FLEET UPDATE 2019-01-31
1) Chiapas, Mexico Marina Chiapas is a bit secluded with only one restaurant that closes at 6pm. A taxi ride to Tapachula, the closest town, is $250 pesos. However, it's very pretty surrounded by mangroves, which makes for great bird watching. Plus - there are amazing sites to see in this state with the help of a tour guide. We highly recommend Miguel Angel Alvarez Davila (toursdiscoverchiapas@hotmail.com). Miguel is a federally licensed tour guide and uses only licensed tour vans which is very beneficial in getting around and with any interactions with the Federales, etc. He took us on the known "safe" road, which while longer protected us from potential problems. He and his knowledgable crew took our group (Footloose, Paradisea and Sonamara) on a safe and gorgeous adventure. Beware, there are long drives, but worth it!
We first did a day tour to nearby Chocolate Town and Izapa Ruins:
Lunch included the most delicious tamales by Senora Petra
Izapa Ruins are only an hour drive. Miguel is a novice historian with great interest in Maya Culture, so his insights are invaluable.
Then a 5 day tour to Palenque & San Cristobal: 12-hour Drive to Palenque: Here our guides Miguel, Favio, and Lupe explain some Mayan mythology.
Zona Arqueologica, Palenque: Maya city state flourished in 7th Century. goose bumps
Aluxes Wildlife Park, Palenque: Love Birds
Another long drive to the magical, quaint city, San Cristobal de las Casas, about 6500 elevation. Jackets required! Many interesting museums here including Na Balom. Indigenous woman pictured here at Na Balom, selling handmade shawls and blankets.
Santo Domingo Church, San Cristobal:
Last day of the tour included a stop at Cascadas El Chiflon. Here's our group enjoying the hike and scenery!
And Lou (Sonamara) taking the fast way down on a Zip Line!
Fair Winds everyone -
Lisa & Michael
FOOTLOOSE
2) Chiapas, MX - Landtouring
Hello from s/v Paradisea, currently in Marina Chiapas, along with s/v’s Sonamara and Footloose.
Three couples at Palenque
Updating our experience with Miguel of Discovery Tours. He supports Panama Posse (PP) with discounts. He took 6 of us on a 5 day tour to Palenque, including the Aluxes Ecopark (great “zoo” of local, tropical animals, all in a natural setting), San Cristobal, Cascadas El Chiflon - beautiful and has a great zip line. He took the “long” way to avoid the troubled road between San Cristobal and Palenque. He arranged to have a adjunct guide, Fabio, modern van with A/C and reliable driver Manual. And great service and attitude! Also, flexible, informative, always smiling, and happy to be around. Rate was $55/person/day. Hotels and meals extra. Some long driving days, but still, we loved it and highly recommend the use of Miguel by other PP mariners. In addition, separately, he arranged to drive us to Tapachula 2 days later for provisioning, gratis con
propina. A high-quality operation: he has a Mexican Federal Tourist license. And there’s more: he’s a lawyer in Chiapas when not touring!
contact info:
cell phone: 011-52-962-133-6820.
email: toursdiscoverchiapas@hotmail.com.
Capt. Hour in Puerto Madera (across from Marina Chiapas);
Miguel helping us provision at WalMart
Paradisea at Palenque.
Leaving Chiapas on Wed for Bahia del Sol, El Salvador
Bob & Maureen
PARADISEA
3) Northbound Canal Crossing - Shelter Bay Marina, Panama
FishVicious has transited the Panama Canal !!
We used Erik Galvez as recommended by the Panama Posse and received great service. for a great price.
PICTURE OF THE WEEK
WooHoo! We're in Shelter Bay Marina(another PP discount!) now preping for
Portobello, the San Blas Isls., and then Bocas del Toro.
Doug & Nancy
FISH VICIOUS
(note for details and info about the Panama Canal and past reports go to)
http://www.goodnautical.com/poi/panama_canal
4) Papagayo Warriors, Nicaragua & Costa Rica
Sailing the coast of Nicaragua. It took 17 days from Marina Puesta Del Sol to Bahia Elena. Tough, tough days.
No problems other than winds 50+ knots.
We only went ashore once, in Pie de Gigante.
Now we are in Playas de Cocos and loving Costa Rica
Can you guys suggest some good places to stop on the way through Costa Rica?
(note from Alejandro on REBELLIOUS: Playa Muertos on the south side of Ballena )
Hi! Does somebody have a phone or know how to contact a water taxi in Playa Del Coco, Costa Rica?
(note Giovanni +506 8743 5445 and another number is +506 8830 9626 or use your hands and try VHF 10 call for AQUA TAXI )
Also, does the Marina Papagayo still have a Panama Posse discount?
(note from Marty on HAPPY DANCE there is a discount at Marina Papagayo, 3 days for the price of 2; 7 days for the price of 5, etc
Picture by Jon Vipond
Jim & Susy
OCTOPUS GARDEN
5) Tehuantepec, MX Weather tip via email
I use query@saildocs.com
Put anything in the subject line
In the body put
get offpz7
only and you will get all of Mexico,
put
get offpz8
only and you will get all of Central America pacific side, it’s free, fast, and works on my iridium go as well as normal email.
RESULT
The important note is in the body only type get offpz7
, remove all else including signature line
Argan & Gloria
MAI TAI
6) THE ONLY ONE TIME IN US HISTORY
(as far as we know and this is a great trivia question if confirmed)
that the US Federal reserve note bill featured a landmark outside of the US
The back of each 1914 $50 bill shows Panama
to mark the celebration of the completion of the Panama Canal
Info from Jaime Figueroa our official Panama Posse Ambassador in Panama City - stay tuned for more info
7) LINE Position updates - remember weekly Panama Posse LINE CALLS @ 16:00 UTC
MARIAH, LIQUID- La Cruz, MX
JO - Chamela, MX
SEAGLUB - AY CARAMBA ! - SINGULARITY - Tenecatita, MX
VOLARE - Barra de Navidad Lagoon, MX
PROVIDENCIA , SLOW DANCER - Marina Puerto de la Navidad, Barra de Navidad, MX SIMPLE LIFE - Zihuatanejo, MX SIMPLE LIFE -Papanoa, MX anchored at 17 16.1457 N 101 02.78646 W FIGMENT & BLESSED - Vicente's Moorings - Acapulco, MX
SV WINE N DOWN -leaving Chiapas - Northbound
FOOTLOOSE, SONORAMA, PARADISEA - Marina Chiapas, MX
DESTINATION - Land tour in Palenque, Vessel in Chiapas MX
AVANT, RAVEN, MADELEINE - Bahia del Sol, El Salvador All is well aboard Avant as we patiently await parts for our engine’s cooling system.
FLOATING STONES, SHEARWATER, TALIESIN ROSE, COQUETTE - Bahia Santa Elena, -> Playa Cocos, Costa Rica
SPREZZATURA, Marina Pez Vela, Costa Rica
KNOT RIGHT, CARINTHIA, LA MUSTACHE II, INTERLUDE, DAD's DREAM - Vista Mar Marina, Panama
XENIA - Las Perlas, Panama
FISH VICIOUS - Shelter Bay, Panama
get your free app ios android etc at https://line.me/en-US/
- Register using your vessel name as the USERNAME ie SV SEAGLUB
- Next search for panamaposse and befriend us -
- wait and accept your PANAMAPOSSE GROUP INVITE
8) and then there were 92
As of this morning we are a fleet of 92 and that means that we are running out of burgees -
there are only 8 burgees left so if you know of folks who want to register now is the time !
9) WE DON'T SAIL ON A SCHEDULE - yet here are some dates
Bar Crossing Celebrations @ Bahia del Sol, El Salvador (Jan-Apr)
Flor de Caña Rum Tours @ Puesta del Sol, Nicaragua - (Dec-Apr)
Papagayo Survivors Party - it's time ! @ Coconutz , Playa Cocos, CR (Early Feb’19)
Golfito Marina Village an IGY Destination Party @ Golfito, CR (May 1st, ’19)
and the over the top ....
Official Panama Posse Rally Completion Party @ Vista Mar Marina, Panama (May 25th, ’19)
10) Open CPN - for those seeking a backup Navigation system
Visit https://panamaposse.com/open-cpn and follow the instructions
To get your GPS position onto a windows/mac laptop for less than $30 get this unit
GlobalSat BU-353-S4 USB GPS Receiver Amazon Link: http://a.co/d/8RJGxoK
To get your NMEA data into OPENCPN use your systems NMEA out cable and
connect it to this $59 NMEA 0183 out to USB cable (with green led NMEA signal indicator)
https://digitalyachtamerica.com/product/usb-nmea-adaptor/
For creating over 2.7 Gig's of free Satellite Chart-lets
overlay into Open CPN for your voyage up and down the coast
- available from https://www.panamaposse.com/open-cpn a big BIG thank you to
Marc & Laura
LIQUID
11) Good Nautical is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization
All Fleet Update contributors will of course have access to all the shared data
from Mexico - Panama. Fuel docks, Anchorages, Marinas, National Parks, Routes, a.m.o.
Your registration to this season's Panama Posse includes a free 1 year trial membership.
Please reply to this email to get your free login credentials and a quick tutorial.
If you have logged in already here are your maritime area quick links
(bookmark them for quick access)
http://www.goodnautical.com/gma/panama
We are also looking for relevant POI's such as
national parks and
good dive, Kayak or snorkel spots
please contribute some info on them as you find them.
12) this anchorage is a PANAMA POSSE - GEM
http://www.goodnautical.com/costa-rica/anchorage/playa-cativo
details above - and this anchorage is right infront of a top 5 star eco lodge @ $500 night- free to anchor and has a dock
- a great GREAT meal there (call ahead for reservations)
- see blue butterflies
- hear howler monkeys
- pool
- watch big macaws fly by
- next to a wild life rehabilitation center which gives daily tours for a small donation
Picture by Agape
13) Reply to this email with any updates and
pictures we'll include it in the next Fleet Updates
Dietmar & Suzanne
SV Carinthia
14) opt-out from the Fleet Updates simply reply with "REMOVE"
FLEET UPDATE 2019-01-28
1) Marinas which sponsor the Panama Posse
and offer discounts to all participants lives here
https://panamaposse.com/sponsor
- Marina Puerto de La Navidad – Barra de Navidad – Mexico
- Marina Puerto Vallarta, Puerto Vallarta –
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
- Banana Bay Marina – Costa Rica
- Golfito Marina Village an IGY Destination – Costa
Rica - Vista Mar Marina – Panama
- Shelter Bay Marina – Panama
- Red Frog Marina – Panama
2) Winner of the prestigious 2018-2019
PANAMA POSSE SPEEDY GONZALEZ AWARD
LA MUSTACHE II
WELCOME TO PANAMA & Vista Mar Marina !
3) DOC TALK !
Here in Panama there are a lot of vessels prepping for the Puddle
Jump to the Marquesas and luckily one of the vessels is skippered
by a doctor who speaks on all sorts of medical topics on the
local morning net at Vista Mar Marina.
He recently shared with us details about Antibiotics which he
keeps on board and when he would use them.
Keflex/Cephalexin
Boat stores:40 tablets 500 mg
Infections of the skin and periphery-infected cuts, stabs,
thorns, legs and arms.
Dosing: 1 pill every 6 hours till redness gone plus one
day then stop. Also let’s say a penetrating wound or open
wound.
This is the antibiotic to use for prophylaxis.
Levofloxacin
Boat stores:250mg. 20 tabs 2nd line but powerful.
Reason: can be associated with tendon tears, peripheral
nerve and central nerve issues later on.
Pneumonia, severe uti, urogenital infection, kidneys, anthrax,
plague, severe stomach infections, chronic bronchitis
Dosing: for pneumonia or severe infection:750mg once a day.
For Uro 250mg once a day for 3 days. GI issue: 500mg x 3-5
days.
Azithromycin
Boat
stores: 250mg 20 tabs
Acute sinusitis, pneumonia, respiratory infections but also
gonorrhea, chlamydia Lyme disease
Dosing: Always taken same way: 500mg first day, then
250 each day after. Usually for 5 days
Bactrim DS
Boat
stores: 850mg. 40 tabs
Urinary
tract infection, meningitis, salmonella
Penicillin V
Boat stores:500mg. 50 tabs
Pneumonia, strep throat, some skin infections
Dosing: Adults 250-500mg every 6 hrs for 5 days
Kids age 6-teens 250mg every 6 hrs for 5 days
Kids 2-6 125mg every 6 hrs for 5 days
Metronidazole
Boat stores: 500mg 40 tabs
Amoebic disease, Acute appendicitis, guardia,
Doxycycline
Boat stores: 100mg 40 tabs
Pneumonia, respiratory and tick borne diseases
Dosing:1
pill q12 hours 10-14 days and malaria prophylaxis one pill
once a day start one day prior to entering endemic areas and
continue for 4 full weeks afterwards
Augmentin
Boat stores: amoxicillin/clavulanate
500mg/125mg 40 tabs
Sore throats, strep, sinusitis and pneumonia
Dosing: 500mg every 12 or 250mg every 8 hrs
Acute Appendicitis.
Combine the Metronidazole and Levoflaxacin for 10 days using
the standard dosing regime of each respective medic
Doc no longer on call as he is about
to head into the sunset
4) Bahia Potrero, Costa Rica
http://www.goodnautical.com/costa-rica/mooring/costa-rica-sailing-moorings
For those who want to go one bay south
from cocos, bahia Potrero call Jeff Herrman at the Costa Rica
Sailing Club
506 8699 7289 jeff@costaricasailingclub.com
he says
We are working on increasing our moorings now.
Hopefully by the time some of you start to arrive we will be
ready for you.
The whole bay is a pretty great anchorage and one of the best
protected bays in Costa Rica.
Just up around the corner is the start
of the Gulf of Papagayo and it is famous for the winds that
blow December through March.
We get some of that wind but our protection is great and the
sea commonly remains flat without much swell.
He also said he can provide water taxis and watches for your
boat, I have a good friend living ashore for the last six
months and knows him well
The location on shore is 10.44682N 85.77324W, The depth is 15-25’
their rates are $20/night >50’, $15/night<50’, no
scheduled water taxis but be arranged , they do have a night
watch
Argan & Gloria
MAI TAI
5) Pictures of the week from Mexico
Simple Life at Ixtapa Island - photos
taken by Epiphany !
Blessed at anchor in Zihuatanjeo, MX
George & SuzanneEPIPHANY
(note:
taking a picture of a fellow PanamaPosse vessel at sunset,
at anchor or under full sail is guaranteed to increase
your maritime karma)
7) Overheard on the "panamaposse"
LINE this week
AY CARAMABA ! :
Ay Caramba! Is in Tenacatita.
What is a must stop
here?
SEA GLUB:
Must stop
is our bonfire right now on the beach!!
(
64 Panama Posse members are actively chatting 24/7 in this
app even though they are 2500 nm apart )
Weekly
fleet call tomorrow Jan 28th @ 16;00 UTC get it from http://line.me
8) Tenecatita, MX
Woodwind
1 has their burgee
Brian & Tracy
WOODWIND 1
Antipodes
has their burgee
Ian
& Aldo
ANTIPODES
Providencia has their burgee
Peter
& Angel
PROVIDENCIA
9) Reminder on high risk dinghy
and outboard theft areas :
Last season dinghy and outboards
where compromised in the following locations
- please always lock your dinghy and hoist them up and
lock them at night - everywhere - every time !
Las
Hadas Marina, Mexico
http://www.goodnautical.com/mexico-pacific/marina/las-hadas-resort-and-marina
Puerto
Huatulco Anchorage, Mexico
http://www.goodnautical.com/mexico-pacific/anchorage/puerto-huatulco-anchorage
Bahia
Dominicalito, Costa Rica
http://www.goodnautical.com/costa-rica/anchorage/bahia-dominicalito
10) Please reply to
this email with any updates and we'll include
it in the next Fleet Updates
Dietmar & Suzanne
SV Carinthia
11) opt-out from the Fleet Updates simply reply
with "REMOVE"
FLEET UPDATE 2019-01-23
1) Picture of the week / big fish of the week !


We went south for 50 miles from Huatulco and then crossed the Tuhantapec
keeping 30 miles offshore. Dodged lots of turtles. Caught big mahi
Chris & Anne

DESTINATION
2) Longline Alert, MX
Destination just ran into long liners off of Puerto Angel Mx.
15 35.474 N, 096 32.822 W

Chris & Anne

DESTINATION
3) FLEET UPDATES
Vessel Locations as of Jan 23, 2019
Mariah - San Blas
Charly - La Cruz, MX
Seaglub - Tenacatita, MX

Single D - Tenacatita, MX
Firefly - Barra de Navidad, MX
Figment - Barra de Navidad, MX
Blessed - Barra de Navidad, MX
Slow Dancer - Barra de Navidad, MX
JO - Barra de Navidad, MX
Singularity - Barra de Navidad, MX
Blue Oasis - Barra de Navidad, MX
Floating Stones - Chiapas, MX
Mai Tai - Chiapas, MX
Destination - Chiapas, MX
Madeleine - en route to Marina del Sol, El Salvador
Raven - Marina del Sol, El Salvador
Avant - Marina del Sol, El Salvador
Taliesin Rose - Marina Puesta del Sol, Nicaragua
Shearwater - Marina Puesta del Sol, Nicaragua
Harizon - Marina Papagayo, Costa Rica
Sprezzatura - Quepos, Costa Rica
Happy Dance - Puerto Azul Marina, Costa Rica
La Mustache II - En route to Vista Mar Marina, Panama
Carinthia - Vista Mar Marina, Panama (T minus 7 days from generator repair completion and then heading back up to Barra de Navidad, MX)
Knot Right - Vista Mar Marina, Panama
Xenia - Las Perlas, Panama

4) Weather Links from SEAGLUB

https://www.fnmoc.navy.mil/wxmap_cgi/index.html
http://squall.sfsu.edu/crws/jetstream_fcsts.html
https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/experimental/epoffshores/data/WRKOFFPZ8
https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/experimental/epoffshores/data/WRKOFFPZ7
https://www.surfline.com/surf-charts/regional-water-temperature/southern-baja/58581a836630e24c44878fe5#
Then of course there is windy.tv (but use Gusts for wind forecasts) and even just weather.com
Of the links above I believe you can get the NOAA reports via sail mail,
these are the same reports Geary reads on Sonrisa / Amigo nets.
Chris & Monica


SEAGLUB
5) New Anchorage - Golfito, CR
THE OFFICIAL
La Mustache II ANCHORAGE

http://www.goodnautical.com/costa-rica/anchorage/golifito-la-mustache-ii-anchorage
@ 8°37.988N 83°10.440 20' of water. Tide about 6'. No swell.

Finn & May Linn

LA MUSTACHE II
6) Manuel Antonio Park, Costa Rica ( for details and comments follow this link)

http://www.goodnautical.com/costa-rica/anchorage/punta-catedral-manuel-antonio-park

World-famous Manuel Antonio National Park founded in 1972 -
one of the most picturesque anchorages along this route

BUT please follow the rules !
- best to arrive after 4:30 PM as park closes anchor get settled and wait till the next morning to go ashore
- DO NOT ARRIVE ON MONDAYS ( park is closed & rangers are on site !) - DO NOT GO ONSHORE ON MONDAYS ( park is closed & rangers are on site !) - DO NOT GO ASHORE AFTER 5 PM ( park is closed & rangers are on site !)
- monkeys and sloth on the beach(es) - watch out for all the wild animals - don't bring food we saw raccoons get into a bag an grab it and ran off into the jungle - don't feed the animals - $ 8 dollar anchorage fee - $ 16 park fee per person per day
Pay fees online at www.sinoc.go.cr or at the pay station 75 meter from the exit of the park - call +506 8937 - 9657 ask for Roger Murillo tell him you are with the panama posse We anchored near SV Myla's Spot @ 09 22.942 N 084 08.855 W in 11 feet;
The Park ranger hailed us on VHF 16 in Spanish, we arrived on a Friday afternoon around 2.33 PM and told us that we had to pay a park fee and anchorage fee. The park was closing at 4 PM and so due to the safety of the vessel explained that I had no time but would stop by the entrance first thing the the next day and would pay for $16 per person for normal Park daily entrance fee and the one time $8.00 USD anchorage fee.
Had a lovely time at anchor and dropped the dinghy at 7 am as the park opens and we landed it near high tide at 09° 22.8619' N 084° 08.8114' W and locked it up ! We then walked along the beach towards the park trail and main entrance 09°23.4583 N, 084°08.7133 W.
I would not recommend any of these anchorage in any swell over 5 feet because the swell wraps around and can make things pretty rolly. You may need to use a stern anchor if you are a mono hull.
Spoke with Ranger Roger Murillo, you can contact him on his cell at +506 8937 9657; or email roger.murillo@sinac.go.cr , his colleagues speak English. Our recommendation is to arrive at the anchorage after 4:30PM ( everyone is gone ) and you simply go in the next morning and pay.
The Park can take at least a half day to explore, waterfalls, exotic birds, Raccoons, families of Monkeys and of course sloths.
There are many official Park Rangers who can direct you to find your favorite animals.
You can also hire a personal guide for $25 USD. Bring water ( no food ) and your binoculars.
Dietmar & Suzanne
CARINTHIA
7) Live Weather & safety chats every Monday at 16:00 UTC in the Panama Posse LINE Group
Tehuantepec - Papagayos - El Salvador Bar crossing - Punta Mala - a.m.o

https://line.me/R/ti/g/WpxC2m7tNA

8) Open CPN - for those seeking a backup Navigation system on a very cruiser friendly budget
Visit https://panamaposse.com/open-cpn and follow the instructions.
To get your GPS position onto a windows/mac laptop for less than $30 get this unit
GlobalSat BU-353-S4 USB GPS Receiver Amazon Link: http://a.co/d/8RJGxoK
A very big thank you to SV LIQUID ( Marc & Laura ) currently en route to Playa Cocos
for creating over 2.7 Gig's of free Satellite Chart-lets to
overlay into Open CPN for your voyage down the coast
- available from https://www.panamaposse.com/open-cpn
9) Please reply to this email with any updates , suggestions , news - and we'll include it in the next Fleet Updates
Dietmar & Suzanne
CARINTHIA

10) opt-out from the Fleet Updates simply reply with "REMOVE"
FLEET UPDATE 2019-01-19
1) Palenque, MX
Five day trip to Palenque and San Cristobal with Luis Sanchez
Day 1
10 hour drive to Palenque. Beautiful trip, partly through the mountains.
Luis is a very good driver. No difficulties on the road. Spend the evening in Palenque
Day 2
In the morning visit the museum and the Mayan ruins in Palenque, very impressive.
Heard howler monkeys. Nice lunch with grilled mojarra.
Lots of rain in the afternoon during our visit to Misol-Ha waterfall. Spend the night in Palenque.
Day 3
Visit Centro Ecoturistico Cascadas de Aqua Azul with huge waterfalls. Because of the rain aqua is not azul but café. Drive to San Cristobal through Sierra Madre, beautiful trip. Visit Jade Museum and Chocolate Museum. Nice evening with life music in San Cristobal.
Day 4
Visit the indigenous Mayan villages of San Juan Chamula and Zinacantan. In the church we watch Mayan people having their rituals with sjamaans. We visit a woman who shows us how to make tablecloths and embroideries on clothing. Very special. Visit Parque Ecoturistico Grutas de Rancho Nuevo and Amber Museum. Spend the evening in former Zapatista headquarters with life Latin American music.
Day 5
Make a tour by panga through the Canyon de Sumidero. Saw crocodile and spider monkeys.
On our way back to Marina Chiapas we have a nice lunch in Palapa Quetzal.
Luis is a very pleasant guy. Because we were only the two of us, he joined us for all meals. He was very informative about everything and liked to explain about the culture, the food, the politics in Mexico. We knew nothing of this country, so we appreciated this very much. He took us to nice places which were very affordable (hotels, restaurants). Everywhere he met people he knew and we noticed he is very popular. He always checked if we liked what we were doing. As said, he is an excellent driver, which is important because we traveled a lot since distances are long. We really felt safe. It was obvious he was enjoying the tour too.
We can fully recommend this tour. It is worth every penny.
Luis Sanchez
+529622166611luis86same@gmail.com
Huibert & Maikee
MADELEINE
2) PICTURE OF THE WEEK
Slow Dancer showing off the burgee in warm water
Kenneth & Dale
SLOW DANCER
3) Ports of entry & exit info in Costa Rica
These Good Nautical links below will provide you detailed Check-in and Check-out procedures for Costa Rica including exact LAT and LONG for all required offices and past commentary.
If you follow these instructions your total entry and exit fees for Costa Rica will be $ 25-50 and 1/2 days time for each to check in and out
but if you use an agent or marina - expect to pay $500 - 800 for them to do it for you. You can stay up to 90 days following these instructions.
http://www.goodnautical.com/costa-rica/port-of-entry/playas-del-coco
http://www.goodnautical.com/costa-rica/port-of-entry/golfito
4) Watertaxi @ Playa Cocos, Costa Rica - and ALWAYS LOCK YOU VESSEL Water taxi in Playa de Cocos fisherman, Henry and his son, to provide water taxi services,
delivery of water fuel and laundry. He charges 2,000 colones
(His number is +506 8849 1607 Spanish only but his son speaks English and it takes about 30 minutes
if he is not around for him to pick you up.
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.
5) "Get out of the Papagayos" Anchorage - Costa Rica
After the howling Papagayo winds and whipping gusts of Nicaragua and Northern Costa Rica here is a very nice and calm anchorage.
Your first remedy is: Isla Cedros - WAnchorage ⌖ 09° 50.5418´ N, 084° 53.0998´ W ~ 14 feet
A few miles down is a cruiser friendly resort is heaven on earth ...
Droneshot by Apape @ Punta Naranjo Anchorage @ 09° 56.3297 N 084° 57.9058 W
with a dock a nice pool and cold beers -
Brenda & Dietmar in the Pool at Oasis Resort (3,000 colones access fee x day)
Rick & Brenda
DAD'S DREAM
6) The2018-2019 Panama Posse has surpassed last season's posse.
We just hit the 84 vessels milestone !
Thank you to everyone for signing up and participation in this journey.
What a good looking group !
(note: If you do not see yourself in the gorgeous panama posse mosaic please email us your picture)
7) Marina Puerto de la Navidad, Barra de Navidad, MX
Renovations are underway !
We are pleased to inform you that mayor improvements are taking place throughout the resort.
During 2019 we plan to continue with much needed improvements and we will keep you updated as soon as they are completed.
Harbormaster Secundino Alvarez
Marina Puerto de la Navidad https://panamaposse.com/start
8) WEEKLY 2018-2019 PANAMA POSSE FLEET CHECK IN and MORNING NET on MONDAY'S at 16:00 UTC via LINE
It's a new way of doing things - please download and install LINE https://line.me/en-US/
Works on Android / ios / Windows / MAC OS
- Register using your vessel name as the USERNAME ie SV SEAGLUB
- Next search for panamaposse or SV Carinthia or Seaglub and befriend us -
- wait and accept your PANAMAPOSSE GROUP INVITE
Next call on Monday January 21th, 2018 at 16:00 UTC
We have over 59 vessels in LINE and the calls are great and very efficient and SEAGLUB does a full route weather summary !
TIP Use your status to indicate your current location and drop a pin to share your actual location (+) menu in the chat room
9) 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
10) 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
11) Opt-out from Fleet Updates simply reply with "REMOVE"
FLEET UPDATE 2019-01-14
1) Paradisea Anchorage, Marina Chahue, MX PANAMA POSSE NAMING RIGHTS !!! Thanks to Bob from Paradisea we have the location for a new anchorage outside the Marina Chahue and we have aptly named it
the Paradisea Anchorage - so as you need to wait for your weather window to jot across the Tehuantepc to Chiapas - here is the link
http://www.goodnautical.com/mexico-pacific/anchorage/paradisea-anchorage
(note A big thank you from all of those who will follow in your wake)
The Marina Chahue is closed to new sailboats because of flooding.
But, harbormaster Ezekiel is helpful. We dinghy into the marina to dump trash, park dinghy to eat in town. Local worker Tito brought out diesel and LP gas, cleaned bottoms, laundry. Anchorage remains rolly & windy afternoons. No other anchorage with marina access & internet connection ( via Skyroam). Day trips waiting for WX window...limited. Bob
Bob & Maureen
PARADISEA
2) Tangolunda Bay - Toccata Anchorage, MX PANAMA POSSE NAMING RIGHTS !!!
And not to be outdone around the corner is the newly named Tangolunda Bay - Toccata Anchorage
So depending on your needs / wind and swell conditions you now have 2 choices !
(note A big thank you from all of those who will follow in your wake !)
"we anchored in Tongalunda, the bay east of the marina lined with high end resorts. We never went ashore, we did however notice buses and shuttles headed that direction when we were in the marina. The area on the west side was sheltered from the swell when we were there."
Steven & Marilyn
TOCCATA3) Bahia Samara, Costa Rica
Happy Dance is currently anchored in Bahia Samara, and will be sailing to Bahia Ballena in the morning (Sunday the 13th). We are happy, HAPPY to be past the papagayos and enjoying some calm anchorages. After checking in to Costa Rica in Playas del Coco (which was not an easy process for us due to closures), we spent a few days having some boat work done while anchored on the north end of the gusty bay. After finally getting our papers stamped we enjoyed a few peaceful nights anchored off of Playa Iguanita listening to the howler monkeys and the birds. Then we went a few miles south to Playa Guacamaya and really enjoyed it there, walking the long beach, snorkeling, and playing in the water. It felt like we were finally back into cruise mode after fighting winds and gusty anchorages for so long. For those of you heading south, we recommend Guacamaya!
Here's a photo our friends took of Happy Dance in the sunset next to Isla Chora.
http://www.goodnautical.com/costa-rica/anchorage/bahia-guacamaya
Sue & Marty
HAPPY DANCE
4) Punta Cabeza, MX - Acapulco, MX
Punta Cabeza Negra South – 18 35.352 N 103 41.892 W – 35 feet in sand/mud. This anchorage doesn’t offer much other than turning the trip to Z-Wat into a few day trips versus an overnight. Again, great weather conditions but very rolly and I didn’t want to deploy a stern anchor or flopper stoppers in the event we needed to make a quick exit if the weather changed on us because the anchorage was fairly small. Both C-Map and Navionics charts were not accurate at this location.
- Caleta de Campos – 18 04.337 N 102 44.905 W – 35’ in sand. This was a very nice anchorage, both scenic and interesting. We had one other boat with us and this spot could have probably fit another 2 or 3. We didn’t go ashore but there is a small, very active beach town, with what appeared to primarily consist of locals. It would be a great beach to stretch the legs on and probably a pretty easy landing with the dinghy to the north.
- Zihuatenejo – no need to provided anchorage info as it is well covered. This was our first time visiting and we liked the town a lot. Local info can be found on facebook and www.porlosninos.com . We ate at a place called Tentaciones which has fantastic views of the bay and first class food. Set menu and a little pricey but well worth the cost. Probably in the top three restaurants I’ve been to in all of Mexico.
- Playa Escondido – 17 16.073 N 101 03 .357 W – 35 feet in sand. We tried anchoring in the town to the north (2 times / Bahia Papanoa) and in each case we couldn’t get the anchor to set in what appeared to be a rock shelf without anything to catch the hook on so we went around the corner to the southern anchorage and the anchor set hard and fast. This was a great anchorage although a little rolly. We could have deployed a stern anchor or flopper stopper to mitigate this but it was fine enough conditions for the people we had on board. Decided to stay and extra day here as it was a great bay to boogie board, kayak and walk the beach. A number of palapa restaurants, ate at one, nothing to write home about but the setting was fantastic and the beer was cold. Bonus, we had the entire anchorage to ourselves.
- Acapulco – Acapulco Yacht Club docks – this was a very difficult marina to get a hold of prior to arrival and nobody we have met on site speaks any English, so with our limited Spanish it makes it even more difficult to communicate other than face to face with Google Translate. We decided to just show up and if they didn’t have room we’d drop the hook or see if Vincent had a ball that could accommodate our size. I was able to hail them on 16 but due to my limited Spanish, all we understood was gas dock so we went and docked there. It is about 120’ long, and is a fixed concrete dock. The office gal Mary was out of the office so we arranged to stay on the gas dock for the evening without power. The next morning we talked with Mary, checked in (Mary takes care of signing you in and out of the Port also) and moved to a side tie floating dock at a rate of 1.50 per ft plus power and water. Fantastic facility with all the normal yacht club amenities eg restaurant, pool, locker room with showers, spa, tennis court, gift shop and small tienda with a few grocery stores within a couple of miles. We’ve been here a couple of days, saw the divers which was worth the effort to get there, went to Puerto Marques by cab to check out the marina but the office was closed and no one was available to answer any question on rate or availability for transients. Our take away is that this is a great stop over for transiting north or south but we wouldn’t consider it a destination stop.
Our plan is to stay at the YC until tomorrow, move to the Puerto Marques anchorage, then head south to the Huatulco area on Monday via overnight trip in order to catch a T-Pec window currently forecast for this coming Friday/Saturday. FYI – the zip line in Puerto Marques is so high there is zero chance that even the largest sailboat would have to worry about striking it and we hope to see a few people cross when we are over there because none of us are brave enough to try it ourselves!
Cheers,
FLOATING STONES
Bryan & Cheryl
(note - Bryan's excellent reports have been added to Good Nautical and are now geo referenced accordingly)
http://www.goodnautical.com/mexico-pacific/anchorage/punta-cabeza-negra-south
5) Near Acapulco, MX
PICTURE OF THE WEEK
"Schooner Winds of the World finally escaped from Barra de Navidad!! Crew members Mike Talotta and Curtis Davies are a great help.Had good sailing conditions to
Ixtapa with the typical light winds at night and in the morning; a bit blistery during afternoon and evening. We plan to continue on the 17th to Huatulco, with a brief afternoon stopover in Puerto Marques (Acapulco)"
Dan, Mike & Curtis
WINDS OF THE WORLD
6) THE BURGEES ARE FLYING
YOSHAN has their burgee !!!
BANDIT has their burgee
7) Pie del Gigante, Nicaragua
Safely anchored in Pie de Gigante. We got up at 4:30. It was blowing about 10 knots. No real gusts.
We were up anchor and going by 5. Out of the bay and down the coast 10 miles. We saw some gusts but short lived.
We have observed it’s often calmest from about 4 am to 8:30 am.
That is our best window for this windy windy Place !
Also often calm around sunset
Jim & Suzy
OCTUPUS GARDEN
8) Puerto Quetzal -GUATEMALA - UPDATE
Has any one have comments on Puerto Quetzal- Guatemala ?
(note from Carinthia
~ 500 usd + to clear in and only stop in Guatemala so most of us have cruised on by or
visited Mayan sites from Chiapas Mx. If you do go we'd love a detailed report .
Marina Pez Vela email is edonis02@gmail.com vhf 71 to clear in and out)
(note from RAVEN
You can get a Anclaje Permiso for around $100, but no shore landings are permitted. Really only worth it in cases of fatigue or emergency)
Argan & Gloria
MAI THAI
9) FLEET POSITION UPDATES
as of Mon Jan 14th 2019 from our weekly LINE call at 16:00 UTC
CHARLY - anchored at La Cruz, MX
SLOW DANCER - Tenecatita, MX SINGLE D - Barra de Navidad, MX
FIGMENT - Barra de Navidad, MX
...when you've a chance would really like to know your routing. Bahia del Sol to Gulf of Fonseca then SE or direct or ???
Answer by Sprezzatura
From Bahia Del Sol went straight across to Puesta del Sol. Pretty rough out from Fonseca. Took a ($$ costly) one day break in Puesta del Sol and would only stop if you need the break or want to stay for some time to explore NIC or leave boat for some time.
Then did a foot on the beach to B Santa Elena. Mostly pretty easy but last 8 hours pretty tough again. Santa Elena , Costa Rica was a fantastic anchorage.
FIREFLY - Barra de Navidad, MX
LIQUID - Barra de Navidad, MX
SEA GLUB - Barra de Navidad, MX but heading to the anchorages nearby tomorrow for a few weeks
DESTINATION - departing - Barra de Navidad, MX fro Ixtapa
JASINA - Zihuatanejo, MX
NILAYA - Zihuatanejo, MX
MAI TAI - 4 hours before arriving at Acapulco, club de Yates - I am heading to Huatulco Sunday for the crossing, what was the date of your pin drop I assume is the bay where the marina is? In navigating the tpeck what was your guidance on distance from shore, like did you stay 3 mi off or 1 mi off or always in 10’ of water or 100’ of water and how close did you get to Salina Cruz and what obstacles should I be aware of
(note check Carinthia's 2018 route in Good Nautical
double click anywhere to get LAT & LONG for WAYPOINTS
http://www.goodnautical.com/route/marina-chahue-marina-chiapas-gulf-tehuantepec
FLOATING STONES - en route to Huatulco, MX
MADELEINE - back in marina Chiapas, MX after a fantastisch 5 day tour with Luis to Palenque and San Cristobal
PARADISEA - Chiapas, MX
AVANT - Bahia del Sol, El Salvador
RAVEN - Bahia del Sol, El Salvador
TOCCATA - Bahia del Sol, El Salvador
FREE SPIRIT - San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua
SPREZZATURA - Playa de Cocos, Costa Rica
HAPPY DANCE - Bahia Ballena, Costa Rica
CARINTHIA - Vista Mar Marina, Panama
SEA GLASS - Vista Mar Marina, Panama
KNOT RIGHT - Vista Mar Marina, Panama
DAD'S DREAM - Vista Mar Marina, Panama
10) The Panama Posse is now 83 vessels strong and growing
and on the move with 7 flag states flying the Panama Posse burgee !
we had 83 last year by MAY so we are well on our way to our goal of 100
11) WEEKLY 2018-2019 PANAMA POSSE FLEET CHECK IN and MORNING NET on MONDAY'S at 16:00 UTC via LINE
We have over 57+ vessels in LINE and the calls are great and very efficient and the Chatroom is open 24/7
It's a new way of doing things - please download and install LINE https://line.me/en-US/
Works on Android / ios / Windows / MAC OS
How to use it ....
- Register using your vessel name as the USERNAME ie SV SEAGLUB
- Search for panamaposse or SV Carinthia or Seaglub and befriend us -
- wait and accept your PANAMAPOSSE GROUP INVITE
- join the group chat - it's awesome !
12) Please reply to this email with ... anything really
- 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
13) Keep em 'coming
- we are currently dog sitting OPAL from Secret Water - T minus 3 days for generator FIX
Dietmar & Suzanne
CARINTHIA
14) opt-out from the Fleet Updates simply reply with "REMOVE"
FLEET UPDATE 2019-01-06
1) Costalegre, MX
Chamela, December 23, 2018. Anchored at 19 35. 081 N
& 105 07. 885 W in twenty feet. A small amount or roll
during a S. W. swell.
Tenacatita, December 26, 2018. Anchored at 19 18. 072 N
& 104 50. 086 W. in twenty five feet. Good holding, slightly
rolly. About 26 boats there but a large anchorage with much
room.
Santiago, December 29, 2018. Anchored at 19 06. 597 N
& 104 23. 673 W. This was just West of the wreck noted in
the cruising guide. There is a 2nd wreck marked by buoys just
South and East of the listed wreck. A large well protected
anchorage, good holding, very little swell but would not
recommend entering this anchorage in bad visibility conditions.
A large amount of tourists in a variety of Personal Water
Crafts.
Manzanillo, December 30, 2018, Anchored at Las Hadas
anchorage, 19 06. 131 N & 104 20. 695W in 15 feet. Good
holding, very little swell. The cruising Guide advised we could
dinghy into the marina and tie up at the dinghy dock. We did so
but the charge to do this is 250 pesos. We went ashore one night
using a mix of bus and taxi. Both very affordable. On page 166
of the crushing guide they have a photo of the Bar Social which
looked interesting. After a long search we found it had closed
up about four years ago. There are many small boats here pulling
water skiers along with a lot of tourists on jet skis making the
anchorage a little rough and loud. That's all we have for now.
Jim & Laura
NILAYA
2) Tehuantepec, MX
We had a very good trip crossing the Gulf of Tehuantepec. In
the last night, 1/1, we anchored out just along the shore. It
was a beautiful evening, quiet weather. We enjoyed it very much.
We did not want to enter Chiapas in the dark. Anchored at 14
59.97 N 92 47.82 W in 8.1 m depth, good holding in sand.
Near La Encrucyado. Next morning fishermen came to check if we
had problems! Very attentive.
As soon as Rolf from the marina heard us calling the port
captain on the VHF to ask permission to enter the harbor, he
called us on the VHF and said he had a slip waiting for us and
men on the dock to take our lines. The day before we had sent
Memo an email to tell him we were on our way to his marina. We
felt very welcome! Same night we met Luis and today we did the
Chocolate tour with him. We like him and he is very
enthusiastic. So we arranged the 5day Palenque tour with him for
next week, very much looking forward to that! We are enjoying
Mexico very much and the Posse really ads to it, because of all
the information and the back up.
Thanks for that! Kind regards,
Huib & Maaike
MADELEINE
3) LINE updates & Check ins !
Weekly PanamaPosse group call on Mondays at 16:00 UTC
and the chatroom is open 24/7
Sirena - Tenecatita, MX
Mai Tai - Barra de Navidad, MX
Sea Glub - Barra de Navidad, MX
Sans Cles - Zihuatanejo, MX
Wine n Down - Chiapas, MX
Madeleine - Chiapas, MX
Coquette - Bahia Del Sol, El Salvador
Sprezzatura - Bahia Del Sol, El Salvador
Xenia - Las Perlas, El Salvador
Carinthia - Vista Mar Marina, Panama
Knot Right - Vista Mar Marina, Panama
4) Medical / Vaccinations
Jan & I met with an infectious disease specialist in early Dec
at the Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans to address
vaccination needs related to our travels. Bottom line – no Yellow
Fever in the parts of Panama and CR that we plan to visit -coastal
areas and San Blas. The guidance document provided for Panama
Yellow Fever says: Vaccination “recommended for travelers aged
>= 9 months; all mainland areas east of the Canal Zone.
Transmission does not occur on the San Blas Islands, but it is
necessary to transit areas with known transmission risk en route
to the islands. Daytime insect precautions are essential for
unvaccinated travelers.” I take that to presume travel by land to
San Blas. The document further says, “Not recommended: itineraries
limited to Panama City, the Canal Zone, areas west of the Canal
Zone (see map) or the Pearl Islands.” I presume (with all
associated risks) that YF west of the Canal Zone would likely
extend into CR.
For what it is worth – we were advised to use anti-Malarial meds
during our planned visit to San Blas Islands. I can provide the
document citations if anyone is interested.
FIGMENT
Don & Jan
(note: each country's requirement and relevant
statistics has been diligently compiled for review on
the official Panama Posse website by Tammy from SV
RAVEN )
https://panamaposse.com/mexico
https://panamaposse.com/guatemala
https://panamaposse.com/el-salvador
https://panamaposse.com/honduras
https://panamaposse.com/nicaragua
https://panamaposse.com/costa-rica
https://panamaposse.com/panama
5) Oaxaca, MX
Music festivals in Guerrero, Oaxaca - source
mexiconewsdaily.com
Tequila Blues Explosion is in
Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo and Blues on the Beach is in Huatulco
It will soon be festival time in two
Pacific coast resort destinations, both of which will
celebrate blues and other music.
The second annual Tequila Blues Explosion Festival
returns to Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo after a successful start
in January last year.
The festival’s purpose is to build community and provide a
world-class experience for tourists, visitors and locals
alike.
This year, the festival will be a fundraising event for the
Talita Cumi orphanage near Zihuatanejo by helping to give them
better facilities to enable them to serve more children.
A lineup of performers from Canada, the United States and
Mexico, including two local bands, will present blues,
blues-rock, jazz and reggae at the three-day festival, which
kicks off January 10 with concerts at the Ixtapa Event
Center.
A Blues Brothers Tribute Show kicks things off on the first
day, bringing two hours of soul, rhythm and blues and blues
music and comedy all based on the 1980 cult status movie The
Blues Brothers.
To close off the weekend, the festival will present the Blues
Kruise 4Kids Blues At Sea fundraising cruise on the catamaran
Picante on Sunday, with festival performers
entertaining on board and all-inclusive food and beverages.
Farther south, Blues On The Beach returns to Huatulco,
Oaxaca, for its ninth year with concerts on January 17
and February 14.
Dawn Tyler Watson, dubbed Montreal’s “Queen of the Blues,” and
Toronto harmonica player David Rotundo are the headliners at
the January show; Rotundo will return with harmonica legend
Lee Oskar for the second event.
Like last year, both shows will be held at Chahue beach but at
a new, larger venue called the Sea Soul beach club.
The festival is a fundraiser for Un Nuevo Amanecer (UNA), a
charity that helps disabled children.
The organization receives little government funding and most
families of the 100 children who benefit can ill afford to pay
for the help they receive.
Rob & Debra
AVANAT
6) Electricity - tech request - please reply
Here in Mexico we often see wide differences in voltage when in
the marinas.
Currently the marina we're in regularly has voltage in the
range of 135-138.
What are some ways we can protect the boat from this ?
Are there devices we can buy to diffuse the voltage somewhat
before entering the boat ?
SEAGLUB Chris, Monica & Penny
( note: http://www.electrical-installation.org/enwiki/Connection_of_Surge_Protection_Device
)
7) Acapulco, MX
A large fire at the yacht club in Acapulco, Mexico broke
out on Saturday (Dec 29, 2018) morning, injuring two men with
second- and third-degree burns.
Authorities say that both men, who were also bruised in the
incident, are being treated at a local hospital.
A statement from the Secretary of Civil Protection for Guerrero
revealed that the fire, which started at 8 a.m. local time was
caused when fuel sparked after one of the boats refueled without
turning on their blowers - The fire then spread to a
neighboring boat and a fuel pump.
(note - Diesel pump was not affected and things a are
cleaned up as of Jan 3rd, 2019 )
8) Herradura Bay, Costa Rica
- Marine Electronics - propane info from last season
Carinthia met with CR Marine Supply - nice chandlery
walk-able from the bus stop
Kensy Chaves +506 2637 7419 Ocean Plaza 50m North of los Suenos
kensey.chaves@grupomontecristo.com
International Marine Electronics - Kerry Monteleone can get
parts from Florida - +506 6011 - 2300 email: international.me.cr@gmail.com
. Bus stop at 09 38.873 N 084 39.3760 W where you will hang
out for bus to Jaco ( 240 colones )
- or up the street to the auto supermercado and Laundry lady
- visit the local bar with a new Jersey bartender
and get propane picked up and delivered by this guy !
Jaco Gas and he will meet you at the Bus off the main beach
stop and fill your tanks ( takes ~ 3 days ) call +506 2637 6161
2 tanks for 8000 Colones
note - USE A STERN ANCHOR in HERRADURA BAY -
point the bow of your vessel SW - SSW - lot's of swell here.
Rick & Brenda
DAD'S DREAM
9) Additional long term planning dates
Mayan Adventures & Pot Lucks
Marina Chiapas MX (Dec-Apr)
Bar Crossing Celebrations
Bahia del Sol, El Salvador
(Dec-Apr)
Flor de Caña Rum Tours
Puesta del Sol, Nicaragua - (Dec-Apr)
Papagayo Survivors Party
Coconutz , Playa Cocos, CR (Early Feb’19)
Golfito Marina Village an IGY Destination Golfito,
Costa Rica May 1st ’19)
Rally Completion Award Event
Vista Mar Panama (mid May’19)
Suzanne toasting @ Golfito Marina Village an
IGY Destination – Costa Rica
10) FREE GOOD NAUTICAL MEMBERSHIP
All of last season's knowledge and fleet updates have been
compiled into
Good Nautical the official 501(c)3 non-profit umbrella
organization.
All Fleet Update contributors will of course
have access to all the shared data from Mexico
through Panama.
Fuel docks, Anchorages, Marinas, National Parks, Routes,
a.m.o.
Please email us to get your free login
credentials and tutorial.
11) PANAMA POSSE HOWLER MONKEY MARKETING and
PROMOTIONPlease help us promote the Panama Posse with sailors,
marinas, yachtclubs and chandleries
- if you are currently near a marina please print out this PDF
in color and post it on the wall.
For extra fun (we did this last year) print it out and take a
selfie with it on your vessel !
http://route.panamaposse.com/artwork/NOTICE_OF_A_RALLY_l.pdf
The Official Panama Posse Press Release - please forward it to
your contacts and friends in the media
https://panamaposse.com/for-immediate-release-2018
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
Dietmar & Suzanne
SV Carinthia
13) opt-out from the Fleet Updates simply reply
with "REMOVE"
FLEET UPDATE 2019-01-01
1) Puerto Pedregral, Panama
We entered Panama in Puerto Pedregal. We crossed the bar at high tide Friday morning 28-Dec at Boca de San Pedro. Using the Navionics charts in my e95 Raymarine, we slowly maneuvered the winding river for almost 2 hours. Not something that I enjoyed. When we located the Port Captain, he was very helpful. But without someone who speaks more than passable Spanish, I would be here for another 5 days. First and foremost he indicated we did not notify him of our arrival 48 hours in advance, we can be fined $1,000 each. But he would not do that to us this time. He gave us his email to send that information retroactively, so he would have it in case someone else asked him for it (hmm). moises.rios@amp.gob.pa The customs office is one block away, the agent there was in the US for many years. He doesn’t have much to do there, so he was very helpful and talkative. We needed to get a Sim card, and he drove us to the Mercado. Immigration came (probably from the airport in David) and his process was extremely easy, he meet us in the Customs office. Also the Health department meet us there. It was just myself and Geri, my Spanish speaking crew member. All of this great service was because of the Port Captain making some phone calls. We showed up in the morning and wanted to leave by high tide that night. He did roll his eyes when we mentioned two dogs. The greased wheels came to a halt when we needed to get the cruising permit. It was now noon, we were told to come back at 2 because the gentlemen was not there, when we returned, there was a line waiting for him and he still wasn’t there. It was 3:30 before we were done. Total fees for Health, Immigration, customs and cruising permit for the 4 of us was $307 ($185 for the annual permit). All in all, this was better than expected for the last business day of the year. Since we did not want to traverse that river again and the bar crossing at night, we are staying overnight until the morning tide. Wish us luck. BTW, for the dogs, we had a copy of the Panamian request for home quarantine, and an email to the appropriate Panaimaian department three days earlier of the same document. We also had an international health certificate from the States, their rabies certifications, and more Vet certifications from Mexico and El Salvador. They took a copy of each and did not give us anything in return. When asked, they said, you have all of the proper documentation you need for them. ---
Walt & Jeariene
KNOT RIGHT
(note - please always save your tracks in and out and share them in any format- for future review with dietmar@goodnautical.com )
2) Barra de Navidad, MX
Schooner Winds of the Worlds may be leaving Barre de Navidad, January 5th to head for Acapulco, from there continue around January 16 to Puerto Escondido and Chiapas at the end of the month.This is all assuming that crews show up and stay the course; that has been a struggle.Are you familiar with Marina Cabo Marques in Acapulco?
Thanks, Happy New Year.
Dan
WINDS OF THE WORLD3) Panama Posse Christmas, Holiday and New Years
Norwegian New Year's eve preparation
Finn & May Linn
LA MUSTACHE II
4) Bahia del Sol, El Salvador
Wine n Down heading in over the Bar to enter the El Salvador Rally party grounds. It's like hotel California in there and very hard to leave ...
Steve & Keri
WINE N DOWN
5) Below are some of the more intriguing New Years eve rituals from PANAMA
Eat 12 grapes at midnight as you eat each one, make a wish. 12 wishes for the New Year.
They also say that the grapes will predict how your year will be.
For instance, if your 2nd grape is sour, then February will be a bad month.
But if you get a sweet grape, that month will be a sweet experience. Spit out the grape seeds and count the number of seeds.
You use the number of discarded seeds to determine your lucky lottery numbers.
The lottery is very popular in Panama.
Burn a “stuffed man” in effigy at midnight the traditions is that of the Muñecos.
These life sized effigies are an old Panamanian tradition Muñecos or Judas Dolls
They are then stuffed with firecrackers and are lit and beaten at the stroke of midnight.
According to folklore, by beating and setting the effigies aflame, the sins and evil spirits of the old year are destroyed.
Making way for good fortune in the new year. The fire crackers are said to help drive the evil forces away, since ghosts are afraid of light and noise.
The Muñecos are usually made to look like well-known politicians or movie stars from the outgoing year....
6) Puerto Vallarta, MX
Hello All, I have a close friend/cruiser that recently had a heart attack while in Puerto Vallarta. His 42 Beneteau "Set Me Free" is still there. It has ended his cruising career so I have offered to move his boat back to San Diego where he will sell it. I hope to sail around Feb. 1 and of course, weather dependent, will bash north. If anybody is interested in helping let me know. ( captainstrickley@yahoo.com )
Otherwise have a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
DAD’S DREAM
Rick & Brenda
7) Where is the 2018-2019 Panama Posse Fleet as of Jan 1 2019 ? ( to check in use your status message in LINE ) Mariah - La Paz, MX
Slow Dancer- Marina Vallarta
Nilaya - Manzanillo / Barra
Mai Tai - Tenecatita anchorage 26’ 19 18.121N 104 50.156W 28 boats here
Sea Glub - Barra - with MANY Pananam Posse Vessels
Simple Life - Ixtapa, MX
Epiphany anchored in Zihuatanejo MX at N17 38.2 W101 33.3 in 18'
Madeleine - TPec crossing en route to Chipas, MX
Sprezzatura - Marina Chiapas, MX
Coquette - Between Chiapas and Bahia del Sol El Salvador
La Mustache II - left Huatulco for Chiapas
Wine N Down - Bahia del Sol EL Salvador Toccata -Bahia del Sol, El Salvador Avant - Bahia del Sol, El Salvador
Shearwater - Amapala, Honduras
Octopus Garden - Marina Puesta el Sol, Nicaragua
Knot Right - Vista Mar Marina, Panama Dad's Dream - Vista Mar Marina, Panama Carinthia - Vista Mar Marina, Panama - waiting for genset repair to start
Secret Water - Vista Mar Marina, Panama
8) Approaching the Entrance of Bahia del Sol - El Salvador
As the southern swells start to build in late winter and approach this coastline they can break heavily on the shores. Approaching from the sea, the channel is not visible. The sight of the breaking waves can be intimidating; however there is a channel which is about 10 to 12 feet deep at high tide.
Do not try to cross this bar without a guide. The bar shifts often and local knowledge is required for a successful transit. Also there are two channels that can be used depending on the swell direction. Notify the rally in advance of your arrival. Call “Bill And Jean” on VHF 16 about 3 miles out from the approach waypoint and they will advise you if the conditions are safe and the time when high tide occurs
(about +40 minutes from the La Libertad tide station; try free WXTide32 http://wxtide32.com - doesn’t work on Windows Vista).
Try to time your arrival with calm swells. Sometimes the entrance is so calm boats have entered under sail. Other times...
Reminder to boats in Chiapas coming to Bahia del Sol. Check in with Bill & Jean in El Salvador in advance. He may ask you to bring down from Mexico (paid cargo, not a a gift). He will give you valuable information on when to arrive and will arrange the pilot for the bar, customs an immigration for your arrival, and inform you of expected conditions for the crossing. Contact via email elsalvadorrally@aol.com .
Rob & Debra
AVANT
9) Pictures of the Week - SHEARWATER
Volcano Cauldron- Santa Ana - El Salvador
Amapala - Honduras
Pati & Eric SHEARWATER
10) Marina Chiapas, Mexico
Beautiful marina, nice, helpful Manager and personnel. Fantastic restaurant that was packed for late Sunday brunch.
Would not recommend coming in to Marina in dark. Channel marking lights are inadequate. Be prepared for lots of Government attention for checking in immediately when you tie up. All very courteous and professional including the dog brought on board looking for the usual and stowaways.
Intel update. Luis was a driver for a transportation company owned by Miguel who arranged for Dietmar’s van excursion last year. Luis joined another tour company that doesn’t have federally licensed vehicles and federally licensed drivers. And Luis charges more. I just spent 2 hours with Miguel (after spending 5 hours with Luis 2 days ago) and recommend using Miguel. +52 (962) 133 6820
toursdiscioverchiapas@hotmail.com
No problems with Luis, I just think Miguel is better.
There is a John Deere tractor dealer in town that has JD oil, antifreeze and diesel fuel lubricity additive needed for older Diesel engines.
Heading to Palenque and San Cristóbal for the week with Miguel transport there and return $90/2 people each way. Bus is about $30/person.
Leaving in one week for El Salvador.
Eric
SPREZZATURA
11) Security Update - Chiapas, Mexico
Thieves attack tourists traveling by bus in state of Chiapas
Six armed men stopped the vehicle and stole passengers' belongings
Friday, December 28, 2018
A bus carrying tourists from Puebla was attacked by thieves yesterday in Chiapas.
Police said the bus was traveling on the Ocosingo-Palenque highway when six balaclava-clad individuals carrying firearms forced it to stop.
Four of them boarded the bus and began shattering windows and threatening the passengers with their guns.
They took their phones, cameras and cash and fled the scene.
The tourists reported the theft upon their arrival in San Cristóbal de las Casas.
They had planned to spend three days traveling around the state but changed their mind after the incident, cutting their trip short and heading back home.
The highway is known for such attacks. Tour companies began traveling in convoys during Holy Week last year after 25 German tourists and their guides were robbed.
(note from Carinthia Last season we went on that road and got "stopped" by what seemed liked the entire local town with our tourguide luis swating bullets. All cars and tour buses going through this lawless town are forced to stop - a gate keeper puts down a traffic cone - and in this one small town - we "donated" 20 USD x person and all was fine - it's considered a road tax and pays for safe passage - this area is not run by the MX govt or local or federal police - so they use a road tax to fund their local needs. Sort of a Robin Hood situation - pleasant - as long as you are pleasant ... big tour buses small cars all pay a tax - my buest guess is someone om that tour bus did not want to pay that tax and things escalated ..)
(note from Octopus Garden: That’s very common in Chiapas, but’s it’s matter of luck, we didn’t have any issues. Tapachula, where the marina is, i would say is ok to go shopping.)
Chris & Monica
SEAGLUB
12) HIP HIP HOORAY
the Panama Posse Fleet is at 76 vessels and 8 Flag States
13) WEEKLY 2018-2019 PANAMA POSSE FLEET CHECK IN and MORNING NET on MONDAY'S at 16:00 UTC via LINE
Please download and install LINE https://line.me/en-US/
Works on Android / ios / Windows / MAC OS
- Register using your vessel name as the USERNAME ie MY CROSSROADS
- Next search for panamaposse and befriend us -
- wait and accept your PANAMAPOSSE GROUP INVITE
Connect every Monday at 16:00 UTC and send us your position via the message
system and listen to the vessel check ins (all free as long you have IP connectivity
which we now know is pretty much all along the coast)
The LINE system allows for up to 200 live conference call participants.
14) 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
HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!
Dietmar & Suzanne
SV Carinthia
15) opt-out from the Fleet Updates simply reply with "REMOVE"