#16b - Snug Harbour & Playa Chico - The San Blas

At midnight Sunday 17th we weighed anchor and slowly found our way out through the entrance to the anchorage of the Rosario Is and into clear water. We raised our mainsail and set off on our way to San Blas (about 165Nm away). Another Island Packet (Jupiter’s Smile) left with us. The winds were mostly from the NNE through to NNW at 12 – 20knots so we had a good fast sail with a strong counter current. The seas were 2.5 – 3m on the beam and Nani became seasick by midday. This was not too much of a problem until the following night when Nani couldn’t stand her watches. This meant I had to be up on watch all night. We arrived at the outer reef about 0800 Tuesday. We weaved our way in through the reefs and arrived at Snug Harbor at about 0930 tired but delighted to be in the beautiful San Blas islands. Narid was in the anchorage along with one other boat. They had left the Rosario Island two days before us.

Snug Harbor is behind three islands and was calm and peaceful. A string of islets and reefs led east towards the Kuna island village of Playon Chico about 1 ½ miles away. On Wednesday we took the dinghy to the village. Apart from the fisherman in their dugout canoes that visited the anchorage it was our first experience of a typical Kuna settlement. The huts were mostly built out of bamboo and roofs of palm leaves. The people were friendly and some of the older Kuna women were in their traditional dress. They seemed to be very happy despite having very little. The Kuna’s live very close to each other which leave many of their islands without inhabitants. On these they grow mostly coconut which supply food and fire (from the husk) for the inhabitants of the village. Every coconut tree is owned by someone so visitors like us are forbidden to help ourselves.

On 22nd January we left snug harbour for the Devil Cays and anchored behind the island of Niadup. Jupiter’s Smile and Narid followed us in. The village did not look much from the anchorage but was surprisingly pretty and neat & tidy when we went ashore for a walk.
The following day we left for lunch (at anchor) behind Isla Tigre. We then went onto Nargana Island near the Rio Diablo. On the way we caught a nice king mackerel. Our friends from Innforapenny (AUS – Peter & Penny) were in the anchorage. It was good to catch up with them again. As night fell the wind died and “noseeums” ate us alive.