Sailing Dragonfly: Isla Zapatilla

Zapatilla beach

Hello faithful readers! Our exit out of the Gallego Cays was uneventful, thanks largely in part to Robert's meticulous plotting. Nothing is better than an over-cautious skipper with a healthy respect for hazards out on the water, I always say. But just the same, we sheepishly radioed our buddy-goat Gargoyle and told them to be ready to come rescue us again.

approaching the island

Now, imagine in your mind the most beautiful tropical island in the world, with white sand beaches, swaying palm trees, coral reefs galore, crystal-clear water, and minimal surf. Well, we are there! The island is called Zapatilla. (Actually "Zapatilla 2", or commonly "Z-2", and right next door is "Z-1".) We're anchored next to our sailing friends Mike and Sharon aboard Larabeck. Their boat was also in our "race" out of Starfish Bay the other day.

The tour boats out of Bocas Town know all about Zapatilla, too, as they buzz in all day long with boatloads of visitors. Then we have to see all those micro-bikini girls, again. O well.

great snorkeling was found near these rocks

Once anchored, Robert and I wasted no time grabbing out snorkeling gear to check out the reefs. OMG! There were humongous, submerged rocks all over, completely covered with all flavors of crazy coral. Starfish were everywhere, as usual. And lots and lots of BIG fish this time, up to a foot long. I wish I was more familiar with reef fish species, but there were these big purple ones, with a nearly circular body profile. I found where they all like to hang out: under this rock ledge, dozens of them. They eyed me cautiously and scattered when I got closer, then re-congregated when I swam off.

walking trail thru island swamp

The island was about a half-mile long and a quarter-mile wide, and also had walking trails that cut right thru the thick jungle. The center was, surprisingly, more like a swamp.

Mike and Sharon, crew of Larabeck

Later that evening, we continued the time-honored tradition of sundowners in the cockpit, this time aboard Larabeck. We all told sailing stories until late in the evening.

foul weather in paradise

On Friday the weather turned nasty. It starting raining hard just before daybreak, and continued until early afternoon. Finally the rain stopped, but then the wind picked up. It blew a good twenty knots for a while, kicking up a pretty significant swell in this rather exposed anchorage. Our anchor held, but we prepared the boat in case we needed to head for shelter. The sun never came out. Nearly an entire day in tropical paradise was spent hunkered down watching the weather. Well, at least we ended the day properly, with sundowners and friends.

passing by a waterside village

Zapatilla was lovely, but the place was a communications dead zone. No cell phone signal, and out of radio range for the morning Sailors Net. (I could not do my stargazing trivia!) Also, we were low on provisions. So on Saturday we made the three-hour trip back to the Bocas Marina anchorage, the THIRD time we visit there. At least the scenery along the way was nice. Getting to know this place pretty good.

portable gasoline-powered generator

One perpetual challenge aboard Milagro is keeping the batteries charged up. We have 12-volt refrigeration that runs continuously, and also some fans. Then in the evening we turn on the lights. We have solar panels and a wind generator, but they just can't keep up. So, we must run the portable gasoline-powered generator for about two hours a day. It's efficient and not terribly loud, but still a pain. Robert is planning a big battery upgrade down the road which will hopefully help out.

sailing back to Bocas Town

Meanwhile, a new boat problem has sprung up: while sailing back to Bocas Town, the high voltage alarm went off. Something is amiss in the electrical system. Well, it's far better to have problems like this come up when we're NOT far from civilization. Stay tuned right here for the (hopeful) resolution!