San Diego through the Panama Canal and beyond s a

[Carlson-jet]

Wow, I got chills up my spine reading your post stoker. You did good trusting your gut. I just saw this the other night and although it was a long time ago, Who knows what people are thinking.
Loved this thread and thanks for taking the time to post the experience.

 

[stoker]

We were told when entering Panama it is a good idea to check into the country as soon as possible. So with that in mind we decided we would take an adventure up the Pedgral river and check in at the city of David. The entrance to this river from the pacific was another tricky task due to all the breakers around the entrance but after studying it for a bit we made it in.

Not a whole lot around as far as civilization but a really cool river none the less. We were running short on daylight so we found a really cool deep water river off the Pedgral to anchor for the night.

Up till this point my charts have been pretty accurate for the most part. While running up this river my plotter would show our boat on shore when in fact we were in the middle of the river. To compensate for this I would see where the magenta line was on the plotter and then eyeball as to weather or not I should be on one side or the other of center. If the plotter didn’t have a magenta line I would base my course on water depth. The depths shown on charts and plotters are depths at low tide. Also up till this point I didn’t pay much attention to tide variations because I was used to the high and low tides being 3-5 feet.

We woke up early the next morning, pulled anchor and started our way further up river. I was following water depths on the plotter and they were pretty much accurate showing that I have 16 foot depths which did correspond with my depth finder. All of the sudden the boat stopped and the depth finder was reading 0. We were grounded. Now because the boat travels so slow and the deepest part of the keel is towards the front so usually you can back off the sandbar and find another route. Not this time though, we were stuck and the tide was going out fast. So I shut the boat down a decided to check the tide charts for our area (I know, I shoulda done that first). So it turns out we were at mid tide and dropping. To my surprise from low to high tide the difference was 16’. This meant in no time we would be high and dry.

Sitting on the boat with no options for getting off the sandbar all we could do is wonder what was going to happen when we would no longer have water under the keel. Now this is something I never thought of. I wasn’t worried about the running gear because it is fully protected, I was however worried about the boat rolling over on its side. As we sat there discussing what we need to get off the boat and put in the Dinghy you could feel the boat list more and more in just a matter of minutes. At this point the wife was freaking out and abandoning ship!

We got the dogs, important papers and some snacks loaded in the Dinghy and started to make our way to safety. We didn’t get far when I realized I had left one important item on the boat. My beer! I jumped out of the Dinghy in about two feet of water and ran back to the boat. The boat now was listing severely and it took everything I had to climb aboard and go into the cabin. Shit was falling everywhere but I was able to grab my beer and climb out to safety.

When I got back to the Dinghy it too was almost high and dry but I was able to drag it to deeper water where we just kinda sat around wondering what was going to happen. Not long after all this the boat was completely exposed and thankfully did not roll over even tho it looked like it could at any time.

After determining that all was safe I went back to the boat and plugged the diesel breather vent to stop the flow of diesel that was trickling out. I also took the opportunity to scape the barnacles off the bow thrusters and rudder.

It didn’t seem like it took to long for the tide to start coming back in so we just watched from a short distance as the boat started to right itself and start floating again. During this time I saw a few boats pass us real close to shore on the opposite side of us. My charts showed that it was shallow there but based on the other decent sized boats the locals were on that was evidently the route we wanted.

Once we had enough water under our keel we made our way to the other side and continued on not paying attention so much to the charts but trying to follow in the path of the occasional boat that passed us.

We finally made our way to the real primitive “marina” where we were able to dock and see what we needed to do to check into the country. The harbor master there was super cool and took a liking to us. He called me John Wayne and my Wife Marilyn Monroe. He referred to everyone else as fucking assholes.

 

[Mandelon]

Holy shit, I bet that was an exciting afternoon.

 

[RiverDave]

I want to do this trip
Someday.. This thread is amazing!!

 

[4Waters]

I want to do this trip
Someday.. This thread is amazing!!

This thread is the 2018 thread of the year.

 

[stoker]

After we left Pedgral we anchored off a few cool islands south on our 300 plus mile trip to Balboa Panama, the entrance to the canal. The trip was pretty much uneventful except for the last leg when we turned north around the bend towards the canal. We hit some unexpected weather that made the seas rough and very uncomfortable. Once again everything in the cabin was on the floor along with the microwave.

Since we thought the weather was going to be nice so we didn’t bother putting the Dinghy on the deck, we continued to tow it. Before I added electric winches to the boom, we had hand cranks that made it a total pain to launch and retrieve the Dinghy. Anyhow, it was about midnight when we made the turn and the water was getting rougher and rougher. I looked back to check on the Dinghy and noticed it was fish tailing all over the place. That is a sure sign it’s taking on water. I stopped the boat and told my wife to go on the bridge and keep an eye on me while I climbed down on the swim step to figure out what to do with the Dinghy. Turns out the auto bilge stopped working so I had no choice but to turn the bilge pump on and let it run continuously hoping the battery didn’t go dead. Anyhow after fighting with the Dinghy trying to keep it from slamming into the swimstep we started getting broadsided with waves and my wife thought it would be a good idea to put the boat in gear and give it a little gas. Fortunately the tow line didn’t get caught in the prop but it did manage to wrap around one of my legs. Luckily for me I was able to free myself before all the slack was taken up. After a few choice words we were on our way again.

After a few more hours of getting our asses handed to us it finally calmed down a bit and I was able to go below for some sleep while the wife drove. At daybreak I awoke to the sight of downtown Panama City.

 

[Sleek-Jet]

Anyone ready to pick up where we left off? I have only had two people look at it and both of them wanted to buy it but one ended up losing his job and the other who flew in from New York had his financing fall through. Oh well there are worse places I could be stuck trying to sell a boat other than Key Biscayne.

https://www.boattrader.com/listing/1974-defever-passagemaker-103483611/?refSource=standard listing

Trying to convince my wife we need something like this for Lake Michigan...

What an adventure, fantastic thread.

 

[stoker]

We figured we would splurge and stay at the Baboa Yacht Club by the canal , after all it is the Balboa Yacht club right? Wrong! I think there is two marinas by the canal but unfortunately they are always full and most everyone either anchors or gets a mooring ball right next to the main channel for the canal. It’s really cool to be right next to the ships as they make their way into the locks and fortunately the big ships don’t put off much of a wake. It’s the friggen tug boats that put off massive wakes and wreak havoc to everyone anchored or moored. You literally have to secure everting or it will wind up on the floor.

Once we were settled into our mooring we got on the phone to our agent to make arrangements for our canal passage. Using an agent cost about $500.00 bucks more than if you were to set everything up yourself but he procures the oversized fenders, line handlers and scheduling. The wife got on the phone with him to let him know we had arrived. He said perfect I will call you back and let you know when the authorities can come to your boat for a measurement and inspection.


He called back the next day and said we are on the list and they will be out in three days. I am like wtf three days of getting battered by these tug boats? So for the next three days we tried to spend as much time off the boat as possible. We went to Panama City, visited the canal to see what we should expect and just killed time hanging out at restaurants and bars. After the three days right on schedule the authorities showed up and did their thing. Once they left we called the agent to let him know we were ready to lock through. He informed us that once the inspectors turn in their report that day he will call us back and let us know when we can go through.

Day 5 of getting completely abused by the assholes tug boat drivers he calls back and says he has a date. We are on the schedule to make our way through in 28 days! WTF? That’s how it works he says. Well there is no way I am staying here so we decided to backtrack 50 miles and kill some time at the Pearl Islands located real close to Columbia.

The islands are known for their crystal clear waters and are also a breeding grounds for whales. Unfortunately the water was super murky when we were there but we did get to see a good amount of whales. We went ashore one day on the main island. We rented a golf cart and toured around the island but were not impressed. The beaches and scenery were nothing like Mexico and overall it was pretty boring. At that point I was really let down by Panama and was worried that the rest of the country would pretty much be the same.


Notice the picture below. That’s how a lot of rich people move their boats around the world. We met a guy in Puerto Villarta that was getting ready to ship his 150 footer to the Mediterranean.

 

[stoker]

Entering the lock

Our friends came out to send us off

Wake makers

The Bridge of The America’s

This video shows how strong the currents are.

 

[Dkahnjob]

Fabulous story, I have really enjoyed reading it and look forward to the rest of it.
Thanks

 

[stoker]

We were lucky enough to make the passage through the canal in one day instead of two. Many times it takes two days due to traffic and scheduling. If you are one of the unfortunate ones that can’t make a one day crossing you are required to anchor in Gatun Lake. Gatun Lake is really nice but if you are required to anchor there you will have to provide sleeping accommodations for the four employed line handlers along with food and drinks.

Once we got to the other side we were able to get a slip at Shelter Bay Marina on the Caribbean side
https://shelterbaymarina.com/photo-gallery/

The marina was really nice but for the most part there is nothing else around. The closest city is Colon which is known to be one of the most dangerous city’s in Panama. I was speaking with one of the expats at the marina and he told me that if you spend two weeks in Colon you can expect to be mugged at least twice. This was confirmed by others as well. Unfortunately Colon is the only place to buy groceries. When we had to travel there to stock up we would hire a taxi to take us to the supermarket and have him wait outside while we shopped. Not a cheap option but the safest way to do it.

The natural landscape on the Caribbean side is way nicer than the pacific side. Seeing as how we planned to spend 5-6 months in Panama to ride out hurricane season we looked forward to exploring the entire Caribbean side.

We have been looking forward to checking out the San Blas islands which was about a hundred miles south of us so preparation of doing so we spoke to as many people as we could to get their input on what to expect.

At the marina every morning at 9 am there was what is called a cruisers net . Many of the travelers would get on the VHF and have a conversation that would cover just about everything from medical emergencies, items for sale or trade to travel destinations and experiences. This is a common occurrence in just about every place we traveled, even the US.

Anyhow one morning someone on the net was telling a story of a guy that had recently left the marina for San Blas. He was sitting on one of the unpopulated islands there with his little dog when suddenly out of the bushes came a croc who grabbed his dog and drug it to the water. The guy without hesitation gave chase and proceeded to fight the croc in order to save his pup. It was said he was successful in fighting it off and he and the dog sustained minor puncture wounds during the attack. Now I happen to know personally that this particular croc is of good size and I will explain how I know in a bit.

 

[stoker]

I couldn’t get the pictures to load in the order I wanted based on our timeline so I will refer to the pictures by number. Pictures 1 and 11 were our first stop in the islands. This particular island is called Chichime. It is one of the few communal islands shared by many families. It is also a stopover for backpackers from around the world. We were constantly getting approached by backpackers asking for a ride either south to Columbia or North up to Bocas Del Toro.

Walking around the island was kinda weird because the backpackers and the
Kunas didn’t really commingle. However the Kunas allowed them to stay ashore because they were a source of income.

This was a well protected anchorage and really popular for boaters to layover while traveling either north or south.

Picture number 11 shows a good sized boat that lost an engine during a storm and ran aground. According to the story I heard the guy recently bought the the boat for $600,00.00 k and was going to convert it to a ferry boat. He was out testing the boat with his captain when they ran into trouble and ran aground. Turns out he didn’t have insurance nor anymore money to salvage it so there it sits rusting away to this day. I was also told prior to this boat he ran his personal boat up on the reef in the same area and that one was a total loss as well. Needless to say he is no longer into boating thank god.


The water in this area is super clear as you can see by the first picture. The wife recently learned how to float on her back. She won’t go in the water unless she can see the bottom. The are in this picture is about 8-10 feet deep and at the time around 85 degrees.

The ocean life here is abundant. The starfish were located off a little island that was setup for day use.

This is the day use island. People would pull up in their Dinghy’s and hang on the island and swim. It’s a really cool place.

Another shot of the day use island

I will comment on this picture of me floating at the bottom of this post. It has to do with that croc I mentioned earlier.

This is one of the many single family islands. Pictures really don’t do it justice. When I think of tropical paradise this is what comes to mind. Palm trees, white fine sandy beaches and warm turquoise water full of sea life.

Another single family island. The Kunas are still rather primitive. They fish and get from island to island in hollowed out canoes. They are also known for being some of the best free divers in the world. I watched one guy free dive and he must have held his breath for five minutes while diving for lobster.

We spent about a week in San Blas, a few days at Chichime and the rest of the time anchoring of various islands. We were planning on spending two weeks here but cut that short for a couple of reasons.

The islands have nick names such as hot tub and swimming pool or swimming hole, something like that. The picture of me floating was taken at swimming pool or hole can’t remember the exact name. Anyhow after anchoring early in the morning and setting up the boat for the day of relaxation we were approached by a Kuna in a canoe. He asked us if we needed anything thing and I asked him like what. He said anything. I said sure a bottle of captain Morgan, two lobsters and some bread. After a short negotiation on pricing he was off paddling towards the mainland. Turns out he is well known in the islands by boaters for being able to get you just about anything.

While he was gone we decided we would jump in for a swim with the the dogs to cool off. We must have been in the water for 2-3 hours or I was anyway. As I was getting out here comes the nice
Kuna guy with our loot. After inspecting the lobster to make sure they were still alive and checking the seal on the booze we paid the nice man, thanked him profusely and he was on his way.

Probably an hour or so after he left a German couple approached us on their Dinghy. They told us they have been living on their catamaran in the islands for the last ten years and just wanted to tell us about a crocodile attack pretty much right where we were anchored. I said are you taking about the dog that was attacked a few weeks back? They said no. There was a lady that was swimming off the back of her boat just like us when she was attacked by the croc. They said it tore her nose off along with parts of her face and bit her in other areas of her body as well. They said if it wasn’t for some passers by in a Dinghy that helped free her she would have died.

Not long after hearing that disturbing story I decided that since I can’t go back in the water I might as well make a rum and coke and fire up the barbecue and prep the lobster tails. As we were sitting on the back of the boat enjoying our dinner I looked towards shore and sure enough there was that croc swimming back and forth. I am pretty sure he was stalking us. We figured since we no longer feel safe swimming and paradise gets rather boring if you can’t swim we might as well pull up anchor in the morning and head back north towards Bocas Del Toro.

 

[That Guy]

Wow, what an adventure....!

 

[stoker]

From San Blas we headed of towards Bocas Del Toro with a few stops in between. One of the stops was the Charges River. It’s a river that runs through the jungle up towards Gaton Lake and the locks. I think we stayed for a couple of days and only saw one group of jets skis the whole time we were there.

This place is full of wildlife including Howler monkeys, toucans, parrots and much more.

When you anchor in remote places you sometimes get a dodgy feeling of uncertainty. When that occurs I usually don’t get much sleep and am awakened at the slightest noise. For as remote as this place was I didn’t get that feeling and fell right asleep with the sounds of the jungle all around me.

Ever since we entered Costa Rica we would often experience the gorilla type howls of the howler monkey. We would hear them in many places we stayed but never actually saw them. The wife would freak out by the howling but I totally dug it. Below is a video of their howling along with some other wildlife.

 

[nrbr]

I'm having fun just reading about your trip lol

 

[rivergames]

Most bitchen trip EVER! Keep up with the great narrative and pictures!

 

[stephenkatsea]

My first canal transit it was still owned by the US. Everything was kept in top notch condition. It looked like Disneyland had been placed on a swank private golf course. Our pilot was from the US. Our steward informed him we were having steak and lobster for dinner and asked how he would like his steak cooked. He said, "I'll have 2 lobsters and put 2 uncooked steaks in my bag". He was serious. I took our steward aside and told him to give the SOB 1 lobster and forget about putting any steaks in his bag. This US guy had more balls than the pilots at the Suez Canal. Once Jimmy Carter gave the Canal to Panama there was a noticeable decrease in the all around maintenance levels. The Panamanian ad measures and inspectors would always manage find some BS tiny infraction on our ship. So, they would then offer me a Panama Indemnity Form to sign. Panama is the only place in the world where the pilot/Panama is actually responsible for the safe passage of the ship. This BS Indemnity Form released them of all that responsibility. Or, you could wait until who knows when for your next transit scheduling. So, I would always sign it and be on our way. Typical total transit time was usually about 8-10 hours.

 

[lashburn]

Just a little side note, we are currently in Annapolis Maryland. I don’t know if any of you have ever been here but what an amazing place it is.[/QUOTE]

Wow,,, I just happen to be from Annapolis , the grew up on the Magothy River before settling in San Diego after the Navy. cheers

 

[locogringo]

Gotta be one of the best threads I have ever read!!

You state the uncertainty of writing well, but rest assured, it flows with an ability to immerse oneself into your recollective words.

Keep it up and thank you for sharing!

 

[stoker]

My first canal transit it was still owned by the US. Everything was kept in top notch condition. It looked like Disneyland had been placed on a swank private golf course. Our pilot was from the US. Our steward informed him we were having steak and lobster for dinner and asked how he would like his steak cooked. He said, "I'll have 2 lobsters and put 2 uncooked steaks in my bag". He was serious. I took our steward aside and told him to give the SOB 1 lobster and forget about putting any steaks in his bag. This US guy had more balls than the pilots at the Suez Canal. Once Jimmy Carter gave the Canal to Panama there was a noticeable decrease in the all around maintenance levels. The Panamanian ad measures and inspectors would always manage find some BS tiny infraction on our ship. So, they would then offer me a Panama Indemnity Form to sign. Panama is the only place in the world where the pilot/Panama is actually responsible for the safe passage of the ship. This BS Indemnity Form released them of all that responsibility. Or, you could wait until who knows when for your next transit scheduling. So, I would always sign it and be on our way. Typical total transit time was usually about 8-10 hours.

I presume all the ships are assigned a pilot, we were assigned an adviser to make the transit with us. He was in charge of communicating with the authorities from lock to lock and letting me know what ship I was to follow into each lock.

He was a super cool guy and we had a conversation about the canal and the transfer that took place. There is a shit ton of property around the canal that was once owned by the US. Huge housing complexes, offices and other multi use properties. It’s all abandoned now and falling into disrepair.

He said one of the conditions of the transfer was that the longshoremen who worked the canal would remain union with union wages that were in line with us longshoremen. He said his base salary was $75,000.00 a year not including overtime. Because of the position he held he had a bunch of overtime daily due to long transits and having to be shuttled from one side of the country to the other.

The average income of a Panamanian worker is $500.00 a month.

 

[stoker]

Finally made it to Bocas Del Toro Panama. This is a picture of the main town in Bocas. Most everything in Bocas is brought in by boat or air so deals are not to be had. Unless you live in the little town the only way to get around is water taxi. Even the kids have to take the water taxis to school everyday. The town is a huge melting pot with expats from every corner of the world. It primarily consist of small hotels, a ton of hostels, restaurants markets, pharmacies and hardware stores. Just about every market, hardware store and pharmacy are owned by Chinese and they are anything but nice.Most of the other businesses are owned by a mix of people of all nationalities.

I pretty much became a vegan while staying here for five months or so because the meat sold at the stores was rancid. Even when I looked at it I would get the dry heaves. We did however find a little store owned by a Brit that had a pretty good selection of frozen meats.

With Panama being so close to the equator the weather is pretty much the same year round. Hot and humid! We were constantly battling moisture and mildew in the boat. When you got a cut it would take forever to heal due to the humidity. I had developed a cyst on my back that got infected and looked really bad. We figured we would go to the little hospital in Bocas and have it taken care of. Upon our arrival we were sitting in the waiting room and I couldn’t help but notice how dirty the area was not to mention the mold on the walls.

Right before they were to call my name to see the doctor I decided I had better use the restroom. As I entered the restroom I was in shock. There was either sewage or mud on the floor, the toilet was disgusting and didn’t flush. You were required to fill a bucket up in the sink and dump it in the toilet to make it flush. Immediately upon exiting the restroom I grabbed the wife and said no way, we are going to Panama City.

Once we were outside that little hospital it was pointed out to me that next door to the hospital was a morgue, and next to that was a cemetery!

We walked to the little airport, hopped on a puddle jumper and headed off to John Hopkins in Panama City. We met a doctor in one of the hallways there and he took us to his private office and got me taken care of. I am convinced if I were to have that minor procedure done in Bocas I would have caught Mersa or something similar and I wouldn’t be typing this today.

This is a picture of a traveler palm. I guess they move a few inches a year .

This little beach here is part of an amazing piece of property perched up on a little bluff. Definitely my favorite house in Panama. Years ago it was used as a hospital for workers of the canal who contracted nasty infectious diseases. As the story goes After the completion of the canal it was gifted to the caretaker and is still in his family today. A story my wife was told one day was a Russian billionaire pulled into the area on his yacht. Supposedly he approached the owner and said I will give you 25 million dollars for your property. The owner replied I will give you a million dollars to leave. Sounds like bs to me but makes a great story none the less.

This is one of the many hostels in the area. They are full of young people from around the world and really a lot of fun. We met and spent a lot of time with many travelers that we met at the hostels and still keep in touch with them.

These are just one of the many bungalows you can rent.

My favorite bungalows over the water. If you are to ever rent a bungalow in the area make sure it has a/c, many don’t.

Another hostel with a cool water slide.

This is a video of where we stayed. The area is called Red Frog and it is probably one of my favorite places just because of the natural beauty. I would explore for hours out in the mangroves on the Dinghy and found some really cool remote places.

This boat the Georgia was at one time the largest schooner in the world, now the third largest. I think it measures 180’. It was purchased for 20 sum mil by a guy who invented something for the auto industry. It’s crewed by eight or so people. The owner owns a huge spread in Costa Rica and is constantly flying back and forth in his helicopter. Unfortunately for him he became totally blind as he got older but that doesn’t stop him from enjoying his boat.

There are a lot of sailing enthusiasts living on their boats here and when the Georgia makes its way into the marina they all rush out onto the docks and just go nuts, me not so much.

 

[stephenkatsea]

A canal transit at night was interesting. They would light up the canal banks on both sides in the narrow portions with low level lights. It looked like the Disneyland Jungle Boat Ride at night. Amazing place and still an engineering marvel. Likely that ecological restrictions wouldn't allow for it to be built today.

 

[stoker]

I forgot this one.

We met this guy at Red Frog. He is English and talks with heavy duty accent to the point when he drinks I can hardly understand him. Eventually we became good friends and ended up having a lot of fun together during our stay in Bocas. He has been sailing around the world for the last 20 years or so and is currently in Grenada.

Believe it or not even to this day when traveling in the Caribbean the topic of piracy often comes up when traveling north or south of Panama. We originally were going to head south from Panama down to the Grenadines and back up through the Bahamas but do to the economic turmoil in Venezuela and the sudden surge of piracy off the coast we decided to change course.

One day prior to our departure we were talking about piracy and what we would do in the event of an encounter. He told me that it would be in my best interest to buy a gun from the black market. I explained to him that I didn’t want to risk losing my boat or doing jail time in a third world country if I were to get caught with it. He says, “I never travel in dodgy areas without at least one firearm”. He proceeded to tell me a story of when being armed came in handy. Years ago he was traveling with two other sailboats on their way to Grenada. It was late at night when he got a call from the budy boat behind him (he was in the middle of the three boats) informing him that they were about to be boarded by pirates. He told the other boat that since he was 10-15 miles ahead of them there was nothing he could do to help and to just be cooperative and give them what they want.

After being terrorized and roughed up a little the pirates de boarded and headed off towards my friends boat. He said after a bit he could see them approaching his boat and once they got close enough he stepped out of the cockpit guns a blazin. He said he had a 9 mm in each hand and shot a few rounds in their direction. The pirates stopped for a bit, gave it a thought and then proceeded on to the next boat. The lead boat was in radio contact and knew what they had in store for them but unfortunately not being armed there was not much they could do. They too were boarded, robbed and set free.

The following day approaching Grenada he decided it was time to ditch the evidence so he threw the guns overboard. Once settled into the marina one of the boats contacted the authorities and told them what had happened. The next day the officials came to the marina to take statements. He was the last one to be interviewed. When they finally got to him to get his story they said let me get this straight. The pirates hit the boat behind you, passed by you and hit the boat in front of you, is this right. His reply was yes that’s right. The authorities said why do you think the pirates didn’t rob you? His reply was in his deep English accent, “just lucky I guess”.

 

[stoker]

We left Panama last year along with another boat and started our 600 mile journey towards the Grand Caymans. After the first 200 miles we stopped at San Andreas , an island owned by Columbia but nowhere near Columbia. After surveying the marinas and anchorage we decided not to stay but to continue on to Providencia, another Columbian island 50 miles north. After spending a couple days there we left and continued on towards the Caymans, another 350 miles. The reason we decided to take this route was to avoid the pirates off the coast of Honduras and Nicaragua. We would rather be 350 miles offshore than be boarded by pirates. Anyhow we weren’t quite half way to the Caymans, it was the middle of the night when the vhf radio started blaring Spanish music. It was crystal clear so at the time I knew whoever was playing it was real close by. After a while the music stopped and a guy came on the radio and he too was loud and clear. Before we left on this particular route I decided that I would run dark at night and not use my AIS tracking system to avoid detection. I also stayed about 15 miles east of route everyone takes to further our chances of not being detected. Anyhow after hearing the music and chatter in Spanish I figured it was one of our friends on the other boat. After all he is a Spanish teacher. I tried to get him on the radio but I had no luck and I didn’t have a visual either. When we finally met up in the Caymans I asked him if he was the one on the radio messing with me. He said no it wasn’t him but he heard it as well. I asked him what they were saying and he said he couldn’t understand their dialect. Anyhow today as I was writing about our trip so far, I got to the part of our journey where piracy is a real concern. I did a google search to try to find an interesting piracy story I had once read when I came across this story. It’s kinda unnerving knowing how close we came to being a victim.

Click on this link then click on the red tabs to read the piracy story’s. The one just south of Nicaragua is a guy we met in Providencia

https://safetyandsecuritynet.org/regional-piracy-infographics/

 

[92562]

This boat the Georgia was at one time the largest schooner in the world, now the third largest. I think it measures 180’. It was purchased for 20 sum mil by a guy who invented something for the auto industry. It’s crewed by eight or so people. The owner owns a huge spread in Costa Rica and is constantly flying back and forth in his helicopter. Unfortunately for him he became totally blind as he got older but that doesn’t stop him from enjoying his boat.

There are a lot of sailing enthusiasts living on their boats here and when the Georgia makes its way into the marina they all rush out onto the docks and just go nuts, me not so much.

The boat is made by Perini Navi, they are known for outrageously opulent and huge sailing vessels, most of them privately owned. https://www.perininavi.it/

Love this thread!!!

 

[Taboma]

The boat is made by Perini Navi, they are known for outrageously opulent and huge sailing vessels, most of them privately owned. https://www.perininavi.it/

Love this thread!!!

Pretty hard to believe there isn't somebody well trained and armed on that boat

 

[OutCole'd]

I was all in till you mentioned pirates.....

 

[lashburn]

I have wanted to take this trip since I was 18, ...even reseached it when I 1st got married 20years ago. Now ,at 52, after reading your tales , and you are not even finished telling them.....I have lost all desire to attempt this. Seems like just about everything that could happen, has or Almost has happened to you. on the other hand , what an amazing adventure. Maybe I will sail the Florida Keys still someday.

 

[stoker]

I have wanted to take this trip since I was 18, ...even reseached it when I 1st got married 20years ago. Now ,at 52, after reading your tales , and you are not even finished telling them.....I have lost all desire to attempt this. Seems like just about everything that could happen, has or Almost has happened to you. on the other hand , what an amazing adventure. Maybe I will sail the Florida Keys still someday.

I wouldn’t hesitate to do it again. The group of guys that are responsible for most of the piracy of Nicaragua are also fishermen. They have been well known for years and my thoughts are the government turns a blind eye to their activities because they would not be hard to catch. Most stories I have read about them is that if you cooperate with them they might return some nav aids so you can be on your way. I still wouldn’t want to encounter them.

We have met many people who have been doing what we do for more than 20 years with no major issues.

When we were running dark on our way to the Caymans I did have a boat approach us directly at our 3 o’clock. He was about a mile out and obviously knew we were there because he kept adjusting course. At that point I turned all lights on and lit up the boat and he just turned 90 degrees and moved on. It was probably some sort of patrol or coast guard boat.

 

[Instigator]

I'm really surprised that you aren't stopping in Belize. It is beautiful and the Reef is amazing.
We are making our second trip there in July of this year...

 

[stoker]

I'm really surprised that you aren't stopping in Belize. It is beautiful and the Reef is amazing.
We are making our second trip there in July of this year...

We wanted to go up the Rio Dulce in Guatemala then onto Belize but we decided against it due to the piracy in those areas.

 

[mesquito_creek]

If we changed all the "Stolen" threads to "Pirate" threads in the lounge would we thin out the traffic in Havasu? At least a Pirate gives you a chance to negotiate a settlement so to speak and generally don't take a whole lot of anything of major importance. The thevies in the states take the whole boat, whole rzr etc.... and cause major damage breaking into stuff. I have often said that the cabins in the states I have owned would be better off just left open because it cost more money to fix the damage they do breaking in versus the 20 dollars in garage sale stuff they steal.

 

[Justfishing]

How fast of boat would you need to make them move on to easier targets.

I think some napalm would be a good repellent lol

What are the laws regarding firearms?

 

[stoker]

How fast of boat would you need to make them move on to easier targets.

I think some napalm would be a good repellent lol

What are the laws regarding firearms?

It would depend on sea conditions. Some sailboats can outrun them at 9-10 knots because they can handle the rough sees better than the pangas. If the seas are calm you can outrun them at 20 knots or so with evasive maneuvers.

From what I have been told most countries are ok with weapons as long as you declare them when checking in. They usually will be held by the authorities until you check out of the country. I also have heard stories of people having their boats confiscated because they failed to give a proper count of their amo.

The biggest concern I had was that if you were to arm yourself you had better make sure that your arsenal is is bigger and better than those who are confronting you. There are as many as 20 to 30 guys at a time that are robbing boats of the coast of Nicaragua. On top of all that if you were to have a confrontation with these guys and say you killed one or two of them would you want to be put on trial in their home country by their corrupt government?

I was trying to find a really interesting story on the internet I had once read about a couple of yachts that were attacked by pirates in the Caribbean not long ago. They were confronted by a few pangas who were firing on the yachts. One of the yachts didn’t have weapons and in desperation began ramming the pangas. The other yacht did have weapons and returned fire killing one of the shooters and the driver of the panga. After the encounter the pirates backed off and the yachts hightailed it out of the area without reporting it until they had reached a civilized country.

 

[Mandelon]

There's hundreds of yachts out there if not thousands every day in these areas. Piracy is intimidating but still pretty darn rare. Like lightning strikes, shark attack or crocodiles... it could happen, but probably won't.

 

[Tank]

@stoker How'd the rest of your trip go? I think I see your boat listed for sale in Ft Pierce. You buy something new?

 

[stoker]

@stoker How'd the rest of your trip go? I think I see your boat listed for sale in Ft Pierce. You buy something new?

I sold the boat in Miami and delivered it to the new owner in Cape Canaveral back in March. The buyer is supposed to move on to the boat in December and make his way to the Bahamas for a few years. We will probably permanently move aboard another boat in a year or two.

 

[Tank]

I sold the boat in Miami and delivered it to the new owner in Cape Canaveral back in March. The buyer is supposed to move on to the boat in December and make his way to the Bahamas for a few years. We will probably permanently move aboard another boat in a year or two.

What’s the next adventure and what type size boat you looking at?

 

[stoker]

What’s the next adventure and what type size boat you looking at?

Nordhavn would be my preferred choice but they are a lot of money for the size I want. We are looking for a single engine 47-60' trawler with a wing motor. Due to a couple new grand babies we will split our time between La Paz and Ca with maybe a trip to Alaska. I would really like a boat that is capable of crossing oceans incase we decide one day to visit the med. That's where a Nordhavn would come in handy.

 

[Activated]

One of my favorite threads on RDP.

My wife has no interest or else we would already be living on a boat.

 

[Universal Elements]

Nordhavn would be my preferred choice but they are a lot of money for the size I want. We are looking for a single engine 47-60' trawler with a wing motor. Due to a couple new grand babies we will split our time between La Paz and Ca with maybe a trip to Alaska. I would really like a boat that is capable of crossing oceans incase we decide one day to visit the med. That's where a Nordhavn would come in handy.

beautiful boats, would love to have this one

https://www.yachtworld.com/boats/2002/nordhavn-57-3193554/

 

[Tank]

beautiful boats, would love to have this one

https://www.yachtworld.com/boats/2002/nordhavn-57-3193554/

That’s funny. I’ve seen that boat around.

 

[Tank]

Nordhavn would be my preferred choice but they are a lot of money for the size I want. We are looking for a single engine 47-60' trawler with a wing motor. Due to a couple new grand babies we will split our time between La Paz and Ca with maybe a trip to Alaska. I would really like a boat that is capable of crossing oceans incase we decide one day to visit the med. That's where a Nordhavn would come in handy.

nice! Why not two engines for long distance? Wouldn’t it be a little more peace of mind?

 

[stoker]

nice! Why not two engines for long distance? Wouldn’t it be a little more peace of mind?

That’s a big debate among trawler owners. Two engines twice the maintenance, operating cost along with a crowded engine room. Most of thr twin engine trawlers don’t have the running gear protection that a single engine full keel trawler has. Also most single engine trawlers have a get home engine that usually runs off a primary or secondary generator. The boat we took on our trip was a single with a pto that was a hydrolic motor that was ran off the generator. We did have to use it once when we blew a head gasket. The hydro motor was located right above the drive shaft. It had a small sprocket on it with a larger sprocket on the drive shaft. You would attach a large chain to the sprockets, fire up the generator and you were off at about 4 knots with no neutral or reverse.

Many boats are advertised as trawlers when in fact they are not. A true trawler is a full displacement hull not a semi displacement or planing hull. Here is a link to a brief description of a trawler.
https://www.denisonyachtsales.com/buying-your-new-boat/trawlers-for-sale/