San Blas Islands.

Sailed to this reasonably remote set of islands at the top of panamania. The local people still paddle round in dugouts, some now have outboards but the majority are sail and paddle. We only managed a day here beut it is the sort of group of islands that you could really spend many many weeks exploring. The local trade is making molas or ornate tapestry style mats and wall hangings. Yet another place on the list to go back to….

Canal Time!

It was time to transit the Canal through to the Caribbean on a typical panama day, grey and torrential downpours on and off. An amazing achievement of engineering and plain hard work, the best parts were fishing in the lake at the centre of the canal where there are apparently plenty of monkeys and even the odd mountain lion as its in the dense jungle and very hard to access. The trains which act as bow & stern line pullers and the shear proximity of the mondo panama cargo carriers going past you all over the place. The transit down was done in the dark to add another perspective to the canal.

Check out the photos for a play by play.

Panamania.

Good trip, hooked a marlin just off the south coast of panama, good size (think it was a stripie) spooled the reel in a min flat and couldn’t do anything to stop it. Bugger! Followed it up with a nice size dorado that night so all was not lost.

Arrived in Panama city on the fringe of the most impressive electrical storm of the trip to date. After a 2 day sail from Cocos. Went ashore for a day to feel what it was like again to be in a city and was over it after about 3 hrs.

Panama itself is a city with a long history of occupations and troops, the Americans being a major part in this as a stronghold for their pacific fleet. Overall a city of incredible wealth alongside widespread poverty with ghettos extending from close to the marina all the way to town.

Cocos Is

A mint little island in the middle of nowhere 350mi off the coast of costa rica. First day: misty conditions as we came in @ 9 in the morning. Walked in the afternoon over to wafer bay lush as forest, then walked up to a mint waterfall, swam and posed for a few timotei photos! Apparently part of Jurassic park was filmed here and I can see why. Spent the next day diving and having some time off. The diving was awesome, very untouched, apparently some of the best night dives in the world with hundreds of feeding white tips, by the size of the massive hammerheads we saw and the reef sharks that took a liking to our fins I can see why!

Galapagos

After about 3500mi of upwind sailing and motoring into current it was nice to call land ho early one morning when the island of Isabella came into view. I don’t really know where to start with the stories of the 2 weeks that we spent there. The first week myself and the rest of the delivery crew hung out in Porto Ayora chillaxing, I completed my dive Padi and had some amazing diving in the process seeing everything from hammerhead sharks through to Massive manta rays, which are up to about 5m wingspan and prob the most impressive thing I’ve seen underwater. There are some amazing walks and beaches around the place, we ate well and had a few good nights out around the semis of the RWC meeting some cool people that I’m sure we will bump into again somewhere around the world.

The following week we joined the boat again for the owners trip. This trip involved 7 days of cruising, walking, a birthday along the way, diving and snorkeling. I really can’t describe how awesome it was in words and if I did it would take a long time, so will let the pictures speak for me.

Some places are truly awesome and untouched in this world and the Galapagos is one of these not a place I will ever forget and hopefully I will have the privilege to go back there one day.

Marquses Islands

This was our first stop on the mighty bliss. Good passage there, highlighted by an awesome 200lb yellowfin tuna! The Marquses are very remote, lush islands 800mi nth of Tahiti, pretty epic place and about 20yrs behind Tahiti which was refreshing. Had a day with a car ashore and spent it walking to a beach and seeing the sights and sounds of the island finished with the islands dance practice for the dance competition which was about to take place.

Tahiti

Back to the south pacific! Tahiti has always been good to me, good people, beautiful island and sweet weather. Spent the few days I was there prepping the boat for the 7000mi ahead, kiting, few runs and of course there was time for a tiki pirate party at the sandbar.

New York, New York.

What a cool city to hang out in, Spent my days cruising the city and riding the subway seeing the sights. Plenty to do and see, with culture, good coffee (rare in this American land). Highlights here were defiantly a tour on an old concorde, massive aircraft carrier, big statue in the harbor & tall buildings which really are amazing feats of engineering.

Sardinia

Went and spent a week in Sardinia for Maxi worlds on the Dykstra 110’, good weather, racing, fleet of boats. Long week all round catching up with people & keeping the boat in one piece.

Valencia!

So the mission here was to partake in an epic Tomato fight and smash young Graham/Baker/Dainty at all costs in the small town of Bunyola just out of Valencia.

It started with a leisurely stroll and quiet night out in the old town of Valencia and escalated from there. The following day we moved hotels and had a slightly bigger night out followed by a recovery on the rooftop pool. Then the first of the big events the water and wine festival. This is held out of Valencia in another small Spanish town. It is the opening night of a fiesta that lasts a week. We started by scoring some scalper tickets into the bull ring where bout 8 bands are around the stadium and basically have a bandoff for about 2hrs. This is all happening while local punters decide to chance their arm at a bit of bullfighting otherwise known as running away from 500kg of pissed off meat charging straight for you! I may or may not have had a whirl but don’t tell Joce she will confiscate my passport when I return to NZ. After the antics in the ring everyone marched down the streets behind the bands getting ice cold water poured from the balconies on them, to the square where trucks full of red wine are distributed for, Drinking/throwing at others – Brilliant.

On to the main event the next morning. The Tomato fight was a little bit of madness started by some amigo who managed to get to the top of a greased pole and claim the ham, which means the fight is to begin. Followed by literally truckloads of tomatoes in the main street to destroy the other fighters with J. After it all you attempt to remove the smell and tomato seeds, wash tomato acid out of your eyes, throw away shoes and items of clothing that will never be recovered. All and all a good old day topped off with a night out, two thumbs up.

Spent the rest of the week chilling in Valencia, and then a few days in Barcelona before I was off to Sardinia.

Palma,

Back home to palma for a few weeks of R&R, and some Fiesta!

Well the Spanish sure do know how to throw a party. Had the local Fiesta in Alaro which lasts for 2 weeks kicking off at the start of Aug. this involves everything from local theatre and Mountain bike races through town right into the night with feasts, concerts & dancing. The final night is the real highlight though, basically the Fiesta is based around the patron St of Alaro – St Roc. Devils start on one side of town with a drumming band @ bout 10pm then march through to the town square shooting off a whole range of fireworks. When they get to the square they basically shoot off a whole lot more fireworks and you dance around the square trying not to get burnt hair. All I can say is that it would never be allowed back home for serious health and safety reasons.