After the excitement of the Panama Canal transit, we needed a break. What better place to chill out than Bocas del Toro? That was our thinking in mid-December. Little did we know of what was to come. With the onset of the Covid-19 Pandemic, we got much more of a break than we ever imagined. Before the virus hit, we had some good times here in Bocas, even had guests visit in February. Then, just as we were preparing to pick up anchor and travel on to the San Blas Islands and Cartagena, Colombia, BAM – the Coronavirus was here and spreading. We quickly decided it was safer to stay put than to risk the unknowns of other ports. As I write this, it has been 50 days since we docked at Red Frog Marina to quarantine and shelter in place. We are quite literally stranded on an island (always wanted to say that). We are not alone talking with the coconuts (Wilson?) though. We are here alongside many other cruisers waiting this out. We are all shaken in vastly different ways. The local community is rallying to help out the indigenous families throughout the islands here. The local Soroptimist group and others are working together to raise funds, collect donations, and deliver food and supplies as needed. Michael and I are healthy, safe, and admittedly our concerns are minimal compared to so many. We do worry about family back in the states and are waiting for air travel to open back up in Panama to plan that. Meanwhile, here we sit with time on our hands and time to think. I’m reminded of how life as you know it can turn on a dime. I’m also reminded to savor the good times. In that spirit, I’m sharing this blog about our adventures in Bocas, a very good place to chill and re-calibrate indeed.

But first we had to get there…

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Our trip from Shelter Bay Marina to Bocas del Toro may best be described as “Current Beware”. Uncharacteristically, we departed without topping off our fuel. On the morning of our departure, the fuel barge was gone from the marina and wouldn’t be back until the afternoon. Problem was, we wanted to leave in the morning to allow us the best time table to arrive Bocas in the daylight. The weather was benign and we calculated that we had two and a half times the amount of fuel required for this passage (150nm). Our thinking was flawed, having not seriously considered the current. Whoops. What should have been a snoozer of a trip was agitated with anxiety as our boat speed dropped below 4 knots (expected 7+). Michael began measuring fuel levels by dipstick (not completely trusting the gauges), and “estimating” how much longer we could muster, before running out of fuel. I know, I know, we are a sailboat. But, there was zilch wind and 2 knots of current. We considered options, few as they were in this stretch. Anchorages are limited and we decided we didn’t want to spend the fuel it would take to find them. We nervously stayed our course. 35 hours or so later… and countless prayers, we arrived with just enough fuel to spare. Drama averted, we arrived at twilight on a warm Sunday afternoon, and tied up safely at Red Frog Marina with a fuel dock winking at us 50 feet from our bow.

Red Frog Beach Island Marina

Home Sweet Home

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Red Frog Marina is located on Isla Bastimentos or “Basti” for short. And while swimming dock side is not recommended (did you see those jelly fish?) – there are many other reasons to love it here at Red Frog.

It’s Pretty for One

This marina features a spectacular backyard (island) with tropical landscapes, hiking trails, wild beaches, mysterious creatures, and several good restaurants.

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And Friendly

Red Frog (and Bocas in general) has a velcro reputation. Many people arrive and stay for a season or two or three… Some return seasonally, a few become permanent liveaboards and others transform into dirt people, moving to mountain homes above the mangroves. We’ve met all kinds here. There is a daily VHF net to connect with fellow cruisers and the broader Bocas community. We’ve also met many who, like us, are traveling on. (I think). We met a delightful family from Germany aboard Bear Baloo. They were a part of this year’s ARC, and bound for the Marquesas/South Pacific. I just love the boat name, inspired by the beloved sleepy bear character in Kipling’s (and Disney’s) Jungle Book. Such an apt name for a cruising boat I think, in no hurry, patient, and with the theme song “Bare Necessities“.

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Bocas Del Toro

From the sound of it, you might think that we never left the marina. Not true. Before the lockdown, we did get off the dock to explore and I have pictures to prove it! Before we get to the pictures…. Where are we? Perhaps I should have started with this (thanks Wikipedia): The Bocas del Toro Archipelago is a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea in the northwest of Panama. The archipelago separates Almirante Bay and Chiriquí Lagoon from the open Caribbean Sea. The archipelago is part of the Bocas del Toro District which is part of Bocas del Toro Province. The major city is Bocas del Toro, also called Bocas Town (or simply Bocas), on Isla Colón. The islands are accessible by water taxis and private boats. 

Bocas Town

I don’t have many pictures of Bocas, but the ones I do have tell a story. Bocas is a funky, hippyish town with many surf and gift shops. It is a popular tourist hub flocked by backpackers and other travelers each year. Before the lockdown, we visited Bocas weekly, primarily to provision. Our shopping days often would start with a good cup of coffee and sometimes breakfast at Amaranto. Then – time permitting – ended with lunch at Om Cafe. Love the Buddha Bowls! Red Frog provides a free water taxi service Monday-Friday, 10-1. So, your objective is to get all shopping & errands complete before the return trip taxi departs at 1:00. (Yes, there are other water taxies available after 1 for a small fee; but, where’s the fun in that?) We Red Frogger cruisers typically relish the challenge of wrapping up the shopping trip within the 3-hour slot. Mind you this is not a one-stop-shop kind of shopping. Oh no, we shop around, with multiple stops: Isla Colon grocery for frozen fruit, Tutty N Fish for pork chops & fresh tuna, Super Gourmet for heirloom tomatoes, and coffee-flavored Häagen–Dazs, the vegetable stand for pineapples and romaine, the Ferretería for propane, Bocas Island Express for boat part shipments…you get the idea. We lug our stuff across town, store to store, with our provision sturdy bags, in the sweaty humid heat or rain and often both — with time to spare! Oh, how I miss those days. We are not permitted to leave Red Frog/Basti during this lockdown. 49 days and counting. I do long for our next provision run to Bocas!

Now for some pictures. I wouldn’t normally describe Michael & I as daring per se, yet for New Year’s Eve, Michael threw all caution to the wind and organized a water taxi to take eight brave (foolhardy) cruisers from Red Frog Marina to town for the quintessential Bocas fireworks competition. It did not disappoint. If you missed the video, check this out.

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Another Side to Bocas

The more time you spend somewhere, the more likely you are to discover that there’s more to it than first meets the eye. Take Bocas for example– Main Street may not be a thing of beauty, but did you know there is a Botanic Garden here called Finca Los Monos? We enjoyed a guided tour around this 25 acre tropical garden. Listen to the Oropendola!

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Adventures with Guests

After the holidays, we settled into a bit of a rut doing boat projects and watching the rain. Wait a minute, I thought this was the dry season? Oh, this is the dry season in Panama! Mind you, it’s still quite hot and humid. The dark, dank days began to weigh on us. The boat project list lost its allure. We were – bored? We needed to shake things up. We invited some dear friends from California to join us and lo and behold they said yes! Turns out Bocas is not the easiest place to get to by air, so we were grateful for their effort. We all enjoyed an adventure by van to beautiful Boquete.

Boquete is a small town on the Caldera River, in western Panama. The surrounding Chiriquí Highlands are home to coffee plantations and the Barú Volcano National Park, to the west. To get there from Bocas, we took a water taxi to Almirante and then boarded a van for an eight-hour bumpy ride, winding our way on a rough, narrow road to our sweet destination. Why Boquete? First, it’s nestled high in the mountains–some 1,200 metres (3,900 ft) above sea level, making its climate much cooler. So much so, that I wore pants and shoes and socks, and even a jacket while there. I can’t tell you how good that mountain air felt to me. Next, I adore birds, might even consider myself a novice-birder. I can watch them for hours, but have a long way to go with identification! With that in mind, I booked us a cottage at Tinamou, a deluxe jungle and birding lodge. From our balcony, we could watch birds or simply stare off into the tranquil forest. Hans and Terry, the wonderful hosts, have lived here on Finca Habbus de Kwie, a 22 Acre private forest reserve for many years. They still grow coffee on the land, though are no longer in the coffee business. They offer cultural, hiking and birding tours in addition to hosting the cottages. Each morning a basket with fresh bread, pastries and rich Boquete coffee was waiting outside our door. Terry led us on a birding tour along the Quetzal trail, where we saw or heard forty-two different species, including the Resplendent Quetzel. I am not ashamed to say that I screamed when I saw it in flight. The Three-Wattled Bell Birds are fascinating! Boquete’s town is sweet too with many excellent restaurants and divine coffee. We toured Finca Dos Jefes, a coffee farm that bases its farming schedule around the lunar calendar. Thus, their coffee brand, Cafés de la Luna (Coffee of the Moon), which all begins as a cherry on a tree. A fantastic guide walked us around the farm discussing the intricacies of coffee farming and production, as well as the complicated politics tied to the coffee bean. The tour ended with a tasting, which included the coveted “Geisha” brew. Wow, we hiked, we birded, we feasted, we caffeinated we cooled off and loved our five days (too short ) in Boquete.

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Exploring on Footloose

Back from Boquete, we quickly provisioned and cast off the dock to go explore some anchorages. Felicia and Paul were such good sports. We enjoyed cooking and swimming and even a morning paddle boarding with dolphins off of Starfish Beach. As Serendipity would have it, we cruised over to a nearby anchorage off of Punta Characol and met some friends on Shearwater, who had their son visiting. We all got together for some captain hour sunsets and even a seafood feast at the resort. Felicia, Paul, and Michael went snorkeling one morning, while I enjoyed some quiet time cleaning up on the boat. It was fun to share a taste of cruising life with our friends. Although, I’m sure they could have done without the bug bites! Grateful to have shared this time with them.

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What’s Next?

Felicia and Paul departed on March 4th at what turned out to be just in time. It wouldn’t be long before Panama would impose strict restrictions and close down airports. After they left, we continued to cruise around, making our way to lovely Dolphin Bay and Rana Azul. Unfortunately, our cruise came to an abrupt end. As the ports were reportedly closing soon, we canceled all plans and retreated to Red Frog where we are still waiting. We are sad to see what so many are going through. This time will pass, but what comes next? Before we left for cruising (nearly 4 years ago), my Mother-in-law gave me a gift, a necklace with a ring charm inscribed with “All Shall Be Well.” I wear it always and it reminds me to remain calm during the storms. I’m working on it.

Be Safe, Stay Well Everyone!

Lisa (& Michael)