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Panama Baby!

Writer's picture: Owen MurphyOwen Murphy

I am getting behind here and way overdo for a trip update. We arrived in Bocas del Toro on May 19th after another 5 day sail and settled in quick. Since there was no surf upon arrival for the first couple weeks, Jake and I began our stay by dancing our asses at literally every discoteca we could find. It didn't take long for us to make friends as this seems to be our method breaking the ice whenever we pull into port. Karaoke has also been a popular option.


I quickly found my place among the local sailing community helping out electrically wherever someone has had a need. It is nice to feel useful again. Remote work has also taken off like wild fire thanks to the interview with Paul Trammel of the Offshore Sailing Podcast. I now have several projects across the world in which I am engineering entire ship electrical systems remotely.


Waves finally showed up on the third week and have stuck around since. All the surf hype of Bocas makes sense now. This place is a complete surf Mecca. There are several point breaks within a 5-15 minute dinghy ride of Rumi's anchored position. Most days begin with a 6am dawn patrol to Paunch and end with an evening sunset session at Caranero Point. We also visit Playa Bluff and Wizards when we feel up for a complexity maniacal beach break.


Jacob took off on June 22nd while I was over on Isla Contadora for an electrical project. After several months of living together in a 34 foot sailboat it feels strange to be back on Rumi without him. We took on all sorts of insanity together. From stormy nights shifts in 8 foot seas too close to Nicaragua's pirate coast, to applauding dance floors, to cooking 5 star sea meals while under 40 degree heel, to being conned in Havana, to surfing remote reef breaks far off the map –– we freaking rocked it. We definitely had our differences but any two people will when you put them in close quarters in the conditions we faced. The best part is how we got through it, each better humans and better friends than we were before. I already miss his famous pancakes, absurd humor, and rather incredible perspective on basically every topic.


Jacob sifts through the city of Manhattan now enjoying the contrast of the two worlds. My part of the sailing trip continues and the realization that I am out here on my own has started to sink it.












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Meridian Marine Electrical LLC

312 SE Martin Ave

Stuart, FL 34996

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