Vale Panama Yacht Club Hello Chagres River

12:05 PM Thu 23 Apr 2009 GMT

'Panama Yacht Club an institution for 81 years' .

Sailing boats wanting to transit the Panama Canal these days are faced with a challenge of sorts. Cruisers in the area were horrified last month when Panama Ports Company suddenly demolished the Panama Yacht Club without warning. It happened at 3.00am, and by morning there was little left.

Now there's the choice of the Chagres River, which is a long distance away, and the only marina left, on the far side of the harbour, Shelter Bay Marina - and local reports say cruisers are not very happy at that facility. However, while its staff have had many changes recently, it has 88 berths and reasonable facilities, with a shuttle to Colon.

The demolishment happened despite an ongoing court battle, and has left a swag of angry sailors in its wake. Panama Ports Company used its cranes to blockade the marina's land entrance with three 40-foot containers, and workers fenced off the marina's shoreline. Frightened boaters still berthed in slips on the docks were ordered by the company workers to get out by April 1, although the yacht club staffers were still operating out of a small shed on the isolated property.

Even the dinghy dock which allowed sailing boats to reach the shore has now been removed. Reports are that boats have been anchoring in the Chagres River without problems.

'It was totally illegal,' said a Panama Canal Yacht Club official recently. He even asked not to be identified by name because of fear for his family's safety. 'The Panama Ports Company knew that the court administrator had tied their hands, but they destroyed (the clubhouse) anyway,' he said.

Members of the yacht club vowed to fight on in court, but the odds are stacked against them. Local opinion is that the Panama Ports company finds yachts 'nothing but a nuisance' according to one of the excluded yacht club members.

'Yachts are no longer welcome in Panama, but we're still fighting them in court,' concluded the Panama Yacht Club official.

It appears that the Panama Canal Yacht Club has been in trouble for a while struggling under the burden of an almost $7000 per month 'rent' payment to the concessionaire of the port area of Cristobal, Panama Ports.

When asked for an explanation of their actions, Panama Ports Company made the following statement: 'Panama Ports Company has only exercised its right to make use of the areas that were given to it in concession through the Contract Law 5 of January 16, 1997.

'The lease contract of the Panama Canal Yacht Club expired a long time ago and for that reason the Yacht Club was occupying Panama Ports' land illegally.'

In order to help cruising sailors arriving in the area now, Eddie Tuttle, of the yacht Tothill, has supplied the following information:

If one decides to anchor in the Chagres River, it's possible to dinghy to shore and walk to a road leading to the Gatun Locks where you can catch a local bus into Colon or Cuatro Altos.

Stanley Scott (6680-7971, 6480-4391) a Ships Agent and taxi service between Colon and Panama City has told us that he would provide services to cruisers who are at anchor along the eastern coast of Panama. He is a wealth of information and reliable.

The latest information for yachts arriving at the Canal can be obtained by joining the local Colon-side VHF net
It is held on Monday and Thursday at 7:40 AM on Channel 74.

There's also the Panama Connection Net on SSB 8107 (USB) 8:30 AM is a very helpful net for cruisers transiting the area from the ABC's, Cartagena to Panama.

As always, cruisers will find some way of overcoming all obstacles!

by BW Media roundup