A list of sailboats and captians from Panama to Colombia

[cruthas]

This is just a small list of conacts I touched base with doing my research. Please add more, I will be making a list and adding it to my website.


Fritz R. Breckner Sailing with the Fritz Cat
1190 Wien, Krottenbachstr.166, Austria
Tel.,Fax +43(0)1 440 13 08 MOB +43 (0)6991 36 87 999
www.fritz-the-cat.com Panama:+507 67277337 NEU!
Columbien: +573186683438 skipe: fritz-the-cat50

Tony Santos Sailing with the Andiamo
www.theandiamo.com
tony@theandiamo.com

www.hostelwunderbar.com Sailing with the Seeadler
silvia@hostelwunderbar.com
This is a hostel and boat you can contact in order to sail around the gap, very useful and helpful.

info.Steelrat@Les-Raisting.de Sailing with the Steelrat
http://www.stahlratte.org/
http://www.stahlratte.blogspot.com/ learn about their adventures!

Captain Marcos
freshaircharters@yahoo.com
Popular boat highly recommend among Motorcyclists.

[j_seguin]

We sailed on the Seeadler. It was a good experience. Guido is a great captain (steers the boat by smell at night... and maybe GPS too).

I´ve also heard good things about the Stahlratte. We ran into an Aussie chick who crossed the gap on it. Said she ate more money in lobster while on board than she paid for the ticket (meals are included in most trips).

[DblDown]

Wanted to follow up with this thread.

I just completed a successful and pleasant 5-day voyage with Captain Marco of Freshair Charters (from Portobelo, Pan. to Cartagena, Colombia) http://www.freshaircharters.vpweb.com/

I highly recommend the cruise. Marco takes about 16 big bikes a year, and knows what he is doing. I was able to visit the boat as it came into Panama with two bikes, witnessed the unloading process, and talked to the bikes' owners regarding their experience. Their response sold me. I am now in Colombia with good memories of the trip.

Here is a short video of the loading process:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PapzzA_CRQs

Good luck,
Mike

[HWSNBN]

cool video!

[Airhead Wrangler]

I'll be heading that direction in a couple of months with a group of 5 including myself. We're pretty dead set on not paying $700 per person to get around the gap. We're pretty intrigued by the rougher route taking a coastal freighter to Puerto Obaldia and then from there to Colombia. With 5 people and five motorcycles would it be possible to basically charter a banana boat down the coast rather than pay one of the sailboats a small fortune? Yes, I'm aware of all the potential problems that people who chose this route can and do encounter and we're willing to take those risks. Does anyone have any leads for making such arrangements? Will we need to go through Colon for this or is there another town farther toward colombia we could try? I read a report of someone riding the dirt road out to Carti Suitopo and taking a motorboat out to an island where he caught a freighter. That would also work for us.

[Throttlemeister]

horizons unlimited got a thread where it only cost ~250 but you better be fluent with spanish and tie good knots. I thinking about trying the route maybe just on my way back home.

[crashmaster]

What about a boat where your bike wont get soaked in salt water? Does that exist? I know, stupid question....... Just wondering...

[Throttlemeister]

I gonna use me a whole lot of bisqueen and wd

[candohome]

Originally Posted by Throttlemeister

horizons unlimited got a thread where it only cost ~250 but you better be fluent with spanish and tie good knots. I thinking about trying the route maybe just on my way back home.

HU is a navigation nightmare.

[bananaman]

Originally Posted by Airhead Wrangler

I'll be heading that direction in a couple of months with a group of 5 including myself. We're pretty dead set on not paying $700 per person to get around the gap. We're pretty intrigued by the rougher route taking a coastal freighter to Puerto Obaldia and then from there to Colombia. With 5 people and five motorcycles would it be possible to basically charter a banana boat down the coast rather than pay one of the sailboats a small fortune? Yes, I'm aware of all the potential problems that people who chose this route can and do encounter and we're willing to take those risks. Does anyone have any leads for making such arrangements? Will we need to go through Colon for this or is there another town farther toward colombia we could try? I read a report of someone riding the dirt road out to Carti Suitopo and taking a motorboat out to an island where he caught a freighter. That would also work for us.

I don't remember if I've posted this already. It would get you down the Pacific side, from near Meteti in Panama to somewhere in Colombia.

[cruthas]

Igor,

I am hoping to add more here eventually!

[Airhead Wrangler]

We ended up taking the Meta Comet. Captain Herve and his wife Dag have a 75 ft former fishing boat that can fit 5 bikes. Herve rides and was very attentive to not f***ing up the bikes. He even bought a tarp for each bike to keep most of the salt water off. They took us from Puerto Lindo to Turbo in either 4 or 5 days. They can be found here:

http://www.sailing-sanblas.com/

[bananaman]

I'll put a link to this thread in the Ride Report Link Thread, next to Cruthas's other awesome thread. Some day somebody will appreciate it.

[JamesOn2Wheels]

The Stahlratte easily the largest (huge) most comfortable and fun boat.
I've taken it and Seeadler.
I think the Stahlratte is on Karibik cruise til March. Then it's back to Panama but check website. If you are at all worried about seasickness (like me) or room take the biggest boat, especially this time of year.

Zig

[Throttlemeister]

Your correct, Steel Rat is out for a few months, thinking it resumes right around March

Does anyone know if the waters off the Pacific side are less rough than the East side this time of year?