February 12
  During
a break between the rain squalls, we decided we needed a
few days out at anchor, to get our sense of territory
back, give the new engine exhaust manifold a tryout, and
find somebody to repair our bimini top and bridge
cover. We joined Steve (Serenity) and Gary (Sea
Feather) for a planned couple of days at Starfish
Beach, and shared a good meal aboard. We were fortunate
enough to experience a full moon rise, and Ole went out
in the dinghy to try to capture a few “mood” shots.
After a relaxing couple of days, we
picked up anchor and moved to Dolphin Bay, where Cyntha
and Tommy from Moondancer are house-sitting for
Carl and Mary of Camryka. We were able to cajole
Cynthia into repairing our canvas, much to our delight.
Should get at least another year out of our “bargain”
bridge cover from Rio Dulce after repairs.
Feb 14
With the Bocas Marina Cantina under new
and creative management, a Valentine’s Party was planned
and executed with impeccable flair by Dyllan and Darian.
The festivities included welcome pink jello shots,
romantic poetry on ribbon-tied scrolls, hundreds of
paper hearts flying all over the posts, walls and
tables, and a great meal of eggs benedict, champagne,
and rum punch. The highlight was a musical trio booked
in from Peru – with a keyboardist, percussionist, and
“girl singer” who started slowly and romantically, then
built up to full-on dancing music. They were truly the
best entertainment we’ve seen in Bocas, and it figures,
considering they are from out of town! Here are a
few moments from the party...
Party Ambiance |
Darian and
Dyllan, doing exhibition cha-cha |
The Band -
Latin Connection |
Sweethearts
Forever |
 After
brunch, we went with Len and Lois and Pam and Bill on a
tour sponsored by the Bocas Garden Club to the nearby
island of Cristobal to visit a small farm owned and run
by a retired Puerto Rican couple. Though they only have
five acres, they are able to grow 68 kinds of fruits and
vegetables on their property.
Another highlight of the weekend was the
annual Chocolate Competition sponsored by Dave Cerutti
of “Green Acres” chocolate farming fame. The tasting
was a zoo
– but there were some really creative applications of
chocolate – from mole sauce to liqueur, and cake to
ravioli – all having been made with the local “black
gold” that is Dave’s chocolate. The winner was a woman
from the marina who made a flourless chocolate cake that
made you melt.
After the chocolate competition, we
ended up at the Pirate, home of the Bocas dinghy dock,
for whole deep fried snapper, beer, and more
entertainment from the Peruvian trio. All in all, a
very eventful Valentine holiday!
February 25
Ole’s replacement aboard Independence
has resigned, so his 10 weeks off has been cut down to
5, with one of the weeks requiring his attendance at
diesel school in Ft. Lauderdale. Happily, though, the
end of his course coincides with the beginning of the
annual Winter Rendezvous of the DeFever Cruisers. We
have been invited to present for about 45 minutes about
our cruise from Guatemala to Panama, so we spent the
last few days before Ole’s departure running through the
presentation, editing and refining the Power Point
slides, and working up our George and Gracie act to take
it on the road. Well, I’m off tomorrow to join Ole in
Ft. Lauderdale for a quick overnight and then a drive to
Useppa to join the Rendezvous. Can’t wait!
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