FLEET UPDATE 2024-01-14

PANAMA POSSE 
 
FLEET UPDATE 

JANUARY 14, 2024

“A finer body of men has never been gathered by any nation than the men who have done the work of building the Panama Canal; the conditions under which they have lived and have done their work have been better than in any similar work ever undertaken in the tropics; they have all felt an eager pride in their work; and they have made not only America but the whole world their debtors by what they have accomplished.”

– Theodore Roosevelt

TOP NEWS  

• Season 7  Posse Seminars and Events Past and Future
• Epic Sunrises and Sunsets over Zihuatenejo 🇲🇽
• Season 7 Award Entries: Biggest Fish Caught, Most Unwanted Guest, & Captain Ron (self) Nomination
• Safety in numbers in the Perlas 🇵🇦
• Posse Members help eachother through the Canal 🇵🇦
• Crossing the Tehuantepec 🇲🇽
• Land Trip to Boquete in Panama 🇵🇦
• Good Nautical: Papanoa, Mexico 🇲🇽
• Meet the Fleet: MV TIDINGS OF JOY
• Safety Alert: Use Marine Gas Regulators
• Security Alerts  
• MUST SEE: Revillagigedos Islands 🇲🇽 

🇲🇽 🇧🇿 🇨🇷 🇳🇮 🇨🇴 🇨🇺 🇪🇨 🇸🇻 🇵🇦 🇩🇴 🇭🇳 🇯🇲 🇧🇸 🇹🇨 🇰🇾 🇬🇹 

251 Yachts are signed up – JOIN YOUR POSSE 

1)  PICTURES OF THE WEEK

Bucerias sunset on horseback 🇲🇽

SY REMEDY 🇺🇸 Dennis & Kelly – Beneteau 52’

Boundless shares glassy conditions, 🇲🇽 

SY BOUNDLESS 🇺🇸 Daniel & Naiby – Shannon 43′

SY SERENTITY celebrating a successful bar crossing in El Salvador, 🇸🇻 

SY SERENITY 🇺🇸 Mark & Kathryn – Antares 44′

2) SAVE THE DATE : 

FIESTA NAUTICA CLUB DE PESCA CARTAGENA 🇨🇴 

PANAMA POSSE JANUARY 20th 2024

SAILORS AND CRUISERS NETWORKING PARTY  

SCHEDULE

14:00 – SEMINARS

17:58 – INVOCATION OF THE FLEET

18:00 FOOD TASTING AND RUM BAR

18:45 GALLEY GOD AWARD

20:00  – CUMBIA SALSA LATIN DANCE

LOCATION

CLUB DE PESCA @ the historic Fuerte de San Sebastián del Pastelillo >>

WHAT TO MAKE & BRING:

HERE IS THE LIST OF CULINARY DELIGHTS  

BRING ONE OF THESE ITEMS ON THE LIST 6-10 SERVINGS with Serving Spoons

YOU SHOULD MAKE ONE OF THESE DISHES & BRING WITH >>

NO CANNED FOOD –  NO POPCORN – NO CHIPS !

WHAT’S INCLUDED:

FREE RUM TO SHARE UNTIL WE RUN OUT

GRAN ARROZ WITH PORK, SAUSAGE OR CHICKEN GREAT TIMES FOR EVERYONE

MUSIC – THE PANAMA POSSE LATIN PLAYLIST !

   PLEASE FILL OUT THIS FORM  BELOW 

Sailors will gather for a sure to be memorable event in Cartegena, 🇨🇴  

3) EPIC SUNRISES AND SUNSETS

 OVER ZIHUATENEJO, MEXICO 🇲🇽 THE WEEK

Sunrise from SY BISOU from Bahia Papanoa to Zihuatanejo Northbound

SY BISOU 🇦🇺 Robin and Tad – Fountaine Pajot 44′

Sunrise over Zihua

SY C-YA 🇺🇸 Glenn & Ashleigh – Island Packet 38.8’

LOST PEARL capturing the magic in the morning

SY LOST PEARL 🇨🇦 Onno – Hardin 45′

4) SEASON 7 AWARD NOMINATIONS:

 TWO NEW BIGGEST FISH CAUGHT ENTRIES

Monster Mahi-mahi Teal brought aboard SY BASIK in northern Costa Rica 🇨🇷 

SY BASIK 🇺🇸 Teal, Linh & Emma & Compass – 435 Catamaran’

Anna
caught this Sailfish on SY SYLVIA AF WASA today during our leg from
Panama 🇵🇦 to El Salvador 🇸🇻. Unfortunately, the hook was set so
badly that we couldn’t release the fish. I guess we’ll be eating
Sailfish for the rest of the month now! 😂 

Note * Billfish is excluded from Biggest Fish Award 

SY SYLVIA AF WASA 🇫🇮 Joakim & Ann-Charlotte – Najad 39′

ONE NEW MOST UNWELCOME VISITOR ONBOARD ENTRY

Black Capped Night Heron in Zihuatenejo Bay

It’s not so bad having them visit, it’s what they leave behind (splatters or poop) that is most unwanted!

MY TIDINGS OF JOY 🇺🇸 Jeff & Joy – DeFever 52′

Flor de Caña sponsors the Panama  Posse 

ANNUAL AWARDS INCLUDE:

• BIGGEST FISH CAUGHT*
• PICTURE OF THE YEAR
• YODA OF THE YEAR
• SPEEDY AWARD – SEVENSTAR AWARD
• THE CAPTAIN RON AWARD
• MOST UNWELCOME VISITOR ONBOARD
• HIGHEST WIND RECORDED
• SPIRIT OF EXPLORATION
• GALLEY GOD(ESS)
• GOOD SAMARITAN OF THE YEAR
• BOAT YOGA POSE OF THE YEAR
• COURAGE AWARD

Nominate yourself, a crew member, or another boat   

SUBMIT ENTRIES ON THE LINE AP OR EMAIL TO EDITOR@PANAMAPOSSE.COM

Share the adventure

THE CAPTAIN RON AWARD (SELF) NOMINATION

After
the first set’s of locks our port engine died – since Carinthia needs 3
knots of speed we had to perform 5 to 6 loops inside the locks to get
enough speed for steerage – being by yourself in this condition ( vs
tied up ) was not optimal but the line handlers plus Nicole from Maison
de Sante and Emilio from Ocean Posse SA Panama  and advisors helped
out and even upon exiting the canal the advisor was picked up off
Carinthia under speed so as to allow us to proceed to Shelter bay – we
have minors gel coat scratches one engine down and a very bruised
captains ego.

Captain Ron Award for most amount of doughnuts done in the Panama Canal…
5 DONUTS  through the Gatun locks 

SY CARINTHIA 🇺🇸  Dietmar & Susan – Lagoon 44′

5) PANAMA POSSE EVENTS 

Swim up meet up, Perlas, Panama 🇵🇦 

(2) CLUB DE PESCA 
YACHT FEST 
SAT, JAN 20 ’24 CARTAGENA 🇨🇴 CO

Ileana Stevenson Covo  – GM
For
those coming from the lesser Antilles this will be the first event in
full on Latin style in Colombia – come celebrate the great food and
culture that is Colombia in it’s premier yacht club. 

FOR RESERVATIONS CONTACT:

gerencia@clubdepescadecartagena.com

TEL  +57 (5)  660 6615

(3) OCEAN POSSE PARTY PANAMA + SOUTH PACIFIC POSSE 

FLEET MEET UP

SAT. FEB 3 ’24
SHELTER BAY MARINA 
🇵🇦  PANAMA

IMPORTANT:
This event is in the middle of high season.  The Shelter Bay
Marina will be near capacity  so make reservations early.
Additionally, we are also going to organize a shuttle bus to get
folks to this event from alternate locations.

FOR RESERVATIONS CONTACT: 

Juanjo Boschetti – GM juanjo@shelterbaymarina.com
Tel (+507) 433-3581

(4) PANAMA POSSE AWARDSFUN ACTIVITIES, GOLF, POOL, DJ LOUNGE, + MARINE EXPO 

SAT. MAY 11 ’24 BUENAVENTURA MARINA  🇵🇦  PANAMA

This is a very exclusive signature event in the Hamptons of Panama.
The upscale resort Buenaventura is just 80 minutes west of Panama City
and is one of the most charming and reserved places on the Pacific coast
of Panama.
Only 60 nm from the Las Perlas.

FOR RESERVATIONS CONTACT:

Cesar – Marina Manager
cesar@bv-marina.com 
Tel: +507-6616-7531  

SAVE THE DATE 
 PANAMA POSSE BELIZE YACHT FEST 
APRIL 6 2024

https://oceanposse.com/events/belize-placencia-yacht-fest/

PANAMA POSSE 🇧🇿 BELIZE YACHT FEST 
@ PLACENCIA YACHT CLUB

BELIZE PLACENCIA YACHT FEST 🇧🇿 Placencia Yacht Club

Saturday April 6, 2024

16:00 – 21:30

Placencia Yacht Club

16° 30.471’N 088° 21.7216′ W

>> RSVP HERE <<

CONTACT

 Beat,  Caroline, dogs & Heyson Garcia – 
YES PLACENCIA YACHT CLUB IS UBER DOG FRIENDLY 

We,
Caroline Imfeld and Beat Rettich are running this place since January
2021. We moved from Switzerland to Belize in 2019 and found this
treasure while looking for a dock for our yacht.

Simplicity on a high level is our aim and to make our guests happy.

 FOR RESERVATIONS AND MOORINGS @ PLACENCIA YACHT CLUB

info@clearwaterexploring.com

www.placencia-yacht-club.com

T: +501 639 8555

Whatsapp   +41 78 605 5181

VHF 68

SAFE APPROACH 

SAVE APPROACH   @ 16° 29.9333′ N 088° 20.9266′ W

6) BUDDY BOATING IN THE PERLAS 🇵🇦:

THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES CLOCKWISE

Yellow is sail track so far, green is the plan written in the sand at low tide

The
Archipelago del las Perlas is infamously beautiful.  Its
reputation among cruisers was tainted last year when two separate
violent incidents happened on the east side of Isla del Rel.  Every
cruiser makes their own call on how to respond to such incidents and
decides whether it is worth it to them to go near or into areas with
known dangers.  Some cruisers  have chosen to totally avoid
the entire archipelago, others have chosen to visit only the northern
islands far from the incidents, while others, still, have chosen to
explore the Archipelago albeit mindfully and with safety in numbers.

Last
week a group of Panama Posse boats met up off Isla Contadora, one of
the more northerly ‘safe’ islands.  We shared an interest in going
around the southern islands of the archipelago and all felt it most
prudent to do this with buddy boats.  

An
adventurous route was planned, a north wind gently blew, anchors
weighed, and spinnakers flew.  It was a casual and delightful sail
to the east side of Isla Del Rey.  We explored the island by dingy,
kayak, and foot.  

SY WHIRLWIND raises their kite to start off the voyage.

After
two nights on the east side of Isla del Rey we planned to weigh anchor
at noon for an anchorage 4nm south.  Just before noon we were each
approached by a panga one by one and asked different questions.
The panga had 5 men in it ranging, I would guess, from the late
teens to mid thirties.  They were cleanly dressed and had no
fishing gear aboard.  One did all the talking while the rest but
the driver stood up looking up-current away from us, on our topsides,
and through the portlights into our boats.  Something definitely
did not feel right as we watched them at the first boat in our fleet.

We
were the next boat; the boat in the middle. They told us they were
looking for a stolen panga.  We spoke about the boat they were
looking for but it was odd that:

1. they didn’t speak as though alarmed or desperately searching
2. they did not give us a way to contact them if we did see the vessel
3. they did want to know where we came from, where we were going and how long we would be there.  

When
they left our boat I instantly went to our radio and asked the first
boat if they were told about a stolen panga.  They said, “No, they
asked us for crackers.”  The third boat was listening to the radio
while watching the panga approaching.  We asked them to take photos
which they did.  The panga crew asked for crackers while looking
all about again.  

After
the panga left we realized that we each boat felt cased.  The
feeling was just that a feeling that we shared in varying degrees.
Nothing happened that was wrong….but what did happen did not feel
quite right.  Speaking aboard our vessel, SY WHIRLWIND,, and looking into the eyes of my husband and each of our children (10yo and 13yo) I knew we each felt it
in our gut.  There was discomfort, vulnerability, and our safety
in the wind.  Having our kids onboard is amazing and their safety
and security is a HUGE responsibility.  We will err of the side of
caution when the safety and security of our crew is on the line.
This is not holding us back from being out here obviously but it
does keep us very keenly aware of our surroundings, our choices, and in
tune with our inner mama and papa bear.

Further,
I remembered one of the comments that struck me from the report off the
first boat that was attacked last year off Isla del Rey was that in
hindsight she said she didn’t listen to her gut feeling.  She said
how important that is to do and to remember this.  The comment
struck me then and came back to me now as we discussed what we wanted to
do.  I knew our crew would not be at ease a mere 4nm away which
had been the plan for the day.  

We
decide our best move was going to be sailing further south in order to
put more distance between us and San Miguel.  San Miguel is a
rather populated town on the north side of the island where they told us
they are from.

While
discussing this new plan another cruising boat was moving in to the
anchorage.  We hailed them, told them what had just happened, and
invited them to join us.  Yet another boat that had been more north
in the Perlas was on their way south to meet us.  We communicated
with them as well and they were on board to go an additional 17nm to a
different anchorage.   We attempted to contact Aeronaval (the
Panamanian version of the American Coast Guard), weighed anchor, and set
sail.  

Perfect Spinnaker conditions: SY  WHIRLWIND & SY GALATEA

SY PATHFINDER set a great pace.

The
sail was absolutely excellent.  Spinnakers were flying and the
wind was just aft of the beam.   We sailed 17nm to the southern end
of Isla del Rey and anchored at the mouth of Rio Cacique.  With
our anchors down, our number increased to five, and a visual on an
aeronaval station, we felt great relief.  My relief was fueled by
the massive amounts of tropical black-blue-green butterflies that were
flying through the anchorage.  This spot felt whimsical and wild.
Beyond the butterflies the mouth of Rio Cacique is incredibly
picturesque: a long beach with big lizard tracks on end and the entrance
to a great winding river to explore by dinghy on the other.  For
three days we have continued to keep an eye out for one another and
explored by dinghy, kayak, and on foot.  We have seen many locals
in pangas some selling fruit, others fishing or just moving about.
All seemingly friendly.

Our five boats anchored off Playa Cacique.  Crocs enter stage right.

Big Lizard prints going overland between the ocean and the estuary.

Definitely changes my swim plan.

Reflections in Rio Cacique at low tide.

As seen from above, the River Rio Cacique, has some big bends in it.

Exploring the river at high tide

Just don’t let it be a Three Hour Tour.

The trees grow so tall to get to the sun & you can see the branching of their root systems high out of the water.

Around the bend is Morro Cacique, another great place to anchor.  Very protected

Plenty of room for our five boat flotilla

Interestingly,
I will share that I have had the opportunity to look much more closely
into Panamanian Emergency Response Systems.  Here in Panama it is
written to hail channel 16 if in distress on the water, to call 108 if
in distress anywhere, or 911 in case of a medical emergency.  In
real life this week our experience has been as follows:

• While we have continued to try to reach aeronaval on Channel 16 on the radio no one has responded.  
• There is no cell service out here with which to call 108 or 911 if there is an emergency.  
• Over
  our Starlink we have been successful through Whatsapp texting aeronaval
  on Contadora.  They know we were approached off Isla Espiritu
  Santo and that we moved to Ria Cacique.  They do not ask for or
  require check in’s or outs so when we move on that is what we will do.
  I do not plan to text them about our whereabouts unless we have an
  issue in which case we will be lucky if our Starlink is on as we only
  use it during the day when we are working.

Ultimately,
we, as mariners, are responsible for our safety on the water.
Having an organize, trustworthy, available backup of any sort is a
luxury.  The great lesson for me so far has been that while the
choices we make about where we go, when we go, and how we go will are
all very practical and important, it is equally as important to listen
to our inner voice, to trust our gut, and change plans accordingly.

The
plan from here is to make our way over to Isla San Jose, the
southwesternmost island in the Perlas, and work our way north back to
where we started.  This is definitely a special set of islands; I
am so grateful we are here, we are safe, and we are among friends.

SY GALATEA 🇺🇸 Sarah & Mark – Morgan 46′

SY PATHFINDER 🇺🇸 Jean-Philippe & Nicole – Lagoon 39′

SY WHIRLWIND 🇺🇸 Maurisa, Mike, Russell & Josea – Alajuela 48’

Thank you for Sharing your Adventures on the water !

 7) SHARING YOUR ADVENTURES  
is the heart and soul of the Panama Posse 

Please
share pictures of your adventures, your award entries/nominations, your
breathtaking sunsets, and picturesque anchorages on our group
communications platform for others to enjoy in real time and/or email
Maurisa at editor@panamaposse.com
to share in the upcoming newsletter.  Maurisa is a sailor among
us.  She is part of the Ocean Posse crew and enjoys writing fun and
helpful updates to the Panama Posse. 

Mike bringing home the Corvina for some fresh ceviche.

8) POSSE PERK: MARINERS HELPING EACH OTHER THROUGH THE PANAMA CANAL
  

With the help of friends & hired line handlers SY CARINTHIA goes through the Canal

Making it look easy

Nicole from SY MAISON DE SANTÉ helps Carinthia through 

SY CARINTHIA 🇺🇸  Dietmar & Susan – Lagoon 44′

9) OASIS MARINAS 

AT FERNANDINA HARBOR MARINA 🇺🇸 

SPONSORS THE PANAMA POSSE

30° 40.3067 ‘  N 081° 27.95’W

We are pleased to sponsor the Panama Posse and offer

10 % discount off our docking rate

5 cent x gallon discount on fuel

Please
let the Posse know that dockage reservations may be made directly
through our website, or by giving us a call at (904) 310-3300 and
choosing the reservation line.

In
addition if you join Marina Life Cruising Club there are hundreds of
participating marinas all over the country where boater’s can receive
additional discounts 

 

 

Taylor Fitzsimmons | General Manager

Phone: (904)310-3300

Email: fernandinaharbor@oasismarinas.com

Hail on VHF 16

Fernandina Harbor Marina  | 3 S. Front Street | Fernandina Beach, FL 32034

Oasis Marinas at Fernandina Harbor is your gateway to Amelia Island’s rich history and attractions.

Amelia
Island is part of the Sea Islands chain of barrier islands, on
Florida’s Atlantic coast. It has a history of Spanish, French, British
and American rule. Today it’s a popular destination known for its luxury
resorts, golf courses an sandy beaches.

Conveniently
located on the Intracoastal Waterway Fernandina Harbor Marina has the
services and amenities you need when traveling the ICW.

AMENITIES

• 4,000 ft of alongside dockage
• Mooring balls on site
• Deep water, roughly 25ft
• Laundry
• Bait & Tackle
• Restaurant on-site
• Floating concrete docks
• Boaters Lounge with Television
• WiFi Internet Access 

10) SY TIAMAT CROSSING THE TEHUANTEPEC 🇲🇽

Trip Report:

Unpleasant
first day, calm second day. Adverse current of more than a knot almost
the entire way.  Finally got some favorable current … for the final
two hours 🤦♂️

Sunrise from the Tehuantepec over Chiapas, Mexico

All vessels are inspected upon entering and exiting the Port of Chiapas.

Everyone’s
very tired but happy to be here!  And we got to meet the cute
inspection dog. He really is as clumsy as described. Did not like our
steps 😝 They brought the dog up to our boat. It walked up the stairs,
into the back and immediately turned around and walked back down the
stairs

SY TIAMAT 🇺🇸 Stephanie & Owen – Fountaine Pajot 44’

1) THE CELT CREW GOES INLAND 

TO BOQUETE 🇵🇦 PANAMA

TRIP REPORT:

We
drove five hours to almost 4000 ft above sea level to a beautiful town
called Boquete. We enjoyed the peace, beauty, animals, plants and cooler
climate there. The place where we stayed was the Inn at Palo Alto and
it was quite the idyllic setting and just a short walk from a brick oven
pizza restaurant adjacent to a waterfall.

We
visited an animal rescue for abused animals run by a young man, his
mom, wife and little boy (Jungla de Panama Wildlife Refuge). He had two
spider monkeys, a blind horse (not the horse in the photos above),
parrots (one whose tail had been ripped off), goats, ducks, chickens,
cats and dogs. We also did a short hike at El Explorador Gardens, a
beautiful scenic piece of land where the family have laid out some fun
attractions in the form of recycled materials to peruse as you go. We
had dinner at The Rock and were very impressed that while it looked so
elegant, it also accommodated children and pets really well (outdoor
fire pit, games, etc). They even gave you a marshmallow on a stick to
toast after dinner 😊

Sculpted hedges in a beautiful garden

The Inn at Palo Alto sits right over the river

The pool looks over the river to the mountains.

The blue butterflies in panama are so striking.

A perfect table for two in walking distance from the Inn.

MV CELT 🇺🇸 Gerry & Angela – Nordhavn 43′

12) GOOD NAUTICAL: PAPANOA 🇲🇽 MEXICO

Papanoa
is north of Acapulco, Mexico.  Dropped it in 30’ over sand bottom
at 17’ 16.070 N   101’ 3.356 W.   Fairly rollie but totally
tolerable.

https://goodnautical.com/mexico-pacific/anchorage/punta-papanoa

MY TIDINGS OF JOY Dawn departure from Papanoa

13) MARINA PUESTA DEL SOL 🇳🇮 NICARAGUA 

SPONSORS THE PANAMA POSSE

Lat 12º 37’ 17” N, Long 87º 20’ 30” W 

https://panamaposse.com/marina-puesta-del-sol-nicaragua

With pleasure we are happy to announce the Sponsorship of the Panama Posse

This new season the Panama Posse will have:

20% discount on docks.

welcome national beer and Access to beach and pool facilities.

We will manage sponsorship of bottles of Ron, if we succeed, I will notify you.

We are an official port of entry and will arrange for authorities to check you in / out

Regards,

 

 

Juanita

 

CONTACT:

E-mail: administracion@marinaps.com

E-mail: info@marinaps.com – Web: www.marinapuestadelsol.com

Tel: + (505) 8880-0013 + (505) 8880-0019 and + (505) 8883-0781

All prices are effective from Dec 1st 2020 to April 30th 2021

All prices are subject to change without notice at sole discretion of MPS.

Prices are in American dollars and do not include tax (I.V.A @ 15%)

RATES < 30 days 30 – 90 days 90 days+

First two days 1.25 1.25 1.25

3-30 Days

< 36′ 0.75 0.60 0.45

< 60 ‘ 0.80 0.65 0.50

60 ‘ + 1.00 0.80 0.60

MARINA SERVICES

POWER ( not full time ) 0.45 per KWh

TRANSPORT 12.00 pp 5 p min

WIFI 2.0 x day x device

WATER .04 x liter

BOTTOM CLEANING 1.00 x foot

 

Jeff’s view from his slip

MY SUNDOWNER 🇺🇸 Jeffrey & Lynn – Californian 50′

14) POSSE SPONSOR: 

SHARK SHAFT DOES ITS JOB

Cruising vessels travelling north or south along the Panama Posse route will be hard pressed not  to come in contact with a long line.  SY TIAMAT installed a Shark Shaft befor heading south and recently reported:

We
cut a line somewhere between Barra and Papanoa, probably at night.
Shaft shark did its job, I removed the remnants (A few meters of wrapped
up line) from the shaft by hand

Ahoy Panama Posse

As the show days went by we met a number of your posse (Posse Shirts & stickers!!)

For an order thru your Panama Posse group we can offer your group a special discount of below trade –

30% off the List pricing plus shipping.

Cheers,

Geoff Prior

AB Marine

Ph: 401.847.7960

Cell: 401.578.3447

Skype: geoffprior

https://panamaposse.com/shaft-shark

https://panamaposse.com/longlines

15) MEET THE FLEET  

MV TIDINGS OF JOY

Jeff & Joy

We
both grew up with boats then shortly after meeting in 1999 we
discovered our common love for them.  Living in San Diego we did
typical land lubber things – worked, exercised, spent time with friends
and family.

What’s on your bucket list for this Season ?

Transit the Panama Canal

After
transiting the Canal we plan to cruise the entire Caribbean up to the
east coast of the United States then cruise north and then head to
Europe either on our own bottom or by shipping the boat.

2016-present:

Own, operate and live aboard a 52’ Defever trawler.

2016-17
My life partner (Joy Dornick) and I took our Defever on the Great Loop,
a circumnavigation around the eastern 1/3 of the United States. With
side trips to the Bahamas and in the Long Island Sound to Nantucket this
14 month trip was over 8000 miles. We cruised lakes, rivers, canals,
three of the Great Lakes, 100’s of locks, the Gulf Coast and Atlantic
coast ICW, twice crossed the Gulf Stream and many open ocean passages.

Since
shipping the DeFever from Florida to Ensenada in late 2017 we have
cruised all around Southern California including circumnavigating
Catalina Island on a trip which lasted a month and included 20 nights at
anchor and a 550 mile trip last summer from San Diego to Santa Barbara
with stays in the Channel Islands, Catalina and several other ports as
well.

June
2020-November 2020 Joy Dornick and I cruised up the west coast from San
Diego to the Puget Sound with no additional crew. Upon arriving we
cruised the San Juan Island and the Upper, Central and Lower Puget Sound
extensively. We continued to live aboard in Seattle for the Winter.

April
2021-November 2021 Joy Dornick and I cruised, with no additional crew,
from Seattle to Alaska where we cruised extensively in Southeast Alaska
for 4 months. We returned to the Puget Sound September 2021. This trip
was well over 2000 miles. We continued to cruise the north, south and
central Puget Sound until November 1 when we docked at our winter slip
at Elliott Bay Marina in Seattle for the winter.

April
2022-September 2022 Joy Dornick and I cruised, with no additional crew,
from Seattle to The Broughtons, British Columbia. After cruising all
around southern British Columbia until July we cruised down the west
coast to San Diego, CA.

November
2022-June 2023 Joy Dornick and I cruised, with no additional crew, from
San Diego, down the coast of Baja California to Cabo San Lucas, then up
into the north end of the Sea of Cortez. From there we cruised down the
mainland side of the Sea to Puerto Vallarta where we will be until
November 2023. To date Joy and I have cruised the Tidings of Joy over
23,000 nautical miles.

MY TIDINGS OF JOY 🇺🇸 Jeff & Joy – DeFever 52′

16) POSSE SWAG

 

17)  SAFETY ALERT:

BEWARE OF NON-GAS REGULATORS

This is a non-compliant regulator on sale in a marine chandlers

BEWARE: Ordinary cheap outdoor regulators are made of steel which goes rusty. 

There
is no such thing as a standard LPG regulator that fits all.
Therefore mariners are wise to be well aware of the safety
requirements for their propane or gas regulators.  Onboard gas
regulators need to comply with ISO 10239 Annex M and be marked with the
word ‘marine’.  ISO 10239 Annex M works with propane or butane gas
and stipulates that a marine regulator must have an over-pressure relief
valve outlet that excludes the possibility of high pressure gas getting
to the cooker at the end of the low pressure line. The over-pressure
valve allows escaped gas to drain safely away from inside the gas
locker.

Do
not assume that since a regulator is sold at a chanlery it is the best
regulator for your boat.  Check for compliance before purchasing or
installing regulators.  

https://www.pbo.co.uk/all-latest-posts/beware-using-non-marine-gas-regulators-83753?utm_term=FFDABC37-68C8-4806-AA99-7F0729907BB3&lrh=eeb4ceeee1d4b1b085dd64ba6b3b4293173262e672108020c343c997a798fa6c&utm_campaign=F0BD7058-F52D-447F-B2FD-A269004F0791&utm_medium=email&utm_content=0C8FF970-69B0-475F-97F0-CA1CC0A0D0E2&utm_source=SmartBrief

18)  2 SECURITY ALERTS:

1. KNOW THE SAFETY CONTEXT OF PLACES YOU PLAN TO CRUISE 

• Familiarize yourself with the Caribbean Safety Network.
• Talk with fellow posse members that have gone places you plan to go.
• Be open minded, courteous and respectful of locals.
• Follow your gut.  Go where and when you feel safe.

2. KNOW REPATRIATION LAWS IN THE COUNTRIES YOU PLAN TO CRUISE TO WHEN TAKING CREW ACROSS INTERNATIONAL BORDERS 

• different countries have different rules.  
• know the rules where you are going
• long
  passages can strengthen crew relations…they can also ruin crew
  relations.  Be very considerate when bringing on crew and crossing
  international borders.

19)  MUST SEE: 

REVILLAGIGEDO ISLANDS | SOCORRO ISLAND  🇲🇽 

MEXICO PACIFIC

REVILLAGIGEDO
ISLANDS are an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean, approximately 235 nm
SSW of the tip of the Baja California peninsula and 300 nm WSW  of
Cape Corrientes off Mexico’s Pacific Coast.  The islands are
administered by Colima state, Mexico. Covering an area of 320 square
miles.  The archipelago consists of numerous volcanic islands.

Soccoro Island

The
largest, Socorro, which rises to an elevation of 3,707 feet (1,130 m).
Soccoro Island is 24 miles (39 km) long and 9 miles (14 km) wide.
San Benedicto, 40 miles (64 km) north of Socorro, and Clarión, 250 miles
(400 km) west of Socorro, are the two other large islands; small
islands include Roca Partida, 60 miles (100 km) west of Socorro, and
Roca Oneal, just off the northwestern coast of Socorro.

Volcanic Islands

In
1957 an outpost was established on long-uninhabited Socorro, and trees
were planted for timber and fruit. The expedition found about 8,000
sheep on the island, the residue of a temporary Australian settlement of
the mid-1800s. The Revillagigedo Islands are rich in sulfur, fish, and
guano.

In
July 2016, the Revillagigedo Archipelago was inscribed as a UNESCO
World Heritage Site, and in November 2017 they were declared to be a
marine reserve and a national park of Mexico. Some of the volcanoes are
active, with the last eruption of Volcán Bárcena in 1953, and Socorro in
1993. A small military airstrip exists on Socorro.

No
evidence of human habitation on any of the islands exists before their
discovery by Spanish explorers. Hernando de Grijalva and his crew
discovered an uninhabited island on 19 December 1533, and named it Santo
Tomás (Socorro Island) and on 28 December they discovered Isla de los
Inocentes (San Benedicto) which owed its name to having been found on
the day of the Holy Innocents.

These
islands offer divers reliable encounters with giant manta rays, whale
sharks, dolphins, humpback whales, tuna, pelagic fish and many other
shark species.

Swimming with sharks.

A divers paradise: swimming with hammerhead sharks.

Giant manta Ray

Humpback Whales

The
Revillagigedo Islands are home to many endemic plant and animal
species, and are sometimes called Mexico’s “little Hawaii”. They are
recognized as a distinct terrestrial ecoregion, part of the Neotropical
realm. 

 Socorro
is the most diverse in flora, fauna, and topography. The Mexican
Government established the islands as a Biosphere Reserve on June 4,
1994. Oceanographic Magazine stated in 2020 that, “Its remoteness,
protection and peculiar oceanography makes it one of the most biodiverse
and exciting marine destinations on earth.”

https://panamaposse.com/revillagigedo-islands 

To visit these islands you must apply for a permit for details on how to visit them follow this link 

https://panamaposse.com/revillagigedo-islands#comments

If you need help applying for a  permit contact 

Yolanda Espinoza 
in La Paz at Eco Naviera  
https://panamaposse.com/eco-naviera-permits

 

20)  75+ PANAMA POSSE MARINA SPONSORS 

🇺🇸 Safe Harbor South Bay – Chula Vista, USA

🇺🇸 Safe Harbor Ventura Isle –  Ventura, USA

🇲🇽 Cruise Port Village – Mexico

🇲🇽 IGY Marina Cabo San Lucas  – Mexico  

🇲🇽 Marina Puerto Escondido – Mexico

🇲🇽 Marina Palmira Topolobampo – Mexico

🇲🇽 Marina y Club de Yates Isla Cortes – Mexico

🇲🇽 Marina el Cid – Mazatlan – Mexico

🇲🇽 Marina Vallarta, Puerto Vallarta – Mexico  

🇲🇽 PANAMA POSSE HQ  – Marina Puerto de La Navidad – Mexico  

🇲🇽 Marina Ixtapa, Ixtapa – Mexico 

🇲🇽 La Marina Acapulco, Acapulco – Mexico  

🇲🇽 Vicente’s Moorings, Acapulco – Mexico 

🇲🇽 Marina Chiapas – Mexico  

🇬🇹 Marina Pez Vela – Guatemala  

🇸🇻 Marina Bahia del Sol – El Salvador  

🇸🇻 La Palma Moorings – Bahia del Sol – El Salvador

🇳🇮 Marina Puesta del Sol – Nicaragua  

🇨🇷 Marina Papagayo – Costa Rica  

🇨🇷 Banana Bay Marina – Costa Rica  

🇪🇨 Marina Puerto Amistad – Ecuador  

🇵🇦 Buenaventura Marina – Panama 

🇵🇦 PANAMA POSSE PACIFIC HQ Vista Mar Marina – Panama 

🇵🇦 Shelter Bay Marina – Panama  

🇵🇦 Bocas Marina – Panama 

🇵🇦 Linton Bay Marina – Panama 

🇵🇦 La Playita Marina – Panama

🇵🇦 Flamenco Marina – Panama

🇵🇦 Solarte  Marina – Panama

🇵🇦 Turtle Cay Marina – Panama

🇨🇴 ClubNautico Cartagena – Colombia 

🇨🇴 Club de Pesca Marina Cartagena – Colombia 

🇨🇴 Manzanillo Marina Club – Colombia

🇨🇴 Marina Puerto Velero – Colombia

🇨🇴 IGY Marina Santa Marta – Colombia 

🇯🇲 Royal Jamaica Yacht Club – Jamaica 

🇯🇲 Errol Flynn Marina – Jamaica  

🇯🇲 Montego Bay Yacht Club –Jamaica 

🇰🇾 The Barcadere Marina –Cayman Islands 

🇭🇳 Barefoot Cay Marina – Roatan – Honduras 

🇭🇳 Fantasy Island Marina – Roatan – Honduras

🇭🇳 Jonesville Point Marina -Roatan – Honduras  

🇬🇹 Marina Nana Juana Resort & Boatyard – Guatemala 

🇧🇿 Thunderbirds Marine – Placencia – Belize 

🇧🇿 Placencia Yacht Club – Belize 

🇲🇽 Marina Makax – Isla Mujeres – Mexico 

🇲🇽 Marina V&V – Quintana Roo – Mexico 

🇲🇽 Marina El Cid – Cancún – Riviera Maya – Mexico  

🇨🇺 Marina Marlin Nautica Cayo Largo – Cuba 

🇹🇨 South Bank Marina & Boatyard – Turks and Caicos  

🇧🇸 Romora Bay Resort and Marina – Bahamas  

🇧🇸 Elizabeth on the Bay Marina – Bahamas 

🇧🇸 Great Harbour Cay Marina – Bahamas

🇧🇸 Blue Marlin Cove Resort & Marina – Bahamas  

🇩🇴 Ocean World Marina – Dominican Republic

🇩🇴 Marina Puerto Bahia – Dominican Republic    

🇺🇸 Marathon Marina – Marathon Keys 

🇺🇸 Pier 66  Hotel & Marina – Ft. Lauderdale, USA

🇺🇸 IGY Marina at Ortega Landing – Jacksonville, FL , USA 

🇺🇸 Oasis Marinas at Fernandina Harbor Marina – FL , USA  

🇺🇸 Morningstar Marinas Golden Isles St. Simons Isl. – Georgia, USA  

🇺🇸 Windmill Harbour Marina – Hilton Head South Carolina , USA  

🇺🇸 Coffee Bluff Marina – Savannah Georgia , USA  

🇺🇸 Hazzard Marine – Gerogetown, North Carolina , USA  

🇺🇸 Holden Beach  – Town Dock, North Carolina , USA 

🇺🇸 Portside Marina – Morehead City, North Carolina USA  

🇺🇸 Tideawater Yacht Marina – Portsmouth,  USA  

🇺🇸 Ocean Yacht Marina, Portsmouth, USA  

🇺🇸 Yorktown Riverwalk Landing – Virginia USA  

🇺🇸 Regatta Point Marina – Deltaville, Virginia USA 

🇺🇸 Regent Point Marina – Topping, Virginia USA 

PORTSIDE MARINA 🇺🇸 Morehead City NC USA

34° 43.1583′ N 076° 42.300′ W 

Bogue Banks & Morehead City is also know as  the Crystal Coast North Carolina 

21)  PANAMA POSSE SPONSORS 

• BELIZE TOURISM
• CHRIS PARKER – MARINE WEATHER CENTER
• DELTA MIKE MARINE SUPPLY PANAMA
• DOWNWIND MARINE
• FLOR DE CAÑA
• HERTZ RENTAL CARS  MEXICO
• HOME DEPOT PRO MEXICO
• LATITUDES AND ATTITUDES  
• PANAMA YACHT BROKER
• PREDICT WIND
• SAFE HARBOR SOUTH BAY MARINA EVENT CENTER  
• SAN DIEGO MARINE EXCHANGE
• SEVENSTAR YACHT TRANSPORT
• WAYPOINT YACHT SERVICES
• WESTMARINE PRO
• YACHT AGENTS GALAPAGOS  
   

WEST MARINE PRO SPONSORS THE PANAMA POSSE 

22) PANAMA CANAL AGENT 
CENTENARIO CONSULTING ERICK GALVEZ

To
arrange for transit with the Panama Canal Authority please contact Eric
Galvez our dedicated Panama Canal agent and sponsor of the Panama Posse
and the Pacific Posse

Erick Gálvez

info@centenarioconsulting.com

www.centenarioconsulting.com

Cellphone +507 6676-1376

WhatsApp +507 6676-1376

23) WAYPOINT YACHT SERVICES

“Our
vision is to provide a top tier service to our customers while covering
every potential need they may have when approaching shore. 

Small
yachts (up to 38.1 meters LOA) are expected to experience substantial
delays, and in the meantime, we will be able and willing to help you
mitigate this impact and serve you.

 Contact us today through panama@waypointyacht.com

Thanks and best regards,

Marcus Santana
General Manager
Marcus.Santana@waypointyacht.com

International Business Park Building 3855, office 201 Panama Pacifico / Panama

Phone: +507-310 9891 ext.206
AOH: +507-310 9892 (24/7)
Mob: +507 6427-8099

24) STRATEGIC PARTNERS

 

SSCA

Park Avenue Villas – San Juan del Sur – Nicaragua

Coconutz – Playa Cocos – Costa Rica

Abernathy – Chandlery – Panama

Pacific Posse 

Atlantic Posse

Advertising Partners – Las Vegas

Safe-Esteem.com – Delaware

25) MORE POSSE NEWS FROM 
AROUND THE OCEANS

ATLANTIC POSSE  
SIGN UP NOW

Madeira Natural Park 🇵🇹  Madeira 

SIGN UP WITH THE 
 ATLANTIC POSSE >>

Atlantic Posse ’24

Atlantic Posse Routes
voyage between the  Mediterranean  and  the Caribbean 

26) SOUTH PACIFIC POSSE SEASON 4 

The Amazing 🇨🇰  Cook Islands just a quick sail west from French Polynesia 

South Pacific Posse burgees available now in Panama & soon in FP 

The impressive Volcanic Island formations in the South Pacific  

Nawi Island Event August 31 2024 – come party and mingle with the Cruising Fleet 

WE OPERATE UNDER INTERNATIONAL MARITIME LAW

YOUR VESSEL · YOUR CREW · YOUR RESPONSIBILITY 

 OUR MISSION

• Make traveling for yacht owners easier, transparent and better informed.
• Generate group buying power with discounts in marinas and with service providers
• Pass on relevant information to help fellow participants in a timely manner without personal opinions
• Identify, document and reduce risks
• Allow for flexibility and reduce pressures due to schedules