Panama: Preparations, Preparations, and Preparations

The main thing’s done: a cruising guide to the Pacific islands with the promising name of “Landfalls of Paradise” is bought at an ungodly price.

Panama: Preparations, Preparations, and Preparations / GLONASS around the World

We also bought a map of the Pacific.

Panama: Preparations, Preparations, and Preparations / GLONASS around the World

So there’s no way back… Our final visit to Panama City. Now I have new slippers.

Panama: Preparations, Preparations, and Preparations / GLONASS around the World

Lena never had the courage to put herself in the hands of a street pedicurist.

Panama: Preparations, Preparations, and Preparations / GLONASS around the World

Neither did she bring herself to enter the local hairdresser’s. So we’ll get our hair cut only at the next stop.

Panama: Preparations, Preparations, and Preparations / GLONASS around the World

And, of course, the endless procurement. The boat is so crammed that poor thing subsided by about 10 cm.

Panama: Preparations, Preparations, and Preparations / GLONASS around the World

Our eyes cannot look at such yummy fruit.

Panama: Preparations, Preparations, and Preparations / GLONASS around the World

Everything is stuffed outside

Panama: Preparations, Preparations, and Preparations / GLONASS around the World

and in the cabin.

Panama: Preparations, Preparations, and Preparations / GLONASS around the World

We approached the issue of boat preparation with responsibility adequate to the size of the Pacific Ocean. Finally, the raft is set properly.

Panama: Preparations, Preparations, and Preparations / GLONASS around the World

We stocked up on fuel.

Panama: Preparations, Preparations, and Preparations / GLONASS around the World

We fixed stairs to the mast so that we could watch where we’re sailing and scream happily “Land!!!!”

Panama: Preparations, Preparations, and Preparations / GLONASS around the World

While the neighbors’ kids we ‘rented’ transported fuel cans,

Panama: Preparations, Preparations, and Preparations / GLONASS around the World

Lena relaxed in the massage armchair.

Panama: Preparations, Preparations, and Preparations / GLONASS around the World

And played the role of a tram driver.

Panama: Preparations, Preparations, and Preparations / GLONASS around the World

We managed to take a picture of a difficult to catch AquaBus

Panama: Preparations, Preparations, and Preparations / GLONASS around the World

And a Chinese bike.

Panama: Preparations, Preparations, and Preparations / GLONASS around the World

Polina and Ksenia were allowed to sit on a mega device.

Panama: Preparations, Preparations, and Preparations / GLONASS around the World

We came around to Ali, a local man of authority (a German by birth and a big fan of Russian literature). Having boarded the yacht 30 years ago, he vowed not to have his hair cut.

Panama: Preparations, Preparations, and Preparations / GLONASS around the World

All last week we conducted an experiment called “A week with GLONASS” by monitoring the satellites daily and once during 24 hours. We’re still analyzing the results, but we saw once that “our” satellites outnumbered the American ones, the score being 9 to 7 in our favor.

Panama: Preparations, Preparations, and Preparations / GLONASS around the World

All fine and dandy but, as it usually happens, there was a fly in the ointment. As it appeared, the rates for satellite communications changed as far back as April 1, 2012. Naturally, the cost increased. To put it more simply, now we should pay a 200 dollar fee monthly. They kindly forgot to warn us about that and now we owe somebody $800. It’s clear that we cannot afford that. In short, we can no longer receive weather forecast. Such a surprise before we start the passage so that we wouldn’t let our guard down. Now we’re sitting and scratching our heads. Great, isn’t it? And that’s, by the way, the Pacific Ocean. Was it long ago when you read “South Sea Tales” by Jack London? Reread “The Pearls of Parlay.” It’s picturesque, indeed.

P.S. Is anybody about to visit Finland? The matter is Maritime is honestly going to replace our two sun batteries that are not working properly. However, it’s local pickup only. So we need somebody to transport a 60x30x10cm box weighing 5 kilo from Helsinki to Moscow.

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