Yesterday was our last day in the San Blas together. Helen and I may get back some as we’ll arrive again if we keep on heading west. I’d made an offer a while back to send everyone who wants to up the mast for the view and this was our last chance to do this around small islands. In the morning I dug out the bosuns chair. The wooden seat was looking a little soft so I decided to send up Annie, Sam and John in weight order, lightest first. That meant Annie got the first ride. We used two lines for safety reasons. One attached to the chair and the backup line around the waist. We shared hand signals so Annie had control of the ascent and descent in case she ran into trouble or had enough. In the end she had no issues and made it to the top. from there she took a few pictures and stayed a while before descending. Up next was Sam. Much the same although with his longer arms he was better able to hang onto the shrouds (mast supports) to stabalize himself. John waited until midday for his turn so he could have better light for his pictures.<\/p>\n

After Annie and Sam had been up we decided that we weren’t going to use the hookah again. I went snorkeling alone with my spear gun and caught a very decent sized lobster. I tried to find more but apart from one tiny one I could find none. Back on the boat I cooked it straight away as it was already dead – unsurprising having been shot through the head. I shared a little with John but scoffed most the kill myself.<\/p>\n

Lunch was leftovers from the previous day after which John had his turn up the mast. After a hour or so rest Annie and Sam swam ashore to begin collecting firewood for an evenings bonfire. Later, John and I went out in the dinghy to collect some larger driftwood I’d seen on another beach. We picked it up and took it to Annie and Sam in the dinghy.<\/p>\n

Back on the boat we had dinner then went ashore to light the fire. It was a perfect evening, the stars were out overhead and could be seen through the palm trees. The fire was welcoming, triggering our primal instincts to hang around and enjoy the warmth of the flames. Once the fire had died out, Annie, Sam and I snorkeled back to the boat in the dark. We’d brought our gear and two torches. Although one failed along the way we were able to enjoy the reef at night. For a while we turned off the torches and swam in the pitch dark seeing an impressive display of luminescent algae which surrounded each of us with twinkling lights.<\/p>\n

No booze was consumed yesterday evening as we have a long sail today. We need to be sharp and to avoid seasickness. Alcohol doesn’t help with either of these.<\/p>\n

We set sail shortly after 6am. The forecast had been for light and variable winds. Fortunately we’re seeing around 12-13 knots of wind. If this keeps up we’ll sail all the way. The kids are all fast asleep right now – just Helen and I sailing the boat. Seas are fairly calm.<\/p>\n

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