Captain Jack and others in Portobelo have added a lot of new resources in Portobelo for cruising sailors. The information isn’t in any cruising guide that I’ve seen on the internet or in publication. A lot of these options prevent alternatives that will save cruisers time and money.

Some of the resources sailors will now easily find in Portobelo:

– The Portobelo Bay Yacht Club has new moorings available as well as a person who will check on boats while owners are away.

– Everyone calls him Consignment Dave and he runs a Consignment & Salvage Shop from the future site of the Portobelo Bay Yacht Club. He has many great second-hand parts. Items ranging from rebuilt diesel engines to running lights, electronics and anything else you could need.

– Captain Jack has a Port Supply distributor account (a division of West Marine) and can help you order parts and supplies that aren’t available in Panama. He will help you get them into Panama within two weeks at very low shipping.

– Canal Agent—boats can now do all of their paperwork and payment for their canal transit in Portobelo. This is a huge advantage over going to Colon and risk being robbed. This means they can stay anchored in Portobelo for free and only go to the flats the day the boat is scheduled to be measured and can return to anchor in Portobelo while waiting for their date to transit the canal.

– Diesel and Outboard Mechanics—there are several quality diesel and outboard mechanics/welders and electricians operating out of Portobelo.

Jeff Brainard

S/V Desdemona

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