1) Zihuatanejo, MX

We had a great time in Zihuatenejo but are itching to spend time in Huatulco and Chiapas so chugging south. 
Mid-cruise to Acapulco today with ETA of 17:30 and mooring with Vicente.
Saw two humpbacks breach then we cruised along with them until they took a deep dive.
Some porpoise too. 5k wind, dead calm sea, 29.5C, clear skies. Beautiful!!


Happy
      BIrthday


Eric & new Crew Kim

Eric

SPREZZATURA




2)  Acapulco, MX
Meet Vicente and his sons – our Panama Posse man in Acapulco –
Vicente Herrera, phone +52 (1) 744-439-8184.
Moorings near  16° 50.4735 N 99° 54.3468 W

VICENTE

Approach

Approaxch
Eric

SPREZZATURA Eric & Kim

3) Bahias de Huatulco National Park, MX
The national park of Oaxaca, Mexico ~ 30,000 acres.

There are 9,000 species of plants (about 50% of the species are reported throughout Mexico) in the forest and mangroves on the coast. 

264 animals species, which includes armadillos and white-tailed deer
701 Bird species including hummingbirds, pelicans and hawks
470 reptile include the Black Iguana, salamanders and snakes

Huatulco
        National Park
National
        Park Byas and Dive Sites

Dolphins, whales and turtles are sighted species off the coast line, out of the identified 100 amphibian species.
Vegetation is dominated by the low forest growth with high trees.

Anchorages

Lot’s to discover – details for these anchorages in goodnautical.com

Y tu mama
      Tambien

As a side note for you movie buffs – Bahia  Cacaluta (15°43.3053′ N  096° 09.8316′ W) 
was the filming location for the “secret” beach scenes from the award-winning Mexican cult flick
“Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN”  -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Qg6n7V3kO4

4) ACAPULCO – MX

CLiff
      divers

I think Vicente was very disappointed when we left for the marina. He was very friendly and willing to take us ashore, but we really did not want to have to call him every time we wanted to go ashore. And we do not have toilet facilities on board which last longer than a few days. We have a pro forma very small waste tank. And I wanted to wash the boat. From capt Pats Guide you might get the impression that Marina Performance really is the best to go. But the slips are med mooring right on the street. Not a nice environment, busy and air pollution. We tried to dock the dinghy there and we could, but at a fee of MXN 190 per hour. In the Yacht Club we waited endlessly for the harbormaster and then left. Marina Acapulco, where we are now, is under construction and will become nice. Much space. Toilet facilities are now in the cantina for the personnel, clean, but 1 shower and toilet for men and 1 for women. Closed at night. Water not potable. Wifi is bad, you have to be in the harbormasters office to be able to connect. But it is directly on the main Avenue Aleman. Supermarket is across the street, Superama, very good. Capt Pat speaks about swimming pool and laundry in the marina, but no. Laundry is not very far away and cheap, though. We are here for convenience and have a nice place alongside, at the bay. Clamps on the pontoons are not spaced very well, so when the wind picks up in the afternoon you have quite a job to tie up well. Sometimes across the pontoon. People are very friendly, relaxed atmosphere. For us, 42ft, it is 50 USD per night. Mentioned the Posse and showed him the burgee. We left Zihua earlier then we planned. We never realized that there are no dinghydocks in Mexico. We traveled quite a bit and everywhere there was a dock, sometimes in bad shape, but it was there. We have a hard bottom dinghy, so not very light. Good for rough water. In Zihua we had to bring in on the beach, helped by fishermen. I had back surgery a few months ago and Huib has attacks of cardiac arrhythmias every now and then. Next day my back was really hurting and Huib had an attack. So you can imagine how reluctant we are for this kind of exercise. I will send you pictures from the laptop. I think we will leave one of these days and not be in Acapulco for Christmas. We have seen the sightings and move on. Keep you informed,

Huibert
Maaike

Huibert & Maaike

MADELEINE

(n
ote on availability of dinghy docks – there are very few dinghy docks in Nicaragua – Costa Rica and Panama due to the increasing tidal range so be prepared to haul your dinghy up and down the beaches as a quick fix you can use 2 wheel barrel wheels and rig a temporary attachment to your dinghies transom)


5)  Panama Posse Safety Alert

Please, please, please always hoist your dinghy up and lock it at night !

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 coated wire – see a sample lock below.

Lock

6) HIP HIP HOORAY
the Panama Posse Fleet is at 72 vessels and 8 Flag States

USA
Canada
UK
France
Germany
NOrway
Holland
Costa
      Rica
BUrgee

7) Isla Tigre, Honduras

We visited Isla Tigre, Amapala, in Honduras, in the Gulf of Fonseca.
We stayed a week and had a great time. Good food, safe, dinghy security by Hector.
Free check in and out. ATM and Latin market style shopping. Highly recommend this stop
Please note – no fuel, no services, little to no repair options

Tigre 1

PICTURE OF THE WEEK

Anchorage

View from the Check-in Anchorage

Tigre

Playa Grande

Tigre 1


This is the ferry to the mainland

Anchorage
http://www.goodnautical.com/honduras/anchorage/isla-del-tigre-w-playa-grande
Anchorage
http://www.goodnautical.com/honduras/anchorage/isla-el-tigre-n-amapala
Jim
Susy


Jim & Susy

OCTOPUS GARDEN

8) Bahia del Sol – El Savador

FishVicious

Fish Vicious arrived from Chiapas yesterday. They will spend Christmas with Bill & Jean.

El
      Salvador Beer
Doug
Nancy


Doug & Nancy

FISH VICIOUS 

Line
Line

9) WEEKLY 2018-2019 PANAMA POSSE FLEET CHECK IN and MORNING NET on MONDAY’S at 16:00 UTC via LINE
We have been testing a new “LINE” tool for weekly vessel check ins and GROUP calls –
last years SSB check-ins had several draw backs due to propagation -so we have done some testing and came up with something pretty nifty …

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 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.

11) Panama Posse 2018-2019 Burgees are being hoisted – thank you Chris from Seaglub and Michael Footloose for the latest deliveries

Tag
COQUETTE
PANAMA
        POSSE
Tappan
        Zee

Panama Posse TAG @ ANY Restaurant in Zihuatenjo ( that’s BIG )



COQUETTE has the Burgee


MALAKAI has the Burgee !

Kathleen

Tappan Zee has the Burgee


Kathleen with the Burgee

TOP
        CIDER

TOP CIDER – about to hoist the Burgee

Sirena



SIRENA has the Burgee

Suzanne
Dietmar


10) Please reply to this email with any updates – holiday decorations –
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

Happy 30th pearl wedding anniversary to my wife Suzanne – a true saint !

Panama Posse BUrgee


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