Panama Puddle Jump Sendoffs

It’s convergence time again in Panama. No, not an astronomical event; we’re talking about the annual convergence of Pacific Puddle Jumpers on the Panama Canal. Around this time every year several hundred sailors bound for the idyllic cruising grounds of the South Pacific converge on the Canal Zone from all over Europe, North America’s Eastern Seaboard, the Caribbean, South Africa and South America. Why now? Because February through May is regarded as the ideal weather window for making the 4,000-mile Puddle Jump passage to French Polynesia and beyond.

To celebrate that bold undertaking Latitude 38 and members of the newly formed South Pacific Sailing Network will host two (free) South Pacific Bon Voyage events at opposite ends of the Panama Canal. Each will include highly informative seminars on immigration issues, interisland cruising, cultural traditions and more. Multimedia presentations will be led by French-Tahitian Stephanie Betz of Archipelagoes and Latitude‘s Editor-at-Large Andy Turpin, with additional input from representatives of Tahiti, Tonga, Fiji and New Zealand. So if you’re in the region please note the dates:

South Pacific Bon Voyage at the Balboa YC (Pacific side) — Thursday, March 8, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. (staged in the conference room of neighboring Country Inn Hotel

South Pacific Bon Voyage at the Shelter Bay Marina (Caribbean side) — Saturday, March 10, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

In addition to the above, Latitude 38 will host its annual . . .

Pacific Puddle Jump Sendoff Party at the Vallarta YC in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. Monday, March 5, 3-6 p.m. All registered Puddle Jumpers are encouraged to attend.

Look for coverage of these events in ‘Lectronic Latitude and Latitude 38 magazine. Learn more about the PPJ and see this year’s list of entries at www.pacificpuddlejump.com.