SAILORS AND CRUISERS NETWORKING PARTY ° CARTAGENA ° COLOMBIA ° SATURDAY January 18TH, 2025
For a full gallery of images follow this collage above – 23 Panama Posse vessels registered for the event
The event started out with a briefing of the Panama Posse to the CLUB DE PESCA CARTAGENA Patrons – the Yacht club members invited all foreign flagged skippers to participate in the Caribbean Regatta
Meet the Leader of Club de Pesca – Ileana a
good friend to sailors who many moons ago said YES to the Panama Posse
and this new event turned out a cooperative celebration between local
and international sailors
How
important is the event ? The high ranking Harbor master came to the
event to support and improve relations with visiting yachts. Yachting
tourism is an important factor to Colombia’s yachting industry and for
local business’.
After the regatta winners where announced it was time to get down to party business
Discerning Panama Posse sailor Erwin SY 10IN2 🇦🇹 Jeanneau 44.9′ on hand to taste test Flor De Caña rum in the PP Carinthia mixed drink
The mingling of local sailors and Panama Posse vessels at the historic site of Fuerte de San Sebastián del Pastelillo
The Panama Posse potluck protocol – best dishes on display for taste testing by restaurant chefs
Augmented by a massive local classic rice dish ( 2.5 meter paella )
Chef PETRA from SY SUTJE wins the GALLEY GODDESS AWARD – hands down Flor de Caña 12 year old Rum
With a big thank you to the incredible staff of Club de Pesca Cartagena ! Hasta el próximo año !
Flor de Caña is a brand of premium rum manufactured and distributed by
Compañía Licorera de Nicaragua which is headquartered in Managua,
Nicaragua and dates back as far as 1890
(3) OCEAN POSSE PARTY PANAMA + SOUTH PACIFIC POSSE
FLEET MEET UP
SAT. FEB 3 ’24 SHELTER BAY MARINA 🇵🇦 PANAMA
IMPORTANT:
This event is in the middle of high season. The Shelter Bay
Marina will be near capacity so make reservations early.
Additionally, we are also going to organize a shuttle bus to get
folks to this event from alternate locations.
(4) PANAMA POSSE AWARDSFUN ACTIVITIES, GOLF, POOL, DJ LOUNGE, + MARINE EXPO
SAT. MAY 11 ’24 BUENAVENTURA MARINA 🇵🇦 PANAMA
This is a very exclusive signature event in the Hamptons of Panama.
The upscale resort Buenaventura is just 80 minutes west of Panama City
and is one of the most charming and reserved places on the Pacific coast
of Panama. Only 60 nm from the Las Perlas.
Beat, Caroline, dogs & Heyson Garcia – YES PLACENCIA YACHT CLUB IS UBER DOG FRIENDLY
>
We,
Caroline Imfeld and Beat Rettich are running this place since January
2021. We moved from Switzerland to Belize in 2019 and found this
treasure while looking for a dock for our yacht.
Simplicity on a high level is our aim and to make our guests happy.
FOR RESERVATIONS AND MOORINGS @ PLACENCIA YACHT CLUB
Meet mingle and share your sailing stories in Belize !
6) UNFORGETTABLE VISIT TO ISLA ISABEL 🇲🇽 MEXICO
Eastern anchorage off Isla Isabel with Las Monas on the left
TRIP REPORT:
We sailed in (to Isla Isabel)from Mazatlan overnight, arriving after daybreak the next morning. Based on great advice from C-YA
Glenn, we went right for the eastern anchorage. There were
already 4 boats in the anchorage, but we still found room to drop our
anchor in 40’ of water. Conditions were calm during our stay, with
light winds from the NW, dying completely at times. Even so,
there was some swell in the anchorage, but very tolerable on our
catamaran.
PERCEPTION in front of Las Monas on the east side of Isla Isabel
We
dinghied to the southern anchorage to go ashore. The anchorage
itself looked a bit scary with large swell wrapping around the southern
end of the island and crashing into the rocks on the east side of the
anchorage. There was a large motor yacht anchored here (I believe
it was another Posse boat, Sakumo Lagoon, but didn’t have a chance to
talk with them) that seemed to be doing OK. Conversely, the dinghy
landing in the southern anchorage was very protected with no breaking
waves, much better than that on the eastern side which had low breaking
waves that scared us off from attempting to land there. In the
southern anchorage watch out for the panga anchor lines running out to
floats in the water in front of the fishing village, they are just under
the surface in some cases.
The
trails can be a bit hard to find from the southern anchorage. To
go on the hike to the crater and the east side of the island, you must
go through the row of fisherman houses and go right/east once behind
them. There is a rough poured concrete staircase leading up the
hillside through several outhouses on the east side of the La Charca
pond behind the houses that gets you on the trail. To go up to the
southern summit or the western beach you must go to the west end of the
beach, past the Isla Isabel national park signs, and through the
abandoned research center.
Blue Footed Boobies nest on the earth along the walking trails
Nesting frigate birds with white chick also seen from the walking trails.
Lago Crater, the caldera of the extinct volcano that formed the island can be reached on foot.
Meanwhile, back onboard Humpbacks breach near the anchorage.
SY PERCEPTION 🇺🇸 Jim & Melinda & Grace – Lagoon 42′
Thank you SY PERCEPTION for Sharing your Adventures on the water !
“Anteaters
are my second favorite animal. I love their long bushy tails and
their really long tongues. I just learned that they live in Panama
so I am thrilled. My very first favorite stuffed animal is an
anteater, named E. It would be amazing to see one living in the
wild.”
SOME ANIMAL FACTS INCLUDE:
Also known as the Ant Bear, the Giant Anteater is a large mammal that can weigh up to 90 pounds.
They’ve got a long, narrow tongue and long snout to match, with a sense of smell 40 times more powerful than that of humans.
These
animals can be found throughout much of Central and South America, but
in Panama they’re most often spotted in Darien National Park (a
protected UNESCO World Heritage Site) near the Colombian border.
8) SHARING YOUR FAVORITE ADVENTURES is the heart and soul of the Panama Posse
Please
share pictures of your adventures, your award entries/nominations, your
breathtaking sunsets, and picturesque anchorages on our group
communications platform for others to enjoy in real time and/or email
Maurisa at editor@panamaposse.com
to share in the upcoming newsletter. Maurisa is a sailor among
us. She is part of the Ocean Posse crew and enjoys writing fun and
helpful updates to the Panama Posse.
Dorado….meals for days.
9) POSSE PERK: INTEL
BEACHES IN COSTA RICA 🇨🇷
Enjoying the Beaches in Puerto Jiminez, Costa Rica 🇨🇷
BEACH REPORT:
Just
like Mexico, all beaches in Costa Rica are designated as public (150
feet from the shoreline is public) so if you are anchored outside an
All-inclusive resort or 5 star hotel they can’t tell you to go away and
by law they have to allow public access through their property to get to
the beach. I discovered this when we were outside an “adults only”
resort but saw tons of kids on its beach and inquired. Only some
National Park beaches will require a park pass you get online and have
pet restrictions. I was pleasantly surprised how dog friendly most
places were.
SY MAISON DE SANTÉ 🇺🇸 Nicole & Keenan – Cal 46′
10) SHELTER BAY MARINA 🇵🇦
SPONSORS THE PANAMA POSSE
09°22.085′ N 079°57.0013′ W
“As always Panama Posse participants will be welcomed at Shelter Bay Marina.
From January 10 till May 31st.
15% discount form the transient rates which are, 1-7 nights, 7 to 14 nights, 15 to 30 nights and 31 to 90 nights,
The
quick Haul out rate of $12.00 per feet and $16.00 per feet for Monos
and Multis will be given for vessels doing work in the yard!!”
Juanjo Boschetti
General Manager
email juanjo@shelterbaymarina.com
www.panamaposse.com/sponsors
11) SY TIAMAT GOES OVERLAND FROM
CHIAPAS, MEXICO 🇲🇽 TO GUATEMALA 🇬🇹
Ruins of TIKAL
Tikal was a city and ceremonial center of the ancient Maya civilization.
TRIP REPORT:
We
did a whirlwind tour through Guatemala, visiting Lake Atitlan, Antigua,
and capping it off with a visit to Tikal. It was fascinating to see the
living continuation of Mayan culture in Guatemala, framed against the
backdrop of the breathtaking ruins of Tikal. Honestly, I didn’t have a
lot of expectations going into Guatemala, but now I’m glad we went and I
would definitely advise everyone passing this way not to miss it!
The history of Tikal goes as far back as 900–300 BCE.
Tikal was an important post in the great trading network in Mesoamerica
SY TIAMAT 🇺🇸 Stephanie & Owen – Fountaine Pajot 44’
12) PAPAGAYO WINDS 🇨🇷 🇳🇮 🇸🇻
The weather behind the Papagayo wind is explained by NASA
“The
meteorological mechanism that causes Papagayo winds is relatively
simple. In winter, cold high-pressure weather systems move southward
from North America over the Gulf of Mexico. These high-pressure systems
create strong pressure gradients between the atmosphere over the Gulf of
Mexico and the warmer, moister atmosphere over the Pacific Ocean. Just
as a river flows from high elevations to lower elevations, the air in
the high-pressure system will “flow” downhill toward lower pressure, but
the Cordillera mountains block the flow of air, channeling it through
Chivela Pass in Mexico, the lake district of Nicaragua, and also
Gaillard Cut in Panama (which also holds the Panama Canal).”‘
Last
year’s fleet has plenty of experience with these “flows” that created
sustained gusts of wind up to 55 knots! The most successful strategy was
day sailing – near shore – in 20 – 30 nm hops with one foot on the
beach (less than 1/2 nm off shore). These Papagayo winds may test you,
your vessel, and your crew. And once you make it to Costa Rica
your wind blasted faces will have some good stories to tell.
PRO TIP: When you look at the forecast models look at the wind gusts and use those as your guide as these gusts occur 50% of the time.
there
are many anchorages to take the load of and truly gunk hole along the
Papagayo area of influence – anchorages are outlined in Good
Nautical – use scope to withstand up to 50 knot gusts
NOTE: If you are a vessel in transit along the Nicaraguan coast AND
you are not checking in to the country, it is a well received courtesy
to fly their courtesy flag when a vessel is within 15nm of the
Nicaraguan coast. Vessels in transit that do not check in are
allowed to anchor in Nicaraguan waters. However, no one aboard may
leave the vessel and a yellow Q flag is flown below the Nicaraguan
courtesy flag. 🟨
When
anchoring for safe harbor in a country you are not formally entering
know that naval representatives may come and check on you. When
and if they do be gracious, respectful, and courteous.
San Juan del Sur 🇳🇮 Nicargaua – the epicenter of the Papagayo Winds
13) GOOD NAUTICAL POE ( Port of Entry ) PUERTO OBALDIA 🇵🇦 PANAMA
Puerto
Obaldia is located on the Eastern coast of Northern Panama.
Vessels sailing east from the Canal or west from Columbia may
enjoy Puerto Obaldia Panama
Different Posse members have enjoyed Puerto Obaldia:
SY RUM TRUFFLE SAYS: We
really enjoyed the more unspoiled part of Panama from Puerto Obaldia up
to the more popular areas. Advantages of checking in there is that you
get all your docs on the spot (need lots of USD cash as everything is
cash only all the way through the area until Linton Bay and NO ATMs or
any way to get cash. Highlights for us were Isla Pinos, Mamitupu, Mono
Island, Playon Chico/ Snug Harbour, and then of course Green Island and
all the other more popular places. Use Eric Bauhaus’ guide for waypoints
and info.
It’s
more correct to say carry lots of small bills to pay for fruit, fish,
fees etc I went top to bottom and $200 in small bills served me
well. No ATMs and grocery stores are very small. Most of your early
trade will be from dugouts!
SY BISOU SAYS regarding cash: You
may wish to buy molas (we bought alot!) and lobsters, fish, fruit and
veggies, etc. We went through USD $1000 in the 10 weeks we were
there! By the time you spend about $250 on checking in and cruising
permit, then local anchoring fees (usually $10 a time) plus buy a few
molas ($25-$50 each) and then stock up on fruit and veggies from the
boat that comes around, have an excursion to the waterfalls and maybe a
meal on Iban’s island by the Swimming Pool (Hollandes Quays) you’ll find
that cash disappears quickly!
Boruca,
Costa Rica is located in the mountains north of Corcovado National
Park. The Boracun village and their sense of identity has survived
centuries of struggles dating back to the 1500’s between the native
tribes and the Spanish Conquistadors. While many indigenous tribes
consider themselves to have been defeated by the Spanish, the Borucans
demonstrate that a tribe cannot be defeated if it’s culture is still
alive today. “Boruca is very much alive and fighting to preserve
their identity.”
A group of Barucan men dressed as spirits to ward off the Spanish Conquistadors
A
celebration in Baruca which honors their history, their struggles, and
their triumph is known as ‘The Dance of the Little Devils’ or’ Danza de
Los Diablitos’. This is a four day ceremonial re-enactment
traditionally takes place from December 30th to January 2nd.
During this four day celebration, local men dress in costumes to
re-enact the invasion of the Spanish, an invocation to the spirits for
help defending their territory, the fight, and their victory. Most
notable and interesting are the costumes for this 4 day event.
The Barucan Warriors (right) taunt and fight the Spanish represented by the bull (left)
The
Spaniards are represented by a Bull which is made from a large
cardboard box covered in a burlap and a mask in the form of a bull’s
head. The warriors of the village are dressed in body paint and
burlap smocks wearing various types of masks representing different
spirits. For the first two days the “little Devils’ taunt the Bull
but the bull seems to be gaining on the Diablitos. By the third
day the elders walk through the village making a bigger ceremony of
calling the warriors to action. On the fourth day, the Diablitos are
stronger and more determined. Their costumes are bigger and their
masks are different. This is the day they defeat (kill) the Bull.
The costumes for the day of defeat are much bigger.
Native Moyaguas and Xicaguas (present day Costa Rica territory) tribes attack Spanish soldiers led by conquistador Diego de Sojo, 1639.
We
met skydiving 36 years ago and after a few years in the air, switched
to motor biking before we were introduced to sailing. Having lived
and worked on three continents and having visited more than 40
countries on our adventurous journey together we are now aiming to reach
“50 before 60”.
Fortitude
X, a 2008 Beneteau 423 has been our home for almost three years. After
circumnavigating Vancouver Island in 2021, we left Canada in August of
last year sailing down the US coast for Mexico.
Every
day is a school day, and when you are open to learning through travel,
you are often humbled. Talking about learning: next thing on the list is
improving our Spanish, but for the time being we count on a smile as a
universal communicator. Like many of the PP Fleet members have mentioned
before, we are grateful for the life we are living, (especially in
these times of political turmoil), the friends we made, the camaraderie
we experienced and the new adventures that lie ahead on our way to the
Caribbean and beyond. Dietmar, Nicole, and the entire Panama Posse team
are trusted and reliable partners, enabling access to resources and
fellow cruisers. Thank you, now it’s up to us to explore, dream, and
discover. Life is a journey, travel it well.
SY FORTITUDE X 🇨🇦 Stefanie & Torsten – Beneteau 43′
Watch this video ! conversation between Talos & Panama Posse Mariners.
Talos
lightning detectors are available to add to your safety devises
onboard. They are small, mountable devices that give an audible
and visual alert to the proximity of lightning. There are
different models and applications. For example:
FEATURES:
Alerts up to 25 mile range
The BRIGHTEST visual alerts: 3 colors to indicate distance of approaching or departing storms
Green: 25 miles
Blue: 16 miles
Red: 6 miles
The LOUDEST audible alerts
1 beep for Green: 25 miles
2 beeps for Blue: 16 miles
3 beeps for Red: 6 miles
Compact design
Auto sleep functionality**
1 year battery life (*based on average usage)
Antenna auto tuning – increases efficiency
Same technology as used in expensive weather stations
Battery powered: requires 4 AA batteries (lithium recommended)
**When
the unit is first turned on, the unit is in “Normal Mode” and will
actively listen for lightning/storm activity. Pressing the ON button a
second time puts the unit into the auto-sleep mode. In this mode, the
detector will sleep until motion is detected, then it will turn on. If
no motion is detected for 30 minutes, the unit goes back to sleep.
Benefits
Early warning alerts
Provides distance estimation of storm
Antenna audio tuning – increases efficiency
Easy to mount
Easy to detach
What’s Included in the Box:
TALOS Lightning Detection Device
Mounting Base
User Guide
How it Works
When
lightning is first detected (up to 25 miles), the detector will flash
all 8 LEDs for 5 minutes. To save battery life, after 5 minutes of
lightning detection, the detector switches to blinking every other LED
for the remaining time that lightning is detected (red, blue, or green
depending on distance of lightning).
Where to Mount Lightning Detector
The
lightning detector detects low-level signals from lightning and must be
mounted a minimum of 3 feet away from cell phones, wearables, or any
other devices emitting electrical noise. If the detector goes through a
sequence of all colors, this indicates that it is detecting electrical
noise.
Battery Instructions & Installation
It
is necessary to replace batteries as soon as the lightning detector
indicates the batteries are almost dead. The detector will beep and
flash the LED twice indicating that batteries need to be replaced. This
alert is given every 10 seconds. If you are not using the lightning
detector, make sure you remove the batteries prior to storing the
detector.
Panama Posse get a generous discount from Talos to order Lightning detectors directly
19) MUST SEE:
TEQUILA 🇲🇽
The
official town of Tequila – a 3 hour drive from the Coast – offers a
Museum with how Tequila is produced, and Tequila Tastings.
Tequila, Mexico
The
34,658 ha site, between the foothills of the Tequila Volcano and the
deep valley of the Rio Grande River, is part of an expansive landscape
of blue agave. The landscape has been shaped by the culture of the
plant and used since the for at least 2,000 years to make fermented
drinks and cloth. More recently, the production of the Tequila
spirit has been a specialty of the region since the 16th century.
fields of agave.
Within
the landscape are working distilleries reflecting the growth in the
international consumption of tequila in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Today, the agave culture is seen as part of national identity. The area
encloses a living, working landscape of blue agave fields and the urban
settlements of Tequila, Arenal, and Amatitan with large distilleries
where the agave ‘pineapple’ is fermented and distilled.
Church in Tequila, Mexico
Tequila
is produced by removing the heart of the plant in its seventh to
fourteenth year. Harvested piñas normally weigh 80–200 pounds
This heart is stripped of its leaves and heated to convert the
inulin to sugars.
Harvested piñas
True tequila is made from blue agave (right).
The
production of tequila is divided into seven steps: harvesting, cooking,
fermentation, distillation, aging and bottling. Then comes
consumption.
22) PANAMA CANAL AGENT CENTENARIO CONSULTING ERICK GALVEZ
To
arrange for transit with the Panama Canal Authority please contact Eric
Galvez our dedicated Panama Canal agent and sponsor of the Panama Posse
and the Pacific Posse
Erick Gálvez
info@centenarioconsulting.com
www.centenarioconsulting.com
Cellphone +507 6676-1376
WhatsApp +507 6676-1376
23) WAYPOINT YACHT SERVICES
“Our
vision is to provide a top tier service to our customers while covering
every potential need they may have when approaching shore.
Small
yachts (up to 38.1 meters LOA) are expected to experience substantial
delays, and in the meantime, we will be able and willing to help you
mitigate this impact and serve you.
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