Visiting Yachts Still Welcome in Panama

Created by doina. Last modified on 2006-08-04 08:53:13
Countries: Panama

There seem to be conflicting forces and interests at work in Panama and the visiting yachts are feeling the effect. Panamanian business interests have begun to recognize that there is a viable business in supplying services to the approximately 1,500 yachts that visit Panama every year. New marinas are being developed to provide the infrastructure necessary for these “tourists on boats”, however various forces within the Panamanian government are now threatening their business plans. Inexplicably official launches started coming into the Balboa Yacht Club mooring area and telling the visiting yachts that they had to leave, this was subsequently stopped and attributed to a misunderstanding.

In the vanguard of new facilities for visiting yachts are Bocas Marina in beautiful Bocas del Toro, Shelter Bay Marina near the Caribbean entrance to the Canal and Flamenco Marina near the Pacific entrance to the Canal.

The next unsettling event occurred when the Maritime authority went to the yachts anchored near the Pacific entrance to the canal and threatened them with fines of $500 if they didn’t leave and go to the nearby island of Taboga. Taboga is a very marginal anchorage due to onshore winds and changing currents. There have been efforts under the auspices of the ministry of tourism to get a designated anchorage area for yachts, like “The Flats” on the Caribbean side, that is safe but those efforts seems to have ground to a temporary stop because of differences between the competing interests.

The latest shoe to drop in this inexplicable mess is that yachts that had been in Bocas Marina for more than 3 months were told to leave by the Panamanian coastguard! They have to leave Panama and check in to another country. It is well known that the yachts are a nuisance for the Canal from a business standpoint, but the harassment of the yachts is becoming too much. The promise of a burgeoning Yachting Tourism industry for Panama and the new facilities that the yachts need are in jeopardy.

Panama is a wonderful place to sail and visit. Most yachts will continue to visit Panama just because they have to cross through the Canal on their way to somewhere else, It is hoped that yachts will not think that just because there are a few problems that they have to miss the great parts. The incredible San Blas Islands are still wide open, in fact you can anchor about anywhere on the Caribbean coast. On the Pacific coast the Las Perlas Islands, the Darien and except for the national park at Coiba all the Pacific Islands are still available. The only place where there is currently an anchorage problem is near the Pacific entrance to the Canal.

As far as the Cruising Permit problems, if you are planning a longer visit to Panama to see the remote areas to do some white water rafting, swing through the jungle tops with the monkeys or do some serious bird watching in the Darien you may want to ask for a longer Cruising Permit to start with. Other cruisers are finding that an agent can get the permit extended for them.

If there is no space at the Balboa Yacht Club or the Flamenco Marina and you need to spend some time on the Pacific side near the Canal, you still may be able to anchor out. By the time you read this, the situation may have been resolved. In the mean time, check on the cruisers net for the latest information. If there is no place near the Canal, it is possible to anchor at Isla Taboga. None of the anchorage sites there are “all weather” so if the wind shifts your boat could suddenly be on a lee shore, so it is a good idea to leave someone on the boat while you go in to town to arrange a transit or buy the groceries or have a buddy boat keep an eye out. From Taboga you can get to town via ferry. While this situation is getting sorted out the wonderful Panamanian people will make you feel very welcome.

from a Noonsite correspondant in Panama

Pablo LeVrier of the Bocas Yacht Club and Marina writes

I just read your story on Panama and felt compelled to write. There has never been a boat asked to leave by the Panamian Coast Guard here in Bocas. The permits have always been for three months and we have never had a boat harrassed in our marina. There was a short time when the local Port Captain thought about the three month rule but I assure you and your readers that it was only a thought and never transpired. We have boats in our marina that have been here for over three years and have had no problems with us getting the permits renewed every three months.

bocasyachtclub@yahoo.com