Al starts his 7.30am broadcast this morning as I set off to hike the 10km to Fort San Lorenzo: –

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chagres_and_Fort_San_Lorenzo

It’s a long hike along the road through dense forest / jungle. Along the way the sounds of the forest is amazing. I see toucan, parrots, capuchin monkeys and agoutis but they are too quick or far away to photograph.

The fort is a fascinating place created to guard a vital Spanish trading route it was ransacked in turn by Sir Francis Drake and some time later by the pirate Captain Henry Morgan.

Wearily I return to the boat. Al has news that the mechanic will be with us tomorrow (Thursday) but neither of us would put a bet on it.

Al is close to closing a deal on a new outboard for the RIB, but strangely no one can confirm the price. In the afternoon we inflate the RIB just to make sure there is no problems there. It seems fine!

Al has been cleaning the teak intermittently during the evenings. I leave him going over parts of the deck again using the last of his solvent as I head off to bed.