FLEET UPDATE 2020-02-16

• Head shots reminders
• Huatulco, Mexico
  
• Picture of the Week & Ordeal report of the week
  
• Sail repair tip from Ullman Sails Puerto Vallarta, Mexico 
• Marina Pez Vela, Haul-out, Quepos and Facilities, Costa Rica
• El Salvador Bar Crossing, El Salvador 
• Treasure Map of Golfito, Costa Rica
• Shelter Bay Marina, Panama 
• Uninvited Visitors -  Hitchhiker
• Uninvited Visitors  -  Marine Leach 
• Safety reminder
• Line App Reminder every Monday live call at 16:00 UTC
  
• Submit reports - As always - keep 'em coming
• Opt Out
  

1) Head shots reminder

Please email us your headshots :

AD ASTRA, BAD BUNNY, CONTEXT, CONVERGENCE, CYCLADES, DOTTIE SUE, ELSKA, EMMY KATE, ENTERPRISE III, EVIE, EVOLIAS,HERITAGE,IMPOSSIBLE DREAM, KJALOHA, KOUMBA BANG, LEILANI, MAKANI, MANUREVA, MAR Y SOL, NESHUMA, PILIALOHA, SALPARE, SEAQUEL, SEDNA VI, SHAZAM, SOL GOOD, SOUTHERN CROSS III, STAND DOWN, SUSIMI, TIDAL DANCER, TIVOLI, TRYST, WISHLIST, WOLFHOUND, ZARZAGAN

2) Huatulco, Mexico

Volare’s in Marina Chahue awaiting the 2nd window for TPec crossing so that we can explore the local area. 

Here’s a picture I took of s/v Jean Anne as the sun rose over Jicaral anchorage. We were the only boats here.

Jessica & Adam

VOLARE

3) Picture of the week

Annita in Marina Chahue hugging the used engine oil

so - we completed the last leg without incident and are now safely tied up in Huatulco.
This is a picture of Anita standing alongside the four barrels of engine oil Moonrise
requried to keep the engine lubricated for a little over 100 miles.
Quite the trip!

Thank-you again for the call out to the fleet and for your support,

Moonrise now holds the official Panama Posse record now for most engine oil used on a 100 nm trip
I thought that the fleet would appreciate some feedback on what we learned from our experience:
1. The Port Captains are no help. We presented ourselves at the Puerto Angel Port Captains office and advised them that we were mariners in dificulty and they essentially replied "not my problem". We pointed to their mission statement (on a poster on the wall), that suggested otherwise but they responded "maybe in the past but not now". Their job today is simply to 'control' who comes into the port.
2. Panga operators told us they have no respect for the Port Captains and expect no help from them. When one of them is in trouble they organize their own rescue (much in the tradition of volounteer lifeboat crews in the UK). Recently, a panga was swamped off Puerto Angel and they had thirty boats out all night looking for the crew (who were never found). They said the military will occasionally come out but mostly when it is too late and/or the story has made it into the newspapers.
3. Panga operators will extend assistance to cruising boats but most do not carry radios. One approached us and asked if we needed assistance simply because they saw our radar reflector twinkling in the sunlight and thought we were signaling them. Later at anchor, we waved one down and they gave us a ride through the surf to the beach. That same operator then drove us into town in his pick up to buy some oil and return us back through the surf. We would never have been able to carry that large a quantity of oil in our dingy nor would we have ever have been able to land safely (it was a surf resort). With local knowledge and a 50HP outboard, they had mastered how to safely transit the breaking surf zone.
4. None of the panga operators we asked was prepared to consider towing us, regardless of distance. They believe it is damaging to their outboard, which for them is their livelihood. The one single offer of a tow we had was for an eye watering sum and was not entirely credible as it was questionable whether they could safely carry that much fuel (for the round trip).
5. Most pangas never travel further than 12 miles from home (fuel is expensive and there is no need). Their local knowledge is therefore limited to a small radius and there are large gaps along the coast where no pangas operate.
6. We had a dingy, 6 HP outboard and plenty of gasoline and we have successfully side towed Moorise before. But, that was in calm conditions - in reality, we didnt feel comfortable doing so in a heavy swell and/or at night, so looked for alternatives. After this experience we may consider buying a larger, rigid floor dingy.
7. Obviously, we would have prefered to sail out of trouble but the winds were fickle. Leaving a safe anchorage to rely on marginal winds is a tough call, as you then place yourself at the mercy of local currents (which we never got to understand). Luckily, we were able to devise our limp home strategy, which gave us a margin of safety.
What might we do differently? Obviously, having a buddy boat with us would have made a world of difference. Otherwise, we have always been believers in simplicity and preventative maintenance but not everything can be foreseen. It looks as if our problem was a failed oil cooler (ie a break down of the wall, seperating oil from raw water). It so happens, we had examined our oil cooler only a month previously (shining a flash light through the tubes), without seeing anything troubling.
The mechanic here in Huatulco said he could weld up our oil cooler and get us on our way within days but we told him that, after this experience, we will opt for removing the engine and changing out every gasket, oil seal and vulnerable part - we do not want to go through a similar experience ever again!
Hope this summary is helpful.

Stephen & Annita

MOONRISE

4) Sail repair tip from Ullman Sails Puerto Vallarta

Offshore Emergency Repairs

Be sure to have some of the basics onboard.  The new stitch-less systems are quite good and reliable. They save a lot of time and make repairs easier to do.

The best on the market is Dr Sails.  It is a 2-part flexible epoxy that sets in 20 minutes or less.  It comes with multiple tips so that you do not have to use entire container each time.

After following the manufactures instructions, I found an easier better way to use the product.

It is always a great idea to dry and clean the surfaces first.  We recommend rubbing alcohol since it will evaporate the salt water off of the surface. Dr Sails claims that it will stick to wet sails but I have not tested this theory.

Next layout as much of the repair as you can carefully aligning it as close to original as possible.  Tape this together as you go. 

Once tear is taped on one side, flip sail so that you are working on the side without the tape.

Cut your piece of Sailcloth that you are using for the repair.  Lay it out on top of tear making sure it fits properly and is trimmed to the size you need.  We recommend overlapping each side of the tear by 2”.

Tale the repair cloth, dispense the Dr Sails adhesive onto the piece in a zigzag pattern.  Using spreader (supplied with Dr. Sails) evenly spread adheasive over entire repair cloth piece.

Lay the piece over the tear pulling sail tight, press repair cloth down, using a long arm stapler staple in many places.

After approximately 20 minutes, remove staples , flip over remove tap, and your repair is complete.

Keys to have a long lasting and effective stitch-less repair.

1. Take time to align as close as possible to original.  The better the alignment the better it will look when finished
2. Keep sail as smooth and tight as possible when laying repair cloth down
3. Do no more than 5’ at a time unless you are doing shore-side with a lot of room
4. Set everything up ahead of time and work fast as adhesive will start to set if you take too much time
5. Rub adhesive all the way to the edge of repair, even slightly more to keep edges from peeling up
6. If tear goes to edge of sail wrap repair cloth around edge, this can be done in a second step
7. Be sure to pull every staple, they rust and rust fast
8. Have something to lay under repair while using adhesive, it will stick to your deck

Jason, Chuck & Sabine

Ullman Sails Puerto Vallarta
Av Estaciones 1099 Bucerias, Mexico, CA 63732
pv@ullmansails.com
+52-329-298 2558
https://puertovallarta.ullmansails.com

5) Marina Pez Vela, Haulout, Quepos and Facilities

On a windless overnight passage from the Gulf of Fonseca to San Juan del Sur back in November, the port engine on our Lagoon 380 cat suddenly made an odd sound and we lost propulsion. We spent a few weeks in San Juan del Sur and were able to determine the problem was somewhere in the lower unit of our saildrive which, unfortunately, required a haul out. With our 21.4’ beam there are only a handful of places that can haul us. Marina Pez Vela in Quepos, CR is one. They couldn’t schedule us until Jan 2 because they do not work for two weeks over Christmas and New Year’s holidays.

We had already checked into the country in Playas del Coco but if we hadn’t, Pez Vela charges a large agent fee ($400 I think I heard). Our initial impression of the shipyard was clean, professional, and very helpful as we were pulling in with little ability to maneuver at slow speeds. This was the first shipyard we had been to that actually put a diver in the water to verify the placement of the slings before hauling. The managers, Justin and James, were easy to work with. We spent 3 weeks in the yard. We opted not to do the work ourselves because they charge a daily fee if you do your own work or hire your own mechanic. But they also charge another daily fee just to be in the shipyard whether work is being done or not, and they were slow! They also do not allow you to live aboard while in the yard so there’s another expense of somewhere to stay. Once the necessary parts were determined, it was actually cheaper and much faster for Dennis to fly back to the US to pick them up.

We ended up having a few other preventative maintenance items taken care of as well, since we were waiting for the parts. We had the bottom paint done - completely stripped to the gelcoat, new barrier coat and a couple of layers. The workers damaged the diaphragms around the sail drives (which had been inspected immediately after haul out and determined they were in good condition). The diaphragms had gouges and chunks out of them, but Justin had no problem taking responsibility and covered the cost for the new diaphragms and labor. We had the rudders removed and bearings replaced. We also had a few cracks in the fiberglass repaired.

 

 

 

Haul out Once Dennis came back with the parts it should have only taken a day or two to have everything back together. It was another week before we were back in the water. The days we sat there and no work was done were so frustrating. Thankfully Justin saw this and did not charge us for those days in the shipyard.

 

 

New bottom paint. Waiting for final rudder placement just before splashing.

Quepos is a nice, little town and we met some wonderful people. If you make it to town, we highly recommend Zamir Pizza. They sold it by the slice or a whole pizza for a reasonable price and it was the best pizza we’ve had in a long time! El Santuario zip line tour was fabulous and they’ll even pick you up from the marina. There’s also a non-denominational church service at 9:30 on Sundays on the beach in the bay by Manual Antonio NP.

 

Exploring Manuel Antonio NP

The anchorage just a few miles south of the marina was nice with a decent beach landing on the south side. It was a bit rolly in the early morning and evening when boats were leaving/returning to the marina. The marina wasn’t dinghy friendly though, so it’s not all that easy to replenish supplies from the anchorage. All in all, we were pleased with the work done at the shipyard, and we enjoyed our time in Quepos.

 

 

Church on the beach

Dennis, Brandy & Crew

ANKYRIOS

 

ANKYRIOS

6) El Salvador, Bar Crossing

Nobody mentioned that we would be surfing our sailboat over the bar! Yeaaa for Bill n Jean!

 

 

Entering the Estuary

 

 

Bob & Margie

BLESSED

7) Treasure Map of Golfito, Costa Rica

 

Bob & Marisol(need headshot)
MAR Y SOL

8) Shelter Bay Marina, Panama

Bob & Margie

BLESSED

Caribbean Sunrise

 

 

 

View from the Dock of the Breakwater and Panama Canal Entrance

Dan & Angela

ANGELIQUE

9) Uninvited Visitors - Hitchhiker (this is a prize category this season)

Nick & Gemma

MOIRA

10) Uninvited Visitors - Marine Leach (this is a prize category this season)

Garreth & Audrey

THISLDU

11) Safety reminder

A strong dinghy lock and thick long cable

Season One of the Panama Posse took the brunt and we have identified areas which are prone to dinghy and outboard theft-

 

but as always bring your dingy and outboard up at night and lock it with a hard lock !

ABUS 92/65 Mono-block Brass Padlock
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005UMBCDW/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_kUZODbHH915CZ

12) Get on the LINE app !

Please make sure to sign up with Line.me so you can participate in our weekly LINE calls on Mondays; at 16:00 UTC
and be part of the 24/7 chatroom anytime
Once you have downloaded it - find dietmarpetutschnig ( carinthia ) and send a message

 

we'll add you to the 2019-2020 Panama Posse group

13) As always - keep 'em coming - reply with any relevant updates
- next update next Sunday

SV Carinthia

 

Dietmar & Suzanne

 

 

14) to opt out - reply with opt out 

---

by OCEANPOSSE

FLEET UPDATE 2020-02-09

• Marina Chahue Update
• Gualdalajara & Tequila, Mexico
  
• Offshore medical supplies
• Panama Posse Gathering @ Marina Chiapas
• Punta Mala, Panama
  
• Tehuantepec
  Crossing
• Picture of the Week 
• Panama Posse Gathering in La Cruz, MX
• Bahia del Sol, El Salvador
• Cabeza Negra, MX
  
• Updates
• Opt-Out
  

1) Marina Chahue, MX

UPDATE

Volare just entered Marina Chahué. We draw 7’.

 We entered at high tide which was +1.8’.

In the channel our depth gauge read 9.5’ at the lowest.
After the channel, approaching the marina we saw 8.5’.

The marina is charging our 44’, MX$396p a day, MX$2728p per
week, MX$7040 per month.
These prices are without power or water. To add those would be
15% more.

No possie discount... but at $20 USD per day ....
(note: municipal marina ...)

Jessica & Adam

VOLARE

2) GUADALAJARA LAND EXCURSION:

While our alternator and mast stays are
being replaced, and we wait on parts from the USA, we rented a
car for a week and drove 5 hours from Puerto Vallarta through
the gorgeous and very safe mountains to Guadalajara…

Day 1 – we stopped on the way for lunch in
Tequila. The meal at Solar des las Animas was set your hair on
fire outstanding! The restaurant is on the main square and
part of the Solar des las Animas hotel, which is pretty fancy
5-star-ish.  Anyhoo, we
made a reservation of a room for later in the week. After
lunch, we did a recce around d town in preparation for later
in the week when we would take the Tequila Train from
Guadalajara back to Tequila, and then another day/overnight
visit on the way back to PV.  It’s
too hard to taste Tequila for 3 days in a row, so we broke it
up and that was just fine… Evening meal was at La Chata and
superb.

Day 2 – after checking into the historic
Hotel Morales, we took the hop-on-hop off bus around
Guadalajara. 
Great decision.  Cocktails
and dinner in Tlaquepaque neighborhood at Café Luna was YUM.

Day 3 – drove out an hour to Lake Chapala.
Visited the towns of Chapala and Ajijic.  Wonderful – think Lake
Tahoe meets the Chilean Lake District. Not too crowded, clean
and just nice. Cocktails in the church square was fun. We
stumbled into a Mexican funeral where half the people were on
horse, plus a marching band, and for every one shovel of dirt
onto the casket, there was a shot of tequila poured over the
casket. I wanna go like that!!!

Day 4 – took the 90-minute Herradura
Tequila Train to the Herradura Hacienda for a full 10-hour day
of education, touring the fabrication facility, tastings, a
sit-down fabulous meal for 1000 beautiful guests and the best
mariachi band I’ve every seen, plus some very talented and
sexy dancers.  The
train was a party train filled with
Mexico’s finest citizens and dressed for a very elegant
affair. Sexy.

Day 5 – rented bikes and rode out to Santo
Coyote restaurant for a big fat Mexican Brunch that cannot
be beat. Hit the MUSEO
DE LAS ARTES UNIVERSIDAD and caught
a brilliant Diego Rivera and Jose Orozco exhibit.  Had a late-night meal
at some taco joint that was overrated. Then we dialed in a
Tequila Bar on my TequilaMatch I-phone App. This turned out
to be the grooviest bar I’ve been to with a bunch of
hipsters, and a cool DJ spinning LPs. We got out of there
just barely before the sun came up.

Day 6 – Shopping for boat stuff. Dinner was
at El Diablo for thin pizza in the fancy neighborhood of
providencia, which we loved.

Day 7 – drove back to Tequila and did a
private 3-hour tour and Fortaleza. Just an amazing old factory
that still can make some excellent juice. Sunset at the Solar
des las Animas hotel Sky Bar overlook the town of Tequila and
smelling the tequila cooking in the factory ovens was just
unforgettable. Our hotel room was a large gorgeous junior suit
for $165 USD and worth every penny.

Day 8 – drove back to PV with nothing to
report, but just 8 tasty bottles of Tequila in the trunk😊

Lucky Chucky & Lisa

HO’OKIPA

3) Attached is a grid for offshore medical
supplies. If you like it, please post it

BRAND / COMERCIAL NAME	INGREDIENTS	USES AND DOSES	NOTES / WARNIGS
PAIN KILLERS AND RELATED
BROSPINA 0.3 MG VIAL W/6	Buprenorphine (Sinthetic Morpine) injectable	PAIN KILLER. Acute and severe pain like Kindney stone, broken bones, extensive burns. 1 vial intramuscular every 6 or 12 hours	Narcotic, may cause drowsiness. Caution if patient is allergic to Codeine or Morphine
TYLEX CD CAP.  30 capsules	Codeine / Paracetamol (like Tylenol III)	PAIN KILER. Moderate to severe pain. Dose; one e/ 6 or 8 hours	Narcotic, may cause drowsiness. Caution if patient is allergic to Codeine or Morphine
ACTRON 600 MG CAPS	Ibuprofen 600 mg soft-gels	PAIN KILER. Mild to Moderate pain like Headache, Sore throat. Dose; one e/ 6 or 12 hours. Also effective for FEVER and Inflammation.	Non-narcotic pain killer, soft with stomach.
MOTRIN JR JARABE INFANTIL	Ibuprofeno Childrens Liquid form	PAIN KILER. Mild to Moderate pain like Headache, Sore throat. Dose; one e/ 6 or 12 hours. Also effective for FEVER and Inflammation.
NORFLEX PLUS TAB	Orfenadrina - Paracetamol	Pain Killer and MUSCLE RELAXATIVE. Dose 1 tab 3 or 4 tabs a day	Well tolerated. May cause sleepiness
TYLEX 750 MG C/20 TAB.	Paracetamol (Acetaminophen, apap) Extra-strengthened	PAIN KILER. Mild to Moderate pain like Headache, Sore throat. Dose; one e/ 6 or 12 hours. Also effective for FEVER	Best option for people allergic to Aspirine and derivates)
ANXIETY AND SLEEP DISORDER
RIVOTRIL GOTAS	Clonacepam liquid form	ACUTE ANXIETY, Panic Atacks. Dose: 3-8 drops en half-glass of water, 1 to 3 times a day	Works fast. May cause drownisess and sleepiness. May cause adiction
RIVOTRIL COMPRIMIDOS 2 MG	Clonacepam con 30 o 100 por caja	ANXIETY, INSOMNIA. Dose one tab. One-half tablet to one full tablet one or 2 times a day	May cause drownisess and sleepiness. May cause adiction
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
ACICLOVIR TAB 400 MG	Acyclovir tablets for adults	Antiviral Medication, usefull for all type of Herpes infections like; Chiken Pox, Shingles, Genitale Herpes and Mono. Dose: One tab. 3 or 4 times a day	It is recommended for 5 to 14 days.
ACICLOVIR CREMA	Acyclovir Topical cream	Antiviral Medication, usefull to treat the skin affection for Herpes Virus Infection like Mouth Cold-Sore and genital lesions. Dose: Apply 3 or 4 times a day direct in the skin lesions
GABIROL CAPSULES. c/14	Rimantadine cap 100 mg	Antiviral Medication for all types of FLU. Dose; one capsule 3 times a day for 5 dias
GABIROL SOL. 120 ML	Rimantadine liquid form 120 ml	Antiviral Medication for all types of FLU. Dose; 5 cc, 3 times a day for 5 dias
GREMILTAL CAPSULES	Oseltamivir 75 mg	Best Anti-Flu medicine. Kills all infuenza and seasonal flu.
AMOBAY CAPSULAS 500 mg	Amoxiciline capsules	Bacterial Infections like Upper Respiratory Infections like SINUS, PHARINGITYS and simple SKIN INFECTIOUS skin infections. Dose: one capsule 3 times a day	Peniciline Type. cautiion if allergic
AMOBAY SUSP 250 mg	Amoxiciline liquid form	Bacterial Infections like Upper Respiratory Infections like SINUS, MEDIAL EAR INFECTIONS, PHARYNGITIS and simple SKIN infections. Dose: 5 cc 3 times a day	Peniciline, cautiion if allergic
BACTRIM- F COMPRIMIDOS	Trimetoprim / Sulfametoxazole tablets	Bacterial Infections like Upper Respiratory Infections like  MEDIAL EAR INFECTIONS, PHARYNGITIS and simple SKIN infections and UTI. Dose: One tab 2 times a day	Sulfa Type antibiotic. Good choice for allergic to peniciline but not for those allergic to Sulfa
BACTRIM SUSPENSION	Trimetoprima / Sulfametoxazol liquid	Bacterial Infections like Upper Respiratory Infections like MEDIAL EAR INFECTIONS, PHARYNGITIS and simple SKIN infections and UTI. Dose: 5-10 cc 2 times a day	Sulfa Type antibiotic. Good choice for allergic to peniciline but not for those allergic to Sulfa
AUGMENTIN 12H Jr SUSP 400 MG	Amoxiciline + Clavulanic Acid Children liquid form	MEDIAL EAR INFECTIONS, SINUS AND BEGINING BROCHITIS, UNRINARY TRACT INFECTIOUS. Doses one every 12 hours for 10 days: (calculate 40 mg of Amoxicillin per kilo, per day divided in 2 doses)	Penicilin type, caution if allergic. Always must be taken with food. Never with stomach empty.
AUGMENTIN 12 H TABLETAS (875/125 MG)	Amoxiciline + Clavulanic Acid Tablets	MEDIAL EAR INFECTIONS, SINUS AND BEGINING BROCHITIS, UNRINARY TRACT INFECTIOUS. Doses one every 12 hours for 10 days	Penicilin type, caution if allergic. Always must be taken with food. Never with stomach empty.
AZITROMICINA TAB 500 MG	Azitromicine 3 tab 500 mg	MEDIAL EAR INFECTIONS, SINUS AND BEGINING BROCHITIS, Traveler diarreha. Doses: One every 24 hours for 3 days	Non-penicilin antibiotic, good choice for those allergic to peniciline.
ADEL SUSP 250	Claritromicine liquid 250 mg for Childrens	MEDIAL EAR INFECTIONS, SINUS AND ACUTE BROCHITIS, WHOOPING COUGH, SKIN INFECTIONS Doses: One dose every 12 hours for 5-10 days. (Calculate:15 mg per kilo per day divided in 2)	Non-penicilin antibiotic, good choice for those allergic to peniciline.
ADEL TABLETAS 500 MG	Claritromicina tab. 500 mg co 10	MEDIAL EAR INFECTIONS, SINUS AND ACUTE BROCHITIS, WHOOPING COUGH, SKIN INFECTIONS Doses: One dose every 12 hours for 5-10 days.	Non-penicilin antibiotic, good choice for those allergic to peniciline.
CIPROFLOX CAPS 500 MG w/12 TABS	Ciprofloxacin 500 mg tabs	For infections in URINARY TRACT AND DIGESTIVE TRACT. Dose: 1 every 12 hours	DIARREHA 3-5 DAYS  FOR UTI 10 DAYS TREATMENT
PIRIMIR TAB 100 mh	Phenazopiridine	Antiseptic for the UTI. Controls the burning - semsation. Dose; one tab 3 or 4 times a day
EVOCS III TAB 500 MG w/7 unit	Levofloxacin tabs.	Wide spectrum antibiotic for severe infections like: BRONCHITIS, NEUMONIA, SALMONELLA, INFECTION ON BONES, KIDNEY, UTI, INTESTINE. Dose: one a day for 7 to 14 days	Non-penicilin antibiotic, good choice for those allergic to peniciline. Restricted before 18 year-old.
SOPHIXIN  OFTALMICO   GTS	Ciprofloxacine oftalmic / eye drops	For mild to severe BACTERIAL CONJUNCTIVITIS. Dose; 2 drops every 4-6 hours.	Avoid to be used in childrens if possible
INFALIN DUO GTS	Ciprofloxacine otic / ear drops (plus cortisone)	For EXTERNAL EAR CHANEL INFECTION including SWIMERS EAR. Dose; 15 drops 3 times a day
POLIXIN GTS OFT	Polimixin-Bacitracin-Neomicin / eye drops	For mild BACTERIAL CONJUNCTIVITIS. Dose; 2 drops every 4-6 hours.	Specialy Usefull in childrens
MAXITROL GTS OFTALMICA	Dexametasona / Fenilefrina / Neomicina	For mild to severe BACTERIAL CONJUNCTIVITIS that requires Cortisone as an anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic. Dose; 2 drops every 4-6 hours.	Avoid use in childrens. Never extend the treatmente more than 2 days.
MUPIROCINA  UNG	Mupirocina ointment / topical	Antibiotic for all type of SKIN INFECTIONS. Dose; apply 1 to 3 times a day as needed
GYNO-DAKTARIN - DUAL OV Y CRA 3 DIAS	Miconazol / Clotrimazol (cream y vaginal supositories)	for YEAST INFECTION. Directions; one supository a day for 3 days, cream in for external areas
COLD AND COUGH SYMPTOMATIC HELPS
AMBROXOL SOL.	Ambroxol  Sol 100 ml	Powerfull expectorant for PRODUCTIVE COUGH, like in bronchitis. Dose: 10 cc 3 times a day	Very safe, no side effects
ALIREN CAPSULES	Amantadin, clorpherinamine and paracetamol	Antiviral Decongestant for COLD AND SINUS symptoms. Dose; one tab 2 times a day	May Cause Sleepiness. Caution in Patient with High Blood Pressure and heart conditions.
TESALON CAPSULES	Benzonatato caps	Effective Cough Supresant for DRY COUGH. Dose; one o two capsules 3 times a day
SENSIBIT D NF TAB	Loratadina-paracetamol-fenilefrina	Combination to kill all syntoms of FLU. Dose: 2 tabletas 2 times a day	Safe for patients with high blood pressure
ANTIALERGIC, CORTISONE, ANTIHISTAMINIC
DIPROSONE CRA	Betametason cream	Topical Cortisone for ECZEMA, REACTIVE DERMATITIS. Dosis; apply in the affected areas 2 times a day	Caution in childrens
ELOMET UNG OR LIQUID	Mometasone ointment and lotion	Most Effective topicall Cortisone, with minimal side effects. Ointment is for small areas, lotion for extensive areas or hairy skin. Dose: apply 2 times a day	Safe in children
TRIDERM CREMA	Betametason-Clotrimazol-Gentamicin	Topical combination of Anti-inflammatory, antibiotic and antifungal cream. For INFECTED DERMATITIS, BURNS (1st and 2nd DEGREE). Dosis; Apply 2 or 3 time a day
CETIRIZINA TAB. 10 MG	Cetirizine tablets	Oral Anti-histaminic for ALL TYPE OF ALLERGIES. Dose: One a day by mouth	Do not cause sleepiness. Safe for adults with High Blood Pressure
BENADRYL JBE	Difenhidramine Jbe. 120 ml	Oral Anti-histaminic for ALL TYPE OF ALLERGIES, also as a SLEEP AID and COUGH SUPRESANT. Dose: One a tablet 3 times a day by mouth	May Cause Sleepiness. Caution in Patient with High Blood Pressure and heart conditions, Do not use in children under 2 years-old.
BENADRYL TAB	Difenhidramine tab 25 mg	Oral Anti-histaminic for ALL TYPE OF ALLERGIES, also as a SLEEP AID and COUGH SUPRESANT. Dose: One a tablet 3 times a day by mouth	May Cause Sleepiness. Caution in Patient with High Blood Pressure and heart conditions, Do not use in children under 2 years-old.
PREDNISONE 5 MG TAB	Prednisone tab	Oral Steroid for SEVERE ALLERGIES. Dose: 4 tabs a day and reduce 50% of dose every 3 days. Never extend the use of this for more than 25 days
STOMACH, AND DIGESTION ISSUES
BUSCAPINA DUO TAB,	Butilhioscine / Paracetamol	Abdominal Cramps reliever, usefull in DIARREHA, MENSTRUAL CRAMPING. Dose: one 3 times a day FOR 3-5 DAYS MAX
PLASIL ENZIMATICO TAB	Methoclopramide, Dimeticona/Pancreatina/Bilis de buey/Aspergilus Niger grageas	Digestive enzymes for BAD DIGESTION syndrome. Dose: one o two before every meal
FLEET ENEMA RECTAL ADULTO	Fosfato de Sodio Enema	In case of severe CONSTIPATION. Dose: Intoduce the fluid by the rectum. Repeat in necessary case
NOPAL & LINAZA POWDER	Nopal Fiber and broken flat seed	Natural Laxative with fiber to prevent and treat CHRONIC CONSTIPATION. Dose; one or 2 spoons at bed time every day
SENOSIAIN SUPOSITORIOS ADULTO C/5	Glicerine	Glicerine Supositories in case of constipation. Dose; apply by rectum as need it. No medicated
IMODIUM GRA	Loperamida	To reduce bowel movements like in DIARREHA. Dose: one tab 3 or 4 times a day	Do not use if  diarreha contens blood or there are fever.
RIOPAN GEL FCO	Magaldrato / Dimeticona	Effective Antiacid in case of ACIDITY AND ACID REFLUX. Dose; 1-2 tablespoons
OMEPRAZOL CAPS 20	Omeprazol cap 20 mg	To reduce acidity production in case of GASTRITIS OR STOMACH ULCERS. Dose; one capsules 2 times a day for 2 weeks
BONADOXINA GTS	Meclizina tab. 25 mg	For NAUSEA, VERTIGO AND VOMITING. Dose; one tab 3 times a day
BONADOXINA TAB	Meclizina / Piridoxina	For NAUSEA, VERTIGO AND VOMITING in children. Dose; 10-20 drops 3 times a day
WOUND CARE SUPPLIES
MICRODACYN 60 SPRAY	Hiperoxidant  Antiseptic	Kills all type of bacteria in skin and any surface. Apply gently gets skin sterile for procedures, prevent wound get infected. Does not requires rinse it and can be used to rinse other antiseptics.	Perfect for people with allergy to iodine.
YODOPOVIDONA SOL.	Iodine in soap formulation	To clean deeply severe wounds, Kills all type of bacteria.	Needs to be rinsed. Do not use in allergy to Iodine
STERI-STRIP	Strips for wound closure	Apply over clean and dry skin.
STERILE WATER FOR IRRIGATION	Sterile water 500 ml	To clean and rinse wounds	Once the bottle is open must be used within one week. Sterile condition gone when is opened
AGUA OXIGENADA 500 ML	Hydrogen Peroxyde	To irrigate wounds
STERILE GAUZE 10 X 10		To clean wounds and make wound dressing
TRANSPORE TAPE	Plastic porous tape	Multiple uses
MICROPORE TAPE	Paper porous tape	Mutiple uses
ELASTIC BANDAGES	Cotton Elastic Bansages in several sizes	Multiple uses	They are abvailabe in size (width): 5 cm, 7.5, 10 cm, 15 cm.
WHITE VINAGER  LT	Acetic Acid	Use it as an organic solvet to treat JellyFish bites	Use it diluted in 5 parts of plain water
ALCOHOL GEL	Ethanol on gel	Use it as an organic solvet to treat JellyFish bites	Use it direct of affected area.
HOJAS DE BISTURI	Esterile Surgical Blade	Multiple uses	VERY SHARP
GUANTES ESTERILES LATEX	Esterril Latex Gloves	Multiple uses	they come in 3 sizes: small, medium and big
ARGENTAFIL	Silver Sulfatiazine (Silvadene)	Antiseptic for wounds, burns, instruments and surfaces	It is available is spray and cream.
XYLOCAINA SPRAY OR PISACAINA SPRAY	Lidocaine	Local Anesthetic for mucoses (mouth, nose, ear, vagina, anus)
PISACAINA 2% VIALS 10 cc	Lidocaine	Injectable local anesthetic
PONTI OFTENO SOL. GOTAS OFTALMICO	Tetracaine	Local anesthetic for eye

Lucky Chucky & Lisa

HO’OKIPA

4) Panama Posse Gathering @ Marina Chiapas

Riley, Sharon & Crew | Matt & Britt  | Bob and
Margie

Azaya, Malolo & Blessed Life

5) Punta Mala, Panama
Punta Mala is well named. Beware
14 hours of crap head seas to make Vista Mar into the teeth of
the wind. It rarely relents.
Many waves over our 10’ deck. One green over the Flying
bridge. 80’ Hatteras.
We still were able to make 6 knots. Not fun.
Angelique is now at Flamenco. 5 power outages so far. $2.50 a
foot a day.

Dan & Angela

ANGELIQUE

6) Tehuantepec
Crossing

SV Blessed Life in Marina Chiapas! A very good crossing.

Bob and Margie

BLESSED LIFE

7) PICTURE OF THE WEEK

Surf at Tenacatita, MX

Chris

SEAGLUB

8) Panama Posse Gathering in La Cruz, MX

Keenan & Nicole, Garrett & Audrey, Lisa
& Lucky, Sarah & Bob, Suzanne

MAISON DE SANTE, THISLDU, HO’OKIPA, RHAPSODY,
Carinthia

9) Bahía del Sol, El Slavador

Sunrise this morning   from Neshuma in Bahía del Sol.
Hanging with fellow Posse members Gargole and Wave Dancer.
Beautiful stopCarl & Cynthia

NESHUMA

10) Bahia Cabeza Negra, Mexico

Heading South and anchored in Bahia Cabeza Negra last night,
49 NM South of Manzanillo.
Set main + stern anchors and had a smooth and calm night. 
After we set both anchors, a small fishing boat came up to us
from shore,
welcomed us and asked if we needed anything.
He spoke excellent English and he said to call on VHF channel
10 or 12 if we needed anything.

Our anchorage @ Cabeza Negra = 18°36'N 103°42'W

Phillip Jay & KelleyJO

11) 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

12) Opt-out from Fleet
Updates simply reply with “REMOVE“

---

by OCEANPOSSE

FLEET UPDATE 2020-02-02

• Thanks to our Marinas Sponsors, Partners and Ambassadors
• Picture of the Week - Sunrise in Chamela, MX
• Additional Pictures - Amapala, Honduras
• Fishing for the Dorado off Costa Rica
• Watch out for Large Fish Pens near Quepos, Costa Rica
• Los Haitises National Park, Dominican Republic
• Costalegre, Mexico
• Puerto Vicente, Guerrero, MX
• Puesta del Sol, Nicaragua
• SECURITY REMINDER
  
• Longlines - what's your plan ?
• Panama Posse Crew  
• LINE.me - group calls every Monday at 16:00 UTC
• Open CPN & Free .mbtiles for all Panama Posse participants
• DANGER Marina Chahue, MX  - not dredged completely
  
• Puerto Angel, MX
  
• Anchoring in the dark with the help of Good Nautical, Acapulco MX
• Save the Date May 30th 2020 - PANAMA POSSE FINALE PARTY @ VISTA MAR, PANAMA
  
• Happy Sailing - send us updates
  
• Opt Out
  

1) We want to thank all of our Sponsors Partners and Ambassadors 

SPECIAL: Predict Wind has offered a 20% discount to the Panama Posse on new subscriptions and just launched their new tracking tool

https://www.predictwind.com/yb3i/

Official Panama Posse Sponsors

• NOVAMAR INSURANCE  
• ULLMAN SAILS PUERTO VALLARTA  - 15% off
  
• PREDICT WIND    - 20% off

Official Panama Posse Marinas

• Marina Puerto Vallarta, Puerto Vallarta – Mexico 
• Marina Puerto de La Navidad – Barra de Navidad – Mexico 
• Marina Ixtapa, Ixtapa – Mexico 
• La Marina Acapulco, Acapulco – Mexico 
• Marina Chiapas – Mexico 
• Marina Bahia del Sol – El Salvador 
• La Palma Moorings – Bahia del Sol, El Salvador 
• Marina Puesta del Sol – Nicaragua 
• Marina Papagayo – Costa Rica 
• Marina Pez Vela – Costa Rica 
• Banana Bay Marina – Costa Rica 
• Vista Mar Marina – Panama 
• Shelter Bay Marina – Panama 
• Red Frog Marina – Panama 
• Bocas Marina – Panama 

Official Panama Canal Agent

• Centenario & Co.S.A. Eric Galvez – Panama

Official Panama Posse Ambassadors

• Jaime Figueroa Navarro – Panama
• Bill & Jean – El Salvador Rally, El Salvador
• Ralph Hewitt – Nicaragua 

Panama Posse Partners

• Vicente’s Moorings – Acapulco – Mexico
• Discover Tours Chiapas – Mexico
• Park Avenue Villas – San Juan del Sur – Nicaragua
• Coconutz – Annual Papagayo Victory Party – Playa Cocos – Costa Rica
• Abernathy – Chandlery – Panama
• Advertising Partners – Las Vegas
• Safe-Esteem.com – Delaware

2) PICTURES OF THE WEEK
Sunrise in Chamela, MX

Gary Picture by Julie Burch
ROSA-LEE

3) Additional PICTURES
Amapala, Honduras

SV Azaya, traveled to Amapala, Honduras from Puesta del Sol, Nicaragua such a lovely welcome to Honduras

Riley, Sharon & Crew

AZAYA
4) SMOOTH WATERS - Fishing for the Dorado off Costa Rica.

Got a big one. Yummy

Dan & Angela

ANGELIQUE
5) WATCH OUT for Large Fish Pens near Quepos, Costa Rica
Transiting IVO Quepos CR note: large fish pens 9 25.2’N 84 16.8’W. Marked on Navionics but only at highest zoom.

note: Dangers are highly visible in Good Nautical at any zoom level

Dennis, Brandy & Crew

ANKYRIOS

Note 2 Good Nautical is now mobile friendly

6) Los Haitises National Park, Dominican Republic

Yesterday we visited the Caves in the Haitises National Park
It was cool! The anchorage here is good. Very pretty, excellent swell protection.
There is a short fetch for the prevailing easterly, so not a problem holding put,
but I'm looking forward to the wind laying down tonight. 

Only issue is too many jelly fish to swim,
and a skipper too lazy to take the dingy out to check out the Caño Hondo.

AY CARAMBA !

Juan & Michelle

7) Costalegre, Mexico

Look MOM - single-handed spinnaker run
Chris
SEAGLUB

8) Puerto Vicente, Guerrero, MX

JEAN ANNE

Steve & Chelsea

9) Good morning from Puesta del Sol, Nicaragua.  So good to see lots of Posse Boats here!

Rowan Victoria & Crew

TALIESIN ROSE

10) IMPORTANT SECURITY REMINDER

 The state department has a new system to track US citizens:

"We encourage all U.S. citizens who are traveling abroad to
enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to
receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
https://step.state.gov/step/

Kind regards,

American Citizen Services Unit (ACS)

Always lock your dinghy - especially if you go on shore.
Tie it to a sturdy pole or tree and remove any valuables.

Thieves are opportunists may swim out to cut your dinghy's painter and
then use rocks on the beach to break off locks.
Please use a (PAD) lock with a difficult point of attack and a heavy chain

or re-in-forced stainless steel  wire - see a sample lock below.

 

CROSSROADS ( from last season )
SAFETY/SECURITY TELEPHONE NUMBERS (Diane last season actually called every number)

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

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

HAM SSB NETS

World wide emergency Ham net:  14.313    24 hr.
Pacific Seafares Net 14300 @ 0300 UTC 
Central America Ham net:  7.083   UTC time 1300

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.   

    COSTA RICA
    +506 2519 2000
    Calle 98 Via 104, Pavas,     San Jose, Costa Rico

    EL SALVADOR
    +503 2501 2999
    Final Blvd. Santa Elena,     Antiguo Cuseatlan, La Libertad,     San Salvador   

    GUATEMALA
    +502 2326 4000
    Avenida Reforma 7-01, Zona 10, Guatemala Cuidad, Guatemala

    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

    MEXICO
    +52 55 5080-2000
    Paseo de la Reforma 305, Colonia Cuauhtenoc,     06500 Mexico, DF

    NICARGUA
    +505 2252-7100
    Kilometer 5.5 Carreter Sur, Managua, Nicagagua

    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 ADMINISTATION, 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

11) LONGLINES - what's your plan ?

Picture of a Long Line @ 19° 04.435' N,  104° 42.369 W - they move from 100 feet off shore to up to 40 nm

12) PANAMA POSSE - NEED CREW - SIGN UP AS CREW

We will email every crew to those vessels who have added themselves to
the "vessels looking for crew" list

To request crew go here https://panamaposse.com/crew

Results may vary ...

We will forward every email every of crew looking to join vessels to those who signed up looking for crew - if you know folks who want to become crew - send them to this link to sign up ->

https://panamaposse.com/crew-looking-for-a-vessel

YOUR VESSEL YOUR CREW YOUR RESPONSIBILITY

13) Line.me
weekly Panama Posse conference calls on MONDAYS
@ 15:45 UTC   warm up
@ 16:00 UTC  all mikes on mute
@ 16:30 UTC  counter posse ( northbound )

Remember to practice muting and un-muting your mike

GREENIS MUTED - White mike is OPEN

– Register using your vessel name as the USERNAME (example Carinthia or CARINTHIA_Dietmar)
– the LINE system allows for up to 200 live conference call participants  !
– Search for dietmarpetutschnig and send a message – wait and accept your panamaposse20192020 GROUP INVITE – send us your position via the message system and listen to the vessel check instab
>
+ 
Location 

Adjust the blue marker

tap the grey box 

14)  Free .mbtiles for all Panama Posse participants which work deliciously with OpenCPN 5.0

Thanks to the incredible work by Rob from Avant we now have 20+Gig of mbtile satellite charts for the entire coastal route available -

Download the whole chart enchilada from http://route.panamaposse.com/charts/mbtiles_central_america/

If you are lucky to see Rob or Debra - buy 'em a beer / ice cream sundae
- they deserve it having spend weeks compiling this info  !

SV AVANT

Rob & Debra

15) Marina Chahue - Dredge is not complete !!!

Pilialoha was aground in Marina Chahue - Bottom Line up front: marina is serviceable to 6 ft keelboats if you come in at high tide. Wed 29 Jan - Immediately upon entering marina chahue basin from the access canal our 39 ft boat with 6 ft keel came to a soft stop. Depth gauge indicated 4 feet. After powering back and forth, left and right, we became unstuck and were able to proceed. In earlier calls to marina we were reassured first that there was 8 ft and then 3.5 meters throughout at low tide. So we went in confidently. Later saw that we went in 1.5 hour after low tide and depth was 2 ft 4 inches from mean. Depth gauge indicated 4 ft.  Marina staff shared that dredging company did not meet 3.5 meter requirement and there are several low spots. They are working with the company to address the issue at some unknown time.

Anchorage at Puerto Escondido, MX

Pilialoha anchored today in Puerto Angel on our way to Huatulco, after 45 hours of good winds.
Puerto Angel is gorgeous. We had to check in with Capitania de Puerto.

Lat 15 39.874 N
Lon 096 29.655 W
@ 30 ft

Rick & Maria

PILIALOHA

16) Anchoring in the dark with the help of Good Nautical, Acapulco MX

Yeaaa Good Nautical!
We are anchored in Acapulco at a lat /long spot posted in 2015. In the dark!

Bob & Margie

BLESSED LIFE

17) SAVE THE DATE
Panama Posse 2019-2020 Finale Party  Saturday May 30th, 2020 

And of course the May 30th, 2020  Vista Mar  Panama Posse welcome party extravaganza !

18) HAPPY SAILING Please reply to this email with any 
updates and we'll include it in the next Fleet Updates.
Please take pictures of your celebrations and excursions

Dietmar & Suzanne
SV Carinthia

19) Opt-out from Fleet Updates simply reply with "REMOVE"

---

by OCEANPOSSE

FLEET UPDATE 2020-01-26

• GYRE ALERT, Golfito, Costa Rica
• GOOD NAUTICAL "DANGER CATEGORY"
• YAMAHA Parts in ACAPULCO, MX
• PICTURE OF THE WEEK
• BAHIA SANTIAGO, MANZANILLO, MEXICO
• DUTY FREE - GOLFITO, COSTA RICA
• DISTILLERY, TENECATITA RIVER, MX
• NORTHERN COSTA RICA
• PANAMA CANAL
• PANAMA CANAL
• COUNTER POSSE PARTY @ VISTA MAR MARINA
• VISTA MAR LOGISTICS, PANAMA
• COSTA RICA PICTURES
• BAHIA ELENA, COSTA RICA
• LINE.me call Monday @ 16:00 UTC
• REPLY
  
• OPT-OUT
  

1) Gyre Alert, near Golfito, Costa Rica
When transiting Golfito - Armuelles (either way) watch carefully in the area of 8° 15.513' N  83° 5.165' W on the Costa Rica side of punta balsa as there is a ~2 mile diameter
tidal gyre filled with semi submerged debris. I suspect it moves n-s with the tides.
Anduril, who we were travelling in company with, struck a 2’ diameter 30’ long semi-submerged log
(thankfully with no damage) and we saw many other dangerously large pieces, all of which showed signs of long term immersion. 

Not sure how to enter a passage note in goodnautical. (Something not anchorage related). 
Thanks, Rob & Debra

AVANT

2) Good Nautical has just added a new category called Danger

said Gyre has been added !

They are now clearly marked - you can add dangers by simply double clicking
on the sat image at the location or clicking the ADD button - we'll add the dinghy theft areas from season 1 this week

3) YAMAHA Parts in ACAPULCO, MX
This may be interesting to boats stopping in Acapulco.
There is a store near La Marina Acauplco that sells genuine Yamaha parts. 

Implementos el Pescador
+52 744 483 4359
http://implementoselpescador.com/
Velázquez de León 42, El Parazal, 39300 Acapulco de Juárez,
@  16°51'10.3"N 99°54'13.3"W

We did not go personally because the mechanic we hired was nice enough to go for us so
I cannot speak for the selection, but he was able to buy genuine Yamaha branded spark plugs right off the shelf.

Brian & Liz

HALF MOON 

3) PICTURES OF THE WEEK

Saltair III - Las Perlas, Panama
Brad, Krista & Cole

SALTAIR 3

Cindy & MarcDELTA SWIZZLER

4) Bahia Santiago (Manzanillo), México

The vessel that sank in 1965 at Bahia de Santiago (Manzanillo) August 6th 1965, in Bahia Santiago (Manzanillo) México a cargo ship sank, it was owned by Naviera de California.
This big boat was built in UK by West Hartlepool and launched as Arguill. ,In 1940 it was sold to Compagnie du boleo and
named San Luciano.,Now this boat lies 9m underwater and it became a reef and home of several sea creatures.
Location: Almost 300 yards off the beach in Santiago Bay at "playa La Boquita" (Manzanillo) 

Sunset while sailing between Lázaro Cárdenas and Isla Grande (Ixtapa)

Jim & Zyanya

LILY ROWAN

5) DUTY FREE - GOLFITO, COSTA RICA
Anduril and Avant enjoyed a day of duty free shopping in Golfito this week.  Here is the drill.   Take a taxi to the Duty Free Zone and present your passports at the ticket windows shown in the photograph.   You will each be given a free ticket authorizing purchases of up to 1,800,800 colones (about $3000 USD). The ticket is valid for the whole year starting the next day but can only be used for one shopping trip.  The 1 day wait is to show you have been in Golfito overnight.   If you just want to look without making a purchase just walk right in.   

Return the next day, or later.   When you make your purchases at the various shops, your ticket will be updated.  Present your used ticket at the Exit.  Greg and I put all our purchases on his ticket so we still have my ticket for when we return in a month.

Most of the shops sell large appliances and kitchenware.   There is also beer, wine, liquor, clothes, shoes, cosmetics, shampoo, and a very small selection of dry groceries. There were no cameras or cigarettes when we were there.

The discounts for the alcohol was less than half the regular price charged in super markets in Costa Rica.

Frontera Sauvignon Blanc - 2000 colones

Tanqueray Gin - 7076 colones

Jose Cuervo Tequila - 6274 colones

24 beer - about $10 USD

If you’re heading north, don’t forget to stock up on Tequila.   Bahia Del Sol is a great stop and tequila is always appreciated there.

Ticket window

It is a myth that all Canadians drink a lot.

Best wine prices at Store # 22.

http://www.goodnautical.com/costa-rica/point-interest/duty-free-zone-and-shops

Greg & Alice

ANDURIL

6) Tenactita River, MX

Who knew....?  Up the Tenactita river there is a Raicilla distillery (tequila just not the same agave plant). These guys age the Raicilla for 17 years!! This stuff was great, call Alejandro to set up the free taxi at the end of the river, Pancho will pick you and give you the free tour and testing, then you can stay and eat some excellent food. They make money by you purchasing some of the Raicilla.

Chris

SEAGLUB

7) Northern Costa Rica

We departed Papagayo and spent one night at Playa Panama across the bay. There’s a resort there with a restaurant, but we didn’t go ashore.

We had already visited Tamarindo by land, so we anchored at Playa Grande where it was much quieter than over in the city.  We did enjoy Tamarindo when we went there. Lots of restaurants and Witch’s Rock has a brewery with great craft beers and live music on the weekend.

Next was Bahía Samara.  There are two anchorages.  The western one is easier to get into, but the reefs don’t do a good job of blocking the swells except at low tide.  The eastern one, which is marked in Navionics needs to be accessed via a channel between a reef and an island.  It’s not accessible from the main bay because it’s very shallow between the reef and the beach.  There were several restaurants ashore.

Bahía Ballena also has two anchorages, east & west.  Pick the one blocking the swells.  We anchored in the eastern one in about 17ft.

Bahía Herradura, which is only 20nm from Ballena is pretty crowded and we didn’t see anything on the beach.  Lots of condos and a private marina crowded with sport fishing boats.

Now we’re in Marina Pez Vela.  We’re not in any hurry and we’re studying Spanish, so we decided to take advantage of the Posse discount and spend up to a month here.
- Daily rate for 45ft is $127.12, Monthly $1,220.40 plus elect/water.
- Water is potable (~100ppm) but metered. 
- Lots of tours available either through the concierge or in Quepos. 
- Several restaurants at the marina, but no pool or Jacuzzi. 
- There’s a free shuttle to the park, but we haven’t checked it out yet.
- Wi-fi is free and good, but not great.  There’s a nice “Captain’s Lounge” and the wi-fi might be better there.
- Laundry is VERY expensive $5/kilo
- Propane can be filled but the store in Quepos has to send it out on a truck for fill, so it’s not a fast service.  We haven’t done it yet.
- Marina staff are very friendly and enthusiastic.
- FUEL at both Papagayo and Pez Vela was $3.84/gal after taxes & fees.

Playa Grande, Tamarindo 10-19.517’N, 85-51.114W ~30 ft.
If coming from north, don’t go in at an angle; there be rocks.
Bahía Samara 9-52.53’N, 85-31.686W ~20 ft.
Bahía Ballena 9-43.043N, 85-00.666W 17ft
Bahía Herradura 9-38.798N, 84-39.709W 36ft

Bob & Carol

SINGULARITY

8) Panama Canal, PANAMA

In the Panama Canal this evening

The directions from the advisor ( Instructions from the Panama Posse  Canal Agent Erick )
are spot on, the only unexpected thing was the monkeys fist is only the size of a baseball. We thought it would be bigger.

Dan

TRANCE

9) Panama Canal, PANAMA

M/V Destination successfully transited canal Northbound Jan 13. According to authorities we were the first in history of canal to be measured, pay the fees and assigned a slot on a Saturday and travel thru the next Monday at 7am. Awesome experience. Glad to be in the Caribbean.

10) COUNTER POSSE PARTY @ VISTA MAR MARINA

ELEVEN 11
COMPROMISE
WILDEST DREAMS
SALTAIR 3
MORNING STAR
TRANCE
a.m.o.

11) Picture of Vista Mar Marina

Angela & Dan
ANGELIQUE

12) VISTA MAR LOGISTICS, PANAMA

Regarding Vista Mar shipping,  yes the local Mail Boxes etc is great and fast. But very costly if your delivery is heavy.  Delivery is sent to MBE in Miami and they fly it to Panama and MBE in Coronado picks it up. They handle handle the additional cost (air freight,  customs,  etc) and you get charged when you pick it up. I heard, but cannot remember, the name of a company in the US that you order everything through them, they will get it to you.  It might be called Marine Exchange.  Hopefully someone on hear can elaborate. But I do highly recommend MBE for lighter weight items.  It was soooooo easy.

Marine warehouse in Isla Perico on the Amador causeway coordinated several items purchased and shipped from the states for a very reasonable rate.  Arturo delivered 6 new batteries, a refrigerator and a new mast track to vista mar for $60 on top of that.  Arturo also advised me on how to deliver good via Yacht-in-Transit duty free, and we had a rudder bearing shipped in from Denmark, and a new Genoa shipped in from South Africa, costing $5 and $25 respectively to receive at aduanas in Flamenco Marina...Arturo also hooked me up with barrier coat and antifouling paints....highly recommend Marine Warehouse

Walt & Jeariene

KNOT RIGHT

13) COSTA RICA PICTURES

Rowan, Victoria & Crew

TALIESIN ROSE

14) Bahía Elena, COSTA RICA

Neshuma sailed up from Elena yesterday. Beam reach the whole way. Didn't see anything over 33kts.
 Checked in on arrival though the port Captain wasn't here so have to get the National Zarpe today. Bahía Elena was a great stay. Very flat. No swell and no Park Rangers.    Stayed 2 days.   Watch for fisherman on the way up.   They're still out there in the high winds.

If you're wondering about the fishing  boats they were right off Cabo Santa Elena and also in and out of Bahia Santa Elena.    We cut direct to San Juan del Sur and there were 3 we went by in that direct line.
    The two bigger doats were  picking up in both cases at Cabo  around  1300.
   Just a heads up

Carl & Cynthia

NESHUMA

15)Line.me - live fleet line calls on Mondays

 @ 15:45 UTC  Warm up  @ 16:00 UTC  Panama Posse call (mute your mikes)
 @ 16:30 UTC  Counter Posse Call(mute your mikes)

 Remember to practice muting and un-muting your microphone 

GREENIS MUTED

White mike is OPEN & we can all hear you

– Register using your vessel name as the USERNAME (example Carinthia or CARINTHIA_Dietmar)
– the LINE system allows for up to 200 live conference call participants  !
– Search for dietmarpetutschnig and become a friend – wait and accept your panamaposse20192020 GROUP INVITE – send us your position via the message system and listen to the vessel check instab > +   Location  - adjust the blue marker - tap the grey box

16) Please reply to this email with any updates - your vessel location -
contenders for picture of the week - your favorite song for our list -
and we'll include it in the next Fleet Update

The Panama Posse transfer of knowledge and learning process operates under the gestalt theory
We will not tell you what to do, when or how - we want you to to figure it out. YOUR VESSEL YOUR CREW YOUR RESPONSIBILITY

Dietmar & Suzanne
SV Carinthia

17) opt-out from the Fleet Updates simply reply with "REMOVE"

---

by OCEANPOSSE

FLEET UPDATE 2020-01-19

• PREDICT WIND - new Panama Posse Sponsor
• PLEASE EMAIL US YOUR HEAD SHOTS - if you are on this list
  
• BOCAS MARINA Panama  - new Panama Posse Marina Sponsor
• TOURING COSTA RICA by car ...
  
• PICTURES OF THE WEEK
  
• SQUASH BLOSSOMS SEASON, MEXICO
• PANAMA CANAL HIGH SEASON
  
• PANAMA CANAL TIME LAPSE VIDEO
  
• REMINDER A strong dinghy lock and thick long cable
• WARNING: REEF JUST OUTSIDE SHELTER BAY MARINA, PANAMA
  
• WEEKLY LINE.me call
  
• UPDATES
  
• OPT-OUT

1) We are very excited to announce that Predict Wind has come on board as an official sponsor of the  Panama Posse

Predict Wind offers the Highest Resolution & Most Advanced Forecasts On The Web & Mobile with
outstanding Accuracy and has worldwide coverage.
below is a you tube video - and stay tuned for details
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeaBV1IpjMA

Additional Partners and Sponsors are:

• NOVAMAR INSURANCE  
• ULLMAN SAILS PUERTO VALLARTA 
• Vicente’s Moorings – Acapulco – Mexico
• Discover Tours Chiapas – Mexico
• Park Avenue Villas – San Juan del Sur – Nicaragua
• Coconutz – Annual Papagayo Victory Party – Playa Cocos – Costa Rica
• Abernathy – Chandlery – Panama
• Advertising Partners – Las Vegas
• Safe-Esteem.com – Delaware
• Jaime Figueroa Navarro – Panama
• Bill & Jean – El Salvador Rally, El Salvador
• Ralph Hewitt – Nicaragua

2) PLEASE EMAIL US YOUR HEAD SHOTS - if you are on this list

 simply reply with your lovely faces

APHRODITE
DUE WEST
ONE LIFE
WISHLIST
MAKANI
STAND DOWN
KOUMBA BANG
ENTERPRISE III
SALPARE
CONTEXT
CYCLADES
SEDNA VI
SEAQUEL
SOUTHERN CROSS III
PILIALOHA
HERITAGE
EVIE
SHAZAM
NESHUMA
ELSKA
SUSIMI
ALTERÉ
LEILANI

3) BOCAS MARINA - Bocas del Toro, PANAMA has come on board as a new sponsorship marina

• discounts on dockage
  
• discounts on haul outs
  
• discounts on fuel

For reservations and details please contact Luis Fabian
Cell # +507 66166000

Email: bocasyachtclub@yahoo.com
Web: http://www.bocasmarina.comwww.bocasboatyard.comwww.facebook.com/bocasmarina/Phone: +(507) 757-9800 Fax: +(507)757-9801

4) Touring Costa Rica by car. Touring Costa Rica by car.  We rented a car here at Marina Papagayo for a week.  We found places to stay by browsing Google Maps and Booking.com and with Airbnb.  On the east coast, Limón is not worth a stop at all but Puerto Viejo de Talamanca was a very nice and quirky seaside village with a fabulous brewpub called Playa Negra Brewing.  
Then we stopped at Quepos and Golfito.  At Golfito, it turns out that Marina Village is completely closed and the reasons aren’t exactly clear.  Some say they’re renovating the docks and will reopen in a few months, others say they went belly-up.  There are two roads between San Jose and Golfito; the coast road and the inland road.  We highly recommend taking one down and the other back because the inland road was an amazingly fabulous drive with lots of beautiful scenery.
We found a great Airbnb just outside San Jose, in Curridabat for about $100.  It was called “Luxury Executive Apartment Curridabat” and it was so nice that we elected to spend a second night there.  The first time we used a car elevator to park!  Rather than drive downtown, we easily caught a bus on the main street and stayed long enough for the brewpubs to open at 18:00 and took an Uber back to the apartment.  We walked down Avenida Central with lots of shops and toured the National Museum.  Craic Irish Pub was great for atmosphere and draft beers, sadly, no Guinness though and no shepherd's pie.  Next door at Bar La Estación, the nachos looked especially good.  All-in-all, we don't think there's a really big draw in going to downtown San Jose. Although we did get to see the world’s ugliest building since the J. Edgar Hoover building - the new home of the Costa Rican Legislature.
Bob & Carol

SINGULARITY
NOTE: always lock your car, hide any valuables from plain sight and remove the rental car license plate frame5) PICTURES OF THE WEEK -
oh boy we have so many pictures of the week we can't call it so they all win !
Banana Bay, Golfito, Costa Rica Panama Posse Vessels Taliesin Rose, Anduril, Avant, Angelique, amo

Golfito taken by  TALIESIN ROSE

sunset taken by  TALIESIN ROSE

Dolphin pod playing in wake taken by  ANGELIQUE

sunrise on passage towards Zihuatanejo taken by CONTEXT

Screen grab of video submitted by ONE LIFE

Golfito Anchorage - taken by  ANDURIL

Golfito  taken by  ANDURIL

Golfito Sunset  - taken by  ANDURIL

3 birds - taken by  THISLDU
6) SQUASH BLOSSOMS SEASON, MEXICO

In Mexico, flores de calabaza (squash blossoms) are most traditionally used in quesadillas. In Oaxaca especially, they’re a standard addition to the most basic quesadilla recipe of mild-flavored Oaxacan cheese and a few of the fresh flowers, cooked inside a handmade corn tortilla and served with an array of salsas.

In Mazatlán, I can find these for four or five months a year at my local farmers market, where they’re sold in a bag of 20 or so for around 80 pesos. In the U.S. squash blossoms are usually from zucchini; here – at least in Sinaloa — they tend to be from those odd, squiggly green-and-white striped squashes called simply calabaza that I’ve never seen or heard of north of the border.

Wherever they’re from, squash blossoms are delicate and won’t last more than a day or two in the refrigerator after they’re picked. Wash them gently in a bowl of cool water and allow them to drain on paper towels, patting them a bit.

Another note: you can substitute requesón for ricotta; it’s almost exactly the same consistency and flavor. Find it fresh from a local dairy or in the deli section at the grocery store, where you can buy however much you want.

Squash blossoms are a standard addition to quesadillas in Oaxaca. bon appetit

Quesadilla de Flor de Calabaza (Squash Flower Quesadilla)

If you have a comal and know how to use it, you won’t need the directions here on how to make a quesadilla. Otherwise, read on. Use handmade corn tortillas if you can.

• 2 Tbsp. corn or olive oil
• ½ white onion, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• Salt
• 2 oz. (about ½ cup) Oaxacan, Monterey Jack or other mild cheese, grated
• 8-10 squash blossoms, stems and stamens removed
• 4 corn tortillas

Heat oil in a large skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden, 10–12 minutes; season with salt. Transfer to a small bowl and wipe skillet clean.

Heat a tortilla in the same skillet or on a comal over medium-high until golden brown but not crunchy on one side, about a minute. Turn tortilla over and scatter a quarter of the cheese over half of the toasted side. Arrange 2 squash blossoms and some of the onion mixture on top of cheese and fold tortilla in half to create a half-moon. Press down on it lightly to help tortilla adhere.

Continue cooking, turning once or twice and pressing occasionally, until cheese is melted and tortilla begins to brown and crisp in spots (turn down the heat if needed), about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining ingredients. – From Bon Appetit magazine

Squash Blossom Frittata

• 12 eggs
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 2 medium zucchini, rinsed and cut into 2-inch-long julienne strips (about 3 cups)
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped fine
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1½ Tbsp. fresh thyme or basil leaves, minced
• 6-8 zucchini blossoms, pistils removed if desired

In a bowl, whisk the eggs. Add ½ cup of the Parmesan and salt and pepper to taste, and whisk again until combined well. In a 12-inch, non-stick or cast-iron skillet, sauté zucchini in 2 Tbsp. of the oil over moderately high heat, stirring until softened, Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a small bowl.

Add remaining 1 Tbsp. oil to skillet and cook onion and bell pepper over moderate heat, stirring until softened. Add garlic and fresh herbs and cook for 1 minute. Add zucchini and salt and pepper, pour in the egg mixture, and arrange the zucchini blossoms decoratively on top.

Preheat broiler. Meanwhile, cook the frittata on stovetop over moderate heat, without stirring, for 12-15 minutes, or until the edge is set but the center is still soft, and sprinkle remaining ½ cup Parmesan over the top. Broil frittata under the broiler about 4 inches from the heat for 2-3 minutes, or until cheese is bubbling and golden.

Let cool in the skillet 5 minutes, run a thin knife around the edge, and slide the frittata onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature. – From

Epicurious magazine

Baked Squash Blossoms with Apple, Honey & Ricotta

• 1 lb.ricotta cheese or requesón
• ¼ cup honey
• 1 egg white
• 12-15 squash blossoms
• Half an apple, shredded
• 1 whole egg, beaten with a tablespoon of water
• 2 cups fine sugar cookie crumbs, like Marías

Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine cheese, honey and egg white, and then fold in apple.
Using a teaspoon, carefully stuff the squash blossoms about half full with the cheese mixture.
Twist top of blossom to seal. Brush each blossom with the egg wash, then roll in the crumbs
and place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until lightly browned and crisp.
– New York Magazine

Savory Stuffed Squash Blossoms

• 12-15 fresh squash blossoms
• 1 lb. ricotta or requesón cheese
• 1 medium onion, chopped fine
• ½ cup toasted almonds, finely chopped
• ½ cup grated good Parmesan or asiago cheese
• ½ tsp. each salt and pepper
• 3 Tbsp. minced fresh basil
• 3 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley or cilantro
• 2 Tbsp. melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix together all ingredients except the blossoms and butter.
Carefully stuff blossoms, being careful not to overfill. Arrange on cookie sheet, drizzle
with melted butter and bake for 15 minutes. Serve immediately plain or drizzled with marinara sauce.

story by Janet Blaser of Mazatlán, Sinaloa - mexiconewsdaily.com

7) High season for the Panama Canal, Panama

Info from our Sponsor Agent Erick Galvez

Associated Rates effective 1st January 2020 Transit tolls                      1,600.00 ( up to 65 ft length)
Transit inspection                  54.00
Transit Security fee              130.00
Canal EDCS-Check out           75.00
Fenders & lines rental             75.00 (not tires !!)
Bank charges                          60.00
Agent service Fee                  350.00

WITH A SPECIAL Panama Posse DISCOUNT   $125.00 ( thanks Erick )

Typical Ties ups below

Erick Galvez Canal Agent
contact

info@centenarioconsulting.com
Centenario & Co.S.A. www.centenarioconsulting.com Cellphone/whatsapp +507 6676-1376

8) PANAMA CANAL TIME LAPSE

To watch a 17 minute time-lapse video of Panama Posse  Season 1 "WIND DANCER"
what it's like to go through the canal South to North  - follow this link !

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcUY8epFr-8&feature=youtu.be

9) REMINDER A strong dinghy lock and thick long cable !!!

Season One of the Panama Posse took the brunt of dinghy thefts and we have identified areas which are prone to dinghy and outboard theft.

Always bring your dingy and outboard up at night and lock it with a hard lock !

ABUS 92/65 Mono-block Brass Padlock
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005UMBCDW/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_kUZODbHH915CZ

10)  WARNING: REEF JUST OUTSIDE SHELTER BAY MARINA, PANAMA


Reminder from 2017  Christian and Vibe, SY Danish Blue

We want to warn other sailors of the reef just outside Shelter Bay Marina, Colon, Panama.
It is not marked and it is very dangerous for sailors arriving at night.
In Shelter Bay Marina we have been told that our sailboat Danish Blue is just one out of 12-13 sailboats,
which have hit the reef within the last 3-4 years. Danish Blue has now been hauled out for almost
4 months to be repaired after lying on the reef for 12-13 hours.
A few days ago, another sailor hit the reef.
The reef is not marked physically in any way.
It can be seen in daylight, but when arriving at night, it is impossible to see the reef.
Also, we have several charts of the area around Shelter Bay Marina, one chart is Eric Bauhaus’.
None of the charts state that there is a reef just outside Shelter Bay Marina.
Instead, the charts state that there is 4,5-5 meters depth on the specific place of the reef.

The position of the reef is:
South to north:
09 22.1895 N 079 56.7121 W
09 22.2948 N 079 56.7436 W
East to west:
09 22.2767 N 079 56.6413 W
09 22.2612 N 079 56.7996 W
Be aware to follow the small green buoys parallel to the breakwater on port side when entering into Shelter Bay Marina –
they are not visible on the charts and they are difficult to see at night.
All the green buoys have to be followed on port side when arriving from the Panama Canal.
The depth on the other side of the green buoys cannot be trusted.

11) LINE.me  - 
Panama Posse Warm up     @ Monday's 15:45 UTC
Panama Posse Line Calls    @  Monday's 16:00 UTC 
Counter Panama Posse Line Calls  @  Monday's 16:30 UTC 
- go to https://line.me download the app for iOS or Android
- use your vessel name as your account name / display name
- search for dietmarpetutschnig ( carinthia ) and send a message with your vessel name
- you'll get an invite to join the PanamaPosse line group
- mute your mike ( green line through ) when you join the group call

12) Please reply to this email with any updates - your vessel location -
contenders for picture of the week - your favorite song for our list -
and we'll include it in the next Fleet Update

The Panama Posse transfer of knowledge and learning process operates under the gestalt theory
We will not tell you what to do, when or how - we want you to to figure that out. YOUR VESSEL YOUR CREW YOUR RESPONSIBILITY

Dietmar & Suzanne
SV Carinthia

13) opt-out from the Fleet Updates simply reply with "REMOVE"

---

by OCEANPOSSE

FLEET UPDATE 2019-12-28

• Sponsors
• Holiday's in Barra de Navidad, MX
• Bocas del Toro Marina Parade, Panama PICTURE OF THE WEEK 
• 2020 PANAMA CITY GUIDE for download
• 2020 Barra de Navidad Guide for download by Tally from SV Raven
• Bocas del Toro - Marina - Xmas Parade, Panama
• SPHERES "bolas" @ Costa Rica at Isla de Caño
• plundered notes on spheres
  
• Cost Rica, Drake Bay
  
• The world's noisiest land animals ...
  
• Costa Rica Upper Golfo Dulce Anchorages near Golfito
• LINE weekly call reminder
  
• Updates
  
• Opt-Out
  

1) the 2019-2020 Panama Posse is now at 140 vessels and growing and
A big thank you to all of our sponsors - !

• Marina Puerto Vallarta, Puerto Vallarta – Mexico 
• Marina Puerto de La Navidad – Barra de Navidad – Mexico 
• Marina Ixtapa, Ixtapa – Mexico 
• La Marina Acapulco, Acapulco – Mexico 
• Marina Chiapas – Mexico 
• Marina Bahia del Sol – El Salvador 
• La Palma Moorings – Bahia del Sol, El Salvador 
• Marina Puesta del Sol – Nicaragua 
• Marina Papagayo – Costa Rica 
• Marina Pez Vela – Costa Rica 
• Banana Bay Marina – Costa Rica 
• Golfito Marina Village – Costa Rica 
• Vista Mar Marina – Panama 
• Shelter Bay Marina – Panama 
• Red Frog Marina – Panama 

Official Panama Posse Sponsors

• NOVAMAR INSURANCE  
• ULLMAN SAILS PUERTO VALLARTA 

Official Panama Canal Agent

• Centenario & Co.S.A. Eric Galvez – Panama

Official Panama Posse Ambassadors

• Jaime Figueroa Navarro – Panama
• Bill & Jean – El Salvador Rally, El Salvador
• Ralph Hewitt – Nicaragua

Panama Posse Partners

• Vicente’s Moorings – Acapulco – Mexico
• Discover Tours Chiapas – Mexico
• Park Avenue Villas – San Juan del Sur – Nicaragua
• Coconutz – Annual Papagayo Victory Party – Playa Cocos – Costa Rica
• Abernathy – Chandlery – Panama
• Advertising Partners – Las Vegas
• Safe-Esteem.com – Delaware

2) Holiday's in Barra de Navidad, MX
Bookshelf sized decorations and lights on LUNA

BTW we have gone to Ramon's in Barra for most Seahawks games. They have 2 large TVs.
All of the fish dishes I've tried (grilled fish tacos, garlic mahi fillet dinner, whole snapper dinner, grilled shrimp tacos, octopus dinner) have been excellent!
Service is good, prices are right with each of the above less than 200 MXD pesos, and drink selection very good.

Av. Miguel López de Legazpi # 262, Barra de Navidad, Jal., Mexico

19°12'13.5"N  104°41'02.1"W

Kris & Bob

LUNA3) Bocas del Toro Marina Parade, Panama 
- PICTURE OF THE WEEK

We had a great time participating in the Bocas del Toro Marina parade on Saturday December 21st.

Free night stay in Marina and party afterwards also I included the prizes. Just to let you know.

Happy Holidays

Pati and Eric

SHEARWATER
4) 2020 PANAMA CITY GUIDE for dowload

https://panamaposse.com/panama-city-guide
4)   2020 BARRA DE NAVIDAD GUIDE
for download by Tally from SV Raven

https://panamaposse.com/barra-de-navidad-port-guide-by-tally-from-sv-ravenNeil, Tally, Jan

RAVEN
5) SPHERES "bolas"  Isla de Caño - Costa Rica
(a wild goose chase which will be rewarded with a bottle of rum !) As requested, I am forwarding some info on the spheres found on Isla Caño subsequent to my diving tour there.
There was not a lot of info available, but I did shoot the attached photos of signage on one of the hiking trails on the island and I spoke with the park ranger.

Apparently, the island served as a burial ground for prominent members of a civilization that resided in western mainland Costa Rica before the Spanish conquest.
The stones were brought to the island by these ancient mariners, not carved in place on the island. The significance of the stones is not known.

Bob Ritner

GREEN FLASH
Note:
Caño get's an insane amount of ligthing strikes
maybe more than any other place in Central America
Starting from mid April through November

6) plundered notes about these spheres  from Adrián Badilla-  Archaeologist, Department of Anthropology and History
The stone spheres constitute one of the most unique elements of pre-Columbian Costa Rica and suggestive of the archeology of America. The stone spheres have been found in the southeast of Costa Rica, especially in the extensive alluvial plain formed by the Grande de Térraba and Sierpe rivers, but they are also found in the area of ​​Buenos Aires, Coto Brus, the intermontane valley of Pejibaye and the coastal area of ​​Golfito and Uvita including Caño Island. Its manufacture began in the Aguas Buenas Period (300 BC-800 AD), but it is in the Chiriqui Period (800-1500 AD) that the development and use boom takes place.

Since they began to be reported during the beginning of the activity of the Banana Company of Costa Rica (a subsidiary of the United Fruit Company) in the 1930s, many have cataloged them as a true enigma, generating various explanations and speculations, which It has caused an increase in interest in these particular pre-Columbian artifacts.

Arranged below the surface

On the other hand, various archaeological studies carried out since the forties relate them to the human groups that inhabited the area before the arrival of the Europeans, explaining them within the sociocultural dynamics that these societies had, and not as a product of natural formations or as an element of unknown civilizations.

 Rounded rocks have been reported in other parts of the world, such as those known in Hunan (China), Zavidovice (Bosnia), Hulín (Czech Republic), South Island (New Zealand), Ahualulco - Sierra de Ameca (Jalisco / Mexico) ), Onoto (Venezuela), Ischigualasto Geopaleontological Park (Argentina), Piauí (Brazil). For some of these, their cultural affinity is under discussion or simply studies have grouped them as products of geological activity.

In addition, some spherical rocks have been found in archeological sites in Mesoamerica: Cerro de la Mesas, San Lorenzo Tenochtitlán and Izapa (Mexico), and Benque Viejo (Belize). These findings are isolated cases and have no cultural relationship with those evidenced in Costa Rica. It also highlights an isolated group on Easter Island (Chile).

In Costa Rica, small boulders have been recorded with some degree of sphericity at late sites, such as Orosí (Cartago), Papagayo (Culebra Bay), Platanillo (Reventazón River Basin), Ta´lari (Chirripó), La Fábrica ( Greece) and Las Mercedes (Central Caribbean). They were perhaps made from contacts or influence of societies in the South Pacific.
However, the stone spheres of southeastern Costa Rica have attributes that differentiate them and make them unique.

A big one ( 10+ tons )

1. Its size. The size of the spheres ranges from a few centimeters to 2.5 meters and its weight ranges from a few kilos to 15 tons. Different sizes would have had different functions. Small spheres are associated with perhaps ceremonial structures, while those of greater monumentality were placed in open spaces and at the entrance of the main characters' homes.

2. Its almost perfect sphericity and surfaces with a fine finish. These finishes were the product of the work of specialists and not the result of natural events. They are sculptures, and as such they are identity artifacts

3. Presence of sets of spheres that sometimes form geometric figures or alignments. Doris Stone and Samuel Lothrop reported spheres forming clusters which could have an astronomical and ritual significance, associated with natural cycles and their relationship with the agricultural cycle, or other schedules of the groups that manufactured them. Currently, only two alignments with an east-west orientation are preserved at the Finca 6 site

4. Its association with other cultural elements (pottery, lithic artifacts, gold, architectural structures) within a complex system of social organization. The spheres were mainly used as rank symbols and identity elements supported by the contexts in which they have been found close to artificial constructions, mounds and squares. Investigations on the Finca 6 site have evidenced the use of the spheres: (a) forming two alignments in an open space, (b) placed at the entrance of artificial mounds that served as housing for the main characters, and (c) as an offering within a funeral structure. These spheres are in association with a local ceramic and statuary production.

The archaeological research activities carried out by the National Museum in sites with stone spheres seeks to exceed the simple descriptive and ordination level behind such a particular element in order to make effective a historical apprehension by recent societies. Stone spheres are not inert elements, they are heritage, objects with history

7) Drake Bay and the nearby location of one of the British pirate's fabled hidden treasures
Sir Francis Drake

1540 – 28 January 1596 was an English sea captain, privateer, trader,
naval officer and explorer of the Elizabethan era. ...
Drake's exploits made him a hero to the English, but his privateering
led the Spanish to brand him a pirate, known to them as El Draque.

- only a stone throw from Drake Bay  isIsla del Caño- Howler monkeys and much more ...
8) The world's noisiest land animals are
the howler monkeys (Alouatta) of Central and South America. 
They are also the loudest land animals on Earth, capable of bellowing at volumes
of 140 decibels, which is on the level of gunshots or firecrackers. The males have an enlarged bony structure
at the top of the windpipe which enables the sound to reverberate, and project their screams up to three miles
through dense rain forest.

Drake Bay Costa Rica - Anchor ⌖ 08° 41.807´ N 083° 39.959´ W @ 25 feet

Here is all the info
http://www.goodnautical.com/costa-rica/anchorage/drake-bay

Watch for breaking waves just south of the entrance – hence the dogleg to enter this bay via dinghy

– Costa Rica dinghy landing area  @ 08° 41.7006 N 83° 40.4448 W
– bring a long non floating line and a dingy anchor – drop the anchor into the middle of the river mouth
( there are a lot of tour boats in here ) and you can tie up to the tour out fit and then push the dingy into the center
– when you return pull the dingy back to the dock with the long line
– as always lock it !

Here is a link to a great guide by SV LIquid on Drake's Bay
http://www.svliquid.com/bahiadrake.html

Marc & Laura

LIQUID

9) Costa Rica Upper Golfo Dulce all near Golfito
Several stunning anchorages in the
a pristine deep fjord cruising ground which we will return to again !

Punta Rincon - Anchorage @ 08° 41.764 N 083° 28.702 W -  24.00 ft - calm and 360 degree protection
( enter from center as the port side with the mangroves is very shallow  < 5 feet at low tide )

Bahia Rincon - N - In front of a lovely resort (please get us the contact info) Anchorage @ 8° 43.2163 N 83° 28.7257 W @ 24 feet

Monkey Bay - Stunning - Suzanne's favorite all year and we found it ourselves !
Saw Capuchin Monkeys on the Beach - Spider Monkeys in the tree tops  and heard amazing
amounts of Howler Monkeys with squadrons of Macaws flying by - absolute lovely lush and green backdrop !
Anchorage @ 08° 43.421 N 083° 28.009 W -  12.00 ft (at low tide )

Pargo's Cove - Anchorage @ 8° 44.014 N 83° 23.713 W in 10 feet at Low Tide - favor the center and don't go in too deep.
Still nicely tucked away - reefs on both side and lovely islets - and a flat inner sandy bay which we could careen our vessel on.

OSA Wildlife Sanctuary - Animal Refuge - 2 hour tours $25 pp each day at 9 AM with Carol
Anchorage @ 8° 40.653 N 83° 19.5401 W @ 15 feet

Playa Cativo (5 star Eco Resort w/ pool wifi bar organic farm to table menu)
Anchorage @ 8° 40.2939 N 83° 18.4411 W - 15 feet

Call ahead for Lunch or Dinner reservations - 
GM - Allen Mairena +506 8302-1195 / +506 2200-3131
www.playacativo.com

A neat lounge and lot's of blue butterflies

Keep in mind that the Fjord drops of quickly and deep
with each of these anchorages so you are anchoring on a shelf near shore.

Suzanne & Dietmar

CARINTHIA (2018)

10) LINE
Panama Posse Warm up     @ Monday's 15:45 UTC
Panama Posse Line Calls    @  Monday's 16:00 UTC 
Counter Panama Posse Line Calls  @  Monday's 16:30 UTC 
- go to https://line.me download the app for iOS or Android
- use your vessel name as your account name / display name
- search for dietmarpetutschnig ( carinthia ) and send a message with your vessel name
- you'll get an invite to join the PanamaPosse line group
- mute your mike ( green line through ) when you join the group call

11) Please reply to this email with any updates - your vessel location -
contenders for picture of the week - your favorite song for our list -
and we'll include it in the next Fleet Update

The Panama Posse transfer of knowledge and learning process operates under the gestalt theory
We will not tell you what to do, when or how - we want you to to figure that out.
YOUR VESSEL YOUR CREW YOUR RESPONSIBILITY

Dietmar & Suzanne
SV Carinthia

12) opt-out from the Fleet Updates simply reply with "REMOVE"

---

by OCEANPOSSE

FLEET UPDATE 2019-12-22

• Happy Holidays
• Picture of the week
• Bocas del Toro, Panama
• Marina Chahue, Mexico is open
• Isla el Tigre, Amapala, Honduras
  
• Marina Papagayo, Cost Rica - Clarification and Update
• Drake Bay, Cost Rica
• Costa Alegre, Mexico
• Burgees' in Panama @ Shelter Bay Marina
• Lithium Battery dangers got little attention
  
• Thermal runway
  
• Reply with Pictures and info
• Opt-Out
  

1) Merry Christmas, Hanukkah Sameach and happy Kwanzaa and Happy Holidays to all !

Please email us your vessel decoration holiday pictures or put them on LINE.me

2) Picture of the week - Cost Rica
Monkey climbs by as sun sets at El Avion Restaurant

Dan & Angela

ANGELIQUE

3) Bocas del Toro, Panama
We are in Panama near Bocas del Toro
and took a taxi to The Bluff Beach.

Eat some wonderful food at The View Restaurant it was great

Crew

Mariah with Shearwater

Merry Xmas

Merry xmas

Eric & Pati

SHEARWATER

4) Marina Chahue is open - 2.3 meters observed !

Reservations VHF 16
or call
+52 958 587 2652
emails
egutierreza@fonatur.gob.mx
pjimenez@fonatur.gob.mx

Details and comments at
http://www.goodnautical.com/mexico-pacific/marina/marina-chahue

(claimed 3.5m at high tide via call by the Panama Posse today )
Marina Chahue is open. We got in this morning. I witnessed 2.2 meters depth at min,
so caution is advised. It is not new but for 11MXN /ft/day, I guess it is just fine. 

It is full of hidden rules - nobody has a way to know about - until you have prepaid your stay.
(Municipal Marina) Security is a bit of a pest with the inforcement of their rules

There is a ‘no night ladies’ restriction (really). Also, no hull cleaning in marina.

Frederic
MAKANI

5) Honduras, Isla el Tigre, Amapala

This is a photo of the Avant and Anduril crew on the dock at Amapala, El Tigre, with our guide Bob.

Fishing Pangas Leaving from El Tigre

Alice & Greg

ANDURIL with AVANT

6) COSTA RICA, Marina Papagayo Clarification and Update

1. Playa Del Coco is the port of entry.    Clearing in there has no cost when owners clear in themselves.  To clear in at the marina all boats must use a clearing agent.   The arrangement for the clearing need to be made a minimum of 48 hours in advance of their arrival to Marina Papagayo in order for the agent to set up the logistics for clearing on site.   The agent fees range from $450 to $550 depending on size and if the vessel arrives on the weekend.  
It is important to note the decision to use or not use an agent cannot be done once they arrive to the marina.   If the boat arrives to our docks and then decide they do not want to use an agent it is a real mess because technically we are not permitted to let the boat sail back to Coco because they have no paperwork.    If they arrive without advance arrangement from the agent and decide they want to pay fee then the vessel is subject to quarantine until the agent can arrange the clearing.   in some cases this may be a minimum of 24 hour and could go to 48 hours.  
2.  Bonding:  At Marina Papagayo it is not possible to Bond a vessel.  All of the official Marinas were given the benefit of offering duty exoneration or what is called a two year MOPT permit in order to populate the marinas.   This exoneration process has a cost and we offer a dockage credit on the cost depending on how long the boat stays.  
Bonding can only be done in Golfito at Banana Bay and Fish Hook marinas.   These marina were grandfathered in when the new Marina Law was passed some years back.   Therefore these locations were given the option to Bond vessels which essentially freezes the Temporary Import Permit.   But again, Bonding can only be done at these two facilities in Golfito. 

Best Regards, 
Dan
Gerente, Marina Papagayo
t +506 2690-3602 dan.eaffaldano@marinapapagayo.com

http://www.goodnautical.com/costa-rica/marina/marina-papagayo

note from Singularity :
We’ve been in Marina Papagayo for about 10 days.  We rented a car for two days and visited Liberia and stayed in a lodge at the Cañón de la Vieja park.  Very nice.  The marina concierge is offering free trips to some locations, but not a regular thing.  Saturday they took four cruisers and some of the crew of a big yacht to Tamarindo which was very cool.  So if you come to Papagayo, ask if they have anything planned.  Marina Papagayo Costa Rica recently has been offering free spontaneous shuttle trips.  They hire a van and driver to take anyone in the marina to a destination.  The first trip was on 12/14 to the surf meca of Tamarindo.  It’s about a 90min drive from the marina and we spent the day walking through shops and lounging in seaside restaurants.  Witch’s Rock was especially cool with a live band and great craft beer from their brewery.

The second on 12/18 was to the Rincón de la Vieja National Park.  Several hiking paths were available from easy/medium to tougher.  We took the former and our driver, Marco, doubled as a guide through the park.  He earned a nice tip from us.

After the excursion on both trips we were offered an opportunity to stop in a supermarket for provisioning.  Bonus!

We don’t how often or if this will be a continuing service, but we sure hope so!

7 ) Drake Bay, Cost Rica
Blue Oasis loves Bahia Drake, on the OSA Pennisula, CR.
The little town up the hill has 2 small markets plus fruiteria.
Plenty of little restaurants. We took a delightful hike to the beaches today. Get out your stern anchor.

http://www.goodnautical.com/costa-rica/anchorage/drake-bay

note: here is a link to a great summary form SV Liquid about Drake Bay
http://www.svliquid.com/bahiadrake.html

Barry & Kathy

BLUE OASIS

8) COSTA ALEGRE, Mexico
JO downwind sailing back to Barra De Navidad from Tenacatita

Phillip Jay & Kelley

JO

9) Burgees' in  Panama @ Shelter Bay Marina

TALIESIN ROSE & SONOMARA got their burgees !

10)  Lithium Battery dangers got little attention from Coast Guard despite red flags before Conception fire

SANTA BARBARA — (LA Times article)

Nearly a year before 34 people were killed in a fire aboard the dive boat Conception, a second vessel owned by the same charter company began a three-day voyage around the Channel Islands.
Divers on the Vision charged numerous lithium-ion batteries installed in cameras, phones, computers and even underwater scooters with an array of power outlets in the salon area. At some point, one of those batteries began to smolder as it was charging. An alarmed crew member quickly tossed it into the water, preventing the fire from spreading, a witness and several sources told The Times.
The fire underscored the potential dangers of such batteries, which have been banned from cargo areas of commercial planes and become the subject of tighter regulations by the U.S. Navy.
But the U.S. Coast Guard didn’t sound major alarms about the fire risk of the batteries until after the Labor Day fire aboard the Conception, the worst maritime disaster in modern California history.

Officials are still working to determine the cause of the fire, investigating whether it was arson, an electrical or battery fire or some sort of malfunction on the vessel. But some boat safety experts have pointed to the batteries — which have become a staple for divers who use them to power underwater equipment such as lights, cameras and scooters — as a possible starting point for the blaze.
Coast Guard inspectors in California didn’t know about the previous fire aboard the Vision until The Times requested details about it this month.
“In hindsight, it would have been nice to know about it,” Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Matthew Kroll told The Times.


After the Conception fire, the Coast Guard for the first time recommended that owners of passenger vessels immediately urge crews “to reduce potential fire hazards and consider limiting the unsupervised charging of lithium-ion batteries and extensive use of power strips and extension cords.”
Glen Fritzler, whose Truth Aquatics firm owns both the Conception and the Vision, believes the batteries were the cause of the Conception disaster.
“I’m telling you the batteries are the issue, and we were never warned,” Fritzler said in an emailed statement to The Times. “I have had top level professional photographers dive with me and they did not understand the dangers.”


The smoldering wreckage of the Conception at dawn in September (Ventura County Fire Department)

Fritzler and his attorney declined to comment further about the fires aboard the Vision or the Conception, citing the ongoing investigations by the National Transportation Safety Board, the U.S Coast Guard and the FBI. He also declined to comment on why his company didn’t report the earlier fire to authorities. Operators are not required to report fires that cause less than $75,000 in damage.
A preliminary investigation of the Conception fire found major breakdowns in required safety procedures on the vessel owned by Truth Aquatics, including inadequate crew training and the absence of a roving night watch at all times while passenger bunks are occupied to alert passengers below deck of an emergency.
Truth Aquatics has also come under scrutiny for how it handled battery charging on boats. Divers who used the Conception previously told The Times that the operator used numerous extension cords to handle the high demand for power to charge various devices.
Passengers often angled for limited charging outlets nestled behind foam-filled, L-shaped benches in the salon areas to power strobe lights, cameras, flashlights and video power packs.
“Stuff is plugged in everywhere,” said Ben Wolfe, a retired Los Angeles County fire captain.

Alarm in aviation
Much of the concern about the dangers of lithium-ion batteries has come from the commercial airline industry.

The Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Department of Transportation have expressed concerns because the batteries pack large amounts of energy and can overheat or self-ignite if they are defective, damaged or overcharged, experts said.
The batteries are used in consumer products such as cellphones, laptop computers, power tools, cameras and countless rechargeable electronic devices. Manufacturers each year make millions of devices powered by the batteries.


Passengers sleeping below deck when the fire on the Conception broke out were trapped. The design of its escape routes has come under scrutiny.

Lithium-ion batteries create heat when they charge. If not properly vented, the heat from one cell or battery can set off a chain reaction with other batteries, said Thomas Barrera, a scientist and consultant who advised NASA on the topic.

To protect against short-circuiting, batteries contain a thin strip of polypropylene to prevent electrodes from touching. If they short-circuit, heat can be generated rapidly, and once oxygen becomes involved, things can turn bad quickly, Barrera said.

Such fires also burn hot — up to or more than 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit — and could exceed the capabilities of an aircraft’s fire-suppression system and lead to a catastrophic failure of an airplane, the FAA said. Internationally, regulators have attributed four deaths and the total loss of three aircraft to incidents involving fires started by lithium-ion batteries being transported in cargo, in 2006, 2010 and 2011.

After advising global airlines in 2017 to keep the batteries out of cargo holds, the FAA and the U.S. Department of Transportation this year adopted rules allowing passengers to take them only in carry-on luggage. In cargo holds, passengers and airline employees cannot see if a battery fire starts and spreads to other baggage. In the cabin, crew members and passengers can at least see and smell smoke. 

The number of lithium-ion battery incidents nationwide remains unknown. But several groups now track the problem. As of Oct. 1, the FAA had logged at least 252 cases since 2006 in which batteries smoked or caught fire inside the cargo hold or passenger area of an aircraft.

Among other things, the fires involved laptops, chargers, e-cigarettes and cellular phones. In at least one case, headphones have exploded on a plane. Aircraft personnel in the U.S. have had to extinguish a device with a smoking lithium-ion battery inside a cabin at least once a month this year.

Airline employees have taken action to prevent catastrophes. In September, a passenger’s bag with a portable speaker on an American Airlines luggage cart caught fire in Dallas. The fire was extinguished, but it burned several other bags, FAA records show.


A drone photo shows the 75-foot Conception on May 3.

In August, a passenger’s portable battery charger began to heat up and would not turn off on a SkyWest flight between San Francisco and Texas. A flight attendant placed the device in a battery containment bag and monitored it, FAA records show.

In June, a fully loaded Southwest Airlines plane was evacuated and taken out of service after a passenger’s carry-on bag, with an e-cigarette battery charger and two batteries inside, started to smoke under a seat. A flight attendant used a fire extinguisher to douse the device, according to FAA records.

The U.S. Navy also has severe restrictions on lithium-ion batteries, and in 2017 it banned all vaping devices from its vessels after they sparked numerous fires.
In 2008, lithium-ion batteries being charged ignited a blaze aboard a Navy SEAL mini-submarine in Pearl Harbor. Since then, the Navy has carefully controlled and vetted lithium-ion batteries as larger ones have become part of more equipment on vessels.

The Navy recently established the Navy Battery Development and Safety Enterprise to advance the fleet’s lithium-ion-enabled capabilities. The Navy’s research wing is regarded as among the most advanced when it comes to developing safer batteries to avoid fires. 

Two trade groups representing battery makers, developers and suppliers urge caution when transporting the batteries on airplanes, according to their websites. “The industry obviously has an outstanding record for safety. There are millions of electronic devices that people use every day and the record reflects that,” the Rechargeable Battery Assn. said in 2017.

But restrictions on devices that use lithium-ion batteries have not extended to passenger boats.
Until the Conception fire, the Coast Guard had not issued any widespread guidelines regarding their use, although in 2016, a Marine Safety Alert warned boaters about a recall of Samsung phones and provided ways to minimize risks from those batteries overheating.


On Sept. 11, nine days after the Conception fire, the Coast Guard issued a safety bulletin for passenger vessels instructing boat operators to — among other things — “reduce potential hazards from lithium batteries, power strips and extension cords.”
Asked why it issued the alert, the Coast Guard told The Times it wanted to “provide an immediate reminder to owners and operators about regulations related to firefighting, lifesaving, preparations for emergencies, and means of escape.”
A Times review of nearly 20 years of Coast Guard records found the agency repeatedly rejected some recommendations by the National Transportation Safety Board for tougher safety rules.
Last week, three California members of Congress introduced federal legislation to require small passenger vessels to have at least two escape exits, strengthen standards for fire alarm systems and create mandatory safety rules for the handling and storage of phones, cameras and other electronic devices with lithium-ion batteries.

More batteries on diving excursions
Boats such as the Conception and Vision were built decades before the boom in personal electronics and high-end diving gear. On dive excursions, passengers now carry cameras, computers, lights, underwater scooters and cellphones — almost all of which are powered by rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.
Albert Vogel, a 73-year-old from Durham, Calif., was on an overnight trip on the Conception the week before the deadly Labor Day fire. He said the electrical outlets were “dangerously close to the seat cushions.”

“If one of these devices had overheated … it could have easily set fire to the cushions,” he said. “We were not told anything about being careful with charging or any issues related to that. We were just on our own on that, and people used them.”
Don Barthelmess, who taught diving at Santa Barbara City College, said many divers brought power strips to plug in their devices.
“Anywhere there would be a 110-volt outlet, divers would commandeer an outlet,” he said. “People pretty much fight.”


The burned hull of the Conception is brought to the ocean surface by a salvage team for investigation in September.

But Barthelmess, who called Truth Aquatics “the Cadillac of diving operations in California,” didn’t think the charging setup — or any other aspect of the boat — raised safety alarms.
“Being on a boat is inherently dangerous, and these are the risks that we accept as people that go diving and go on boats,” he said. “Fires are no exception. No amount of regulations or laws can prevent accidents.”

Greg Lousignont, 70, a former police officer from Peoria, Ill., said that he has been taking trips for three decades on Truth Aquatics vessels and that Fritzler, the owner, is a friend.
When he first started, few divers carted loads of electronic equipment. But that changed in recent years as manufacturers flooded the market with cheaper, mass-produced equipment, he said.
Barrera said these products bring risks, saying that cheaper knockoff cables and plugs don’t have a power management system to stop the overcharging of a battery.
Wolfe, the retired fire captain, was aboard the Vision when the battery caught fire last year. He didn’t see the fire, but other passengers told him about it. Wolfe recalled seeing areas around electrical outlets filled with other items.
He said the batteries and chargers were often stored on seat cushions crowded with other items.
“The space down behind the cushion often had T-shirts, towels and bottles of wine because it was a place to store them and stop them from rolling around,” he said.
That scenario could be problematic, Barrera said.
“If a lithium battery is buried while charging under clothes and on a surface that does not help dissipate that heat, a perfect storm of events can come into play,” he said.
Barrera and other experts emphasized that nothing is inherently unsafe about the batteries as long as precautions are taken. He said that astronauts on spacewalks depend on the batteries and that NASA is able to operate them safely even in the extreme environment of space.

Greater awareness of fire dangers
While divers continue to plunge into the waters off Southern California, boat owners are taking extra steps to limit fire dangers aboard vessels.
Andrea Mills, an education coordinator at Island Packers in Ventura County, said the boating company imposed new safety rules after the Coast Guard issued the warning about lithium-ion batteries in September. Island Packers never encountered any battery fires, but it banned all electronics, not just those with lithium-ion batteries, from gear stored below deck on its four vessels, Mills said. It went a step further than the Coast Guard warning to create an additional safety measure for passengers, she said.
“We are way more aware of the problems in cargo holds,” Mills said. “We did research and read about all the fires in airplanes.”
Ralph Clevenger, who shot photos and videos for Truth Aquatics, said there needs to be heightened awareness about charging devices on boats. He said he is part of an email group with dozens of photographers who have discussed how to educate boat owners about battery dangers.
We “have said, you have got to change things, it’s too dangerous,” he said.

from LA Times Dec. 15, 2019 5 AM

11) Thermal runaway of the lithium-ion battery initiates an unstoppable chain reaction.
The battery becomes gaseous, and a fire erupts that can hardly be extinguished by conventional means. Liithium ion batteries perform optimally, and will last longer, if they are kept at temperatures between
-10°C and +30°C. This range is consistent with findings by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE).

In very cold temperatures, batteries don’t achieve their full rated power until the battery cells warm up.

As the accompanying EERE graphic shows, batteries exposed to hotter average temperatures lose their ability to store energy; the hotter the temperature the faster they lose their storing ability. So in the tropics or in hot climates those whose will likely be looking to replace their batteries faster than owners living where the thermometer doesn’t often reach 110°F.

The C (−) temperature rate and cell voltage of LG HG2 and Panasonic NCR GA (at 100% SOC) versus C (−) temperature (top).
Temperature rate of C (+) and vessel pressure rate of LG HG2 and Panasonic NCR GA (at 100% SOC) versus C (+) temperature (bottom).

12) 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

13) Opt-out from Fleet Updates simply reply with “REMOVE“

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by OCEANPOSSE

Protected: FLEET UPDATE 2019-12-15

 

• LINE.me call Monday @ 16:00 UTC
• 'tis the season for Long Lines
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• CrossRoads, Farewell
  
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1) Line.me - live fleet line calls on Mondays
 @ 15:45 UTC  Warm up  @ 16:00 UTC  Panama Posse call (mute your mikes)
 @ 16:30 UTC  Counter Posse Call(mute your mikes)

 Remember to practice muting and un-muting your microphone 

GREENIS MUTED

White mike is OPEN & we can all hear you

– Register using your vessel name as the USERNAME (example Carinthia or CARINTHIA_Dietmar)
– the LINE system allows for up to 200 live conference call participants  !
– Search for dietmarpetutschnig and become a friend – wait and accept your panamaposse20192020 GROUP INVITE – send us your position via the message system and listen to the vessel check instab > +   Location  - adjust the blue marker - tap the grey box

2) 'tis the season for Long Lines

... I trust that sailors will not take my attached sketches as absolutes, but rather a documentation of my observations:  
After un-charted rocks and lightning, the thing that sends shivers up my spine is the thought of long lines. We have seen many, hit 4 or 5 and had to dive on the prop 3 times to cut loose/unwrap them from the shaft. Unfortunately the marking standard for these nuisances seems to vary from country to country. What we learned in one country caused us to hit lines in another country. For instance in Mexico we would run parallel to the long precession of spaced flags and do an end run around the last. When we tried this maneuver in Costa Rica we consistently hit the lines because in that country, it turns out, many of the fisherman only mark the middle of the line with a black flag. There are no end markers.Through our encounters with the lines and with one with a fisherman whose long line we had to cut off the prop we think we have learned a few things about these obstacles that we believe is worth sharing. I am sure there are other variations and not all fisherman follow these unwritten standards but it is at least a documentation of what we have experienced. I have attached the various marking conventions we have seen on our trip south. We are only in Costa Rica now so I am sure we will have more learning to do in Panama !

Mexico Long Line Observation
The long lines in Mexico were anywhere from ½ mile long to 4 miles long but seemed to be pretty consistently marked in the below manner. We did not encounter any at night. We do not know if this was dumb luck or if they were pulled in before nightfall. Perhaps someone else has more insight.

Black Flags at various intervals up to several hundred yards apart. Last flag indicates end of line.
Intermediate floats: water bottles, milk juts, oil bottles, fishing floats etc. between flags.

Guatemala Long Line Observation
The long lines in were poorly marked and the black flags at each end not always easy to see. Any time we saw a floating plastic bottle ahead we approached with caution and a string of them indicated the presence of a line. Like Mexico, we did not encounter any at night. We averaged about 15 miles off-shore as we passed Guatemala.

Black Flag at both ends of line.

Intermediate floats: water bottles, milk juts, oil bottles, fishing floats etc. between flags. Spacing between floats was inconsistent with sometimes large spacings

Nicaragua Observations
We did not encounter any long lines off the coast of Nicaragua, however we encountered many fishing pangas both during the daytime and at night. They seemed to work in groups and I do not know what type of fishing equipment they were using. We passed well outside the mouth of the gulf of Fonseca , so perhaps there were longlines there; we do not know.

note: Here is a long-line marker off the coast of Nicaragua

Costa Rica Long Line Observation#1
The long lines were marked in the middle with a single black flag and typically extended 1 kilometer in each direction from the flag (according to a fisherman whose line we ran over and tangled in our prop.) and there may or may not be a panga on station at one end of the line. We encountered quite a few lines, particularly outside the mouth of the Gulf of Nicoya. We day-hopped between anchorages in CR so we do not know if they are out at night.

Black Flag at center of 2 km long line.
Floats: water bottles, milk juts, oil bottles, fishing floats etc. with perhaps 40 to 50 meters between floats. The last float will be about 1 km from the flag. Watch out for a string of floats cut off from the main flag by another passing boat.

Costa Rica Observation#2
This line is only a couple of hundred meters long and drifts parallel to the wind. It usually has a large black flag and small black flag on a float on the downwind side and a small float on the upwind side. Usually a panga is on station at some point along the line. We are not sure if this is a net or line. This was only encountered in bays and close to shore

Large black flag and small black flag a few meters away.
Floats: no observed intermediate floats; just the down-wind flag and an upwind float, mostly with a panga on station.

Costa Rica Observation#3
This line is only perhaps a hundred meters long and seems designed to drift perpendicular to the wind. It usually has a black or some other colored flag at each end and single float ½-way between. We do not know if this is a long-line or net. This was only encountered in bays and close to islands and shores.

Black Flag on each end of line Floats: One intermediate float between flags.

Bob & Joan

GREEN FLASH
note from Panama:
Beware of entering or exiting Vista Mar Marina, PANAMA  or sailing in the area at night. Our prop was fouled by an unlit fishing net cast directly across the entrance 60 meters after exiting. Captain Fabio & Lisa

AMANDLA

3) Marina Pez Vela, Costa Rica

FYI, we are a little ahead of the game. They asked for 48 hrs notice but bent over backwards to assist.
We pulled into Quepos, CR and we're going to have issues until I mentioned the Panama Posse and the doors flew open.
Received discount at the marina and the agent was great. Marina Paz Vela was fantastic! 

We had to motor most of the way in 5 knts of wind.  Quepos,CR and Pez Vella Marina were fantastic-said the magic words "Panama Pose" and the doors flew open.  Flamenco Marina was good, but our agent Erick Galvez was tremendous. Made it so easy. We transited Canal in one day-had to maintain 7 1/2-8 knots and we just made it.  Will also forward the name of a rigger and sail maker as we had a few minor repairs. Will wait until they are done to recommend. Saved a few hundred $$ by mentioning the pose. Tough but great trip. Off to Cayman and then Ft Lauderdale .
Bruce & Kirk

LILIPAD
4) CROSSROADS - Farewell

Thursday was a bittersweet day for us. After 14 years, 3 Nordhavns and many thousands of miles at sea the money hit the bank and the best of the bunch, our beloved N57, CrossRoads, was gone and we exited the family of Nordhavn owners. It seems like the end of an era for us and we are wondering what’s next. Is there another Nordhavn in our future? Maybe....maybe not. Is there another boat in our future? Probably.
It’s been a great ride and we have made some incredible friends and acquaintances from all over the globe along the way. We’ve met and enjoyed laughs and liquor with folks who have done incredible things, like the GSSR group who took three Nordhavns to Russia and beyond, a great young couple who put their careers on hold and took an N43 around the world, entrepreneurs that brought their love of boating and their skills to organize new events like the Panama Posse, a woman who at nearly 70 years old is completing her single handed circumnavigation on a vintage 50 ft. sailboat and so many others who have ventured across oceans or along foreign coastlines in search of their own kind of adventure on the sea, with stories to tell and experiences to share.

Over the years, time after time fellow Nordhavn owners have come to my aid and I have skinned my knuckles more times than I can remember helping others as well, knowing there was always something to be learned from a new friend and that there was a beer and a chuckle around the corner. Such is the Nordhavn world. I have seen and shared moments of incredible natural beauty and wildlife while drinking fine wine and listening to beautiful music with friends in the cockpit of a Nordhavn. Such is the Nordhavn world. I have pounded on the hull of a Nordhavn in Charleston belonging to perfect strangers, demanded that the beautiful woman that appeared become my wife’s friend and received in return giant smiles, a hearty laugh, instant compliance and friends for life. Such is the Nordhavn world.
We have made our way from the Channel Islands of Southern California to British Columbia, SE Alaska, and across the Gulf of Alaska to places not oft visited by cruisers, like Lituya Bay, Yakatat and the far reaches of Prince Williams Sound. We learned to love the beauty and the people of Mexico in ways the casual tourist does not have time to appreciate, we experienced the hospitality of desperately poor El Salvador and the natural wonders and wildlife of Costa Rica. We were virtually adopted by some wonderful locals in Panama and heard of their escape from the chaos in Venezuela and making a new home in a new country with their beautiful family.

We have been through the Canal three times and visited, touched and imagined the hopes and the crushed dreams of past mariners while visiting one of the first operational submarines abandoned 150 years ago where she still remains alone on a beach on a very remote Panamanian island. We have visited far away Caribbean islands, experienced the historic ports of the East Coast of the US making wonderful friends along the way and we have even eaten fresh lobster with Milt and Judy Baker at their summer haunt in Maine. We have visited many of our Nordhavn friends at their homes around the world and we had the great pleasure of helping take a newly minted FPB 64 across the sea from New Zealand to Fiji in what turned out to be a rather nasty storm.

I could go on but I think you get the point. It’s all been a great adventure and loads of fun made possible in very large part by the folks at PAE and their wonderful boats. Is there life after Nordhavn? Only time will tell but we live on a mountaintop now and life is pretty good............it snowed yesterday and the sun is shining today so I’m headed for the slopes just as soon as I’m done with this post.
To all of you continue to savor the dreams, the people and the adventures and...........thanks for the memories!
Cheers,

Stan and Diane

CROSSROADS 5)  Marina Chahue

+52 958 587 2652
marinachahue@hotmail.com - due to runoffs and silting this Marina is currently closed (no word on the status of the fuel dock )
- when anchoring and waiting for your weather window for the Tehuantepec  please always lock your dinghy in this area !

As you can see in Good Nautical - there are plenty of alternative anchorages in the Huatulco
area as you "wait" for the green light to cross the Tehuantepec - just LOCK your DINGHY !
One of the favorites is La India  @ 15° 42.63 N 96° 11.87 W ( use a stern anchor if anchored behind the reef for extra comfort )
http://www.goodnautical.com/mexico-pacific/anchorage/la-india
 

We are anchored outside Marina Chahue. Seeing small boats enter. I was told no with my big boat due to dredging. I plan to scope out the marina tomorrow Marina is a Fonatur government marina. Took dink in. Docks in poor shape. Closed to transients. Dredging in progress. Slow due to debris in marina. Old tires. A motorcycle. Cables. Restaurant open. Some business open like dive shop. Hope to be fully open by January. Manager Ezekiel was sad and frustrated and friendly.

Angela & Dan

ANGELIQUE

6) As always we want to thank all of our

Official Panama Posse  Sponsors, Partners and Ambassadors

• Marina Puerto Vallarta, Puerto Vallarta – Mexico 
• Marina Puerto de La Navidad – Barra de Navidad – Mexico 
• Marina Ixtapa, Ixtapa – Mexico 
• La Marina Acapulco, Acapulco – Mexico 
• Marina Chiapas – Mexico 
• Marina Bahia del Sol – El Salvador 
• La Palma Moorings – Bahia del Sol, El Salvador 
• Marina Puesta del Sol – Nicaragua 
• Marina Papagayo – Costa Rica 
• Marina Pez Vela – Costa Rica 
• Banana Bay Marina – Costa Rica 
• Golfito Marina Village – Costa Rica *
• Vista Mar Marina – Panama 
• Shelter Bay Marina – Panama 
• Red Frog Marina – Panama 

Discounts by marinas offered to the active Panama Posse roster are at subject to availability a.m.o. »

 

• ULLMAN SAILS PUERTO VALLARTA
  
• NOVAMAR INSURANCE

 

Official Panama Canal Agent

• Centenario & Co.S.A. Eric Galvez – Panama

 

Official Panama Posse Ambassadors

• Jaime Figueroa Navarro – Panama
• Bill & Jean – El Salvador Rally, El Salvador
• Ralph Hewitt – Nicaragua

Panama Posse Partners

• Vicente’s Moorings – Acapulco – Mexico
• Luis Sanchez Tours – Chiapas – Mexico
• Discover Tours Chiapas – Mexico
• Park Avenue Villas – San Juan del Sur – Nicaragua
• Coconutz – Annual Papagayo Victory Party – Playa Cocos – Costa Rica
• Abernathy – Chandlery – Panama
• Advertising Partners – Las Vegas
• safe-esteem.com

7) We need head shots from the following vessels :

APHRODITE, ONE LIFE, WISHLIST, MAKANI, STAND DOWN, KOUMBA BANG, ENTERPRISE III, SALPARE, CONTEXT, CYCLADES, SEDNA VI, SEAQUEL, SOUTHERN CROSS III, PILIALOHA, ANKYRIOS, HERITAGE, EVIE, SHAZAM, NESHUMA, IMPOSSIBLE DREAM, BIG CITY FISH, DOTTIE SUE

8) Costa Rica - Carnival of Desamparados
(San Jose, CR - 27th of December  09°53.88 N 084°03.92 "W)
Traditional parade, horse riders and characterized by colorful state coaches and
costumes of the participants, who dance to the rhythm of big bands.

Festival of the Little Devils in Boruca, CR
Dec 30th & Jan 2nd @ 08°59 N 083°16 W

The Boruca put on masks representing devils and do stylized battle with the invading Spanish.
Their surviving population numbers barley over 2,500 members and they speak the ‘Brunka’ language.
Less than 40 members of the tribe can currently speak the language

The game of the Boruca devils  is a traditional festival of the Boruca culture, indigenous people of Costa Rica, which takes place between December 30 and January 2 of each year, in the community of Boruca, and the first weekend of February, in the town of Rey Curré,

9) GOOD NAUTICAL MOBILE FRIENDLY

Good Nautical is now mobile friendly (aka responsive)
so whip out all your cellphones and give it a tab

10) Safe Esteem - get your free personal risk barometer app

Free to try for 6 months for all Panama Posse participants
- safe esteem is a barometer for personal risk and thanks to
Van - COO of safe-esteeem  who gave a very good travel risk presentation
during the safety seminars - you can use it for free to see how your risk score's change along the route.

To download go to https://www.safe-esteem.com/  
scroll down and use the invite code "PP1920"
This is a private beta release and currently only works on iphones.

 “Safe-esteem is the map & compass to navigate risks in our life’s journey and provides a life risk barometer”

11) PANAMA POSSE FLARE TESTING

After a lot of planning, coordinating, and waiting since last year, the opportunity was upon us, FLARE NIGHT !  

The Panama Posse worked since last year to coordinate an exercise night of testing distress flares.  After discussions regarding timing, location and safety with both Port Captain and Harbor Master, the flare night was a go for this year.  From the corner of the marina and looking out towards the empty area of the lagoon, we began launching flares, one at a time, over the lagoon.
As we were launching from land, we were instructed to aim out over the lagoon, versus straight up which obviously would bring hot burning flares falling into the marina full of boats (there was a lesson here, see below....).  The first flares being fired were typical 12mm flares, there were a few people launching 25mm flares and towards the conclusion of the exercise we had two parachute flares.

Personally, I was really glad we were able to hold this exercise.  I've never personally fired a flare, there's no kick or flame from the initial launch (although you should look away when firing), and there is a distinct 'cracking' sound at trigger pull.  The flares actually take much longer to ignite and light up after launch then I would've imagined and the flares stayed lit until finding the surface of the water.  The 25mm were clearly brighter and launched higher than the 12mm flares.  The 12mm flares stayed visible for about 6-8 seconds, the 25mm about 8-10 seconds.  But recall we were launching at an angle to avoid flares falling back into the marina.  The lesson here: despite what is likely a natural tendency to aim your flare in an emergency towards the target rescue vessel, in fact the better option would be to aim the flare just off directly overhead and downwind thus increasing the flight time and decreasing risk of the flare returning to your vessel.
Next lesson learned: admittedly many people probably brought expired flares for this exercise, but it was surprising just how many were duds.  Rough estimate is that 3/10 were duds.  Lesson is, when also considering the 6-10 seconds flight time, that it would be a good idea to have a dozen or more flares on hand.
Another lesson learned: the parachute flare was absolutely amazing.  This launched at least twice as high as the 12mm and 25mm flares, was much much brighter, and stayed airborne and visible for 4-5 minutes!
Lastly, an important reminder and lesson: remember that with flares you are dealing with extremely hot, flammable and a potentially very dangerous product.  Take extreme caution with these.  Our evening concluded with a misfire of a parachute-type flare which, very shortly after launch, made a wicked 90 degree turn only 100' off the ground and flew until it hit something, fortunately for us it landed in the moist jungle and burned itself out.  

Overall the experience was very educational and I'd like to thank the Barra de Navidad Port Captain, Marina Puerto de la Navidad Harbormaster, for the opportunity for this exercise.

Chris

SEAGLUB

12) Please reply to this email with any updates - your vessel location -
contenders for picture of the week - your favorite song for our list -
and we'll include it in the next Fleet Update

The Panama Posse transfer of knowledge and learning process operates under the gestalt theory
We will not tell you what to do, when or how - we want you to to figure it out. YOUR VESSEL YOUR CREW YOUR RESPONSIBILITY

Dietmar & Suzanne
SV Carinthia

13) opt-out from the Fleet Updates simply reply with "REMOVE"

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by OCEANPOSSE

FLEET UPDATE 2019-12-10

• Picture of the Week
• Safe-esteem app for iOS
• OpenCPN
• Tours and info from Marina Puesta del Sol, Nicaragua
• The 5 most significant cultural celebrations in Panama
• Costa Rica, Rental Car Theft Incident
• EMERGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION
• Barra de Navidad, Mexico MARITIME & CRUISERS RESOURCE GUIDE
• Time to decorate your vessels and share your pictures !
• Reply with updates please
• Opt-out

1) PICTURE OF THE WEEK !

and we're off - thank you all for coming to the kick off seminars !

2) Safe Esteem - personal risk app free for download

Free to try for 6 months for all Panama Posse participants - safe esteem is a barometer for personal risk and thanks to
Van - COO of safe-esteem  who gave a very insightful travel risk presentation during the safety seminars
- you can use it for free to see how your risk scores change along the route.

To download go to https://www.safe-esteem.com/   scroll down and use the invite code "PP1920"
This is a private beta release and currently only works on iphones.

 “Safe-esteem is the map & compass to navigate risks in our life’s journey and provides a life risk barometer”

3) OpenCPN

Get satellite chartlets from www.panamaposse.com/open-cpn/  
Make chartlets https://panamaposse.com/opencpn-5-0-mbtiles/

The Seminars at Barra de Navidad

4) Tours and info from Marina Puesta del Sol, Nicaragua 

Tours from Marina Puesta del Sol

We took the advice from Vikki of Taliesin Rose and contacted a local surfing guide for the possibility of a non-surfing tour of Nicaragua.  Chinto and his Bostonian fiance Drew customized a three-night, four-day outing that included:

León, Granada, Masaya, Catarina, the beautiful Laguna de Apoyo and the live Volcán Masaya.  They found great accommodations with A/C for us at prices ranging from $45 to $60.  We took their recommendations and we're certainly happy with them.  They knew we weren't interested in "exciting" adventures but preferred slow and relaxing days but if you want a more active tour, Chinto can certainly provide it.

Here's a link to his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LocalSurfAdventuresNorthNica/
Chinto's phone/whatsapp - +505-7727-1305

Chinto's place is a short distance from the marina, next to the Badaboom hostel/restaurant.  Drew also provides yoga, fitness, and nutritional training at that location.

It was a huge bonus...

Update on our previous entry for Marina Puesta del Sol.  I wish we could edit our entries for corrections and updates.

Electricity is NOT included in the slip fee and is a bit on the spendy side in Puesta del Sol.  When we were there 22Nov19-03Dec19, electric was provided from a generator 0700-1300 and 1700-2200 at a cost of $0.45/kwh compared to $0.24/kwh at Marina Papagayo.  We ran our "window" style 110v aircon for about 8 days out of the 12 we were there and we used 88kwh at a cost of about $40.

Water is also metered at about $0.04/liter.  Since we only used our tanks for drinking and cooking, we used dock water to rinse the boat and shower with.  Total used for 8 days was about 226liters for $9.00.

The washing machines & dryers are in poor shape.  Only one washer and one dryer were functioning (for each, the "good" one was on the left).  $2 per load each in quarters obtained from Juanita.  We would recommend waiting for the next port for your laundry.  The laundry room is locked when not in use, so arrange for it to be open before Juanita leaves for the day.  Keep in mind the hours that electricity is on.

Juanita is a gem and did all that she could to ensure our stay was pleasant.  Her Whatsapp #+505-8880-0013, but she may not be available after hours.

The pool is very nice and one of the few we've used with convenient shade.

Currently, the restaurant/bar at the marina is only open Fri-Sun.  Reasonable prices - dinner for one & two beers $18.

Wi-Fi is available at the pool and on the dock, but they're using an older style transmitter and more modern extenders may or may not be able to connect to it. 

All-in-all, Marina Puesta del Sol was a very quiet, tranquil and pleasant stop.

Bob & Carol

SINGULARITY

5) The 5 most significant cultural celebrations in Panama

Carnaval de Las Tablas Feb 22, 2020 - Feb 25, 2020 @  07°46'10.1"N 80°16'17.7"W

Held over four days prior to Ash Wednesday.
You'll see  floats and musicians and fireworks at night.
The queens appear on Saturday night and their coronation is on Sunday.
Monday is masquerade day and
Tuesday townswomen wear polleras.

Festival de la Mejorana en Guararé September 2020 @ 07°48'57.6"N 80°16'42.5"W -

Dance groups from all over Panama – and even from other Latin American countries – attend this important annual event in late September. Festivities include a colorful procession in which decorated floats parade through the streets in oxcarts.

- Fiestas Patrias - Expect heavy traffic.

• Nov 03, 1903 Separation of Panamá from Colombia.
• Nov 04: Flag Day
• Nov 05 Separation Movement in Colón
• Nov 10  1821 "El Grito" of Independence" in Villa de Los Santos  07°56'25.0"N 80°23'54.9"W
• Nov 28 1821 Declaration of Independence from Spain ( 320 years of colonialism)

- Panama Jazz Festival - https://panamajazzfestival.com/ Jan 13-18, 2020

- Festival de Cristo Negro de Portobelo - October 21st 2020 @ 09°33'15.0"N 79°39'16.6"W 

Cristo Negro is a wooden statue of Jesus Christ in Iglesia de San Felipe, a Roman Catholic parish church located in Portobelo, Panama. The statue was found on the shores of the town's harbour. Life size, it is adorned with a robe that is changed twice a year, once during the Festival of the Black Christ and during Holy Week.

6) Costa Rica, Rental Car Theft Incident
Since we covered the Security subject today I wanted to share my recent experience in Costa Rica. In our time on the water and in anchorages and marinas we have felt very safe and have had great experiences, taking the normal precautions. My wife and I also rented a car and did a fantastic tour of northern Costa Rica without incident. Most of the driving was very rural, as were the hotels/motels and it was very safe. However Liberia are taught us some lessons about rental car shortcomings. My wife had to fly to New York to deal with a family emergency so my friend flew down from Mexico to join me on the trip from Marina Papagayo to Quepos. I picked him up and dropped my wife off at San Jose airport. My friend Zolly and I stopped at Walmart in Quepos for provisioning on the way back to marina Papagayo. The security at the Walmart parking lot is very good, but we believe we were identified as a potential theft target there due to all of our luggage in the car. On our way to the marina we stopped at the Do-It Center for Coffee and Gas, as it is the only place to get coffee on the way back to the marina. We only know this after a detailed review of security footage, but to make a long story short, a guy arrived 1 minute before we did with a key fob jammer. We parked, and he prevented may car from locking with the jammer in his hand after I pushed the lock function on the electronic key. In less than a minute he took our luggage out of the car and left the center before we exited the coffee shop. Passports, clothes, cell  phone, etc.....all gone. It is important for people to know to physically check to see that their doors are locked and that they not just push the lock button and walk away. The good news is that the US Embassy in San Jose is VERY efficient and we walked out of there with new 1 year temporary passports in 2 hours without any appointment and my wife arrived a few days ago from New York with a new cell for me. As we have learned, much of the crime in Costa Rica is petty theft from rental cars, so always be aware of surroundings, check your lock, and if possible do not leave anything in the car, and this will eliminate most of the theft risk. Again, we have had a great time here and it seems that most of the sharks are on land in the bigger cities, not on the water!!
Kudos to Marina Papagayo for all of the support they provided after this incident and for helping me access the security videos, from Duit Center so I knew what happened. Thank you Dan!!

Bob and Joan

GREEN FLASH

7)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

8)  Download the official Barra de Navidad, Mexico
MARITIME & CRUISERS RESOURCE GUIDE

Thanks to Tally, Neil, Jan and of course Otter -
this is the best resource guide to date on Barra de Navidad
and we wholeheartedly thank Tally and SV Raven for creating such a detailed guide !

Follow this link and download this 36 page guide !

https://route.panamaposse.com/books/BarraResourceGuide.pdf

Neil, Tammy, Jan & Otter

SV RAVEN

9) Time to decorate your vessels and share your pictures !

10) 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

11) Opt-out from Fleet Updates simply reply with “REMOVE“

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by OCEANPOSSE