We did not have any time to contemplate the upcoming 4-week passage across the Pacific from Panama to French Polynesia. We had a downwind forecast for the Gulf of Panama and we had to leave. As soon as we were cleared out, we made for Taboga Island where we would spend our last night before leaving for the Marquesas.

We got up just before 6PM and, after a coffee, rigged the two poles ready for our goosewing setup. Just before 7AM we weighed anchor and motored out of the Taboga anchorage. The wind was light but soon picked up to around 12 knots on the starboard quarter, allowing us to glide along at 6 to 7 knots on a calm sea, with 4,000 miles to go to the Marquesas.

The wind veered a bit more west and we were on a dead run directly for our next waypoint. Six or seven other boats all left various anchorages and marinas around Panamá City at the same time, not that it’s a race or anything.

With sunny weather we were able to make water, run the StarLink and bring our batteries to 100% by 2PM. We were running the fridge and freezer flat out to bank some energy for the night.

As forecast, the wind picked up around 6PM and was soon blowing around 20 knots from the north. Sunny Spells accelerated and we were soon hitting 10 knots plus over the ground, helped along by 2 knots of current. We’ve averaged almost exactly 10 knots during the night. The sea state took a turn for the worse, of course, but it was still pretty benign, compared to what we had in the Atlantic or the Caribbean Sea.

By the morning of the 14th we were south of the Las Perlas Islands, sailing in company with a few boobies and a curious dolphin. Winds remained workable, and by mid-morning we were close reaching at 5 to 6 knots, enjoying the last of the coastal current before it turned against us. With no need to trim and just the two of us aboard, watches flowed into meals, naps, and stargazing shifts under a gentle, cloudless sky.

We rounded Punta Mala in the early hours of the 15th. True to its name, it offered a short punch of uncomfortable chop and some inconsistent breeze, but nothing that warranted complaint. We had expected worse. Once around the point, the wind backed slightly and we bore away, finally turning west and leaving the Gulf of Panama behind us.

The air feels different now. Lighter. The next waypoint is south-east of Galápagos where we expect to turn west and pick up the trades