Passage to Panama

Beautiful mid-Caribbean sunset

This brown boobie used the bowsprit as a roost for nearly two days

Our five-day passage from Jamaica to Panama started out pretty wild with great winds and sailing south along the eastern coast of Jamaica, then calmed down until we were motorsailing across a glassy calm sea. We settled well into the routine of watches and had a great time. I read aloud one of Dennis Lehane’s Kenzie/Gennaro books (great series, if you haven’t tried it), we watched the ocean, and Mr Mac unwittingly became a floating aviary. First one small barn swallow stopped to rest, tucking in under the dodger. Then a few more on the stern arch, the radar, the spreaders, the lines… Oh, and did I mention the brown booby that adopted our bow sprit for two days, clinging to it all night? Two birds flew below and tucked into our basket of hats. Unfortunately, those two didn’t make it (do the most exhausted seek a dark place to die?), but at least we figured we gave them a cozy place to pass on instead of dropping into the waves.

Birds by the autopilot...

Birds by the radar...

The Black Knight bested by a swallow-type bird down in the salon