Sailing Vallarta to Key West
Hi all,
Below is a copy of a letter to the lucky new owner of my old sailing catamaran. Voyeurs and voyagers, enjoy.
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Hi Scott,
Congratulations on your new boat. For me, her name will always be LAMAZIA which translates to BEAUTIFUL in the Georgian language. You have a fantastic ship, whatever you decide to call her. I didn’t want to sell her, but life had other plans.
Ken tells me you are planning to take her through Panama and to the Northeast. I think she’ll be happy living back in the US for a time.
I’ve been a sailor for most of my life, and know the boat well. I wanted to give you a few suggestions that might help you enjoy your upcoming trip.
Prep
Contrary to the survey report, the boat’s in good shape. Still, there are a few items I’d address in Vallarta before heading on a long voyage.
#1 — Paint the hull. It might be on the edge of needing it, but you will get good workmanship and a good price from Ramzes in La Cruz. Deal with him directly. There is no need to use an intermediary unless you want to spend extra money. There are no good places to pull out with a hoist in between Vallarta and the Caribbean. Get all your bottom work done in Mexico where it’s less expensive.
#2 — Change the oil on both engines and the generator. You can do this during the bottom paint. Also change the oil in the sail drives. It is the same as the engine oil. Do not overfill the sail drives when you fill them back up.
#3 — Replace the broken VHF with a good one. Handhelds are not as effective because of the antenna height.
#4 — Connect the unconnected solar panels. They will be helpful on your voyage. Wiring is in the port engine room it should take you a couple of hours. The wires and the charge controllers are already mounted.
#5 — On the hard, ask Ramzes to find, clean and paint any bits of rust in the engine room. I didn’t see anything called out on the survey, but there is ALWAYS some rust.
#6 — Check the pliability of the through hulls in the yard. These are cheap little plastic fittings that harden in the sun. Replace them now if they are hard and brittle.
#7 — You can ask Peter Vargas’s son to run up and check the standing rigging and clean any corrosion. I have had two comprehensive rigging inspections over the last 5 years and there were no issues found. But in case anything was missed by the surveyor, it’s better to fix it on land than in the middle of an ocean gale.
#8 — If you enjoy fresh water showers, then check (and maybe replace) the membrane in the water maker. Or at least take a spare one with you.
#9 — Things break, bring tools.
#10 — Think about weight. You can load her down with creature comforts after she is settled in the Northeast. If you load more than a few thousand pounds, you will negatively impact her speed. Keep her light (except for tools.) 😊
https://waypoints.com/fountaine-pajot-wins-arc/
#11 — Check the EPIRB yourself. The survey said it was inoperative, but it worked fine when I checked it last fall.
#12 — Get some new flairs.
#13 — Service the fire extinguishers (or get some new ones)
#14 — Buy fans. 120 volt household fans. When you get into Panama you will be hotter than you can imagine. Air flow will save your brain. The solar will power a few of them 24 hours a day. They keep away bugs and oppressive heat.
#15 — While in Vallarta, ride around in the Dinghy A LOT. Make sure that motor is working well before setting off. You will need this to be working properly many times during your trip. Rowing is a huge pain.
#16 — Practice sailing. A LOT. Pay someone who knows about cats to take you out and teach you. Bahia de Banderas is a magical place. Go to Los Arcos, anchor and dive. Sail to Punta de Mita and anchor for a night. Take the dinghy in and beach it. Use the wheels. Take a surfing lesson.
If you get into trouble in the bay of Banderas, a radio call and a little bit of cash will save your ass. It is best to make mistakes here instead of in the rivers of Panama.
#17 — Consider re-activating the sat phone system or at least getting an Iridium Go for satellite SMS.
Voyage
#1 — The most important thing to remember is that you will be fine. 😊 Problems will come up and you will deal with them. This voyage you are about to take will be a trip of a lifetime for you. I wish I was delivering her for you.
#2 — Check the weather, but don’t trust 100% in the info you get. There is an app called WINDY that allows you to download a week-long forecast. It’s reasonably accurate for area weather but not for micro-climates. If you don’t know weather, consider hiring a ground-based weather advisor to give you suggestions and read you forecasts.
Pay close attention to weather when crossing the gulf of Tehuantepec, just North of Guatemala. The wind funnels across the land from the Caribbean and create nasty seas. Get some professional, local advice about this area.
#3 — (suggestion) Clear out of Mexico in Port Chiapas. A friendly fellow named Memo used to be the Harbor master. The harbor is up a small river, very well protected. You can take a bus into Tapachula and buy final provisions for your trip to Panama. There are reported to be a few tours of ancient chocolate farms. Apparently this area was the birthplace of chocolate.
#4 — I have no information on Guatemala, but from what I have heard there are not many good places to stop.
#5 — There is a marina in Nicaragua called Puesta Del Sol (sunset). http://marinapuestadelsol.com/
It’s located up a small river in an estuary. I have stopped several times. It is a good place for a rest, and a bit remote. Customs can be a pain, so get your paperwork patience mindset all revved up.
#6 — Costa Rica can be a great place to stop for days or a week. I am told that these days it takes a long time to clear in and out of customs. If you plan a stop here, check the current clearance procedures before you go, and plan on staying a few days to explore.
#7 — Panama West — There is a yacht club with buoys next to Panama City. People used to stop here, getting ready for the crossing. Panama City is a first world metropolis. It is relatively safe and you can find most anything you want here. If you tie up on the buoys, there is a water taxi service that will come pick you up and take you to shore.
#8 — Panama Canal — Start thinking about this part of the journey right away. The canal is a giant bureaucracy that does not care about small boats. Small is anything under 150 ft. It is possible to do all of the paperwork yourself, but it is much easier to pay an organizer to do it for you. They charge a few hundred dollars to sort out all of your paperwork and get your reservation. They will also provide tires and lines to use as fenders. (Regular boat fenders are useless). They will give you experienced line handlers for crew that will go with you through the canal. If you don’t use an organizer and get your own line handlers (ie friends or people you meet on the trip) I highly suggest you go through the canal on someone else’s boat FIRST as a crew member so that you understand the entire process.
A stressful part — Understand that even though you are paying a bunch of money to use the canal, the canal company really doesn’t care that much about what happens to you or to your boat. You will be required to sign a damage waiver as part of your paperwork. The canal company takes no responsibility whatsoever for any damage to life or property. Lots of preventable damage happens regularly.
You will read more about the process, but basically they load a lock with a container ship first. Then they pack in smaller vessels behind it. One vessel is tied to the side wall as the lock is filled and drained. Other boats are rafted off of this side-tied vessel.
The side most vessel must take in and release tension on the lines as the water level changes in the locks. Ripped out cleats are common on older wooden boats. Cracked solar panels and windows are common on newer boats. Cover the solar panels with cheap wood or something so they are safe from monkey fists dropped on them from above.
Also, be very careful about prop wash from the container ships. Their propellers send current bouncing around every which direction, so keep a safe distance.
The canal will assign you an advisor who will be on board with you. He is exactly that — an advisor. You are still the captain and still responsible for your ship. He is not a pilot. If he tells you to do something stupid — and you do it — there is no shared responsibility.
An awesome part — Crossing through the canal will be an experience of a lifetime. If you are a bit slower — or leave in the afternoon, you will overnight in a large lake. Buy a bunch of chickens before you leave — whole chickens. Friendly lake gators may come pay you a visit. It’s fun to feed them by hand. They know the drill and are quite polite.
Important to remember — After you finish the canal you will be near Colon. You will feel a massive sense of relief and the pride of a seasoned captain. Many others in your same situation run aground on a coral shoal just outside of Shelter Bay Marina. There were TWO sailboats getting full keel replacements in the Shelter Bay boat yard the last time I was there.
Stay frosty until your boat is tied up at the dock. 😊
#8 — Panama East — Shelter Bay Marina is safe and much nicer than the buoys near Panama City. There is a little hotel there as well if you are dropping off or picking up crew. It is a great place to fill up on diesel.
Colon is safe if you go with the Shelter Bay group in the daytime. It is quite dangerous at night. Enjoy a nature hike around the old navy base instead. There are some cool bits of history that are quickly becoming jungle.
If you have time, I’d strongly recommend you head SOUTH for a few days and visit the eastern coast or Panama. Massive rainfall here leads to wild jungles, interesting monkeys (monkey island) and tons of hidden history and culture. Cannons and Spanish gold await your discovery. Shelter Bay Marina will sell a guide book that is worth whatever expensive price they are asking.
#9 — Caribbean sailing — You are going to have a choice on making your way back North. You probably sailed most of the way down south on a comfortable, relaxing run. Now you will have the chance to have some fun with your new boat. If you have a few experienced sailors on your crew I’d consider catching the trade winds and head on a beam reach to Cancun. The boat will do a comfortable 8–12 knots. Then just run the engines and bash (will be safe but uncomfortable) from Cancun to the Keys. You should have plenty of fuel if you run one engine at a time and go slowly. You will likely be going into the winds and waves, so it will slow your progress. You can always get a couple of Jerry cans.
Sailing catamarans –
These are wonderful, safe boats. Much more comfortable than monohulls. There is a book from ASA about catamaran sailing I left on the boat. If you read it, it will help you.
Safety –
I’ll just say one thing here from my decades of experience as a ship and aircraft captain. The single greatest piece of safety equipment you have on your boat is your rested, clear mind. I have never been on a multi-week voyage where there wasn’t at least a couple of things that went wrong. People sometimes get into trouble when these issues start stacking up on each other and then cause mental and physical fatigue — which leads to bad decisions that bring on more problems.
Let your crew to do the hard work. Get yourself rest. Stay fed and hydrated. Keep yourself in good, prepared condition. Focus on your own self-care and give yourself the best chance to make great decisions when the time comes. Making good decisions is your primary job. You must be rested and healthy to do it. 😊
Enjoy your sail. I’m a little bit jealous.
Fair winds and calm seas,
Ralph
