Pearl Island Anchorage -Panama

[Pelagic]

A friend of mine was asking if I knew anything about year round anchorage in a place he called Honda Bay in one of the Pearl Islands off Panama.

Anyone have experience or weather knowledge of this bay?

To me, it looks like it would get a good ground swell coming in from the north.
If yes… how large and is it seasonal or year round?

[Dsanduril]

Might want to check out these blogs, sounds like big changes at Pedro Gonzalez:

Ethan, Nancy & Zada's Adventure on Eyoni: Isla Pedro Gonsalez, Perlas: August 2013

BALLENAS BAY TO LAS PERLAS ISLANDS | opticalillusion1

You can also search YouTube for videos of the fishing community protests.

[Pelagic]

Thanks Dsanduril, I don’t know this area and just trying to advise a friend.

I take it the island I circled is called Isla Pedro Gonzalez but my chart system does not identify the name of the Bay. (He called it Honda.)

He just wanted to know what the swell conditions were like in that Bay and I thought it looked rolly, but would like to confirm.

[belizesailor]

Your friend should pick up a copy of Eric Bauhaus' exceptionally well done cruising guide.


Sent from my GT-P5110 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Dsanduril]

It is indeed called Bahia Honda (but be careful when searching as there are a couple of those in Panama and many more in the rest of the Spanish speaking world) and is a well known anchorage in Las Perlas. I haven't been there in many years, my recollection is that it is a good anchorage, but I couldn't provide any details, particularly as to "year round" since I've only been late in the year. That's why I posted the links to more recent visits. Both of them, and some others, indicate that it is the place to go when other anchorages in the area are rolly. A couple said it was the flatest anchorage they'd ever been in.

However, the island no longer looks like that pretty Google satellite image. About half the island seems to have been clear cut and razed in preparation for construction. The local fisherman and their supporters have been protesting in Panama about the "theft" of their islands by the rich elite making a playground. So, while the anchorage may be physically very nice I don't know how welcoming it would be to "rich" gringos at the moment. That is only speculation on my part, I just know that civil unrest can make places uncomfortable in ways other than wave motion.