abc islands to colombia and panama

[Bill Streever]

Hi all.

We are in Curacao, Dutch Antilles, and had hoped to sail to Colombia and Panama this year. The optimal time for this sail ends in November, but we were busy helping a friend move his boat across the Atlantic, and we are just now back in Curacao. So, we are faced with the stronger than desirable Christmas Winds for at least several months, and the coast of Colombia is notorious for heavy seas and stronger than predicted winds.

It looks to me like our options are:
1. Wait for a good weather window and then go, knowing that we may be waiting until June or later....
2. Sail to Jamaica, enjoy Jamaica, and then sail to Panama. This seems like a reasonable option to me based on a quick look at the pilot charts and other resources. Anyone have any thoughts on this option?
3. Sail somewhere else this year....

All suggestions welcome. And Happy Holidays! -bill

[txg]

I would just go as long as the weather is acceptable. Yes, there can be some bigger waves but in the end it is a downwind leg.

We just went from Santa Marta to Panama last week and the leg was not too uncomfortable even with winds in the 25-30 range.

We loved Colombia and stayed much longer than planned. For me it was an absolute highlight of our journey. Great nature, great people, great food. And cheap compared to the Islands.

[Paul L]

Are you trying to go via a stop in Colombia or do you just want to get to the Canal or San Blas?

I don't see the ride to and from making this all that much fun. Seems like you could go up to around 13*, pass over the worst of the enhanced winds then make for Bocas or Colon.

I'll second Cartegena as being a great stop. We sailed Curacao to Cartegena in late Nov by heading high then sailing down and had an easy trip.

[Bill Streever]

We want to spend time in the San Blas and in Colombia, and we hope to put the boat on the hard in Cartagena for hurricane season 2019. So our end game definitely includes Colombia.

In a sense, going to Jamaica and then back is just another way of sailing well offshore to avoid the worst of the Colombian coastal winds, I think.

Thanks for the advice. That is another option and one I will look at closely.

[belizesailor]

You can sail this route any time of year, but of course during trade winds season (roughly Dec/Jan-April/May) it can be lot more "sporty".

Jan-Feb can have especially strong trade winds and thus esp disturbed conditions off Colombia. Conditions start to lay down about April. See Pilot Charts.

Colombia is a great stop. You could pick a window to work your way over to Santa Marta (quite nice), spend a little time there, then on your next good window, head for Cartegena (great stop!).

Note that if you try to route toward Bocas that you will get out of the seasonal trade winds somewhere West of Colon. Western Panama almost always has light and variable winds...the seasonal trades only fill in from just West of Colon to the East into the San Blas...West of Colon is usually light and variable with lots of contrary currents.

Another alternative could be to head to San Andreas/Providencia...very pleasant stops...we esp like Providencia...then sail back down to Panama later in the season. Again you will have better wind on the return route if you make for points East of Colon.

[belizesailor]

Another planning consideration: Trade winds season, also dry season, is the ideal time to be in the San Blas. When the seasonal trades start to lay down about April-May then the transition to rainy season begins. This brings light winds, heavy rain, squalls, increased cloud cover and biblical lightening. These are generally the conditions all along the Panamanian coast during rainy season.

[FlyingScot]

Dozens of boats left out of Curacao heading west for the rally a few weeks ago. Should be some people who recently took this trek. Pics I've seen of Columbia look beautiful. Good luck. My boat is at Curacao Marine ATM.

[belizesailor]

Yes, Colombia is a beautiful country and the well preserved old colonial section of Cartagena is a cool place to visit. Santa Marta is quite pleasant too, sort of like a smaller version of Cartagena.

Pretty intense weather in the area right now though. The area of higher winds and seas expands and contracts. Right now its very expanded, almost to the San Blas islands. Good time to enjoy the ABCs for a while I think.

Another thought on options: Personally, I dont like Jamaica (there is a recent thread on this with others expressing similar opinions). So, I would prefer Providencia, which I like quite a lot. You could sail a northerly arc out of the ABCs to Providencia and avoid most of the weather. Alternatively, you could wait for the area to settle down a little and then barrel thru it as many do (its a bit sporty, but it is down wind...just be sure you are well prepared for down wind heavish weather...it typically intensifies at night...and sustained winds now are already in the upper 20's, seas running about 3 meters). However, that wait could be long...we waited it out 20 days back in Feb 2015 when it was especially bad...oh the horror...being stuck in the ABCs for 20 days!!! [emoji16]

For future reference, the most settled time to run this particularly nasty area of ocean is after the seasonal trades settle down and into the summer months (no hurricances to worry about down here). I assisted with a delivery from the ABCs-Colombia-Panama a few years ago during the summer months and we had quite a pleasant passage. This is also when a lot of Colombian sport fishing boats make their annual pilgramige to Panama.

The OP said he wants to haul in Colombia (there is a recent thread on that too). So, it would be best to end up there in the Summer and in the San Blas in the dry season (now). A loop from ABCs-Providencia-Portobelo-San Blas-Cartagena would accomplish that.

[belizesailor]

A few related threads:

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...d.php?t=196438


Westward routing around Columbia: Hug the coast, or out to sea?



http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...d.php?t=210039


Charts for the ABCs to Panamá



http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...d.php?t=199597


Avoid Santa Marta?


http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...d.php?t=199945


Haulout-Ferroalquimar Cartagena Colombia

[Bill Streever]

Many thanks everyone. With all of this in mind, we'll look at options and watch the weather!

[belizesailor]

Interesting related local weather phenomena we get here in the highlands of Western Panama, when the Colombian Low/Trade Winds really kick up the winds stack up against the northern side of the central mountain ridge (runs most of the length of Panama) and then spill thru valleys creating some very strong gap winds. We get one here, usually in the start of dry season (about now), that often blows 30 - 50 knots!

Today its blowing about 30 and we are sheltering inside for the day. It blows down thru Paso Ancho which is the pass in the distance in the video.

Link to video...amber waves of grain!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/jrlva5pz1y...92332.mp4?dl=0

[CarinaPDX]

The area 100-150 miles north of the Rio Magdalena generally have the strongest winds in the Caribbean, so avoid that. If you are going direct to Cartagena then try to stay close to land and cross the mouth of the river early in the day with a sharp lookout for debris (logs, etc). I liked Cartagena, but in the mid-90's Columbia was not the safest place to hang out.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by CarinaPDX

The area 100-150 miles north of the Rio Magdalena generally have the strongest winds in the Caribbean, so avoid that. If you are going direct to Cartagena then try to stay close to land and cross the mouth of the river early in the day with a sharp lookout for debris (logs, etc). I liked Cartagena, but in the mid-90's Columbia was not the safest place to hang out.

Hugging the coast, a common strategy, may end up being the OPs best option since the rough area off Colombia is really expanded right now...gonna be a long detour offshore to go around it.

Some of the links I posted above discuss the near coastal route and transiting the Rio Magdelana outflow.

A common strategy is to leave Santa Marta, then anchor for a few hours in Puerto Velero, so as to time your crossing of Magdelana in day light and your arrival in Cartegena in day light the next day too. Hang out in Cartagena and wait for a good window to jump to Panama.

As of the end of our last sailing season (June 2018), you could still not clear into Panama in the San Blas. The closest spot to clear in was Linton Bay Marina. To my knowledge thats still the case.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Bill Streever

Many thanks everyone. With all of this in mind, we'll look at options and watch the weather!

Let us know what you decide and how it works out for you.

We are looking forward to being back in the San Blas soon! [emoji41]

[Bill Streever]

Many thanks everyone.

Based on your advice and other information, we are hanging tight in Bonaire, waiting for weather. The extended forecast, if it holds true, looks promising.

From here we will head for Santa Marta and then onward to the San Blas as soon as reasonably possible, and then back to Colombia for the hurricane season.

Thanks! Very, very helpful.

I'll add a post after we reach Colombia. -bill