Leaving the Boat in Panama - What Can Go Wrong?

A developing country like Panama has its beauties and charms: the weather is always hotter than in our home countries, nature’s attractions are abundant and there are new adventures around every corner. But, when it comes down to efficiency, responsibility, and common sense, this Central American country has a long way to go. Having spent a whole year in this region overland in 2005-2006 and another twelve months this time around, Mark and I know what to expect – or better – what not to expect. Last year, when we started talking about leaving Irie in Panama for a couple of months, to take a break from the boat life and catch up with friends and family in the civilized world, we realized we should plan well ahead of time and do whatever we could to have things in order for ourselves and our floating home.

But… the longer we travel in this part of the world, the more we realize one important fact: no matter how hard you try, no matter how much you plan, prepare, organize, expect, and confirm, things will not go the way they should. This is the short story of sorting out our past summer visit to the United States and Belgium, just so people know what to expect when trying the same thing, or to understand what it means to “abandon ship” for a while. With a lot of patience, determination and acceptance, solutions were found, but that doesn’t mean we were totally happy with them!

Already in February 2012, we contacted the French owners of Panamarina, between Puerto Lindo and Portobelo to secure a safe spot. This is a small marina with only mooring balls, which fills up quickly. The only thing we got accomplished via email was a notification that there was no room. Not willing to give up and knowing people secured a spot later in the year, we visited the French owners in person, European style. This was the way to go and after a short talk in French, we had ourselves a mooring ball for the duration of our absence.  I confirmed the reservation orally and electronically and we were assured we could go ahead and book our flights. Which we did, all based on dates that would work with the marina’s bus transport and operating days/hours. We needed to make sure that we could leave Irie the day of our departure from the airport and get back to her the day of our arrival back into Panama.

A few months went by and we started looking forward to our trip “home”. Big was our surprise, astonishment and disbelief, when – a month before take-off – we received a blunt email (in my junk folder) from Panamarina, saying that they cancelled our reservation! The boat that was in “our” spot wasn’t able to leave, because of the owner’s disease. .. What??? A few phone calls to the Frenchies led to rudeness and us being treated very poorly, unprofessionally and disrespectfully. We were laughed at in our faces and had to find another solution, pretty much last minute. The expensive Shelter Bay Marina ($900 a month for our size boat; catamarans pay 1.5 X the usual amount and there is a minimum of 40 feet you have to pay for; we are 35 feet) was out of the question and the marinas all the way in Bocas del Toro were not part of our travel plans.

After a few weeks trial and error in the West Lemmon Cays in the San Blas islands, where cruisers have left their boat successfully the last couple of years, Mark and I secured a mooring ball in the much cleaner waters. A German guy was in charge of the friendly, reliable and well-running operation, while the Kunas were the owners and cashiers. His wife was known to vigilantly check on boats, air them out and make sure all was in order, while the owners were absent. Even though we never were able to meet the couple in charge (we sure tried and planned our departure around this) and we saved a dragging boat which barely missed us, the day before our departure, we were OK with the new solution, based on positive reports and experiences of other cruisers.

Everything was booked and planned ahead of time for our trip to the US, to little avail. We waited over an hour for boat transport to Carti, mainland Panama, where our assigned driver had already left. A different jeep driver brought us to our B&B in Panama City, trying to get more money out of us. The following morning, the “arranged and confirmed” (unbeknownst to him) taxi driver did not show up on time. We called him out of bed and with less than an hour to spare, he managed to swiftly drop us off at the airport. Thanks to Roger’s commitment and responsiveness, we didn’t miss our flight.

Once in the US and Belgium, we could breathe again, but not for long. After continued inquiries about how Irie was doing in the San Blas, we finally heard that the German and his wife were no longer there! Nobody was watching our boat during the heavy summer storms, lightning and winds, while irresponsible sailors were anchoring their boats on shelves surrounded by very deep water. Once an anchor would drag, the boat was free to hit everything in its path… When the subject of Irie came up in conversations, Mark and I stubbornly avoided the topic. There was nothing we could do from thousands of miles away. Towards the end of our western world visit, we had friends confirming that our floating home was looking all right and everything seemed in order. Pfew!

Upon our return to Panama, we shopped and stayed an extra night in the capital, before the jeep drive (not without complications and extra costs) and boat ride – all in heavy rains – to Irie took place. We were very happy to be back home and to find her in good shape. We found no extensive mold inside and the bottom was in the same shape as when we left. We managed to deal with all the hassle and best of all: we were back in paradise and ready to enjoy it!

Panama to Galapagos Passage - Picture Blog

Sailing with the jib and the main

The first (windy) nights were relatively cold

Mark using the sat phone to send a daily position report to this blog
 

Too close for comfort? This giant passed within one mile of Irie, but we knew this thanks to AIS! It was the only ship we saw in a week

Preventing chafe to the preventer line with a cloth taped to the shroud

One of the sunsets at sea

Red skies at night, sailor's delight!

Listening to the 9am Pan-Pacific Net on our SSB receiver

After two windy days, the seas are getting bigger...

Following seas create an amusement park ride for Irie and her crew. Fun!

Surfing the waves at over 10 knots! We peaked at 13.6 knots one night. The true wind speed is over 30 knots.

 The deep blue water of the Pacific Ocean

Squall ahead... Luckily, it stayed ahead.

Winged hitchhiker number 1

Winged hitchhiker number 2

 Motoring into the sunset in flat calm seas!

The equator; from the north hemisphere into the south...

That's the equator, right there. We just crossed it! :-)

Equator party with Belgian truffles, rum for Mark and Neptune, and coke for me

Mark and Liesbet on the equator - March 6th, 2013, 23:26

Sailing with our spinnaker - mainsail combo

No luck fishing...

Sunrise on the last day of the passage

Irie lunch on the last day of the passage

There are the Galapagos Islands!

San Cristobal, Galapagos

Hoisting the appropriate flags before arrival: the Ecuadorian flag and the Q-flag (yellow flag)

Approaching San Cristobal and Wreck Bay

To read the three stories about our passage, look further down these pages.

Snail Experiment

Mark and I have been in the Las Perlas islands, 40 miles southeast of Panama City, for over a week now and let me tell you, this is a much nicer, more beautiful, cleaner, quieter and flatter place to get some boat work done and make the last preparations for our big trip(s) to come. There is supposed to be an abundance of fish here, but so far we’ve only caught a bonito (small tuna) while trawling from our dinghy along the ocean’s edge. It was tasty, and provided three lunches, but we got excited about a new possibility of seafood…

One day, we talked to other cruisers in the area and they told us about the snails they found on the rocks at low tide and how tasty they were. They showed us one of the shells and with that information we set out “hunting” one day ourselves. At lowish tide, we took the dinghy to our “private” beach – and island – and walked along the recently exposed rocks. I was distracted by a whole array of funny sea creatures I’d never seen before and by the amazing scenery, which my camera couldn’t keep up with. Mark – the better focused and committed of the two of us – found plenty of snails. Dinghy bailer in hand (we did bring a knife, which was not needed to pick them up, but forgot a bucket or bag to put our catch in), he managed to fill the broken pitcher up. I also found a “pile” of shells, which looked a bit different than his ones, but added to the lot.

Back at home, we faced the question “Now what?” Some online site mentioned a four day waiting period – so the snails would “get rid of all their gooey stuff” – before cooking the animals, but who wants to wait eating the catch of the day? So, we boiled the bunch for five minutes, removed the snails from their shells and cut all the dark and yucky stuff away. What we had left was barely visible! Mark cooked up a wonderful pasta sauce, tossed the handful of snail meat in it, and we each enjoyed our seafood flavored meal, while hunting (again!) for the ten chewy white bits. Conclusion: it was a lot of work for some pasta flavoring, but it was an entertaining activity and we might do it again one day! That day, we will bring a bucket, though, and I’ll wear my glasses…

On the left: the meat for the meal; on the right: garbage

One of the creatures (cute, little slug) I spotted in a pool of water, while Mark did the hard work.

The Good and the Bad of Panama City

Mark and I have been in the country of Panama for over a year. Most of that time was spent in the San Blas islands, with occasional trips to the mainland and time there needed for projects and provisioning. Before driving Irie through the canal and anchoring her in the capital for almost three weeks, we had been to Panama City four times: once by camper in 2006, once after we helped our friends Axel and Liz through the big cut, once to visit them again and once after flying back from the States. Most of these “visits” were taken up by boat and grocery shopping in the nice and modern stores. Only once did we actually explore the old city, which is not too spectacular anyway. When you live on a sailboat it is surprising where your priorities lay!

People

I would not call the Panamanian people over friendly. One time, a local guy helped us and some friends out with his bus card, paying for the ride and not accepting the dollar back. Over the year, I’ve had a couple of men get up and offer me their seat in the bus. Usually, people don’t like to cue, but prefer pushing to get on the bus first, they don’t smile often nor greet tourists on the streets, they like loud music, crowding and tight clothing. It is common for them to throw garbage on the street, in nature or through the bus window – sides of streets are very littered, mostly outside of Panama City – even whether there are bins around. They are never in a rush or stressed, and mostly do what they please without seeing any harm in it. Once, I had a woman with a chock full cart cut the line in front of me at the grocery store check-out as if that was the most normal thing to do!

Businesses

When you own a boat on which things break all the time, run a business or have to stock-up on groceries and other supplies, you need to rely on local businesses. Panama, being a thoroughfare for many vessels on either side of the canal, has surprisingly few conveniences for boaters. On top of that, the careless attitude of the people makes things worse. Most people do not seem to enjoy their job or their customers. You get used to the female cashiers playing with their phone or their nails, hardly looking up to help you out. A lot of patience is required and endurance to try to get what you want or be helped properly and satisfyingly. That being said, you can get a lot of things done over a long period of time and frustration, mainly in the city. This all sounds a bit harsh, but many cruisers share our opinion and experiences. Over the time we have spent in this country, we had two really positive experiences (both in PC) and would recommend both businesses. The first is Roger (Rogelio), the taxi driver, who is VERY reliable, friendly, helpful and responsible. The other is the Balboa Dental Clinic, where the employees are extremely friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. English is spoken by all.

Stores

Big, western-style grocery stores, small Chinese run shops, marine stores, hardware centers, shopping malls, metal shops, specialty stores, gourmet markets, department stores … you find it all in Panama City. There is more available here than anywhere else in the country and that in itself is a breath of fresh air. Still, particular items are unavailable, a pain to source or very expensive, so when Mark returned from the US, his suitcases were chock full of boat parts and repair materials.

 

Transportation

Panama City is a big place, with many stores. Visiting boats are located at the Amador, which is a causeway, pretty far away from everything. The way to get things done in the easiest fashion is by taxi. Fares do add up quickly, especially since the return trip – with all the groceries – is more expensive. The cheapest way is to take a $1 taxi (the minority of cabs is interested in charging only $1 per person a ride, especially if you’re a gringo) to Cinco de Mayo, one of the bus congregations, where you can take a chicken bus or Metro bus close to your destination. You need to have a good idea about the layout of the city and the unadvertised routes of the buses. There are no bus schedules. The Metro buses are comfortable, relatively uncrowded and airconditioned. You do need to buy a $2 card at one of the vending locations and “put” money on it. Each person scans the (same) Metro card when boarding the bus. Rides are 25 cents everywhere in the city. On the way back, you can try to follow this process in reverse, or take a cab back to the Amador, for which you will have to bargain big time. It is very important to agree on a price before taking off!

Traveling (partway) by bus is very time consuming and most cruisers prefer to use cabs. Having to run around the busy city like this every day, hailing cabs, asking prices, knowing the drivers overcharge, bargaining them down, trying again with another cab, albeit being successful in the end, gets very tiring. Some Spanish knowledge is required. Don’t expect the cab driver to give you a hand with all the groceries. Traffic in the city can be horrendous as well, especially around rush hour. Once, I spent three hours on a bus to reach my destination 15 minutes away. That was after the half an hour taxi ride to take the bus. I have to admit I took this bus at the wrong road and went the opposite way…

Anchorages

Mainland Panama does not have great anchorages and Panama City is the worst. Cruisers can pick up a mooring (and pay) at the Balboa Yacht Club, where a lancha is needed to get to shore (patience is required, freedom to go whenever is gone) and where the close proximity to the canal means rolling around at anchor. Or, they can anchor at La Playita anchorage, where the big wake of passing ships, ferries and pilot boats create the same uncomfortable moments at anchor, where stuff flies all over the place and the boat is not at rest, ever. There is a good dinghy dock, but you have to pay $38 a week (per boat) to go ashore. Garbage disposal is free, but for fresh water you pay 5 cents a gallon. Diesel is the same price as in the gas stations, but much more convenient to get. The third option is the Las Brisas anchorage, which only gets choppy and uncomfortable with strong winds from the north/east or when the current differs from the wind direction. It is less busy and less noisy, but the dinghy dock is very inconvenient, tricky and dangerous. Being there is free and you have a nice view over the city. You also get to enjoy the city’s run-off. And then there are the extremely expensive marinas as the only other alternative… Each of these places gets showered with dirt from the big city and the boat becomes truly gross and dirty, inside and out.

Weather

Most of the days have been warm and enjoyable, with blue skies and a little breeze. The rain has stopped falling for many months to come, so we have to buy and lug water again. The nights have been cool, sometimes even chilly, and in the city, we slept with a comforter and took a sweater when going out. In the mornings, we used the dew to “clean” our decks. The water of the bay was frigid and taking showers less than pleasurable. Condensation took place in the hulls – mostly the underwater part - and we found a decent amount of water in the bilges. Temperatures seem to be rising again now. The phenomenon of “red tide” has been prominent everywhere. The water turns red with big particles floating about. Not ideal to take a dip. We would love to get a little bit more (and consistent) wind.

Wildlife

In the past, I have wanted to see sloths in the wild and I have been looking and searching for them on many occasions. Big was my surprise and excitement to see two of them in the trees at the parking lot of La Playita! They live in that neck of the woods and around 16:30 – 17:00 you can spot them eating the fruits off branches. There are also a lot of birds and fish around, now that we are in the Pacific.

Social Times

Thursday means “pizza night” on the Amador, in the Eskinita pizzeria. Lots of cruisers show up, a long table is formed and good food and fun times are had. Books are swapped and goods are sold. One day, I joined Mark and Marian (SV Zenna) to Taboga to observe the Festival of the Sea celebrations and explore the cute island a bit. Mark and I also met up with our Austrian friends Christian and Birgit (SV Pitufa) a few times and said our goodbyes to Britta and Dave from SV Anam Cara. As they are getting ready for a new “twist” in their lives, we are getting ready for our own, new kind of adventure as well.