Hi,

A quick update on our adventures. Well we have been in Panama for one week. While I miss some of the comforts of home already, I am enjoying the adventure. It has been hot and humid, with daytime temps in the 80s and nights in the 70s. We don’t have AC on the boat but fortunately it is pretty windy, most of the time, at the docks.

So far it’s been all work and very little play. We will be leaving the dock in the next 2-3 days so our preparations have been the main focus.  Our first stop is for 2-3 weeks in the San Blas Islands and they local Kuna Indians are very primitive. No running water or electricity in most places. After visiting there, we plan to sail up to Honduras, a 3-4 day voyage. So we need to prep the boat quite well.

While the boat is in great shape, there were things that needed attention. The boat owner, David, has been here for the past 4 weeks doing boat stuff, so our chores were last minute items.  We have serviced 6 sail handling winches (taking each one apart, cleaning, greasing and putting it back together), fixed one of the stuck forward sails, repaired a rip in the mainsail, silicone calked parts of the boat and various odds and ends. Not to mention unpacking our 6 huge duffel bags of stuff, weighing almost 400 pounds.

The big adventure so far has been provisioning food for the boat. The owner says that we need to provision for a good 3 months, as most food elsewhere will be much more expensive and hard to find. Also we are now at a marina with a dock, taxis, and dock carts. Loading food bags from a dinghy bobbing in the water in a remote location is indeed a bit more difficult. We made 2 separate trips to the supermarkets filling (and I mean filling) 3 shopping carts on each trip. We put so much stuff in the taxi that it was scraping the bottom of the car when we’d hit potholes. In theory we have enough packaged, canned and frozen goods for 3 months for the 3 of us. And we bought various other foods that will have a shorter shelf life, like fruits, vegetables and breads. It was certainly an adventure shopping in a 3^rd world supermarket where they only speak Spanish! My Spanish tutoring lessons are paying off and my language is improving in the daily full immersion program we are in.

On a personal note, I am slowly adjusting and am glad I have the tools of AA to call on. I am surprised at my less than “all in” reaction to being here.  At first I was very stressed about the limited wi-fi and slow, plus dropping connections. Then there was adjusting to the heat and humidity. Plus living in a small space and getting acquainted with the boat’s owner, David. Overall things are going very well, but it is an adjustment. On a side note - Cheri seems to be doing very well, which is a great help and example. I truly believe that God put this opportunity in front of me to learn and grow on many levels. So with that belief, I use step 11 in many ways. Reminding myself that I am not running the show and finding that the “acceptance prayer” has been my ongoing friend.

It would appear that for the next 3-4 weeks my email access will be very very limited, so it may be a while before I send another e-mail. I will text as able, and possible call if able.  We are heading to the San Blas Islands for 2-3 weeks. The Kuna Indians are very primitive with no electricity and water. So internet is a stretch. After the San Blas Islands we plan to sail directly to Rotan Honduras, a 2-4 day passage. Lots to update when we get to Honduras.

From: Brad 1/12/14