COCO BANDERO CAYS TO HOLLANDES CAYS

February 4, 2012

The Coco Bandero Cays were just isolated enough that the Friday "veggie boat" didn't make a stop.  We'll make do with what we have aboard until we reach Portobello.

We weighed anchor at 1042 hrs this morning and set sail for the Hollandes Cays (9-35.1' N x 78-41.6' W).   These cays are considered by many to be the most beautiful and have the clearest waters in all of the San Blas Islands.  This can be disputed by those who have cruised around here for years.  Anyway, they are magnificent and teaming with fish, conch and lobster.  Since they are one of the most Northerly group of islands, the waves are roaring and breaking over the reefs.  Such awesome power! to see ten ft swells bursting over those reefs.  Although the inner lagoons are calm, there is quite a bit of current running through this area.  Cruisers mainly anchor at two places:  The Swimming Pool and the Hot Tub.  The Swimming Pool is closer to the reefs and has a better breeze than the Hot Tub.  For those that need the wind power for their wind generators, it is the chosen place to anchor.  The Hot Tub is more protected but has less wind.  Also, there is a very tight entrance with reefs protruding on both sides.  This is where the "navigation team" shines:  Karin and John are on the bow visually spotting the reefs and relaying info via the VHF radio to me while I am sitting at the chart table and watching the plotted course on the electronic charts.  I give helm orders to Phyllis and she keeps the boat on course.  Whatever Karin and John see takes precedence over everything else.  GPS and electronic charts are great but there is nothing so good as "eyeballing" it.  This will be crucial to navigating in the South Pacific islands.  The San Blas area was a great place to start.

We anchored  in the Bath Tub (9-35.1 N  x 78-41.6' W).  There are quite a few islands in this group along with various reefs teaming with fish.  It is here that we met Bruce and Marcell on their Tayana 37 "Adventure Bound".  Karin and John have a Tayana 37 so it was a natural attraction.  Additionally, Bruce was a very experienced diver and speared some beautiful fish.  He speared a big Trigger Fish which I filleted.  There was enough for everyone and it was delicious.  Grouper and Mahi Mahi are favorites but this falls right in place as a most delicious fish.

The Hollandes were the final great cruising cays we would see on this most interesting and beautiful cruise through very remote areas.  We give our gratitude to Scott and Kitty on their Valiant 40 "Tamure" for directing us here as a "MUST".  If not for their persistence in stating that "you have to see the San Blas Islands", we might have gone directly into Colon and made the transit through the Canal.

We heaved up anchor on Feb 6th and sailed back into El Porvenir for checking out.  If you check in at El Porvenir officially you have to check out of there for Colon.