Sailing Catalpavideo
Sailing to Panama and finding a little slice of paradise Episode 482
March 12, 2026 · 16 min · 12K views · Escobal, Panama
Sailboat anchored in turquoise cove near tropical islands
What this video covers
Sailing Catalpa departs Costa Rica after a three-month stay and makes a roughly 50-nautical-mile passage south to Panama, checking in at the first port with a homemade quarantine flag after misplacing the real one.▶ 0:26 Lee goes ashore alone to clear customs with the harbourmaster, timing the visit to beat the early-afternoon office closure.▶ 1:45 After checking in, the family pulls anchor and sails out to a remote island group.▶ 2:14 During a night passage leg, radar picks up an unidentified dark object — a small mark that appears on Navionics only when zoomed in close — illustrating why running radar alongside chart-plotter and phone Navionics simultaneously matters in poorly charted waters.▶ 4:41 The next day, a forecast of no wind produces 30 knots from the opposite direction; the boat carries full main and mizzen with no headsail, and two fishing lines both hook fish simultaneously during the squall.▶ 6:12 The anchorage at the island group offers clear water over sand, confirmed by a free-dive anchor check to avoid coral.▶ 9:00 The family collects fresh coconuts ashore before dark and returns by dinghy.▶ 15:12
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