Behind the Scenes in Puerto Lindo: Life Between Voyages on Quest

After sailing from Cartagena, Colombia, through the stunning San Blas archipelago, we find our way to Puerto Lindo, Panama. Here we stop after each trip, and before the next trip back to Cartagena. This quiet anchorage on Panama’s Caribbean coast is where the rhythm slows down, the work continues, and we catch our breath before the next adventure.

Resetting the Boat, Resetting Ourselves

Once our guests have stepped ashore and the trip has officially ended, the focus shifts to the boat herself. We clean all the cabins, laundry is taken to the marina for washing, and the deck is washed down.

Maintenance is a big part of living and working on Quest. Oil and filter changes, checking systems, securing and replacing anything that needs attention. Quest is an expedition yacht, and staying ahead of maintenance is what keeps her ready for long passages and remote sailing.

Captain Goeran replacing a membrane on the water-maker

First mate Hilda changing the oil

Below the waterline, the work continues. Barnacles don’t take breaks, so we scrape the hull together. Goeran suits up in scuba gear to clean the propeller and keel, and I do the upper parts of the hull near the water line with my snorkel gear. We make sure she sails faster for the next crossing.

Hydrodynamic improvements completed

Morning dips with the Jungle as backdrop

I usually wake early in Puerto Lindo. Before the day really starts, I take a morning dip, followed by coffee. Around us, the jungle is alive, birds calling, howler monkeys howling, and sometimes music can be heard from the small village

Puerto Lindo is lush, green, and unhurried. It’s a place that feels deeply connected to nature, and it’s impossible not to slow down here, even when the to-do list is long. Sometimes we take a stroll through the village to buy something for ourselves, or we take longer walks in the outskirts just for the exercise. I’ve seen monkeys, toucans, parrots, herons, and a lot of blue crabs hiding in the jungle.

A morning swim in the bay

Horses, Countryside & Time Ashore

Since we both grew up around horses (Hilda) and on farms (Goeran) we sometimes try to make space for something we both love: horse riding. There’s a local girl nearby with friendly well maintained Appaloosa horses.  We have been riding through the jungle, swimming with the horses in the nearby river, and we love to full gallop down the winding dirt roads alongside stunning views of the countryside, rolling hills, jungle, open fields with cattle and horses.

Captain and first mate goes horse riding

Some evenings are spent onboard with old classic movies that we like, Mutiny on the Bounty or Casablanca, listening to old-school music, or just philosophising together, reading, studying or working and planning for future trips.

Sometimes we take the dinghy through the mangroves to a small French restaurant nearby. It is unpretentious, relaxed, and they have good food.

Through the mangrove with our very good friend Björn, who came to visit last year

Stocking Up for the Next Adventure

When it’s time to prepare for the next trip, we head to Colón for restocking. Food, supplies, and other errands - all the essentials for sailing to San Blas. I always try to buy as much as possible from local markets, choosing fresh produce and ingredients.

We’re lucky to have a great local driver who takes us back and forth, turning what could be a logistical hassle into an easy, familiar routine.

At the local market in Sabanitas

And Then, It Begins Again

After four days in Puerto Lindo, the rhythm shifts once more. As the sun sets, new guests arrive. Fresh faces, new conversations, new expectations. Provisions are stowed, cabins prepared, and Quest is ready.

And just like that, another San Blas adventure begins.

Sunset in Puerto Lindo