EMERGENCY SITUATION - Help needed Panama City Panama

[Shrew]

To those suggesting inexpensive flights, Towboat US and the like. Please RE Read the post and title.

Panama City, PANAMA (Central America).

This is not Panama City, Florida.

[EzzyD]

Originally Posted by Shrew

To those suggesting inexpensive flights, Towboat US and the like. Please RE Read the post and title.

Panama City, PANAMA (Central America).

This is not Panama City, Florida.

kayak.com has a one way flight leaving tonight for $196 (https://kay.ac/BLhBnE)

Details follow:
13h 03m
11:25 pm — 5:24 am
Lands Thu, Jun 29
Economy 3h 59m
Vancouver (YVR) — Dallas (DFW)
American Airlines 1519 · Narrow-body jet · Boeing 737-800
Change planes in Dallas (DFW)
1h 51m
7:15 am — 11:14 am
Economy 2h 59m
Dallas (DFW) — Miami (MIA)
American Airlines 2345 · Wide-body jet · Boeing 767-300
Change planes in Miami (MIA)
1h 10m
12:24 pm — 2:28 pm
Economy 3h 04m
Miami (MIA) — Panama City (PTY)
American Airlines 1532 · Narrow-body jet · Boeing 737-800

[Shrew]

Originally Posted by EzzyD

kayak.com has a one way flight leaving tonight for $196 (https://kay.ac/BLhBnE)

Details follow:
13h 03m
11:25 pm — 5:24 am
Lands Thu, Jun 29
Economy 3h 59m
Vancouver (YVR) — Dallas (DFW)
American Airlines 1519 · Narrow-body jet · Boeing 737-800
Change planes in Dallas (DFW)
1h 51m
7:15 am — 11:14 am
Economy 2h 59m
Dallas (DFW) — Miami (MIA)
American Airlines 2345 · Wide-body jet · Boeing 767-300
Change planes in Miami (MIA)
1h 10m
12:24 pm — 2:28 pm
Economy 3h 04m
Miami (MIA) — Panama City (PTY)
American Airlines 1532 · Narrow-body jet · Boeing 737-800

That solves the flights. Not the local Boat US and other such services (Yes I'm sure there are marine services in the Panama area). Just trying to keep misleading info. on track.

Thanks

[roland stockham]

David from Matchship is sorting this out and arranging a lift out for me. All sound professional and reassuring so am hopeful it will not be as bad as it looked last night. Don't you just love owning a boat!!!!
Unfortunatly I can't just jump on a plane as I have students completing pacticums in the local hospital and they can't work without a superviser. By the time I have paid out $1000 for the ticket (yes it is 600 from Vancouver but we are 1500km north from there) plus the expenses and maybe had to wait a week for spare it will be as cheep to get her on hard standing. Also as people say leaving a boat at anchor is insecure at best. Only did it because at the time I could not find another option. Once she is on the bank I can stop worring about her and get down and fix stuff properly at the end of the contract

[dgz3]

Wellllll.... I don't mean to sound unsympathetic. And being in Florida, I'm in no position to help.
But if I read this correctly, you left your boat in Panama in an unsound condition in the care of a cruising couple with no means to start the engine (bad starter.) While you went home to Canada for the summer?
Apparently making at least some water? And with no plan and insufficient funds to have her towed and hauled in an emergency?
Speaking of which, just how long has this "emergency" been going on for?
You state they are going over to "bail her out with buckets every couple days?"
So how many "couple days" has it been?
I'm with Palarran on this one. Suck it up and get to the airport.

[Stu Jackson]

Geez, tough love there. But that's what forums are for: divergent opinions.

Roland, good luck, hope it all works out.

[model 10]

This "lift out" is going to cost a bunch if you wait till the end of your contract. The railway is only for maybe 2-3 days max and the fancy boatyard, is a fancy boatyard. It has probably never seen a boat like yours or mine taking up space.

[Rorzech]

Get Alli and Gerti to put up that sails after they bail out the water, at high tide and run her aground in the sand or mud, and at least it won't sink ! I know , but I say "any port in a storm" Make sure they leave a no trespassing sign on it. So it doesn't get stripped to the bare hull. Then get your butt down there if you want a boat.

[BandB]

I'm going to be tough love as well. Some things just amaze me. Leaving a boat anchored in Panama while I'm in Canada is one. Then no ability to go there. But this one is a bit of a pet peeve and it's emailing instead of calling in urgent situations. People will respond with more assistance to a voice and person than to some words printed on paper. Also, you can interchange information and accomplish in one phone conversation what might take half a dozen emails both ways.

I have no surprise whatsoever a boat left like that starts taking on water. It's what happens. Consider some alarms that might notify you. Consider a relationship with a professional yard. You weren't prepared and it sounds like this time it might all work out for you, but be better prepared next time. Know the actions you will take in advance.

We currently have a boat sitting in a marina on Pickwick Lake. It scares us not being there, but we have alarms, even cameras, and we pay the yard/marina to check on it regularly. Then we're prepared either for us or someone we'd sent to get on a plane immediately. It doesn't have to be you if there's someone you trust.

How much does the boat mean to you? $1000? Was price or students your reason for not flying? It's sure going to cost you far more than $1000. It's just your actions of leaving it and now your actions of saying $1000 is too much to spend on it don't show me someone who puts a lot of value on their boat. You yelled Emergency here but you didn't even call, just emailed the yard. Easy to know they're there and call and if they can't do it, they give you someone who will.

I do wish you the best of luck. You should at the minimum have the yard take some photos.

[boatpoker]

Kudos for not responding in kind to the self righteous cheap shots.

Thought I'd do it for you I've got a thick skin

[Rorzech]

About running it aground. I just looked at it through my eyes, and i saw that "desperate times ,sometimes require desperate measures" . Good Luck.

[jtp7571]

If you ever been in Panama City/ Pacific side you know that there is a 18' tide. Can't see running it aground and then having any boat left. Good luck with that. I have a fellow U.S. Army Mariner that is down there and might be able to help but as others have said "you need to get down there and look after your boat.
I would have had an new starter put in before if left for Canada. Hell I would have brought her back with me but that's just me.

[Dave22q]

Google marine services Panama City Panama. It works. Or call a local for a marina and ask for a mechanic reference. Very doable on remote as long as boat is docked. If not docked you need to arrange foe a slip and towing to move the boat. Haul out is a waste of money and you will still need to solve your problem. Better off putting your money on diagnosing and fixing the problem.

[model 10]

[QUOTE=Dave22q;2423474]Google marine services Panama City Panama. It works.

I guess if you have never been to Panama City you might not understand how much "marine service" there is. Ther are probably 10-20 big ships just sitting there at anchor. Another 10-20 in transit and everybody needs something. Finding someone on Google wto fix this little boat will be tricky.

[Kenomac]

I guess I'm still trying to understand how or why someone would leave a boat in an anchorage with a non-working engine, then leave the country for an extended period of time? Then... not what to go down there to handle an emergency situation brought on by the non-working engine and bulge pump.

I wish you luck, but if it was our boat..... I wouldn't ever leave it in an anchorage or without a working engine, and if something serious was to ever happen... I'd be on the first flight over to take care of the matter myself.