We’d booked our passage aboard Captain Fritz’s catamaran, Jacqueline, a month previously via the internet. With having the luxury of time we thought 5 days sailing for US$550 was preferable to a short flight for US$350. Not only would the extra $200 include 5D/4N worth of food and accommodation but we’d get to see the San Blas Islands too. Visiting a group of Caribbean islands was something we’d hoped to do but we knew it would be costly. This option gave us the necessary transport from South to Central America with an island hopping trip thrown into the deal. Of course there was always the niggling doubt that it sounded too good to be true. However, on meeting Captain Fritz any doubts we had instantly dispersed and we felt confident we’d made the right choice. This charismatic Austrian was sure to make the trip memorable.
The Jacqueline can take 16 passengers but luckily for us there were only 10 in our group. To be honest we feel 16 would make conditions rather cramped especially for those who have to sleep in the living-cum-kitchen area. We’re fairly sure we booked first and know for a fact we were the oldest members of the group hence, were allocated a double cabin. Like Steve said there has to be some advantages to advancing in age! Unlike the Golondrina in The Galapagos the cabin was so large we actually had a double bed. Unfortunately we didn’t have the luxury of a private bathroom this time but then this trip cost substantially less. There was a crew of 3 with Fritz’s partner Thulie and their helper Jose making up the trio; with the latter doing the bulk of the work especially in the kitchen. There was a huge hammock style net at the back of the boat containing fruit and veg, that you were invited to help yourself to. Plus there was water and home-made lemon juice constantly available but unfortunately no brew making facilities on hand. Fritz had told us to supply our own booze so we duly did!
You may be wondering why we didn’t progress from South to Central America overland. Well, there’s a huge swathe of mosquito infested swamp known as The Darien Gap straddling the Colombian / Panamanian border. Even with all of today’s advances in modern technology the engineers have failed to conquer the spongy conditions. So the Panamericana stops at the coast in Cartagena only to continue once the ground is less boggy in Panama. It is possible to continue keeping terra firma beneath your feet but it’s an impractical convoluted route which would probably still include one boat ride. To be honest it would likely take just as long and cost as much as the sailing option.
We met at the marina in Cartagena at 10am, relayed luggage and ourselves to the catamaran via dinghy and were promptly allocated our sleeping quarters. Fritz gathered us all around for a briefing where he made the boat’s do’s and don’ts very clear. I’m sure some people would disagree with / disapprove of some of his ideas and opinions but we liked his lack of ambiguity and upfront approach. By midday the sails had been unfurled and we were cruising out of Cartagena’s harbour. With calm seas and favourable winds it didn’t take long for the skyscrapers to be distant specks on the horizons. We were soon in open seas where the horizon was utterly devoid of signs of life.
That night sleep proved elusive due to us not being accustomed to our listing and lolling aqua environment. However, the bed was comfortable and we didn’t have the disturbance of engine noise as we travelled through the night solely using wind power. But, there was a symphony of creaks, rattles and bangs overplaying a backbeat of sloshing and slooping as the waves surged against the catamaran’s twin hulls.
DAY 2
We were up just before 5am to do our night watch shifts; we’d chosen the hour slots back-to-back so did them together. Well actually I sat in the captain’s chair for those 2 hours while Steve snoozed on the seat behind me! To be honest, and thankfully, all I had to do was keep an eye on a distant storm and make sure nothing came too close to our vessel. A bit boring but I was very glad I didn’t have to wake Fritz (or Steve who was actually a coiled spring ready for any marine mishap!).
Luckily the winds had continued in our favour whereupon Fritz announced we were making good progress and hoped to reach the islands sooner than usual. Within a couple of hours the steady breeze had reduced to the point it was necessary to switch on the engines. Not as environmentally sound as our nocturnal travel but it made for very smooth sailing and not as damaging to the atmosphere as flying. With little to do and even less to look at we psyched ourselves up for a long, dull day of travel. The occasional flying fish glided by but that only interrupted the monotony of sky and sea for fleeting moments. We broke up the tedium of the day by munching on fresh, tropical fruit and taking notes from the boat’s much more recent Lonely Planet. Like it was printed in this millennium – our copy is so old that it pre-dates the internet!
Then suddenly one of the fishing reels started paring out its line; a fish had been snagged and it looked sizeable. It turned out to be a huge sailfish and of course it wasn’t going to give up its freedom without a fight. It had been reeled in to within a grappling hook’s length when, with one final desperate lurch it unhooked itself and swam off to enjoy another day. That was the day’s excitement over until 5pm when a small pod of dolphins arrived and started swimming in front of the catamaran. We all settled into position to watch them and enjoy their company when they suddenly disappeared leaving us all somewhat disappointed. Within 10mins they’d returned and had brought some friends along too, so in the end we were entertained by a pod of up to 20. Not a hugely busy or interesting day but you can’t complain at being welcomed to Panamanian waters by a pod of sleek, beautiful marine mammals.
Land ahoy! Judging from the lack of lights we were travelling parallel to The Darien Gap. A few hours later we reached the San Blas Islands and set anchor at 9pm, 6 hours ahead of their typical schedule. The light from the full moon gave us our fist tantalising, silhouetted images of the islands; they looked as tropical as you’d expect in Caribbean waters.
DAY 3
From where the catamaran was anchored we could see up to 20 islands of various sizes dotted along the horizon. One was stereotypically ‘Robinson Crusoe’ style – tiny with a palm tree each apiece for Crusoe and Man Friday to lean up against. None of the islands were huge and they were all virtually flat and supporting the ubiquitous coconut palms with very little other vegetation. The white sand beaches sloping into turquoise seas added to the scene – the epitome of a tropical island.
The Jacqueline has snorkelling equipment aboard for you to grab as and when you’d like to use it. Plus, Jose is happy to ferry people to the nearby islands by dinghy although, for most people, at least one island is close enough to swim to. Obviously Steve was one of the first to don a snorkel and mask but initially he couldn’t see much in the way of fish. As he swam over to one of the neighbouring islands he found a good area of coral and seaweed where he enjoyed observing various species of fish and a ginormous shark. We then took the dinghy to a different island where a slow stroll saw us circumnavigate it in a mere 10mins! Very nice and we were glad we’d found this option instead of simply flying into Panama City.
DAY 4
Once breakfast was finished, with the daily highlight of tasty home-baked German style bread as promised, it was time to move on again. We sailed for 3 hours to another group of islands in this large archipelago. Nothing at all to report as we were drifting over the waves – not even a flying fish. As soon as we’d set anchor people leapt into the crystal clear waters to cool down. Steve had another go at snorkelling but he didn’t see anything and reported that overall he’d been very disappointed with the lack of corals and creatures on this trip. We were both mightily disgruntled with the lack of sea lions!!!
As with trekking, once you’ve stopped moving on for the day it’s pretty boring and a good book is imperative. In fact we thought of the trip as being aqua camping; limited, shared facilities with delicious food dished up in over generous portions. To break up the day we popped over to a little island that transpired to be inhabited by some of the Kuna tribe. Understandably they wanted payment for us to invade their slice of paradise but we’d not taken any money with us. We had taken some beers with us and luckily bartering is still alive and well in these parts.
DAY 5
It rained through the night once again but by morning this was down to the odd light shower. We moved towards the immigration office island to try to escape the sand flies but unfortunately they chose to accompany us. Fritz and Thulie went over to the island to sort out the necessary stamps in passports just as they’d done as we left Colombia. This is the first time we’ve left one country and entered another without clapping eyes on the immigration officers. In fact so far on this trip, other than entering Argentina, border crossings have been very casual and relaxed. Once on the mainland we stopped at a checkpoint where the jeep in front of us was having bags along with passports checked. However, by the time they’d finished it was lashing it down so the guards waved us through with only a cursory glance at our paperwork.
We weighed anchor for the last time at about 10am, said our thank-yous, bid our farewells and boarded a small boat to take us to the mainland. This short hop cost us US$3 each to where 4x4’s were waiting to take us to Panama City. We’d been told it would cost $30 for the taxi and with 6 of us sharing it was a good, quick way to get to the city. In fact it was the ONLY option and we were horrified on discovering that the fare was $30 EACH – a royal rip-off. Not a pleasant end to 4 relaxing days at sea and the situation was compounded by a storm lashing the city. That said we’re glad we chose to sail not fly and wouldn’t hesitate in recommending Fritz and his catamaran Jacqueline.
http://colombiapanamasailing.com/index.html
http://www.sailjacqueline.com/e/index.html
