KUNA POLITICS (SAN BLAS ISLANDS, PANAMA)

We had heard so much about the San Blas Islands of Panama that we were naturally excited to be arriving there for the first time. This archipelago of over 365 islands and cayes are part of the Comarca de Kuna Yala and located to the east of the Panama Canal. It sounded like such a perfect cruising ground. Unfortunately, our first days there comprised of a depressing loss and search of our inflatable tender.   The reason it was lost wasn’t theft, it was just simple human error. But, as always with boating, lessons are learned and eyes are opened as we visit new countries.

My husband, Whitey, and I were on our Whitney Caribe 42 ‘Harmony Too’, the center cockpit boat we had sailed down the Pacific coast from San Francisco, California. With us on our boat was our friend from Australia, Marianne. After spending a few days in the picturesque bay of Portobello, we had departed that morning at 0900. In tandem with us was a young family of three on their Fuji 50 called ‘Island Trader”.

The 8-hour trip from Portobello was an easy one. There was little wind but we had both main and jib up to assist us as we motor sailed along at about 5.5 knots. This was a perfect speed to get us safely through the reef entrance at Isla Porvenir well before dark. At 1500 we received a call on the VHF from the Gary on ‘Island Trader’ saying they had caught a big fish while trolling. They weren’t sure what kind of fish but it was too big for them so we were welcome to some of it. Yes! We were excited to know that we would have fresh fish for dinner.

We dropped the anchor just a few boat lengths away from ‘Island Trader’. As soon as the anchor was set, Whitey jumped in the dinghy to get our portion of the fish. We had been towing our 12 foot West Marine dinghy with a 25 HP Nissan outboard all the way from Portobello. The dinghy painter had been tied off to the cleat on the starboard aft corner of the boat for the eight hour transit. Of course, we had a secondary line as well for a safety. No problem.

While Whitey was getting the fish from ‘Island Trader’, Marianne and I were busy cleaning up the cockpit and galley.   I was down below when Whitey arrived back on our boat with the fish. It was perfect timing as the sun was setting. He brought the fish down to the galley and we began preparing it along with rice and vegetables. I wrapped the fish in foil with some sliced onion and limons (limes) stuffed in the cavity and Whitey took it topside to the barbeque. We loved our propane barbeque and used it whenever we could. It was mounted on the aft starboard corner of the boat. Right below the barbeque was the aft swim ladder and the cleat where the dinghy was tied off. As Whitey was putting the fish on the barbeque, he glanced down and saw the dinghy was not there! It was our worst fear. Loosing our dinghy and outboard was never in the cards. It was our mode of transportation any time we left the boat.

Whitey called down to me and I grabbed the spotlight. All three of us were on the aft deck, scanning the ocean in the direction the current was running. Whitey climbed up on the aft cabin top and then up the mast half way to the first spreader with the spotlight.

Scanning back and forth, looking for the bright red West Marine inflatable. Marianne hailed ‘Island Trader’ on the VHF to ask if they could help with their dinghy. Gary responded immediately and came over to get Whitey. The two of them slowly motored back and forth in a zig-zag search pattern, scanning the dark sea for our precious dinghy. They went far from the anchorage until, looking back, they could barely see the sailboats. They even approached the nearby islands, Wichibhuala and Nalunega, even though they were not in the direction the tide was going. We didn’t think that someone had stolen it, just that it had slipped from the cleat when Whitey tied it up. It was over an hour later when they returned with no dinghy. We were all totally dejected as we thanked Gary for his help and said good night. The fresh fish dinner we had that night didn’t taste as good as it should have.

The next day we woke before dawn and pulled the anchor just as the sun was coming up and headed in the direction we knew the dinghy would have floated. Whitey climbed up to the spreaders with one set of binoculars, Marianne stood at the base of the mast with another set of binoculars and I was at the helm. Marianne relayed instructions back to me and we motored back and forth, scanning the horizon for that illusive floating dinghy. We neared the island group of the Limones, approaching it as close as we could considering the surrounding reef. We looked and looked but by late morning we knew it wasn’t going to happen. Our dinghy was gone.

We headed back to Porvenir and reanchored. We had been in radio contact with Gary on ‘Island Trader’. He waited for us to return so he and Whitey could go ashore together to clear in to the San Blas Islands. They met with Kantule, the Port Captain /Immigration and did the necessary paper work. Luckily Whitey speaks very good Spanish and that is the Kuna Indian’s second language.   So Whitey explained to Kantule the loss of our dinghy the night before. Kantule said he would announce it on ‘the airwaves’, a radio system that went out to the other islands (this was before cell phones) and would let us know if anyone had found it.

That night the Port Captain came out to our boat for drinks. Whitey needed some celebration. It was quite the coincidence that Kantule’s birthday was the same day as Whitey’s. We had a good night trying to get over our dinghy loss as we had a delayed birthday celebration for the two guys.   When Kantule left late that night, he promised to keep looking for the dinghy.

We waited around Porvenir for a day but after no news we left to explore other islands with ‘Island Trader’. It was about a week later that we returned to Porvenir. Almost as soon as we dropped anchor, an Indian paddled up in his ‘cayuco’ (dugout canoe) and said that the Port Captain wanted to see Captain John. Whitey got a lift ashore and as soon as he walked in the Port Captain office, Kantule announced ‘your dinghy has been found’.

Yeah! The only difficult part was that it was in Carti. He was informed that it would be brought the next day to Porvenir and Whitey would need to attend a meeting.

The following day Whitey went ashore for the meeting. He could see our dinghy tied up at the dock. There were 8 men standing outside the offices where the reunion (meeting) would be held. Of course he is wondering how many people he will have to pay for the recovery of our dinghy.

Because the gentleman who found the dinghy was from Carti, his Cacique (Chief) and Delegado (Delegate) to the Congress had to be represented. He was working up at the Chichimis Islands when it was found so the Cacique from the Chichimis had to be there. And then there was Kantule (the Port Captain/Immigration) who was there to help translate and the Cacique from his island as well as the Cacique from Porvenir because that is where the meeting was taking place. And finally, the Chief Delegado to the Congresso General had to be there because if more than three islands are represented then he has to witness what is happening.

The meeting started with everyone looking at Whitey to explain what had happened. He explained the entire story in Spanish how the dinghy was lost and the efforts to find it. Kantule would then translate in Kuna to everyone.   Then the gentleman who had found the dinghy told, in his native Kuna language, the story of how he and his son saw it floating around and took it back to their island. It had floated North East at least 4 miles from where we were located. He was informed by his Cacique said it was out on the air waves that it was lost. They then towed the dinghy on the back of their cayuko by paddling for a full day all the way to Carti, his home island.   On the day of the meeting he then brought it to Porvenir the same way, towing it while he and his son paddled.   Whitey asked, with Kantule translating, why he hadn’t started it up as it had plenty of fuel. They responded, ‘it wasn’t ours to start’.

During both of these explanations and translations no one else spoke a word. Kantule explained to Whitey that something needed to be given to the rescuer of the dinghy as they had to give up an entire day of fishing by taking the trip to Porvenir. We were on such a tight cruising budget but Whitey looked in his wallet and had only $50 US. He held the money out and in Spanish said, ‘I would like to give more but I am a poor sailor and this is all I have’. Still, there was no discussion. He handed over the money and the meeting was over. No problem! The fisherman was thrilled to receive something and be thanked for their troubles.

As they walked out, Whitey asked Kantule what was the purpose of the formal meeting with all the different representatives.   Kantule explained that everyone had to be present to make sure of fairness.   We saw such honesty in this exchange and learned of the unique sense of values these indigenous people. We were very humbled by the experience. We spent many more months getting to know the people of Kuna Yala.