlass bearing and find the cause of the rapid wear and tear. Before we haul out in Almirante, we spend a week close to Bocas and get all the provisions on board Mabul. The long-awaited and well-traveled gennaker has also finally arrived. Many thanks again to Stephan from our sponsor VM Sails! We tow Mabul the last ten miles to the shipyard with our dinghy moored alongside. Once there, the true extent of the damage becomes apparent after a few days. Once again, Alex works like mad for a whole three weeks before Mabul is floating in the water again.

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15
May
2024
Gallery – Cayos Albuquerque

Gallery – Cayos Albuquerque

We say goodbye to Panama and set off for the Cayman Islands with our friend Lea. This is right on our planned route to the Bahamas and makes an ideal stopover. On the very first night, water spills into the forward bathroom in the middle of the night, so we sail to Cayos Albuquerque to dry out and seal Mabul again. A completely unexpected paradise awaits us here. Two small islands in the middle of an atoll surrounded by crystal-clear water. We meet the Colombian army and coast guard, spend time with the local fishermen and experience and hear many a curious story.

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26
Apr
2024
Gallery – Panama Canal

Gallery – Panama Canal

Then plans change: We decide that we and Mabul are not yet ready for the Pacific and that we would stay one more season on the Caribbean side. Of course, we still keep our promise to be line handlers for SV My Motu during their Panama Canal transit. So we moor Mabul in the Turtle Cay Marina and go on board SV My Motu. Together we make our way to Shelter Bay Marina in Colon. This is the first (almost) necessary stop before heading into the canal. There, the final preparations are made, large fenders and long lines are delivered by the agent and we get a briefing. Then we set off shortly after four o’clock in the morning.

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19
Apr
2024
Gallery – Panama

Gallery – Panama

There are different places one can go cruising in Panama. We visit San Blas and Portobelo and dock Mabul in the marinas of Linton Bay and Turtle Cay. Preparations for the Pacific are in full swing. Together with the crew of SV My Motu we rent a car to make various trips to Colon. In Shelter Bay Marina I pick up our new anchor chain, deliver lithium batteries from sailors in San Blas and in return get Canadian passports for people in San Blas. We buy food and alcohol in the Zona Libre, I get our liferaft serviced and pick up packages from the US. Before the second San Blas round with Georges, we visit Portobelo, a small town with a great history, and after transiting the canal on My Motu, we explore Panama City while Mabul lies patiently waiting for us in the Turtle Cay Marina.

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