“What is the one thing that you’d never be able to sell in the market? Common sense! Those who have it wouldn’t need to buy it. Those who don’t have it wouldn’t know what to do with it.”
Jimmy Cornell ― 200,000 Miles: A Life of Adventure
TOP NEWS
Beautiful Sky, Fresh Caught Fish and Friends: Pretty Much says it all
Upcoming Panama Posse Events
Snowbird Moon 🌕 Photos from Along the Route 🇲🇽 🇨🇷 🇵🇦
Season 7 Award Entries: Picture of the Year & Most Unwanted Guest
Sailing and Cruising Legend Jimmy Cornell surveys the Global Yachting Status
Posse Perk: Team sailing the Guatemalan Coast 🇬🇹
The Harpy Eagle: the National Bird of Panama 🇵🇦
Good Nautical: Urraca Island AKA Monkey Island, Panama 🇵🇦
Meet the Fleet: SV ZORBA
Safety Alert: Have a Plan and Ways to Harden your Vessel Entry Points
BAHAMAS and BEYOND CORRUPTION MAP
MUST SEE: Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica 🇨🇷
News from Other Oceans
🇲🇽 🇧🇿 🇨🇷 🇳🇮 🇨🇴 🇨🇺 🇪🇨 🇸🇻 🇵🇦 🇩🇴 🇭🇳 🇯🇲 🇧🇸 🇹🇨 🇰🇾 🇬🇹
268 Yachts are signed up From 23 Ensigns
1) PICTURES OF THE WEEK
BEAUTIFUL SKY, FRESH FISH, AND FRIENDS…
PRETTY MUCH SAYS IT ALL
Fluffy cloud looking like a crocodile over Golfito, Costa Rica 🇨🇷
(and there are crocs here!)
SY BOUNDLESS 🇺🇸 Daniel & Naiby – Shannon 43′
Entry into biggest fish caught
Catching Keepers in Mexican Waters. 🇲🇽
SY VOYAGER 🇺🇸 Ed & Liz – Hylas 54‘
Cruising at it’s best!
Glenn
on C-Ya, Ed and Steve from Voyager and Robin and Tad from Bisou. Ed
supplied the freshly caught mahi mahi ( see photo above), Tad grilled
the fish and Robin prepared salad, focaccia and chocolate cake! All
washed down with a Chilean Malbec!
SY BISOU 🇦🇺 Robin and Tad – Fountaine Pajot 44′
SY C-YA 🇺🇸 Glenn – Island Packet 38.8’
2) JOIN THIS NEXT OCEAN POSSE EVENT IN BELIZE
PANAMA POSSE 🇧🇿 BELIZE YACHT FEST
@ PLACENCIA YACHT CLUB
Saturday April 6, 2024
16:00 – 21:30
16° 30.471’N 088° 21.7216′ W
PANAMA POSSE 🇧🇿 BELIZE YACHT FEST @ PLACENCIA YACHT CLUB
BELIZE PLACENCIA YACHT FEST 🇧🇿 Placencia Yacht Club
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. Bring cash – yacht club does not accept credit cards
FOR RESERVATIONS AND MOORINGS @ PLACENCIA YACHT CLUB
(2) 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.
Sailboat turning off the ocean and into into Zihuatenejo Bay, Mexico 🇲🇽 at sunset.
Photo by Panama Posse member SV Lost Pearl
Cruising
World Magazine just published an interesting article by Jimmy Cornell
about the global movement of cruising vessels. Jimmy Cornell has a
passion for data. He has conducted multiple surveys for almost 40
years to get a sense of how many boats are out cruising, where boats
are cruising, and what kinds of boats are cruising.
Some
may find aspects of his report surprising, others may find his report
exactly as expected. Nonetheless, the numbers are interesting to
consider. He looks at hotspots in three different Oceans: the
Atlantic, the Pacific, and the Indian. He shares numbers of boats
that checked into various hotspots in 2022 as compared to 2010 and 2016.
In
the Pacific Ocean one of the Cornell’s datapoints is the number of
boats going through the Panama Canal from the north and the south.
Many Panama Posse boats are among the boats going through the
Canal this season. SV COURAGE will be one of the northbound boats in the Panama Canal this season. For now they are enjoying sailing in Panama Bay.
Jimmy
Cornell has been a remarkable influence and inspiration in the
Bluewater Cruising world for decades. He has published over a
dozen boos on the subject, circumnavigated the globe multiple times, and
inspired countless people to taste the salt in the air and the freedom
on the water themselves.
In
a conversation with Helen Fretter in 2021, Jimmy shared a bit more
about the freedom that he found on the ocean and what it means to him:
“I
grew up behind the Iron Curtain under a dictatorship in a communist
regime, my father died in prison as a political prisoner, when I was 19 I
tried to escape but I was shot. I couldn’t get out of the country.
“What
is liberty? What is freedom? We really only know what it is when we
lose it. Once you’ve tasted freedom – and I hadn’t tasted freedom when I
was young – but once I had, I realized that a career is not what
matters in life. In life what matters is to take advantage of that hard
won freedom. And it’s what I’ve done for the rest of my life.
“I’ve
given up things, but I don’t care because I always wanted to be free to
do whatever I wanted. I did not want to take freedom for granted.”
In 1975 Jimmy Cornell set out on a 6 year blue water adventure with his wife and two kids aboard their vessel SV ADVENTURA.
He was a reporter for the BBC World Service and shared his
observations with the world over the course of their adventures.
Jimmy Cornell and his son Ivan taking a noonsight (circa 1975?)
Jimmy Cornell’s various global voyages
To
this day, Jimmy Cornell says the very best cruising was when his entire
family was aboard. Together they could all be themselves.
When he and his family set sail in the 70’s there were far few
cruising yachts much less cruising families. In his recently
published Cruising World article he compares the data from his recent
survey of cruising boats to previous surveys. The amount of
cruising families is among the data points he looks at across his
surveys.
Cruising
has changed and is changing. The same can be said about access to
information and the weather. Jimmy is a data collector and
approaches the topic of ‘change’ with numbers and facts.
the bible or quintessential dream board for cruising sailors WORLD CRUISING ROUTES
7) YOUR WANDERING SOUL lies at the heart 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.
SY YO-D-YO at sunset in Starfish beach, Panama 🇵🇦
Thank you for Sharing your Adventures on the water !
8) POSSE PERK: 🎁
HAVING A TEAM
Mini Power Posse having piña colada’s on MV Muirgen with Summer Breeze and Splinters. 🇲🇽 🇸🇻 🇬🇹
Eric and Kim about MV SPLINTERS reports on the Posse perk of Having a Team:
We
had an easy trip and good seas from Chiapas to El Salvador…and an
exciting but nice ride into the bay. While in Guatemala we met many Long
Line pangas…one came close to say hello and stayed by our side videoing
and taking pics. Then left and came back again for several more
minutes. We were traveling with Muirgen, Summer Breeze and Tidings of
Joy and we were so thankful for the caravan support. Nothing happened
but an exchange of smiles and photos, but was great to have boats on the
radio that were ready to come to our aid if needed! Thank you Panama
Posse team for making this lifestyle a lot more safe and comfortable.-
Visiting panga off the coast of Guatemala 🇬🇹
MV SPLINTERS 🇺🇸 Eric & Kim – American Marine Grand Banks 42′
9) 🇲🇽 MARINA Y CLUB DE YATES ISLA CORTÉS SPONSORS THE PANAMA POSSE
Nice to greet you, and thank you for contacting us.
We will gladly assist the Panama Posse at the Marina & Club de Yates Isla Cortés.
Responding to your email we can give you a 10% discount on our rate,
CONTACT
Marina y Club de Yates Isla Cortés
Altata Navolato, Sinaloa
+52 667 324 0446
comercialmcortes@gmail.com
Restaurant phone:+52 (672) 122 9908
North
from Mazatlan and only 45 minutes from Culiacán, Sinaloa´s Capital, you
can find a heavenly landscape with dunes and beautiful beaches bathed
by Mar de Cortés called Bahía de Altata.
AMENITIES
40 spaces to house boats up to 150 feet
Draft of 2.3 meters
Electricity of 50 and 30 amps
Water
Restaurant
Bar
Bathrooms
Showers
Wi fi.
75 Marinas sponsor the Panama Posse
10) THE HARPY EAGLE:
THE NATIONAL BIRD OF PANAMA 🇵🇦
by Russell Descheemaeker, age 13
The
Harpy Eagle is a majestic and powerful bird. Its legs are as big
as a human wrist. The female is bigger than the male and its claws
are as big as a grizzly bear’s claws. A harpy eagle once knocked a
BBC cameraman unconscious. It would have killed him if not for
the bulletproof vest he had on.
They
are very smart hunters. For example, the harpy eagle will reveal
itself to monkeys to see how the monkeys responds. If the monkey
is defending a pack, the monkeys will group up and taunt the harpy to
come closer so that they can rip the eagle apart together. The
wiser Harpy eagle with fly away to find easier food. If the
monkey runs in terror the eagle will pursue it’s prey and attack.
The
harpy eagles’ range is from Peru to Mexico. However, due to
deforestation they are now only seen in South America and Panama.
They live near and around jungles and they make their nest in the
tallest tree in their area. Their range from their nest is 10km.
They patrol this range mercilessly. They mate fore life and
do not share their range with any other harpy eagles…if they can help
it.
🇵🇦 URRACA ISLAND – MONKEY REFUGE – ECO RESORT – PANAMA 🇵🇦
Set
out at sea, Urraca is a mangrove island with no actual land, where
every structure has been built on stilts over the water. The
island is located in the most pristine and secluded area of the Bocas
del Toro archipelago, on the northern Caribbean coast of Panama, and is
accessible via a 35 minute boat ride from Isla Colon.
The
island is 100% powered by solar panels and solar lights. The eco-resort
collects their freshwater resources through a rain catchment system. To
avoid the use of plastic only stainless steel straws are available, and
we provide guests with unlimited drinking water in reusable glass
bottles. To conserve our resources bedding and towels are changed upon
request.
Elevated walkways on the island
In
2013, Francine and Toutie moved to Urraca Private Island, where they
built a beautiful home among the mangroves. They went on to build
Urraca Luxury Private Island with a love for nature. She wishes to share
her passion for the environment and the monkeys with those who come to
visit the island. She also wishes to give back to the land, and the
native Ngäbe by providing jobs for them and letting them be a part of
her dream. Her dream is to live a simple life with nothing other
than her beloved monkeys, a plate of fresh lobster, and a cold glass of
rum.
Over
the years, Francine has adopted additional monkeys who were either
abandoned by their pet owners, or found orphaned due to habitat loss or
hunting in the wild. Now, all these monkeys belong to a troop where they
can socialize, groom, and play with other monkeys every day.
Ocean
World is located on Cofresi beach, near town of Puerto Plata. With an
abundance of hotel rooms and recreation opportunities that include,
golf, fishing, scuba diving, horseback riding, and even white water
rafting, Puerto Plata is already celebrated as an affordable Caribbean
vacation playground. Puerto Plata’s airport (POP) is a 30 minute drive,
and has daily flights from Miami, NYC and cities in Europe. Ocean World
Marina, now the only full-service marina located between the heavily
traveled Florida/Bahamas area and the Puerto Rico/Eastern Caribbean
region.
The Bay from above
Colorful shops along the Beach of Puerto Plata
Impressive breakwaters along Dominican Republics north coast
13) MEET THE FLEET
SV ZORBA 🧑🏼🤝🧑🏼 Limor & Tomer
We are Limor(48) & Tomer(51) from sailing yacht Zorba- Tayana 48DS 2007
We have retired 7/2022(both pharmacists), and started cruising full time.
Limor
is what I call a reluctant sailor but loves this way of life….so we
keep on a ratio of 5% sailing time….the rest on anchor.
I am sailing for 30 years with plenty of pauses in between….
In my past I was a sailing instructor, a tugboat captain , a chase boat captain, a dredger cooperator and a delivery skipper.
Most of my experience is in the Mediterranean
Before
buying the Zorba (Tayana 48) we lived onboard an Oceanis 35 for 16
years…without sailing much, besides once in a while for a few
hours….
At
2015 we cruised 8 months on a gulfstar 50 from Key West up to the BVI’s
(Bahamas, Puerto Rico, USVI, BVI) and back to Florida.
We
began at Alameda where we found the boat, and after cruising the Baja
& the Sea Of Cortez, we are now on our way South⛵️ the plan is a
long stay at Costa Rica
2025 we plan sailing south to Panama and probably cross East to the Caribbean side.
Have a Plan 🥷🏻 How to Harden Your Vessel’s Access points
Stainless Steel Bars across over hatch entries
This
past week there have been alarming and heartbreaking incidents on both
ends of the Panama Posse route. It is with deep sadness that we
learn of mariners being accosted and others disappearing for the moment
without resolution.
Both incidents and others in between are stark reminders that it is important to have an emergency plan and consider how to harden access points to you vessel. There will be many different plans and that’s fine…just having one is the most important part.
Below is a compilation of security systems that different mariners employ to keep their vessel and crew safe at anchor.
PLEASE EMAIL US YOUR BEST PRACTICES TO SAFEGUARD ENTRY TO YOUR VESSEL editor@panamaposse.com
Deny entry to your vessel’s companion way with removable stainless steel bars
Motion Sensor Detects and records any Human Movement day and night – and stores it in the cloud for later review
Remote keychain for Audible alarms and sirens
LED STROBE LIGHTS FOR YACHTS
LED Marine Flood Lights & Spreader Lights
A proper 12 Volt ⚡
fence charger hooked up to the house bank and rigged across yacht
Yacht Stanchions will create an electrifying welcome at night
Dogs that bark ( and wake up ) can be a deterrent.
take pictures of every small local vessels near your vessels – use a flash so they know you are taking pictures of them …
Tack Mat with Spikes Deterrent Outdoor makes transom boarding painful –
just ask Joshua Slocum
NERF tactical laser attachment – paintball filled with chlorine – maybe spray paint NERF black
Bear spray GEL (which is more targeted than spray) part of the boats security toolkit – not just in Alaska.
We are only starting to scratch the surface of corruption in the Bahamas – please review the map
38+ CORRUPTION REPORTS 🇧🇸 BAHAMAS
“Great
Inagua 2x-Mar-2x 1x:1x We arrived march 2x from DR and launched our
dinghy at 1 PM (I have a photo because the water was amazing). We
tied up in the harbour and walked to the C&I offices in 2 separate
locations. Approximately a 20 min walk. A fellow cruiser who
had cleared in at this location told me to bring $80 in cash because
extra fees would be charged. We started with customs who charged us a $40
processing fee to be paid in cash only. See receipt. The
receipt looks official and even states a VAT is charged. Then we went to
immigration who charged us a $40 fee as well. The receipt
states it’s an overtime fee, however we clearly arrived on a weekday at
approx 2 pm in the afternoon. We finished both procedures by 3 pm
and were out of pocket $80 USD. Unfortunately the names of the officers
are not displaced on the receipts. However the customs agent was
male and the immigration agent female.”
EARLY WARNING 🇵🇦 PANAMA
in
presidential election years in Panama Port captains and Immigration
officials are notorious for adding new cash fees to zarpes and entry and
exit procedures – if you encounter them please report them here ->
yes you can report anonymously https://panamaposse.com/corruption#form
16) MUST SEE:
CORCOVADO NATIONAL PARK 🇨🇷 COSTA RICA –
OSA PENINSULA –
PANAMA POSSE CENTRAL AMERICAN ROUTE
Formation of the Peninsula
The
history of the Osa Peninsula is steeped in geological mystery.
The Osa Peninsula is part of the tectonic plates collision of the
land bridge between North and South America that rose above the surface
of the water. The land bridge between these continents is in large part
responsible for the incredibly high biodiversity found in this area. The
Corcovado National Park within the peninsula is 4,178 hectares (10,324
acres) and park ranges in elevation from sea level to 745
meters
(0
– 2,444 feet). The Corcovado Park exemplifies the tropical rain forest,
with a abundance of species, spectacular buttresses, large woody vines
and abundant growth and trees and contains the complete tropical insect
ecosystem from Mexico to Panama. It has 23 miles of rugged beaches with
dense rain forest dropping into the Pacific Ocean.
Corcovado National Park is a land and sea Park
HUMANS ARRIVE
Native
tribes arrived on Osa Peninsula as far back as 6,000 BC, and various
indigenous groups such as the Chiriquí and Borucas hunted in the area.
The
nearby Isla del Caño has a history of being struck by lightning
more than any other place in Central America. This is thought by locals
to be because Caño Island was a Pre-Columbian cemetery and the land is
believed to be sacred. Exceptional round Diquis stones have left behind
by a long lost civilization and several Panama Posse Boats have been on
the island to explore and dive via operators from Drake Bay.
EXPLORERS AND PIRATES ARRIVE
In
March 1579, during his circumnavigation of the globe in the Golden
Hind, Sir Francis Drake visited the shores of the Osa and eventually
based his entourage from his name sake bay Bahía Drake a small bay
on the north side of the Osa Peninsula. It was used by Drake
during his raids on the Spanish Main in the 16th century and the
location of one of the British pirate’s fabled hidden treasures.
The
Area is best approached via the Drake Bay Anchorage on the Panama Posse
route from the NW entrance to the park which provides a spectacular
anchorage and a coastal hiking trail towards the park. In addition
several tour operators which are also based in Drake Bay for exceptional
exploring. Access to the Park can also be made from Gulfo Dulce
to the south.
This
national park provides the exclusive habitat for Costa Rica’s shyest
and most endangered inhabitants. Baird’s Tapirs, Jaguars, Scarlet
Macaws, Harpy Eagles, Red-backed squirrel monkeys and White-lipped
Peccaries. It is wet, remote and rugged, but the trails are decent and
features several camping areas near ranger stations. It is a tropical
rain forest in the purest sense with waterfalls and pools.
Small waterfall in Corcovado National Park
Over
40 species of frogs including red-eyed tree, rain, glass, dink, and
poison arrow varieties, with dozens of snakes including a variety of
poisonous and Boas and the dreaded bushmaster, as well as 28 species of
lizards.
More
than 100 species of butterflies, 400 species of birds including 16
different hummingbirds and the largest number of scarlet macaws and ~
10,000 other insects species are native to the area
The
modern day history also pits the era of the gold-rush, banana
plantations, banana corporations, rebels and geopolitics against it each
other after 90+ years of human exploitation the jungle won and the park
constitutes the birthplace of Costa Rica’s ecotourism -> Follow the
link below to find out more about everything from the Park to it’s
controversial modern day history.
Chalk
Sound National Park is nearly landlocked, yet a winding channel does
connect it to the ocean and Caicos Banks off the south of
Providenciales.
Because
of Chalk Sound’s protected status as a national park, powered
watercraft use is prohibited. The main attraction for most visitors is
sightseeing by road on the southern side, or as a kayaking and paddle
boarding destination.
19) 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
20) 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.
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok