Cruising the Coast of Colombia
Part Three
 

by Lourae and Randy Kenoffel

We, the crew of Pizazz, are pleased to provide this "guide", a collection of our personal experiences, to fill in the blanks between Bonaire (which is in Doyle's Sailors' Guide to Venezuela & Bonaire) and Panama (which is in Zydler's The Panama Guide).
The information that follows is our personal opinion only. We provide the essentials of cruising: where to find what you need. The information is sorted by category and we'll give you data by location. Pizazz (a Beneteau 500) has daysailed along the Colombia coast three times (twice going west and once, doing the "impossible", going east).

Marinas / Haulout Facilities / Dinghy Docks

BONAIRE
Harbor Village Marina is safe with 15-plus feet of water. But beware of the mosquitoes! Plaza Resort has some slips and dock space but mostly is only 9 feet deep. The dock at Karel's Beach Bar is the main dinghy dock for getting into town. Or you can use the dock at Harbor Village Marina and walk north from there.

CURAÇAO
Curaçao is a popular place to leave your boat to travel, as there are good airline connections to almost anywhere. Seru Boca Marina has slips for storage. For haulout, contact Antillean Slipway in Willemstad for work and their associated Curaçao Boat Yard for storage on the hard. Curaçao Yacht Club is mostly for local boats. Dinghies can be tied to a dock at Sarifundy's, Kees' Place or the fishermen's marina.

ARUBA
SeaPort Marina has slips for rent. Leave your dinghy in the marina or use the fishermen's marina near the hotels.

CARTAGENA
Club Náutico has docks for about 50 boats, Med-moor style. Club de Pesca is a local club/marina which has some finger slips available for visiting cruisers. There are three haulout facilities in Cartagena. The Navy yard takes care of big boats, catamarans are lifted out by cables, and there is a 40-ton travelift at the other yards - all good facilities. Club Náutico has the dinghy dock for boats at anchor.

PANAMA
José Probe Marina, to the west of the San Blas, has moorings available for storage - make reservations. Panama Canal Yacht Club in Colón has slips and a Med-moor dock on a first-come basis; they have a railway for basic work. Balboa Yacht Club on the Pacific side has moorings (no marina) and a railway. Pedro Miguel Boat Club, within the canal, has a small marina with a crane if you want to drop your mast. When in Colon, you can anchor in the Flats and leave your dinghy at the dock in Panama Canal Yacht Club.

Marine Stores
As almost everyone knows, Trinidad is the place to have marine parts shipped in. The next places to ship parts to are Curaçao and Panama. In between, shipping in is more difficult or costly, but there are some places to buy parts locally.

BONAIRE
There is a marine store at Harbor Village Marina (not cheap). There is a Napa auto parts store and, if you check around town, you can find a few miscellaneous items. There are a couple of hardware-type stores.

CURAÇAO
If you look, you can find a few stores for basics, although most cruisers get things shipped in. There is a Napa store on the island.

ARUBA
Very limited selection. This is not really a cruiser hangout.

CARTAGENA
There are a few marine parts stores and an unlimited supply of auto parts (12 volt) stores. The Home Mart or ServiStar are places to visit if you need tools, garden items, household goods, lamps, etcetera. MultiElectrico (on the side street, across the street, from Home Mart) can take care of alternator repairs and parts, bulb replacements, wires, etcetera - anything electrical. Ignacio Sierra (just over the bridge from Club de Pesca on Calle Larga on the right) is the place for nuts, bolts, screws, cutlasses, plumbing pieces, etcetera; if they don't have it, they will make it. There are many cruisers in Cartagena who have been there many years; they can direct you where to go for whatever you need.

Money

BONAIRE
The currency here is NAf (Netherlands Antillean florin) which exchanges to 1.75 NAf per US$1. Here you can use US dollars or your credit card (with no problems) and you get change in US$ and NAf coins. The official exchange rate varies, of course, but ATM withdrawals or VISA advances from the bank give you a better rate than stores or restaurants. It's a small island with several ATMs around.

CURAÇAO
The same situation as on Bonaire. Use all of your NAfs here as there is nowhere else to the west to use them.

ARUBA
Although part of The Netherlands, Aruba is no longer associated with the Netherlands Antilles. They have their own Aruban paper and coin florins and won't accept NAfs from Bonaire or Curaçao. However, the exchange rate is the same: 1.75 per US$1. As we mentioned before, Aruba is a tourist island, so ATMs are everywhere and all those tourists use credit cards (there's been no known fraud).

CARTAGENA
The official currency is the Colombian Peso, which was over 2100 per US$1 in November 2000. Some stores take US dollars but give you a lower exchange rate; most places use 2000 per US$1. Your best deal is ATM withdrawal, and they are everywhere. If you have the time to wait in line, you can go inside the bank for VISA advances. Cruisers have used credit cards here with no bad experiences that we know of. When you are ready to leave, spend most of your pesos, but save a few for Rosarios - aquarium admission is 10,000 Ps per person (see Restaurants and Shoreside Activities, below), and locals there have fish, lobster and necklaces for sale.

PANAMA
The official currency is the US dollar, although prices get quoted as "Balboa". The paper money is US dollars, and coins are the Panamanian Balboa which are exactly the same size and value as US coins. Have lots of small denomination US dollars for the San Blas; you'll need lots of cash to buy molas. There are no ATMs, no credit card usage, no cash advances in the San Blas. However, those services are available in Colon and Panama City.

Phone / Fax / Internet / Mail
For all locations, the best bet for out-going mail is someone flying back home.

BONAIRE
There are phones along the waterfront and at TELBO, the phone company, that require phone cards. There is one phone inside the phone company that is an ATT direct phone. The office at Harbor Village Marina will send or receive your faxes, as will the phone company. The internet cafe is upstairs next to the karate school near Cultimara market; the cost is US$9/hour, or you can purchase weekly or monthly time. The Marina Store has a computer for access but is more expensive. Flat mail can be sent through Harbor Village Marina; use FedEx. Incoming packages will go through Rocargo and you will pay some charges, and possibly 30 percent Customs duties unless you depart immediately.

CURAÇAO
There is a phone available at Sarifundy's, one at Kees' Place and one at Seru Boca Marina. You can dial ATT and pay a minimal charge to the bartender. Get your faxes sent to Sarifundy's. There is internet access at the one computer at Sarifundy's or the two computers at Kees' Place for US$8/hour. There are several internet cafes in Willemstad at US$12/hour or only US$2/hour at the library. Cruisers either get their mail quickly or have long delays; there is no rhyme or reason why. Packages and flat mail are duty-free. We recommend FedEx.

ARUBA
Phones are very difficult unless you use a phone card. We had no success getting through to ATT and had to make a credit card call. Use the hotels or phone company for faxes. Internet cafés are located in a few shopping malls at US$15/hour. We've had no experience with mail.

CARTAGENA
There is a phone at Club Náutico with direct ATT access; this is on the wall at the left end of the bar. The only problem is that the electrical power to the phone is wired with the stereo at the bar, so there is lots of noise. The phone card phone is at the right of the dinghy dock. You can use the phone companies in town for phones and faxes. Club Náutico will send/receive faxes. There are several internet cafés around town; one is two blocks from Club Náutico. Cost is $3/hour. FedEx is best for flat mail to Club Náutico. If you have packages sent to you, they may never show up; apparently the Customs officials like to hold them for ransom, or they get "stuck" in Bogota.

PANAMA
Surprisingly, there are phones in most villages in the San Blas. However, there are often long lines to make calls and it is difficult to get past the busy signal. Some phones are coin, some are phone card; and you can access ATT. There are several phones at the Panama Canal Yacht Club. There are no fax machines in the San Blas but the PCYC will send/receive your faxes. The internet has not yet reached the San Blas, however there is an air-conditioned café in Colon, or the office at PCYC, for US$3/hour. You cannot get mail in the San Blas unless you make special arrangements through Julie Arias to have it flown in (for a price). In Colon, the US Postal Service International Express Mail takes 2 or 3 days to get to a nearby post office. FedEx and DHL will deliver to the yacht club. Packages can be sent to the yacht club with no duty owing as long as they are marked "yacht in transit". Great place to have all those marine parts sent in! You may pay a small delivery or Customs clearing fee.

Laundry & Garbage
Remember that you can always do laundry by hand. You should separate your garbage - paper, plastics, tins, bottles, biodegradable items.

BONAIRE
Harbor Village Marina office collects laundry daily before 9:30AM and it is returned the next day after 10AM; it is not cheap because the water is desalinated. You can take your laundry to the laundromat near the stadium to do yourself, but it's not much cheaper. There are some garbage bins behind the fuel dock, or take your garbage to the dinghy dock and drop it in the bins behind the Harborside Mall.

CURAÇAO
Laundry machines are available at Sarifundy's and Kees' Place for small cost. Garbage bins are behind both these places.

ARUBA
We found machines on the 7th floor of the Holiday Inn (south tower) for $1 wash and $1 dry. These are for hotel guests so act like a hotel guest. Use the garbage bins to keep the waters clean.

COLOMBIA COAST
You will have to do your own laundry here - the next machines are in Cartagena. For your garbage, when at sea (not at anchor!) you can break your bottles, punch holes in tins so they sink, and toss foodstuffs. Or, store garbage until you see proper bins.

CARTAGENA
There are some friendly ladies at Club Náutico who'll do your laundry for you - 2800 pesos for wash and 3000 pesos for dry. Club Náutico also has a garbage collection area.

PANAMA
In the San Blas, you must do your own laundry. If you need to collect water, anchor close to the mainland; it usually rains. Also, you can dinghy up some of the mainland rivers to get fresh water. Some islands have freshwater pools where you can bucket some water for laundry. If the island is inhabited, ask permission first. Take care of your own garbage; don't give it to local people for disposal, as they often just dump it in the water. Cruisers have organized "garbage burns" for their combustibles - if doing this on an inhabited island, ask permission. And anywhere, make sure everything is thoroughly burnt, the fire is really out and the ashes are well buried. In Colon, there are machines at PCYC for laundry and there is a small garbage collection area.

Restaurants and Shoreside Activities

BONAIRE
The scuba diving, which is spectacular, is the primary reason to stop here. If you dive, you will love it. If you snorkel, you will love it. The Marine Park has well-marked mooring buoys all along the coast and around Klein Bonaire for diving/snorkeling. These are well maintained and offer a variety of sites, all within a dinghy ride. Since most tourists here are on "dive holidays", you will pay tourist prices at the many good restaurants. There are restaurants at most of the dive resorts as well as many in town, all within walking distance. If you need a movie fix, there is a cinema but it costs US$8/person per movie. A rental car ride around the island is fun, but the island is small and the drive only takes 2 or 3 hours.

CURAÇAO
The sightseeing downtown is very nice, with lots of colorful buildings. There are some dive sites just outside Spanish Water, within dinghy distance. Farther up the west coast there are a few dive sites with moorings. Anchor up that way or rent a car and do shore dives. There is a nice Seaquarium on Curaçao, but cruisers see those fish all the time. There are cinemas in Willemstad but they are not cheap. Rent a car to see the island and do some provisioning. Sarifundy's and Kees' Place in Spanish Water have small restaurants. In town, there are many eating places ranging from fancy to McDonalds.

ARUBA
A tourist island with many expensive shops and restaurants. All the hotels have casinos. Aruba has many condo/timeshare resorts for all those tourists. Take a few hours to listen through the "sales talk" and you'll get a rental car for two days or a US$100 dinner certificate; just don't buy a timeshare. With the rental car you can see the island and do some provisioning. If you need a burger fix, choose from Wendy's, Burger King, and McDonalds. Enjoy shopping galore! There is a cinema here that is expensive.

COLOMBIA COAST
If you stop at Monjes, hike to the top for a tour of their radar station and view of "the rock". At other anchorages, walking the beach and snorkeling are the activities; these are places to relax and catch up on reading. You will find small beach restaurants in the five bays. Rodadero is a resort town with beach restaurants and water activities. Nothing else until Cartagena.

CARTAGENA
This is a great city. The Old Town (known as "Centro" to locals) is a fabulous place. The old buildings now house small shops, restaurants and museums. It is very busy during the day; people all around selling everything. Shopping is good in Cartagena; you can find almost anything you need. At night, take a taxi to see the sights and try all the wonderful restaurants. Try a tour of the city and beyond. If you'd like a mud bath, visit the volcano outside the city. Club Náutico has a small, very reasonably priced restaurant (daily specials are the best: US$1 for breakfast, $2.50 for lunch, $8 for dinner). There are many reasonably priced (US$10 for dinner; $5 for lunch) eating places within walking distance of Club Náutico. Check with other cruisers for their favorites. Some cruisers have spent three weeks in Cartagena and never cooked a meal on their boat.

ISLAS ROSARIOS
The attraction here is the clear water for swimming and snorkeling, welcome after the filthy stuff in Cartagena. The aquarium at the west end of the island group is a must-see for 10,000 pesos (US$5). Get away from the big city and enjoy. There are a few small hotels that will serve you a beer and/or a meal.
ISLAS SAN BERNARDOS
Not much here except clear clean water for great swimming and snorkeling.

SAN BLAS ISLANDS
No restaurants or activities per se, but these islands are a wonder in themselves. The Kuna villages to the east are traditional, with only some outside influence. Each village will provide you with a different experience. These people are happy and friendly. Expect visitors to your boat, primarily to sell you molas, but the fishermen sell fish, crab and lobster. If you wish to have gifts for the people, bring candy for the kids; men always appreciate extra fishing hooks, etcetera; the women can use sewing needles, fabrics and reading glasses.

Summary
Now you have all the information you need for cruising the Colombian Coast. All you need to do is pull up that anchor. This is a great area to cruise, one that is still somewhat undeveloped and off the beaten path. We strongly recommend this coastal cruise before transiting the Panama Canal or heading to the northwest Caribbean.
We encourage everyone to pass on this "guide" to others behind you. If you are located in any of the popular cruiser spots, post this on a bulletin board. We welcome e-mail messages at sy_pizazz@yahoo.com with your questions, comments or requests for copies of this guide. NOTE: We do not have e-mail on our boat but use local cyber cafés when and if we get to them.
All three parts of this guide are also available on the Caribbean Compass website: www.caribbeancompass.com
All the best for a safe passage from Lourae and Randy on Pizazz!