COLOMBIA

We thought we would stay longer than 15 days in Colombia, because we wanted to sail on the Canal Del Dique, so we needed to get a temporary import permit. All in all, we paid the agent $280 USD and it seems that was the best possible deal.

The checklist we made for confirming our deal with the agent was as follows:

Your agency will provide us with the following:

• Acta de Visita (entry permit issued on arrival)
• Visa for 2 persons – 90 days
• Temporary Importation Permit
• Certificado de permanencia (‘cruising permit’)
• ZARPE international
• Exit stamp

The price for your services and all official fees etc. is a maximum of $280 USD; this includes taxi rides for the officials etc.; there will be no additional costs.

Furthermore, we gave the agency the following information:

1. The ship’s documents
2. Passports and proofs of vaccination
3. There were no canine or felines on board
4. Departure of origin (a picture of our Despacho from Barahona, Dominican Republic)

Our agent needed extra pictures of the boat, including one where you could see the name and the registration-number.

Make sure to contact two or three agents and ask for a price, naming everything that should be included!

No Canal del Dique:

When we arrived in Columbia, we were planning to sail on the Canal del Dique. We could enter the Canal near Cartagena. Would the bridges would be high enough for Ya to pass through? Would the Canal be deep enough for Ya? The more we read about the Canal, the more intrigued we got, however, the more agents and others we talked to, it didn’t seem like a good idea.

There had been severe rain in the headwaters of the Rio Magdalena. So, there would be lots of current. Also, the vegetation in the river (water hyacinth) and logs, would make sailing difficult. Heavily motorized boats can do this. Ya had better not.  But we wrote a blog about it anyhow.

No River Sailing on Rio Magdalena

Agents in Cartagena:

The system of agents is inherently bad in Cartagena because it invokes corruption, but we were not too unhappy with the services of bonillajosedavid@gmail.com. while wroyo@whitelightagency.com also seemed reliable and quick to respond.

If you stay less than 10 days, the costs of the agent/procedures go down to about $135 USD.

Noisy…….

After our first enthusiasm for Cartagena – we must admit that sleep was a problem.

On anchor there were always motorboats, creating waves, always loud music from these boats – usually Latin American, but still. Often it went on till after midnight, one night we hardly slept at all. So think before you go; perhaps we are oversensitive, perhaps if you anchor further out it is better, we don’t know but thought it would be good to tell you.

Club de Pesca and Club Nautico have their own charms.  Club de Pesca is more ‘decent’ and quiet, and there are more sailing yachts. Club Nautico is more lively with day charter boats. Also Marina Manzanillo is friendly, and best if you have to do work on your boat. But also here the disco noise is loud on certain nights. Not even the good food you can order during the day can make up for that.

…but beautiful, friendly and amazing!

Besides that, Cartagena is beautiful, friendly and amazing! We decided to leave the boat in a harbour for a while to go see the city of Mompox and get some sleep.

We wanted to leave Cartagena one day after a storm, although it passed 100 miles from Cartagena. But now, please be aware that rules can be strange. Our agent could not clear us out, because the Port Captain decided that this storm, already many hundreds of miles away, was still dangerous for all ships. So we had to wait an extra day before he cleared us out.

Several of our blogs on Colombia:

• https://fossilfreearoundtheworld.org/no-river-sailing-on-rio-magdalena/
  
• https://fossilfreearoundtheworld.org/fossil-free-city-transport-in-cartagena/
  
• https://fossilfreearoundtheworld.org/mompox-meat/
  

PANAMA

Bocas del Toro

Formalities: All officials come to the office of the Maritime Authority.  Some make you wait. Immigration is free, Health is $20 USD and Customs makes you pay ($40, no receipt).  Furthermore we paid $95 USD for a Cruising Permit for our 10 meter yacht.

Visa: After 90 days our visa had to be renewed. The popular ‘visa-run’ is to take a trip to Costa Rica (Puerto Viejo or Cahuita), stay there for three days and come back (besides the bus / hotel you pay $9 to leave Costa Rica, all formalities are free).

Bocas del Toro is a treasure. The nature, lively cruisers community and friendly people attribute greatly to that.

We were inspired! So, we wrote a few blogs:

• https://fossilfreearoundtheworld.org/funshopping-at-the-swap-meet/
  https://fossilfreearoundtheworld.org/fun-shopping-from-red-frog-anchorage/
  https://fossilfreearoundtheworld.org/underwaterworld-of-bocas-del-toro/
  https://fossilfreearoundtheworld.org/ngobe-tribe-medicinal-plants/
  https://fossilfreearoundtheworld.org/the-floating-dentists-help-where-they-can-to-keep-the-teeth-of-the-ngabe-people-living-here-in-bocas-del-toro-panama-and-making-the-switch-from-tribal-to-industrial-society/
  https://fossilfreearoundtheworld.org/ngobe-jungle-bags/
  https://fossilfreearoundtheworld.org/dolphin-bay-hideaway-hotel-for-sustainability/
  https://fossilfreearoundtheworld.org/solar-systems-on-solarte/
  https://fossilfreearoundtheworld.org/trouble-in-paradise-barnacles/
  https://fossilfreearoundtheworld.org/wonderful-wasteless-world/
  

Inge van Berkel and Peter Hoefnagels
SY Ya

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About the Authors

Peter Hoefnagels and Inge van Berkel are sailing around the world without using fossil fuels. No diesel, no gas, no petrol. On-board life is energy neutral and very comfortable. Says Inge:  “Sustainable cruising means sailing globally, living locally. We buy, eat, live and act where we anchor.   With the locals we exchange information and methods about sustainability and living self supporting. Whatever we learn from them, we share with you on our blog. In exchange, we deliver a clean wave in all corners of the globe.”

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Other SY Ya Blogs:

Dominican Republic:

https://fossilfreearoundtheworld.org/coral-reef-in-the-dominican-republic/

Adventures in Barahona:

https://fossilfreearoundtheworld.org/larimar-the-spirit-of-the-caribbean/
https://fossilfreearoundtheworld.org/live-and-let-live-on-the-market/

Isla Beate

https://fossilfreearoundtheworld.org/isla-beata/

Related Links about SY Ya:

• Gambia:  A Great Place for Sailors (Noonsite January 2022)
  
• Gambia: Skirting the Covid Chaos (Feb, 2021)
  
• Ya:  The Yacht That Sailed the World Fossil Fuel Free
  
• Fossil Free Around the World Website
  

Other Related Links:

• https://noonsite.wccstaging.com/sargassum-monitoring/
  

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The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the view of Noonsite.com or World Cruising Club.

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