A funny thing happened on the way to Sapzurro
Author: Shirlz
We were motoring in an almost flat calm, doing a steady 4 knots and it looked as though we’d be able to get in before dark. In the hazy distance I thought I spotted an irregularity. Sure enough, through the binoculars, it looked like the superstructure of a big ship still hull down on the horizon. I had a feeling this might cause some delay. We were right on the border between Panama and Colombia and there was likely to be some Navy presence. I held my course and we slowly approached the ship, which was stationary. Just as we passed about a mile off its bow they called on the radio, which I had switched on hoping to get some AIS information about them. They were not transmitting an AIS signal which I found interesting. Of course I couldn’t make any sense of the radio call, but dutifully called back and about 10 minutes of confused, garbled and static-distorted radio talk in broken English/Spanish ensued. At last I was made to understand that they were a Colombian Navy vessel and wanted to board us for an inspection. I put the engine in neutral and six big, armed and uniformed men came alongside in a black inflatable. They were very polite and one spoke a little English. I handed over my papers and one of the men took photos of them with his phone. Another was on the radio relaying my particulars to headquarters.
Now one of them must come aboard for the inspection. Big black boots clambered over the lifeline and clomped into the cockpit. Once below, he didn’t seem to know where to start. He unzipped a few of my cushions that are stuffed with winter clothes and just looked around before coming back to the crowded little cockpit. The English-speaker had also come aboard. I was intermittently using the engine to stop us from drifting too far from the mother ship and I noticed that the remaining four in the inflatable, who had not tied up to us, had floated some way off and had taken the cover off their big outboard engine while two of them were using paddles to try to get back to us. Attention was now diverted from the careful scrutiny of my passport and papers. The birth-date on my passport had caused some amazement and disbelief and they felt compelled to confirm it with me. Not only was I a female sailing alone, but an ancient crone to boot.
We motored over to the stricken inflatable and after more futile attempts to start the outboard, I agreed to give them a tow back to the ship as by now we had drifted about half a mile off. I was becoming a little concerned about the unnecessary delay which was putting my careful timing out. Speedwell gamely accepted the extra weight of the tow and we slowly progressed back to the ship. I released them fairly close to the intimidating side of the big ship, a little way short of the bow, and watched as they paddled safely back to the boarding ladder. We had parted on good terms with laughter and handshakes all round.
I didn’t hang about, but increased the revs and made it in to Sapzurro just before sunset, in the process proving that Speedwell is able to maintain 5 knots under power. Maybe the canal could still be a possibility.