We Made It

Hazel has officially arrived. She is tied up safely at Shelter Bay Marina near Cristóbal/Colón, Panama, the Atlantic gateway to the Panama Canal. As first impressions go, this one was memorable. We met the owner of the marina, who also happens to be the man who built it. He is originally from Two Rivers, Wisconsin, and struck up a conversation the moment he spotted Hazel’s home port of Red Wing, Minnesota. A genuinely wonderful man. He even noticed a part on Hazel that needed replacing and immediately offered to source it and have it shipped in. Talk about hospitality.

There is one moment from the passage I need to share. About 80 miles from Panama, we received an EPIRB distress alert. A vessel had sunk, and the crew abandoned ship and activated their beacon. We were 51 miles away, too far to assist, and soon lost communication. We listened as the Panamanian Coast Guard called for them again and again, with no reply. I fear the worst.

After 15 days at sea, Peter and I discovered a strange phenomenon: land sickness. The moment we stepped off Hazel, our bodies insisted we were still moving. It is disorienting and nearly impossible to describe unless you have lived it.

Our arrival itself was dramatic. To enter the breakwater, where massive ships queue up nearly 30 deep waiting their turn for the Canal, we had to request permission. Once cleared, we made our way toward Shelter Bay and tied up around 1800. That night was dedicated to one thing: making the master list of repairs.

But before tackling anything mechanical, we handled the true priorities: a real shower, a functioning toilet, a proper meal, and a chance to decompress and relive the journey.

Over the next three weeks, updates may be sparse as we work through Hazel’s repair list before crossing the Canal and preparing for the Pacific. It is not glamorous reading, but it does show what the sea can take out of a boat.

Hazel’s Repair List

• Marine head repair, currently nonfunctional

• Dodger repair, all screws rattled out (Loctite would have been wise)

• Staysail roller furling extension arms, bolts fell out and need replacement with proper hardware

• Cut three new 14 mm Genoa sheets, two active and one spare, old ones frayed

• Cut three new 12 mm staysail sheets, two active and one spare, also badly worn

• Running lights not functioning, cause unknown

• Refill diesel, burned about 30 gallons from New Orleans to Panama

• Mainsheet traveler, starboard jam stopper broken

• Upgrade Genoa furling line and create a spare, current line too small and frayed

• Retune fixed rigging, storms loosened lower shrouds and the mast began humming at speed

• Repack and repair mainsail, torn sail clips and missing batten covers

• Repair Genoa sail, UV cloth shredded and stitching damaged

• Rerun Genoa furling line to reduce friction, current routing makes furling difficult

• Inspect and tighten all screws and cotter pins on deck

• Polish all stainless steel

• Wash down entire deck to remove salt

• Refill both water tanks

These are just the major items. Add to that the usual interior cleaning, laundry, and reorganizing. We estimate about three weeks of work. If all goes well, Hazel should be ready to transit the Canal and begin her Pacific crossing in early March.

Life at Shelter Bay

This marina is exceptional, clean, well kept, with excellent docks and a community of sailors who are, without exception, first class people. Peter and I feel a bit out of place at times. Hazel is easily the most modest vessel here. She is surrounded by boats ranging from 500,000 to 5 million dollars, plus one superyacht that must be worth over 200 million. It is high season, and the marina is packed. We even had to move Hazel to make room for a larger incoming yacht, which turned out to be a blessing because it placed us in a more protected slip.

Two encounters stand out already. Our neighbors are a wonderful couple from Prior Lake, Minnesota, cruising aboard their 55 foot yacht. And we met Adam, a retired U.S. Coast Guard veteran traveling the world with his wife and children while homeschooling along the way. He generously spent an afternoon teaching us knot tying techniques.

Warm regards from Panama,

Hazel and Crew