Tag Archives: living on a boat

The Gap, No Name Bar, a Drunken Monkey, and a Man Named Ernie in the Bocas

Red Frog Marina Anchorage at Bastimento was a nice “pit stop” but it was time to move on. We have “the gap” to go through, a bar with “No Name” to find, a monkey to see, and a man named “Ernie to meet. The Bocas are full of hidden treasures and all of these needed to be discovered. Matt woke up early and captured this beautiful sunrise just before we left.

Sunrise on Sugar Shack

We met a fellow Texan named Bob who is a single-handler on “Sea Otter.” He offered to guide us through “the gap” which is a narrow and sometimes very shallow passage from Bastimentos to Laguna Parras (or Dolphin Bay). This area is not charted very well and you encounter many reefs and shallow spots, so must navigate carefully here. This photo is courtesy of Eric Bauhaus’s book “The Panama Cruising Guide.” The Bocas have a lot of mangroves and shallow waters so care has to be taken when moving the boat.

The Gap in the Bocas

“Sea Otter” has a similar draft to Sugar Shack (1 meter) and Bob had a track from a previous trip through “the gap” so it made perfect sense to follow him. We both pulled up anchor and began our slow journey, about 3-4 knots under motor. Twenty minutes into our journey we came across a catamaran from California named “Halcyon” whom we had met in Bocas Town. Sandy and Brit on “Halcyon” knew Bob on “Sea Otter” as well and asked to join our caravan. Sweet, a floating train.

As I took the helm, Matt was checking our 3 charts and monitoring the VHF as we chatted with our travel companions. It was beautiful and peaceful squeezing between the mangroves along this path. However, it was very uneasy and a little frightening at times, but exciting none the less. All went well, and we arrived safely. Total distance was 10.2 miles at an average speed of 4.2.

Image below: upper left shows “Sea Otter” in front of us. Upper right shows “Halycon” behind us, and lower shows me in deep concentration.

Motoring through the Gap with a caravan.

Not long after we anchored, our friends on “Wandering Rose” joined us at our peaceful little mangrove inlet. Although they came in at a different entrance, they were still able to find us.

Porras Lagoon, aka Dolphin Bay

Matt and I decided to go exploring in “Sweetie.” We headed for the small village of Boca Torritos which is located on Isla Christobal. This town is nestled at the water’s edge in between beautiful trees. Even though there is not much to the town the residents are really friendly! Closer in we spied what appeared to be a bar, but it was closed. A really nice woman named “Erica” came out and told us that the owners were fishing but she could serve us beer.

Erica is the owner’s sister-in-law and is building a beautiful house next door to the bar, aptly named “No Name Bar”. She is from Romania, lived in Canada for 16 years, and is now married to a Panamanian. Yep, she speaks multiple languages! Over the course of a few beers she gave us the skinny of where to go on what days to get the most of our experience in this area.

Top image is “No Name Bar” and bottom two are the images of Bocas Torritos.

Bocas Torrito village.

The next day was Monday Market Day at a place called “The Drunken Monkey.” It is “the” place to be at 10:00 on Monday mornings in the Bocas. We picked up Dave and Mary from “Wandering Rose” and drove “Sweetie” through the mangroves to Isla Cristobal. Lindsey, the bartender greeted us with a Drunken Monkey sippie cup ($5) which gave you continual refills for $3 of any drink of your choice.

Before we got too far down the monkey path, we headed behind the bar to the market pavilion. Here, 6 vendors were selling fresh fruits and veggies, fresh meats (seasoned pork chops, ham, salami, bacon), breads, jams, chocolate, and shirts. We loaded up, stored our goods in the freezer and made our way back to the bar.

Monday Market Days at Drunken Monkey

It was a wonderful mix of locals, cruisers, and expats. The booze were flowing, the conversations were lively, and fun was had by all!

Image: Dave and Matt at top, Jessie (owner), me and Mary.

Drunken Monkey with Jessie in lower left corner.

Good times at the Drunken Monkey

The next day was a bit “hard” but we actually managed to be productive and finished up our new gas can cover for “Sweetie.”

This is a lovely anchorage and so very peaceful. But, we decided to leave “dolphin bay” and head to the next bay called Laguna Palos or the “dark lands”. A side note, we never saw any dolphins in dolphin bay even though there is a pod of 30 living here, so sad.

Laguna Palos is a short distance away so we motored through the cut between the mainland and Isla Cristoball. As you motor through the cut, you pass an island with a set of trees that are all the same height. Which is so unusual to see. Evidently a large banana company (not Dole) planted all of these trees so that they could use them to make banana crates. Then the banana market crashed so they had no more use for the trees.

Banana Tree canopy island.

We dropped anchor in the middle of the bay which was surrounded by mangroves on 3 sides and a pretty large mountain on the 4^th side. It is incredibly serene and yet delightful.

Our friends had told us that “Ernie” serves the most amazing fried chicken on Wednesday’s at 1500 so we hopped in Sweetie to find “Los Amigos.” Ernie used to be a chef at the Hyatt in America and really knows his stuff! The chicken was incredibly juicy and tender and literally made your mouth water. So glad we stopped by!

Ernie giving me some lovin.

The howler monkeys sing to you almost as if they are inviting you to shore. They seem to be all over the Bocas, but we have yet to actually see one. You only know they are there because you can hear them. The next day we decided to anchor off of Tranquillo Place, which is a small island owned by our new friends Judy and Rick. They had invited us over for happy hour along with Jessie and CJ from the “Drunken Monkey.” Always fun making new friends! Judy showed us around her beautiful tropical paradise, introduced us to her two birds, and hosted an awesome happy hour!

Tranquillo Place located near Crawl Cay

Rick and Judy own 2 boats called Chasing Sunsets (a trawler and a monohull). They have a friend who they rent dock space to for this boat “Navigator.”

Tranquillo Place owned by Rick and Judy

The next day we went to Bocas Town to meet Wayne. We also had to provision, get fuel, and say “chow” to “Wandering Rose.”

New Places in the Bocas:

The Gap
Palos Lagoon
Porras Lagoon
Los Amigos “Ernie’s
Drunken Monkey
Tranquillo Place

Zona Libre Alcohol Extravaganza

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Matt and I had visited the “Free Zone” called Zona Libre de Colon before and it was not a pleasant experience. We had been dropped off without a map and no knowledge of how to get around to find what we needed. With almost 2,000 store fronts, warehouses, dozens of districts, and limited street signage it is incredibly difficult to get around or find anything.

Yet, some how, Matt and I managed to find a liquor store, that sold in bulk, but would not deliver to Linton Bay marina where our boat was located. So, we left without buying anything. On our second visit we were better prepared. I had the name and address of a wholesale liquor store that delivered and our taxi driver had a map of the Zona Libre area – it does not show all the details or the entire area. There are blocks and blocks of stores in each district. This is the area that has “guides” on street corners to help you get around, but the most efficient way to shop this area is by car.

Zona Libre map

Our friends on “Uno Mas” decided to accompany us to share expenses and get their own stash as well. The second time around, we hired a taxi driver named Victor (WhatsApp +507 6767 9617) who spoke English, picked us up at the marina, provided funny conversation, and drove us directly inside Zona Libre. The other great thing was that the Shelter Bay Marina office had given me the name of a liquor distributor called Riamiar Int. but they were not sure they could deliver. A few days prior to our adventure, our friends on “Element” had ventured to the free zone and purchased a large quantity of alcohol from Riamiar as well which was a complete coincidence.

Zona Libre entrance.

We easily found Riamiar with the address (Calle 15 and Calle F) and a handy map and wouldn’t you know it – it’s the same place that Matt and I found the first time we came here. We are so good and we don’t even know it! The store front is really this small!

Rimiar Int. liquor distributor.

The “store front” is very small, maybe 20×20 with one bottle of almost everything they have. Matt is one side of the store and note the stanchions just in front of him.

Matt on one side of the small store.

Here is the other side of the store, which happens to be the other side of the stanchions. As you can tell, the store is jammed packed floor to ceiling, wall to wall liquor.

The other side, of Rimiar Int.

We asked for the manager and Humberto Terrado C the ejecutivo de ventas (sales manager) came out to bring us back to his office. Humberto can be reached at +507 441 4971 or recardof@cwpanama.net. We told him what we wanted and he told us what types or brands he had, the quantity, and the cost per case or bottle. It was a dance. This is Matt and I with Angie and Mark (“Uno Mas”) and Humberto behind the desk.

Inside Humberto’s office placing our order.

We are purchasing a mass amount of liquor because it is very hard to find any liquor in the Pacific. And when you do find it, the costs are exorbitant. So, we decided to stock up for the next year.

Seco Herrerano is an alcoholic drink made from sugar cane. Humberto let us taste the mandarin and I bought 4 cases. The bottom is a different flavor, cranberry. Both are super tasty and refreshing drink – will be good over ice on a hot day.

Herrerano alcoholic Drink – 5 cases

Then the real purchase started. Don’t judge, we hope that this will last us throughout the year with all of our guests (and longer if possible).

The liquor stash.

The only disappointing thing was that Rimiar did not sell local beer. They sold American beer and we just did not want to go there. So, Victor took us to Lang’s but they did not have the type of beer we wanted, so we went to Super 99 which only had what was on the shelf. Low on stock as we are close to Carnival. We purchased everything on the shelf – 13 cases.

The beer stash – or at least the start of it.

Damage done (most are in liter bottles) at Zona Libre:

(7) Cases of Abuelo Rum ($5.83/bottle)
(1) Case of Sperone Prosecco ($5.85/bottle)
(1) Case of Barefoot Rose (not up to the Barker standard, but refreshing on the lido deck) ($3/bottle)
(1/2) case of Tito’s Vodka ($11/bottle)
(3) Bottles of Veuve Cliquiot ($36/bottle)
(3) Bottles of Freixinet ($4/bottle)
(1) Case of JP Chenet ($7/botttle)
(4) cases of Seco Herrerano Mandarin ($0.58/can)
(1) case Seco Herrerano Passion Fruit ($0.58/can)
Delivery and customs $100
Taxi driver $60 + $20 tip as he was fantastic driving us all over the place
Beer bought at the store ($0.49/can)

As you can see, the prices were amazing and probably the lowest we’ve seen yet. I am sure we will need more beer as that goes down like water, but everything else should last us for awhile – if not, then we just go without as finding it in the Pacific will be rare.

Panama Canal Inspection and Ad Measure

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Transiting the Panama Canal is a once in a lifetime experience. But it is also expensive, requires a Panama Canal Inspection with a lot of paperwork, and can be dangerous for your boat. We spoke to many cruisers, did a lot of research, and changed our minds several times before we decided to transit the canal and leave the Atlantic ocean. It is a big decision as very few boats come back to the Atlantic (there is no easy way to return).

Once you decide to transit the canal, you have to decide whether or not to hire an agent. After interviewing 5 agents, we decided to go with Erick Galvez. An agent can guarantee your bond so you do not have to put an $800 deposit down, will assist with all of the paperwork, schedule the inspection and ad measure, provide fenders and lines (required for transit), and be your advocate. Various agents charge different amounts, but Erick charges $350 and for us it is well worth it. He has been exceedingly responsive, professional, and helpful in all of his communications. See below for transit costs.

The first thing you need to do is submit a pertinent information on your boat to get a “Ship ID.” This includes boat specifications, speed under motor, and the last 10 ports you have visited. We submitted that information to Erick and a few days later he provided us with our Ship ID number – we are official.

After you receive your Ship ID you need to be inspected and measured (which is called “Ad measure”). In order to get your Panama Canal inspection you need to be in Shelter Bay Marina or the flats so the Panama Canal agent can board the boat. The flats are used as a staging area for boats preparing to transit the canal and the holding is not very good. So, we decided to go to Shelter Bay Marina.

Within an hour of arrival, Erick stopped by our boat to introduce himself. He went over a few basics for the inspection and instructed us on what to request for positioning during the transit.

The inspector arrived the next day and went through various documents. He asked us where we wanted to be located in the transit – we asked for “center chamber”. You don’t want to be near the sidewall as you could damage your mast. He asked if we wanted to tied to a tug and we held firm on the negative as the rub rail from the tug could damage our life lines and stanchions. He asked if we wanted to be nested and we said “sure.” Typically, they will put a catamaran in the middle and tie a monohull on either side. Great for us as we are protected in the center and are the power for controlling movement of all nested vessels.

He asked some interesting questions:

How much fuel will we have during the transit? (full tanks)
How fast can you go under motor? (6-7 knots is our comfort speed)
What RPM are you at to make that speed? (2k-2400)
How much fuel would you consume in 24 hours at that RPM? (192 liters or 50 gal)

Reviewing paper work with Panama Canal Inspector

The inspector reviews the process for transiting the Panama Canal. The day before the transit date, our agent will drop off our rented fenders and lines and the Canal authority will schedule our transit time. Typically, transits from Atlantic to the Pacific start at 1600 (and 0400 from Pacific to Atlantic).

An adviser boards every boat to assist with the transit and it is our responsibility to provide him with hot meals, water, and a working head (toilet). So, the inspector checked our bathrooms to ensure they were suitable. He also wanted to hear our handheld horn to ensure we had a way to communicate a warning.

Then it was time to measure the boat. He takes out a giant tape measure and while Matt holds one end at the bow he walks to the stern and says “49.7 feet do you agree?” What! No way, we are a 47 catamaran with no bow sprit, and nothing sticking off the sterns (the davits and dinghy do not pass the sugar scoops). He measured the slope down the stairs. The reason I am flipping out is because the transit cost jumps $500+ if you hit 50′ in length. But, he corrected it once on the dock and came back with 46.9′ which made me beam from ear to ear!

Ad measure for Panama Canal Transit

Our inspector does some more calculations to complete the paperwork:

Inspector calculations

And we are handed our official SHIP ID, Panama Canal Transit pamphlet and lockage request.

Official Panama Canal Inspection Complete

Panama Canal inspection complete. Job well done! We successfully completed the inspection, ad measure and paperwork and have a transit date of 6 March 2018. We specifically scheduled it a month out so we could have our friends fly in from the United States to transit the Panama Canal with us.

Successful inspection and ad measure.

Added notes:

Typical scheduling time from inspection to transit is 4-6 days, but with this busy season it is 2-3 weeks.
We over compensated and asked for a date 4 weeks out to ensure our guests had plenty of time to travel to Panama.

Busiest time of the year to transit:

We came into SBM just as the ARC (Atlantic Rally Crossing) of 38 boats completed their transit.
Carnival is scheduled to start in a few days and Panama will shut down for the 4 day celebration

Panama Canal Expenses: $1,504.00

$800.00 Transit fee for boats 49′ and under (50′-80′ cost is $1300)
$350.00 Agent fee
$ 54.00 Transit inspection
$130.00 Transit security fee
$ 75.00 Fender and line rental (real fenders and not tires covered with trash bags)
$ 60.00 Bank fees
$ 35.00 Check out fee
The above does not include the marina fees for 8-9 days (approx. $1k), fuel, extra food/beverages to feed line handlers, stay at Balboa Yacht Club on the other side ($500)

The Adventures of Sugar Shack

– Sailing Aboard a Catana 471

Tag Archives: living on a boat