It is our final day of preparation before Hazel begins her long awaited transit through the Panama Canal. As you will see in the photos, we have welcomed a new crew member, Adriana Darula, Peter’s wife. What a joy she has been aboard Hazel. Her fluent Spanish has already proven invaluable, and her connection to the Canal runs deep. Her uncle served as a Panama Canal pilot for 30 years. For vessels over 65 feet, the law requires captains to hand the helm over to a Panamanian p

Back in Panama, and the contrast hits fast. I went from 0 degrees and bone dry Minnesota air to 85 degrees and 80 percent humidity in under nine hours. That is the price of leaving Hazel in Shelter Bay Marina in Panama for her storm damage repairs, but it was the right call. I returned loaded like a pack mule, hauling three oversized, overweight suitcases stuffed with boat parts. Hazel is now sporting new halyards for raising the sails, new sheets for shaping them, and upgrad

As most of you know, one day into our fifteen day journey from New Orleans to Panama, our marine head failed. The crew of Hazel spent the next fourteen days relying on a five gallon bucket to accomplish their daily requirements. One of the first repairs we tackled upon reaching Panama was the marine head. I want to be very clear. Repairing a marine head is the absolute worst job on a boat. I had the privilege of taking on this project, which consumed an entire day. Every hose