Around the Coast - Rest of the World

Freemantle – Enter Success Harbour/Marina and follow inside S. wall to Collector Jetty for visiting yachts.

Mandurah – Pass 50/100yds NE of Robert Point Pile Beacon before heading for entrance. On entering the estuary take first opening to port into marina. Leave trot of cray boats (sterns close to port) with clubhouse ahead. Tie up to Collector Jetty to starb’d. Club showers FOC. Water and Diesel available at both.

FreemantleSC has own boat yard facilities including hoist. Mandurah has similar but not associated with the club. Clubs in both have reataurant. George Kendrick, HLR, 23/11/04

survey and it all runs out when we go 200NM offshore. Ted and Sue The Alice Colleen, Jan., 2005

Chris & I are at home in Buzios, Brazil, about half the year. Eventually I hope to compile a good set of notes on the whole coast for CA members. In the meantime, I'll be happy to research any questions you may have. Our home in Buzios (200 km north-east of Rio) is across the street from Praia do Canto (www.buziosonline.com.br), a good place to anchor (a few moorings available at Yacht Club). Always a spare bunk, hot shower, and a pint or 2 for CA visitors. Buzios phone 011-55-24-623-6028. If maid answers ask for Chris or Walt. USA phone (Tom's Point Marina, Port Washington, Long Island, NY)516-944-7276 (no maid, only rowdy offspring).

Be wary of US Defense Mapping Agency. Detail is lacking and some soundings suspect. Ecuadorian Navy charts are thought to be reliable – available for rent from Naugala Agency who also arrange cruising permits if required for longer stays.(www.naugala.com ) .

Reports of possible increase in piracy between Panama and Galapagos have been noted. See: www.noonsite.com Ed., 14/04/05

S.A.R Hrbr: Lat: N22 Long: E114 - If anyone wants information on sailing in Hong Kong waters, and The China Sea, if I am able, I am willing to try to pass on any information that I have. I started sailing myself in this part of the world in 1958. Email: Yacht: CRIB John B Briggs 3/2/00

Slipways, Boat washing/cleaning, showers, food, water, diesel all available with other stores convenient placed to the club which has security staff and more than 100 employees. A tractor is available and a repair yard. Range of restaurants and transport. Visitors welcome to the Club Mr Humayun Qureshi, HLR, 7/12/04

Panama Canal:
There are new regulations that apply to vessels transiting the Panama Canal. This is the copy in its entirety for your review.
At this point it appears that the Panama Canal will be operating pretty much as usual. Generally the yachts make the transit in "one day" so this should not affect many of the transient yachts.
We will closely watch the situation as the 1st of March comes and goes; reports will follow as information become available ..... it is our opinion that the ACP (Panama Canal) is trying to deal with a difficult situation as best and fairly as possible. Craig Owings, Commodore,
PMBC ; 2002. "The Voice of World Cruisers at the Panama Canal" ******************************************************
MR'S ADVISORY TO SHIPPING No. A-02-2002 February 4, 2002 TO : All Steamship Agents, Owners, and Operators SUBJECT: Tariff for Additional Pilot
1. Some vessels arriving for transit with certain noted deficiencies or conditions have required the assignment of additional pilots in order to allow them to complete their transit. In the past, the cost of these additional pilots was absorbed by the Panama Canal; however, in light of increasing costs, the Panama Canal Authority now finds it necessary to charge for these additional resources.
2. Effective March 1, 2002, any vessel that requires the assignment of more pilots than the number that would normally be required by a vessel of her size, will be assessed additional pilotage fees in accordance to established tariffs: a. Pilots assigned before transit begins $2,250.00 each b. Pilots assigned due to late discovery of deficiency $4,500.00 each
3. Some deficiencies or conditions that could require additional pilots are:
* Restricted visibility (excluding Full container Vessels)
* Inadequate sanitary facilities
* Inability to relay
* Clear channel restrictions due to cargo or ship design
* Inability to develop and maintain the minimum full ahead speed required to complete the transit in standard times. The Panama Canal Authority has determined that the minimum full ahead speed required in order to complete transit in standard times is 8 knots.
4. Handlines using transit advisors instead of pilots, which are unable to complete their transit on the same day, will be assessed the tariff for transit delay of $440.00 for the additional transit advisor.
ORIGINAL SIGNED
Jorge L. Quijano Maritime Operations Director Panama Canal

Horrendous Charges!
Please disseminate this notice widely, so no one gets taken by surprise. Keep abreast of the latest in this issue at http://www.pmbc.ws/htmls/acp.html

Letter from Franz Schoetz, Panama, 21.02.2001 Panama Canal Authority Office of the Administrator

P.O. Box 025413 Miami, FL 33102-5413
Franz Schoetz Baumannstr.
15 83233 Bernau/Ch. GERMANY
EMail: Yacht Nan Madol, SIN 351032

Dear Mr. Administrator,
During my Panama Canal transit on 15 feb. my engine broke down and I had to anchor in Gamboa where the advisor told me to anchor. The boat anchored on 5m (15ft.) of water very close to the shoreline. It was outside of the bouyed mooring field for the commercial vessels and on his own anchor. The advisor told me on request that I can stay here as long as I need to repair my engine. So I believed in him and I went the following day to Colon to clear my status with immigration because I checked already out for Galapagos. The next day I tried to get a hold of some mechanics for the engine and finally on Sunday I came to the Pedro Miguel Boat Club. At that time I was close to a heart attack when the Commodore, Mr. Craig Owings, told me that the Panama Canal Authorities will charge me 300$ US per day to stay there on anchor.

Before I got my tow to Pedro Miguel Boat Club I had to pay, in addition to the original $1300 the amount of 2540 $US; where 440 $US for the pilot, 1800 $US for six days moorage which I never used 300 $US for the towboat.

I can understand and accept the fees for the pilot and the towboat but I beg you to return the fees for anchoring in Gamboa. Sirs, I am simple single handed cruiser on a small 35 foot catamaran with a very limited budget and I try to follow my dreams to go into the Pacific and visit all this beautiful island. Please don't destroy my dreams with these charges. Thank you very much in advance, Cc: Presidencia of the Republic of Panama, Office of Public Relations Pedro Miguel Boat Club Cruising World Magazine *******************************************Letter from Commodore, Pedro Miguel Boat Club *************************************** The Authoridad de Canal de Panama .... In Action! or .... Transiting Yachters Beware Date Line: Republic of Panama, 20 Feb, 2001 The yacht Nan Madol, a small 35' home built catamaran on her second circumnavigation, came to the Panama Canal to transit last week ..... routine. On Thursday the 15th of February the transit was started by Franz Schötz and seemed uneventful until his engine failed near Gamboa in the Panama Canal. His boat sailed to an area near the Panama Canal's large ship mooring area and anchored at the direction of the Authoridad de Canal de Panama's (ACP) transit advisor. The advisor told him he would stay here until is motor was repaired. Since Franz had checked out of Panama with the intention of going directly to sea from his transit, he decided to return to Colon and straighten out his immigration status on Friday. On Saturday he started to see about resources for repair of the motor and on Sunday afternoon he came to the Pedro Miguel Boat Club to arrange to get the boat here for repair. I, Commodore PMBC, happened to be here and asked him why he had waited so long to try to move off the mooring area .... NO ONE TOLD him that for the privilege of anchoring on his own hook, he was being charged a mooring fee of $300 per day ... the same as a broken ship would pay if it was using the moorings at Gamboa. Franz went into shock .... a solitary world cruiser on a very limited budget, he is learning what it is like to use Panama's Canal. By the time that we were able to arrange a transit for the vessel on Tuesday the total bill for breaking down in the Canal was $2540 above the initial $500 transit fee.... $400 pilot delay fee, $1800 for mooring fees (they charge for the day you break down and the day you leave), and $400 for the launch to tow the vessel to the PMBC. We can understand the pilot delay fees and the tow fees, but the mooring fee is a fee with nothing received in return ... strictly a punitive fee for yachts. The hero in this is the ACP's port captain ... this person worked non stop to get the transit arranged and get the vessel moving to minimize the charges to the yacht. The villain is new Panamanian management of the Panama Canal ... they have stated in the past that they do not want yachts at the Panama Canal as they do not "pay" their way. This statement was by the Panama Canal Commission Administrator, at the Public Hearings for raising the small vessel transit tolls in 1998. The same person is still the Administrator of the Canal today, but since the canal is no longer under the control of the United States, there is no redress for actions without reason. It is impossible for a yacht to compete with a commercial ship in the ability to pay tolls, yet this is what the administration of the Panama Canal is attempting to do .... to accomplish the stated purpose of eliminating yachts from the canal. The Neutrality Act of the Panama Canal (part of the Panama Canal Treaties) does not allow Panama to exclude anyone from the transiting the canal, but does nothing to prohibit them from economicly excluding selected users. Under the operation of the United States Government, the transiting of yachts was considered a public service and responsibility to world. Now under the operation of the Panamanian Government everyone is fair game for ruinous fees. To appear that they are not raising the transit fee unreasonably, as predicted by many at turnover time, the ACP is making the increase by the left hand; they are raising the fees for "other" services and using those fees punitively to increase their revenues or giving special exceptions to general operational and safety rules if you pay "extra" fees.. I attempted to contact Mr. Quijano, the Maritime Director of the ACP, and contacted Mr. Manns the Chief of Transit Operations to try to have Mr. Schoetz's mooring fee reduced ... the response was strongly negative. "We do not make exceptions" .... regardless of the fact that the transit advisor did not tell the yacht of the mooring fee, regardless of the fact that the yacht was not given the required transit information packet, regardless of the fact that the yachts do not get to use the moorings that they are being charged for, in fact nothing that I could bring up would make a difference. However if you are a Maersk Lines (http://www.maersk.com) ship there is an ACP directive out that every consideration will be made to accommodate those vessels, and other directives and operational policies that give similar support and accommodation to vessels or companies who can pay. But for yachts and the other non commercial boats that want a "free lunch" .... well let's just sweep them off to the side with restrictively high fees. No one cares and no one will do anything about it! It is time to make a statement to the Government of Panama and to the Authoridad de Canal de Panama: First, write those folks listed below and tell them it is time to "grow up" and accept responsibility for being a world class nation and to operate the Panama Canal with the understanding that the Canal is a world resource, not just a "golden goose" for Panama. Second, contact your country's governmental agencies, or representatives and tell them to withhold any public funds that are to be used for development or loans in the Republic of Panama until such time as the Government of Panama accepts that fact that the Panama Canal is a world resource and issues in writing a standard of treatment. All users should have access to the canal based on their economic ability; stop trying to eliminate the use of the canal by the yachts of the world through economic highway robbery. It is time to bring home to the Republic of Panama that the world is a small place and everyone is part of it. Email The President of Panama ofasin@presidencia.gob.pa The Administrator of the Panama Canal aaleman@pancanal.com The Marine Director of the Panama Canal mr@pancanal.com Public Relations of the Panama Canal info@pancanal.com Fax The President of Panama 011(507) 227-6944 Public Relations of the Presidencia 011(507) 227-4278 Voice/Snail Mail The Administrator of the Panama Canal Panama Canal Authority Corporate Communications Division ACP-AEP P.O. Box 025413Miami FL 33102-5413011 (507) 272-3100 Craig Owings Commodore Pedro Miguel Boat Club Email commodore@pmbc.ws 23/2/01

Use Manila Channel (North West) taking care of reefs in centre of inner bay shown on charts.

28 swinging moorings in Muelle Bay. Water available at YC pier. Diesel, gasoline, LPG in town.

Small repairs possible but no lifts (nearest Maya Maya, Subic) Good shops. Puerto Galera YC. www.pgyc.org Some possibility of reciprocal arrangements being followed up. Mike Tucker, HLR, 31/1/05

Around the Coast - Rest of the World

Caution