The nice, smooth ride lasted until around noon yesterday. Then we turned a corner, so the wind and waves were coming from our starboard (right) side rather than the rear. The comfort level was only modestly affected and it was still an overall pleasant ride. Throughout the afternoon, the wind speed climbed quite a bit. The wind was coming from the shore, and since we were paralleling the shoreline, there wasn’t enough fetch for the waves to pick up too much, but it did get lumpier. The dual stabilization probably helped. The day was sunny, bright and clear, which was a nice change of pace. Pretty much the whole time we have been in Panama, it has been gray, overcast and gloomy, so we were appreciating the sunshine. We enjoyed looking at Panama’s scenic mountain coastline while we motored along. As the day wore on, we saw less and less traffic.

We ran our generator almost all day, making water, doing laundry, and enjoying the AC. It is really hot out today, probably because it is so sunny. Eric checked the fan and shaft temperature several times, concerned that they had been running hot in Gatun Lake. The fan seems to be working great. The shaft temperature is actually lower than normal, and we assume it is because the water temperature is about 15 degrees cooler than it was in the Atlantic.

At about sunset, a big school of dolphins came to play with the boat. Usually they only play on the bow, but this set also played with the paravanes. They are a different species to what we are used to seeing. According to a flier we had picked up somewhere, they are called pan tropical spotted dolphins. They are either dark gray or black in color with white spots. They are interesting looking. The flier says the dolphins live in schools of hundreds and sometimes even over a thousand, but that they divide themselves into groups of about 20 and stick close to the group members.

Later in the evening, as we moved farther from land, the seas did pick up. It seemed like in addition to the beam waves, we were also being hit by head seas. The waves were small, but the waves colliding was causing some corkscrew action, which just isn’t fun. It really wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t fun, either. We again had stunningly beautiful full moon that lit up the whole sky, and visibility was excellent. At that point, there was virtually no traffic anymore and we felt like we had the whole ocean to ourselves.

We are excited to report that we saw a turtle this morning. He was a really big one, too. It is the first time we have ever seen a turtle underway at sea, which is kind of sad. We are pretty unobservant when we are at sea.

The wind died completely around 1400. In a short time, the wind waves also died completely and the swell was reduced to only about 1 – 2 feet. The ride was so nice! It was another sunny and bright and scorching hot day.

As of this writing at 2330, the ride is still fantastic. The water is so smooth it looks like a giant piece of satin cloth, bunching up ever so slightly as our bow disturbs the sheen surface. The moon is gorgeous and is giving off tons of light. The smooth water is reflecting the light like a mirror and the combined effect makes it look like daylight outside. It is really unbelievably beautiful. We can clearly see the mountains on the shore. Christi went outside and laid on the front deck for a long time, enjoying the bright night and calm ride.

Christi is thrilled to report she is finally completely over her traveler’s sickness. Yipee!

Even though it has been a wonderful passage, we are both feeling a bit miserable. We had a hard time putting our finger on it, but we think it is the same problem we had when we arrived in Colon. In Panama City, we spent way too much time on the boat in a rolly anchorage and not enough time on land doing fun stuff. So, even though this is such a great passage, we really just want to get the heck off the boat.

And a Q & A:

Q: Assuming price was not an issue, would you have been more happy on a N55 than a 43 for the trip?

A: First of all, when discussing costs, you have to remember there is more than just the price of the boat to consider. A bigger boat means exponentially higher fuel, maintenance and repairs costs. And sometime it can be harder to find slips in marinas to accommodate a boat that large.

Second, happiness comes from within, and we would be equally “happy” no matter what mode of transport we chose. We suppose what you really meant to ask is “would we have been more comfortable” on the bigger boat?

That said… if money were not an issue and the only choice was between a 43 or 55, Eric would happily take a 55. He likes the idea of a roomier lazarette and engine room, making his chores easier. Plus, men always want a bigger boat, right? 😉 While Christi loves the idea of a bigger kitchen, she would never pick a 55. First of all, it is tall and has a lot of windage. It is too big for paravanes, so you can’t do the dual stabilization trick to offset the extra rolling caused by the windage. Second, it is too big for her to do her chores. She would be spending all of her time doing things like washing the boat and scrubbing barnacles off the bottom, leaving little time to have fun. We’d have to hire professional help at every port to do some of the maintenance we normally do ourselves, and in more remote places, there is no one to hire. Finally, she thinks it is too heavy and big overall, making it more difficult for two people to handle alone. We’d probably want crew to help, and we’e not the kind of people who hire crew.

If you expand the scope of choices to any Nordhavn, Christi would opt for the 52 minus the flybridge and Eric would choose the new 63. If you open up the scope of choices to any kind of boat, we’d pick a submarine. No, we’re not kidding.