Pamama Islands

The 130 mile sail from Bahia Drake to Panama provided light wind in the afternoons and calm seas at night. After hours of carving and painting, Tyler’s creativity paid off and his plug named “Mexican-American” lured a whopping 47 inch Dorado into the boat. The Mexican-American also hooked a Wahoo for breakfast under a full moon.

We completed the last sail repairs underway. We flew the mended Genniker off the port bow until Isla Parida came into view. There are dozens of islands scattered around the gulf, Isla Gamez is just one sample provided below.



Out of fish and in need of food, we grabbed the spears in search of lunch. After two areas with shallow water and small fish, we anchored Firefox next to an exposed rock and three large coral heads. Chad dove the coral heads with a sling and quickly resurfaced to grab the high powered Riffe speargun. I swam over about 15 minute at the end of a battle to see Chad wrestling a mammoth sized fish and Tyler repeatedly stabbing it in the head with his dive knife. Chad’s Pargo (Red Snapper) kill:


Scanning the area, we motored to the only what looked like civilization to find a fisherman with his family of 18. The father skillfully worked the fish as his wife, Rosa, reluctantly prepared a meal for us. Their hospitality far exceeded any expectations. The grandfather took us on a nature walk, the children shared local fruit and played dominoes, and the father talked of fishing and diving. We ate the cooked Pargo for lunch before departing, leaving the rest of the fish to feed their family.

Fish, oysters, and coconut milk make great meals. After meeting an American couple on one of the islands, we traded these delicacies for an exquisite homemade meal, drinks and good company.