Today as we moved from the Islas Secas to Isla Parida we had very little wind and glassy seas for much of the trip. Several dolphins out searching for breakfast stopped by to have a play at the bow of Lanikai.
The dolphins were with us for some time as they fished for awhile moving away from Lanikai and returning to play at the bow.
Bill and I have spent many hours in the water over the last three days enjoying the undersea life.
Bill enjoyed taking many photos of the fish while diving underwater and chasing some of the fish to get good photos.
The Secas Islands are a privately owned group of islands in Western Panama. They contain an exclusive eco type resort consisting of about 6 cabin style yurts for guests and a larger one with the dining room and kitchen.
The islands are quite pristine with lots of green shrubs and trees and many small sand beaches between reefs that stick out from the many points. The water us usually clear here and the snorkeling is fabulous. There are lots of schools of fishes to view and coral outcroppings on the sandy bottom.
Yesterday we moved further west to the Islas Secas. We were up early and underway as soon as there was enough light to see. It was a motor boat ride until the last two hours when the wind filled from the south. We had the anchor down before 3PM on the northeast side of the largest island in this group in a spot where we have anchored several times in the past. The day was sunny and calm and quite warm as we traveled over the flat seas with a long period roll coming from the south. We were anticipating northerly winds this time of year and were surprised by the southerly that came as we closed the island group. We dropped the hook in clear deep water and are looking forward to a nice snorkel later today.
The last three days Bill has spent much time fixing our outboard motor for the dinghy. At Isla Contadora the prop started to slip and we no longer could get here up on plane. Slowly we have had to run the motor even slower to keep the prop from slipping, so Wednesday we pulled the dinghy up onboard to the Lanikai and Bill set to work.
Well, he was going to just remove the prop and put some screws in it to keep the prop for slipping. He also decided to change the lower unit oil and grease up other fittings. In the process he discovered that the motor could not be put into reverse. Dismantling the handle he found some broken parts and kinks in the shifter cables. Two days later and after several tries, he finally got the handle back on with the cables running correctly. Today he replaced the lower unit oil and fixed the prop with two screws. We have inserts for our prop hub but it will take a press to remove the old one and replace it with a new one, so until Punta Arenas and our haul out we are back in business. We took the dinghy out for a spin late today and it planes nicely again.
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