- PUERTO ARMUELLES, PANAMA CLOSED
- Catching up in Mexico
- Counterposse Woes, Panama
- Trouble in Jimenez, Costa Rica
- Lot’s of whales @ Banderas Bay, Mexico & South
- Reminder to join Panama Posse via LINE.me
- Picture of the Week
- Runner up – Picture of the week
- Panama Posse Gathering at Marina Chahue, Mexico
- Save the date – March 30th – Panama Posse 2020-2021 Presentation at Vallarta Yacht club, MX
- Uninvited Visitor(s) Contest – Winner of the week
- El Salvador, Nicaragua Update
- OpenCPN
- EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION
- Please reply
- Opt-Out
1) PUERTO ARMUELLES, PANAMA closed
and is no longer a POE Port of Entry / Exit for Panama –
Here is the last picture of Omar with MV Stand Down
Picture by Context
2) Catching up in Mexico
Garrett & Audrey
THISLDU
3) Counterposse Woes
We were on the hard in Vistamar, Panama for over 2 months due to a fuel injection pump, that needed to be rebuilt. We were given a $600 estimate, and it ended up being triple the cost. The local mechanic installed the pump and after testing it in the bay, we made our way to Costa Rica. After the first day, we noticed two lines were leaking diesel fuel from the newly installed pump. We pulled into Golfito, Costa Rica and found Fernando and his son at Banana Bay Marina. They did a wonderful job and saudered the cracks in the line for only $100! We left the sweltering bay of Golfito the next day. Unfortunately, we noticed a 3rd line leaking, but this time it was spraying deisel all over at an alarming rate! We had just pulled into Manuel Antonio and thought we could fix it, so we anchored in the bay and enjoyed the park while the engine cooled. After many attempts, we couldn’t stop the leak, so we motored the few miles north to Quepos. We are staying the night at Marina Pez Vela for $120/night…(thank you Panama Posse rate!). We just got a quote here to fix the leak for $690! Yikes! Sooo, needless to say, my Husband, who is not a diesel mechanic, will be bringing the line into town tomorrow to a machine shop to have the work done for $30, we hope! Crossing fingers! Despite the heat and engine issues, we are enjoying every minute in between!
We were just in Golfito at Banana Bay. We stopped off at Manuel Antonio ….a really pretty Anchorage. If you find yourself there on a Monday, the park is closed, no one is there! So, no fees to anchor. We arrived Sunday late and went to the office to pay our anchor and park fees, but they require you to do it all via the bank just outside the gates, which closes at 3…the lady said, you’re all good and didn’t charge us for our stay. It’s only $8 to anchor and $16 pp. Saw monkeys and lots of people! Beautiful place, bit we enjoyed the privacy of anchoring on Monday. 🙂. Not sure where you are now, bit we hope to leave Quepos for Puntareas soon!
We are in Quepos now getting one of our hard lines soldered.
Marina mechanics wanted $690 to repair this crack. Yikes…
My Husband is getting it soldered right now at a machine shop in Quepos. Crossing fingers this does the trick!!
Tim, Kim & Crew
ELEVEN 11
4) Trouble in Jimenez, Costa Rica
Anchored in Playa Arenita next to Jimenez. I went with the kids to run on the beach and
this small fishing boat told my husband that we couldn’t anchor here that the bay and the beach were private and belonged to this sport fishing club!
Seriously? They even threatened him to calli the Coast Guard.
He knew they were talking nonsense and he was feeling sick. Now they are walking up and down their dock shinning a strong flash light onto us.
My understanding is that there are no private beaches in Costa Rica. (A bit of a laugh about the private bay!!)…. This is an update on the anchoring area east of Jimenez, east of the Private Sportfishing club dock that belongs to Hotel Cocodrilo.
The anchorage is calm and safe in fine sand/mud. The beach slopes nicely like shown in navionics and is empty and wide in low tide.
The owner of this hotel has claimed ownership of a big chunk of the bay
(basically all the length of beach and maybe a quarter mile from the water line to a red buoy that is not on the navigation charts and could be a hazard to mariners. Even locals are harassed when coming here.
So they have guards and they come to ask you to leave and threaten to call the Coast Guard. I asked for legal documents that say I can not anchored there but of course there are none and all they sowed me was a sketch map of the property that actually pointed free access to the beach!!
They indeed called the coast guard that told us the hotel pays for some rights like a marina. Yes of course, their dock and moorings but the whole bay???
I insisted I wanted to see a legal document that stated that I could not anchored there.
We ended having a chat and left.
You may wonder why I didnt move 1/2 a mile west! Well my husband was sick in bed and they kept flashing is all night and waking us up at 4 am. It was about principles. This is why we live this way isnt it? Not ethical with locals to close a whole bay so they can estate on their brochure that the bay is exclusive for guests and make $$$$$ out of a resource that belongs to all human beings …
Nick, Gema & Crew
MOIRA
5) Lot’s of whales @ Banderas Bay & Tenecatitia Bay Mexico
This is the season for whales
Dietmar & SuzanneCARINTHIA
6) Reminder to join Panama Posse via LINE.me
the fastest way to get answers is via LINE.me – be sure to post your questions here
7) PICTURE OF THE WEEK – Nicaragua
Rowan says “Nicaragua getting even better!”
Victoria, Rowan & Crew
TALIESIN ROSE
8) Runner up – Picture of the Week
John
(need your pictures)CONTEXT
9) Panama Posse Gathering at Marina Chahue, Mexico
Jessica & Adam – Chelsea & Steve – Britt & Matt
VOLARE, JEAN ANNE & MALOLO
10) March 30th – Panama Posse 2020-2021 Presentation at Vallarta Yachtclub, MX
Time: 15:00 – 17:00
Location: Paradise Village Marina Paseo De Los Cocoteros N°001, 63732 Nuevo Vallarta, Nayarit MX
Who: Captain Dietmar, Suzanne & Captain Chris and surprise guests
20°41’35.2″N 105°17’36.1″W
11) Uninvited Visitors Contest – Winner of the week
and in utter irony speaking of uninvited visitors
Christopher Columbus discovers Marina Chiapas feb 2020 aboard Santa María
Carl & Cynthia
(need your pictures)
NESHUMA
12) El Salvador, Nicaragua Update
Following a brief layover in El Salvador, Gargoyle and her crew braved the bar crossing, led by Bill and the pilot boat. After a night spent dodging the largest commercial fishing fleet we’ve seen since Oregon, we were forced to tuck into Isla Meanguerra’ anchorage to wait out Papagayos. Seeing a brief weather window, Gargoyle then made a mad early morning dash across the Gulf of Fonseca with 35 to 45 knot plus winds on her beam making short but wild & wet work of the open water. Finally back in the shelter of the shoreline, we completed the journey down a scenic coastline to the delightful marina at Puesta del Sol with its amazing infinity pools.
Here we’ve enjoyed tours of Leon as well as the hospitality of the locals. Badaboom for the cheap beer and surfer vibe, Pedro’s for the smoothies and of course Joe’s for the barbecue with rice and plantains. A definite highlight of the trip has been the Flor de Caña tour. Thanks to new Counter-Posse friends Carl and Cynthia aboard SV Neshuma for the tip on the VIP tour, we now have engraved SV Gargoyle 18 year old Flor de Caña bottles in our collection. We can’t wait to share when our paths cross again in the future!
Kevin & Carla
GARGOYLE
13) OpenCPN
Get satellite chartlets from www.panamaposse.com/open-cpn/
Make chartlets https://panamaposse.com/opencpn-5-0-mbtiles/
14)EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION
MEDICAL REPATRIATION TO U.S.
DAN Boater (boating accident) (take from ship to nearest hospital/medical facility; limitation on amount but might get you all the way home). This is an annual membership fee service.
Emergency +1-919-667-9111
Information +1-919-490-2011
MEDJET Expat 180 Family Membership (any medical condition)(take from hospital/medical facility in foreign country to your home in U.S.). This is an annual membership fee service.
+1 205-595-6626
There are a number of Medical repatriation companies. Check your boat insurance, policy carefully as some policies do not contain any or sufficient medical repatriation expense.
Medjet and DAN Boater provide emergency information. There are a number of companies on the internet that are pay as you go and do not require that you purchase a membership that provide emergency information.
U.S. COAST GUARD EMERGENCY SSB CHANNELS
MHZ UTC time
4.125 2300-11
6.125 24 hr.
8.290 24 hr.
12.290 1100-2300
U.S. COAST GUARD EMERGENCY TELEPHONE NUMBER
001 310 732 2046
HAM SSB NETS
World wide emergency Ham net: 14.313 24 hr.
Central America Ham net: 7.083 UTC time 1300
U.S. COAST GUARD RESCUE COORDINATION CENTER
Rescue Coordination Center: (510) 437-3701. This is the number for group receiving EPIRB emergency beacon distress signals. They will coordinate with local country Coast Guards if boater is outside of the U.S. and they have translators, as the numbers at the local country Coast Guards in Central America will speak Spanish. They said it would be ok to call them in emergency.
CENTRAL AMERICA COUNTRY COAST GUARD CONTACT NUMBERS
These numbers were given to me by the U.S. Coast Guard Rescue Coordination Center. The individuals from these local Coast Guards will speak Spanish when you call them. If you cannot communicate with them, the Rescue Coordination Center can call them, but that will take more time.
El Salvadore Coast Guard: (505) 22500210, Extension 5103
Nicaragua Coast Guard: (504)22342507
Costa Rica Coast Guard: (506) 22314924
Panama Coast Guard: (507) 60451197
CALIFORNIA COAST GUARD OFFICES WHO COULD BE called if you cannot reach rescue coordination center, however the local coast guards will likely just go through the Rescue Center:
Coast Guard Sector LA/Long Beach: 310 521-3815
Channel Islands office: 805 985-9822
VHF EMERGENCY CHANNEL FOR MAYDAY: 16
HAM SSB NETS
World wide emergency Ham net: 14.313 24 hr.
Pacific Seafares Net 14300 @ 0300 UTC
Central America Ham net: 7.083 @ 1300 UTC
CENTRAL AMERICA EMBASSY CONTACT INFORMATION. Go to www.usembassy.gov/ for further information. For Central America embassies, emergency number is +1-202-501-4444, and press “0”, from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. EST. When dialing embassy numbers below probably start with “ +” depending on phone service.
MEXICO
+52 55 5080-2000
Paseo de la Reforma 305, Colonia Cuauhtenoc, 06500 Mexico, DF
GUATEMALA
+502 2326 4000
Avenida Reforma 7-01, Zona 10, Guatemala Cuidad, Guatemala
EL SALVADOR
+503 2501 2999
Final Blvd. Santa Elena, Antiguo Cuseatlan, La Libertad, San Salvador
HONDURAS
+504 2238 5114 (after hours X4100)
+504 2236 9320 (per embassy website, but not communications received: 011-504 2236 9320)
Avenida La Paz, Tegucigalpa MDC, Honduras
NICARGUA
+505 2252-7100
Kilometer 5.5 Carreter Sur, Managua, Nicagagua
COSTA RICA
+506 2519 2000
Calle 98 Via 104, Pavas, San Jose, Costa Rico
PANAMA
+507 317 5000
Bldg 783, Demetrio Basilio Lakas Ave, Clayton, Panama
REPORT U.S. CITIZEN MISSING ABROAD: 1-888-407-4747
GLOBAL MARINE DISTRESS SAFETY SYSTEM: 1-888-407-4747, press “0” for overseas citizen emergency services.
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION MARITIME ADMINISTRATION, OFFICE OF MARITIME SECURITY.
They provide information on piracy and safety and security, and you can sign up for alerts by going online.
Emergency: 1-202-501-4444 (8-8 EST, M-F)
Stan & Diane
CROSSROADS
15) Please reply to this email with
– your updates
– contenders for picture of the week – links to your favorite SONGS
– relevant blog posts – and of course your valuable suggestions
and we’ll include it in the next FLEET UPDATE – Keep em ‘coming
The Panama Posse philosophy is to pass on nautical knowledge via the gestalt theory…
Dietmar & Suzanne
SV Carinthia
16) Opt-out from Fleet Updates simply reply with “REMOVE“
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