A Brief Guide to the Region from the Vivarios Cays to Panama
The
following is brief and rough, but the information may be useful.
Here
we (Francesca) are after about a 10 month trip to Panama and Cartagena. For you food catchers, don't waste much time
looking for lobsters once you leave the Vivarios. Nada. In Panama, the
restaurants serve longostinos or baby lobster.
One seldom sees anything over 6 inches long. Often, cayucas come by the boat trying to sell yet uncaught
lobster. If you agree to buy them (even
if you say grande solemente) you get baby lobster.
Fishing
is fair around the Vivarios, and then around Providencia and San Andres. After that, they are few and far
between. We did catch a blackfin tuna
just outside of the reef in the San Blas, however. We did best trolling white bucktails and green/yellow
feathers. Caught dolphin, black fin
tuna, skipjack tuna, cero mackerel, wahoo and some big sum-bitch that tore us
up twice and never left a card. Roy on
Ventura II hooked up a big marlin near Bocas del Toro.
To the Vivarios
Close
approach 15 deg
49.288' N x 083 deg 18.262' W
Big
Island 15
deg 49.642' N x 083 deg 18.085' W
To
Reef Anchorage 15 deg
49.930' N x 083 deg 17.982' W
Fringe
Reef Anchorage 15 deg 50.037'
N x
083 deg 17.878' W
You
can anchor near the SE side of the big island for NW winds, but in calm
conditions the bugs will leave only your bones. For normal conditions the best anchorage is in soft deep sand
patches to the west of the small island (Fringe reef anchorage above). There is excellent snorkeling on the
southern fringe reef. It is wide with
many different types of coral and quite a few nice size grey snapper.
The
charts do not adequately show the east-west hook of the fringe reef on the
south end. That reef extends at least
half way from the little island west toward the big island. The east-west reef is easily seen.
Media Luna
We
did stop there for a couple of days.
The island of Media Luna is gone (courtesy of hurricane Mitch we are
told). However, there is another big
island to the south that we could not identify from the charts. The Media Luna area does not have a
continuous fringing reef as suggested by the charts. On the West side it is only patch reefs, steep to from 20 to 30
feet of water. The water in December
was murky with only about 20 feet of visibility. I think the area probably has some great diving, but you would
have to spend a week looking for it and there are few places offering any wind
protection. Also, all the locals around
the area say don't go there without a second boat. Some bad hombres about.
Quita Sueno Banks
We
stopped here for a couple of days. A
very large area with lots of steep to patch reefs (too many) and few places to
anchor. We saw lots of large snapper, but no lobster. The fringe reef to the east has 5 large
modern day wrecks standing like ocean front hotels. Very remote, few visitors, not a place to have a problem of any
kind.
Next
stop, Providencia
On
the way south, we did not check into Providencia, but did stop at Low Cay on
the north end of the atoll. This is a
terrific spot with lots of exquisite coral and reef fish. The anchorage is good in 20 to 25 knots, but
got right rolly in 25 to 30 knots.
Still plenty safe though.
Approach
to Low Cay 13 deg 30.106' N x
081 deg 22.437' W
Intermediate
wp 13 deg 30.799' N x
081 deg 21.307' W
Second
Intermediate 13 deg 31.042'
N x
081 deg 20.651' W
Anchor
in soft sand 13 deg 31.142'
N x
081 deg 20.054' W
About
.2 miles north of the intermediate waypoints is a large rock structure that is
only just awash. If you err, stay a bit
south.
Next
stop the town on Isla de Providencia (next to Isla Santa Catalina). There is a sea buoy at 13 deg 24.384' N x
081 deg 24.100' W approach this
waypoint on a heading of 143 deg. After
reaching the sea buoy, follow the well-marked channel into the harbor. Do not cut the last buoy as there is a
shallow bar sticking way out. Anchor in
8 to 10 feet toward the brightly colored causeway to the north. The closer you can get to the town, the less
surge you will experience. Try not to
block the route from the dock to the buoys as supply boats enter and leave in
the wee hours.
At
Providencia you must use an agent. Bush
agency answers on VHF-16. If you must
go there only because of deteriorating weather or equipment problems, claim el
refugio. Be firm and insist on seeing
the port captain if Bush tries to bull in with immigration and customs. If you want to claim el refugio, don't let
them have your passports or zarpe. We
did and it cost us $40 and a full check-in for a two-day stay. El refugio must be honored by all ports and
they know it. If you can avoid it,
don't buy fuel here. It's inexpensive,
but reported dirty. Also, it is pumped
from a truck with no gauge so the purchased quantity is a mystery.
Drag
a lure in this area for blackfin tuna and wahoo.
Next
stop, San Andres. This is a
great place with a great anchorage and real nice folks. Again, an agent must be used. Livingston agency or Serrana agency both
answer up on VHF-16. They don't push,
give you time to rest and settle in and are very accommodating, but the cost is
$40 for the agent plus $13 for a tourist card.
Go to Club Nautico, pay $15 per week for dinghy dock, trash, security,
etc. They will give you a nice guide to
San Andres. Club Nautico has the best
food we found and excellent prices. A
fillet mignon and two drinks was about $7.00.
Good fuel is between $1.00 and $1.20 (2004). The fuel is dark grey (lots of good stuff in it), but we had no
filter fouling problems even with 2 micron fuel filters.
When
approaching San Andres, realize that a critical part of the chart is incorrect. The fringing reef extends much farther south
than shown. Approach the sea buoy from
well to the southeast. The sailboat
"Free Spirit" trusted the chart and wound up on the reef with lots of
rudder damage. It's probably a good
idea to stay well clear of the fringing reef because of the strong
currents.
Begin
entry 12 deg
31.832' N x 081 deg 40.559' W
Sea
Buoy 12 deg
32.222' N x 081 deg 41.418' W
Follow
the well-marked channel to the last pair of buoys. Make a wide right turn about the last red buoy and follow the
dark blue water curving gently to the left, keeping well clear of the small
island off to port (the shallows are marked around the island). Anchor anywhere in the area from the east
side of the small island to near Club Nautico.
There are lots of patches of deep sand.
One anchoring wp is 12 deg 34.706' N
x 81 deg 41.526' W. Club
Nautico has a green roof and a dock with many small boats. It is to the right of the large grey dominant
hotel.
Just
a few miles south is Cayos Albuquerque.
It's a little difficult to get into, but well worth it. Bring a case of beer for the Columbian
marines. This is a hoot. I will send waypoints to navigate in on
request. These waypoints are upgrades
of Soggy Paws waypoints. It takes a
little explaining.
From
here you have to make a decision about where to go next. Cartagena, Bocas del Toro, Colon or the San
Blas. If you think you may want to go
the Bocas del Toro, do it first, otherwise the adverse coastal currents and
debris fields are so brutal you'll wish you had. We went both ways just to prove it.
Here
is my take on Panama. First, we did not
find the coastal regions to be as good as advertised. No fish, no lobster, often murky water, fruits and veggies can be
great, but spotty, prices are good, but not great. During the rainy season, find a boat with a taller mast than
yours and anchor nearby. The lightning
can be unbelievable and almost continuous at times. If you think your boat is sealed tight, think again. Rainfall in excess of 200 inches per year is
common and water will get into places you didn't know you had. During the rainy season, June to October,
the mildew is incomparably aggressive.
The seas are rarely nasty. Although
the swells can be large, they are usually long and comfortable. Squalls with lightning are numerous and
something to endure. Lightning is worst
during late summer early fall and especially bad in the San Blas Islands. During the winter (dry season) there is
little lightning.
At
Bocas del Toro, there are two marinas, but bugs require that you close up about
5:00 PM. Anchoring out is good with no
bugs. During the rainy season, the
water cab be murky, but swimming/snorkeling are still do-able. Bocas is a great place to stay for inland
travel and Inland travel is great.
Especially Boquete and the other mountain towns. The city of David has everything and is
about a 30 minute flight from Bocas. In
David cabs are cheap and a rental car at the airport is a little over $30 per
day including insurance. A great place
to anchor out for swimming/relaxing is near Bocas del Drago, about a 40 minute
(7 knot) cruise from Bocas del Toro.
Moving
east, Tobobe Creek is a good snug anchorage.
Not much to do, but the Indians are interesting and there is an
extensive reef. While we were there it
was storming and we didn't leave the boat.
The island of Escudo de Veraguas is beautiful with a nice settled
weather anchorage.
Near
Colon, the Rio Chagras is a delight.
The river is full of tarpon, a crock' or two, lots of birds, several
species of monkeys, very quiet and secure.
No or very few bugs. We stayed
there over a week just relaxing. The
fort at the mouth of the Chagras is a good visit too. After we were there, we heard about a dinghy theft at the dock at
the far end, near the dam.
Colon. Well, yeah.
The anchorage is not very secure.
Easy to drag in soupy mush.
Hard to set an anchor without letting it settle for several hours. Even then, dragging is common. Colon has good fruits and veggies and low
prices (about 3 cents for a banana).
You can buy Sigma ablative bottom paint at a good price ($230/5gallons)
from Marine Warehouse. Marine Warehouse
isn't a warehouse, only a private residence.
Call on VHF-72 (I think) (maybe 74).
The marina, "Yacht Club" leaves much to be desired. To get water to the fuel dock you have to
hook up about 250 feet of garden hose.
Fuel at the "Yacht Club" in Colon is watered down with
kerosene. We experienced this problem
it as did others. It is reported to
have been that way for years. The fuel
color is clear and the fuel economy is about 30 to 50 percent less than with
good fuel. Fuel costs around $1.75 if
memory serve. If you must buy fuel
there, add one quart of outboard motor oil for each 100 gallons. The extra lubricant is needed to prevent
damage to injector pumps (reported in a trade magazine).
Portobello. A neat place. Lots of history, grand scale fortifications, gold warehouse. Only 1 restaurant where we found a
satisfying meal. No fuel, not much for
groceries either. Good anchorage, but
can be rolly about 20% of the time.
Between
Portobello and the San Blas there are numerous anchorages. Check em out. Nombre de Dios is a great looking anchorage, but the surge and
extreme rolling will drive you mad.
The
San Blas are lovely, but the Kuna can be a nuisance. Some islands can be very buggy.
There
are few fruits and veggies available at any cost. Stock up at Colon.
Islands with lots of topless trees have been the target for
lightning. The coral is beautiful and
with a spear gun you can say howdy to some nice large dog snapper (there may be
new regulations prohibiting spear guns soon).
From
Bocas del Toro to the San Blas the current sets east. Nightime passages are scary because, during the rainy season,
the logs and other debris offshore are numerous. We hit two logs in one night and during the day we were constantly
dodging them. Going the other way was
a never ending nightmare with 2 to 3 knots of current.
Passage
to Cartagena from San Blas. Nice
passage with up to 1 to 2 knots favorable current most of the way.
Cartagena. A really neat place. Fuel is dark grey and priced between $1.00
and $1.20 (2004).
No
fuel problems experience or reported by others.
During
the trip south, we had the current with us most of the way (April). Other boats have reported having the current
with them the other way. On our trip
north (currently underway, December) the currents have been about as follows.
Cartagena to San Andres: 1/2 to 1 knot favorable for 2/3 of the
way. Nearing San Andres, the current became 1/2 knot
adverse for the last 50 miles.
San Andres to Providencia: 1/2 to 1 knot adverse current
Providencia to Media Luna: 1/2 to 1 knot favorable current
Media Luna to Vivarios: who knows, bad seas slowed us down
too much to tell
Vivarios to Guanaja: light and variable
DISCLAIMER: Anyone that takes my waypoints, trusts them
and doesn't keep his eyes open probably needs a few more brain cells. These waypoints are like most guidebook
charts - NOT FOR NAVIGATION PURPOSES until YOU test them.
Last April, the sailing vessel Ragtime went aground on a reef at Media Luna. The problem turned out to be a discrepancy with an old paper chart. The details of the incident are now lost to us. However, we find that the electronic chart M28130S0 while correct in longitude is off by 15.6 nm to the north in latitude.
Charts M28140S0 and M28050S0 are
consistent and believed to be correct.