Cartagena - Docking
Anchoring
Try to anchor within the designated areas or as close as possible to them. Be careful to allow frigates/cruise liners (plus tugs) maneuvering room to moor alongside the dock. Do not anchor close to the military base or you will be asked to move.
Bahia de Cartagena is a well-protected anchorage and for longer stays in Colombia offers a much more cost-effective solution than Santa Marta. Cruisers who have spent some time here, however, have reported rapid fouling.
It is advisable to anchor in deep water (10m+) with a long scope as the sudden southerly squalls can cause dragging in the shallower water.
Many cruisers choose to anchor off the Club Nautico and use the marina’s facilities including the dinghy dock, rubbish disposal and WiFi. The Club makes a small charge for this.
Club de Pesca’s dinghy dock provides vessels at anchor full access to all marina amenities (for a weekly/monthly fee).
The holding in the shallower water closer to the marina is reported to be poor.
The anchorage is also busy with lots of boats creating waves and at nights can get very noisy with loud music, often until well after midnight.
Marinas
There are two marina facilities in this harbor, Club Nautico and Club de Pesca Marina.
If berthing in this harbor be aware that wave action and local weather (occasional violent squalls from June to November) can make conditions unpleasant at times. This is a harbor with a lot of speedboats, water taxis and activity. Wakes are constant during daylight hours. In order to guard against the swell, be sure to have very stretchy dock lines and make sure that your spreaders are not matched up to the boats beside you.
The Club Nautico continues evolving with several new projects completed including additional bathrooms, a kiosk, a small cruiser lounge plus installation of new transformer and pedestals to allow electrical access (all 60 hz) on 90 % of all berths. The Club is busy, but spaces do come available for transient yachts. Often busy with day charter boats and can be noisy at night.
Club de Pesca Marina introduced deeply discounted slip rates for international cruising yachts in 2019 and in 2021 completed an expansion of new floating finger docks – all with 110/220V pedestals up to 250A. Club de Pesca is a private yacht club and visitors enjoy full access to all of the yacht club’s amenities. Reported to be much quieter than either anchoring or the other marinas.
Barnacles and marine growth can be a problem for boats left for a period of time.
The new boatyard – Marina Portobello – has plans to develop a sizeable marina.
Security
The Bay of Cartagena has seen a decrease in the number of dinghy thefts over the last few years, possibly due to better crime control by the officials and more awareness on the part of cruisers. The Coast Guard patrol the anchorage and Club Nautico also runs a patrol launch at night to keep incidents to a minimum. That said, thefts still continue to be reported so stay alert. If you don’t want your dinghy or outboard to be stolen, don’t leave it in the water overnight, even if it’s locked to your yacht. See this report from CSSN.
Information about thefts is shared on the United Cruisers Cartagena Whatsapp Group – join this group via this link: https://bit.ly/2X61RIF.
When going ashore don’t wear expensive jewelry around town and be careful of unscrupulous persons trying to engage you in dubious activities.
If anchoring in a remote location or in an anchorage where there are no other boats – which is often the case – be cautious and keep watch overnight if at all possible – especially if approached late at night by “fishermen” seeking information or help. See this report from CSSN.
Last updated: March 2024
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Related to following destinations: Caribbean Coast (Colombia), Cartagena, Colombia
Port Navigation
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Our 3 weeks stay at Club Nautico extended to 6 months due to the high quality and affordable work we found at this wonderful port city. In general, labor is far cheaper and more professional that in any of the other Caribbean locations. These are no YouTube professionals like in the islands. In addition, there are 5 chandleries within 10 minute walk from Club Nautico.
Work we did:
• Carpentry:
o Redid our galley with sliding doors and new the floors.
o Replaced stern bulkhead
o Redid both heads with new showers walls, shower faucets and new floors
o Converted bunkroom to bottom storage and queen bed on top.
o Removed old floor varnish and revarnished.
o Revarnished main stateroom
o Replaced rotten floor and wallboards
o Rebuild generator room with new floorboards and battery banks
o And lots of small carpentry work
• Steel
o Reinforced hard dodger
o Replaced top lifeline with stainless steel tubing
o Expanded solar array to 3 panels
• Canvas
o Redid canvas on the hard dodger
o New canvas for the hatches
o New canvas for the dinghy
The work was very good and super affordable. Could not be happier.
While the floors were being revarnished, we went and spend time in the Amazon. Amazing.
And we did this while side docked at Club Nautico.
Whether you are in Cartagena on a passage or to have work done, this is a wonderful city to visit.
We hauled out at Ferro Alquimar in August 2019 and left our boat there for three months while traveling overland. We had antifouling and steelwork done in the yard and highly recommend.
I just had a 1 month refit on a 45 ft Outremer cat in Cartagena at Ferroalquimar. Great experience. Ferroalquimar boasts great team, grat showers and great wifi. I recommend the comapny Globe Sailing International who supervised for a fixed price most of the work that had to be done. It is absolutely necessary if you do not plan to stay on site and call in spanish all contractors 3 times a day.
Do not hesitate to call Mario San Juan +57 318 3498098 or mail msanjuan@globe-sailing.com.
Mario was able to have us shipped a Facnor furler to replace ours within 3 weeks.
Works done : sails (with excellent Renzon Herrera), engines check up, carpentry, antifouling, hull polishing, rigg inspection, furler replacement, fiber, autopilot repair.
Mike Pitre says:
Jan 23, 2019 09:04 PM
We would like to recommend Alvaro at Cartagena Boat Repair (contact details above)
Alvaro is an American trained manager, fluent in English, always on time , reliable and honest. The work performed was very good and at a very fair price. We had the bottom sanded and new antifouling paint applied. Our rear sugarscoops were raised and gel coat was repaired in a few places. We had the whole boat buffed and waxed. The day of splashing they washed the whole boat top to bottom and it looks awesome! The work was done at Ferroalquimar which is a very professional yard with a 300 ton travel lift. Make sure you contact Alvaro before heading to the yard so everything will go smoothly.
Mike Pitre on SV Mojo
For people who send to Colombia spare parts for boats from abroad, by DHL or FEDEX I remind them that if they weigh more than 50 kilos or cost more than US $2000, they will have to import the package through customs, which entails an additional cost of US $800.
October 2018
I contacted the club de pesca. They are supposed to have a 30 ton lift.
Apparently they don’t haul and launch though?
dorita says:
Sep 09, 2018 05:13 PM
Have to write about a very positive experience in Cartagena. found a general contractor who organized to paint the boat, exchange all tiles in 2 showers, get good stainless steel welding done, get the ac repaired, got the 8 kW generator overhauled and all in only 3 weeks, sometimes having 15 people working on the boat. All at a very reasonable firm contract price, all done at anchor outside Club Nautico.
Contractor was Alvaro Simancas tel 0057 304 6055971 or 0057 300 2589522 email simancasalvaro27@gmail.com
Club Nautico Cartagena
Looks like they’ve overhauled their website (same URL) to reflect the Club’s renovations. Nice pics of the new facilities and new rate sheets- now that is helpful!
Club Nautico
They just opened the restaurant at Club Nautico a couple weeks ago. Pricey for Colombia, which means reasonable for those with US dollars currently. Very upscale, gourmet food, yummy. The Italian restaurant across the street, Verona, is good too. The Club Nautico bar is not yet open.
Club Nautico Cartagena
Constructing the new clubhouse is almost finished (February 2015) The showers and bathrooms are finished. The bar and restaurant is almost ready. Dinghy fee still 58000 cops = us$ 25 but Dinghy cannot be locked. The front is guarded by a security man. No WIFI. Go for free-wifi to the supermarket cafe Carulla 300 m
October 2014: New Ferry Service Begins Operating Between Panama, Cartagena, and Bocas del Toro. Full details at:
http://media.wix.com/ugd/707aaa_1e18aa1f23084dcf90032d8fdbbcd651.pdf
Phone: (507)380 0909 in Panama.