[PUP] 08 Panama Canal to FL suggestions

[Peter Pisciotta]

Atlantic side of Panama:
 - San Blas Islands (widely regarded as nicest beaches
in the world)
 - Bocas del Toros (Islands, just north of the Canal)
 - Roatan - Honduras. Honduras is a very poor country
but Roatan is an up & coming cruisers destination.
Good place to wait wx, and there's a good angle to the
west end of Cuba from there.
 - Cristobal is supposed to be a nice town.

One note Scott - it can be tough to work north on the
Atlantic side from the Canal, though you'll have time
to wait out weather (it can be a healthy wait). Colon
on the Atlantic side is not nice, though the little
yacht club is very friendly. Personally, if you're
pressed for time, I'd hang out at the Bocas del Toros
(approx 100 miles north) and bypass Colon. Otherwise,
the San Blas Islands.

A year or so ago I was trading notes with a sailor who
was on his second circumnavigation. I told him I got
slammed coming out of the Canal - 4 days of sustained
25-30 knot headwinds. He suggested easting along
Columbia a few hundred miles to get a better angle on
the NE winds - would also facilitate a visit to the
San Blas Islands. Another option is to head to
Providencia, a small island halfway to Cuba that's
popular with the Venezuelans.

As far as visiting Cuba, I have a friend in Miami
who's married to a Cuban gal who who he met in Cuba
while cruising 5 years ago. Bush has tightened US
visits significantly, but where there's a will,
there's a way. If Castro drops dead, it will be
better. Check www.noonsite.com.

I'm jealous....

Peter