Panama News Briefs

The Panama Canal Yacht Club: This information is second hand and needs to be confirmed.I understand Panama Ports sequestered this historic club in Cristobal. After the initial sequestration PPP arrived at 3 AM and proceeded to block access to the club. They then started tearing down the club house. The sequestration is in question as the club has paid it's rent and the payment was accepted by PPP. My understanding of sequestration is that they are not allowed to destroy property until the court has decided the case. This action appears to have been carefully timed for "Colon Day".

Dear Mr. Winner, I am having a horrible experience with the Mercury Marine Corporation in Central America, and wanted to share my experience with you. I need help and am grateful for your time in reading this unbelievable nightmare. My name is Carl Miller and I purchased a Mercury 225 Optimax with the extended warranty. At the time I lived in Florida and have since moved to Bocas. Instead of selling my Mercury motor I choose to pay about $8.000.00 to bring it and my boat with me. When the boat arrived in Panama the motor computer acted erratically. I checked the owners manual which lead me to check the oil and other items and they were fine, but still the computer seemed to be malfunctioning. (more)

So on or about September 1, 2008, I called Centro Marine Mercury Dealer in Panama City, Panama and gave them my Mercury Marine Warranty information and numbers, and told them of problems with my motor. The computer appeared to be malfunctioning and there was a knock. I spoke with Lewis, Centro Marine's service manager.

The next day I called Lewis again and he said that he had confirmed with Central America Mercury that my motor was under warranty and that I should send the motor to them in Panama City. The motor was sent on September 5, 2008. I paid the transport, removal and crating costs of $650.00.

A week later I had another conversation with Lewis and he informed me there was a problem with the computer and he had received permission to proceed with repairs from Central America Mercury office. Lewis said they would take care of the problem in two weeks.

However, after two weeks they had not even started. So I began weekly phone calls to both Lewis and the owner of Centro Marine, Alberto, but still that produced no results, my motor sat at Centro Marine unattended. Every week I called and they said they were going to fix it, but that it would be another two weeks.

In early November (more than two months since Centro Marine received my motor) I contacted Mercury Marine Central America for help and spoke with George Alvarez. He confirmed he was the person who authorized the repairs, and would investigate why my motor had not been repaired.

After three weeks of phone calls to George Alvarez of Central America Mercury there was still no action taken. During this time I was also calling Centro Marine and had a conversation with the owner. He said that he was not going to make any money on my motor, and didn't want to do the repairs. He also said that every time I called the Central American office of Mercury for help, he would make sure the repair was delayed even longer!

I immediately called to inform the Central America office of his threat and spoke with Paul, the sales manager at the Central American office, as George was away. Within two hours he called me and assured me my motor would be ready the beginning of December.

This time came and passed with no results, and I had another conversation with Paul. He said that Centro Marine was very busy and they could not do anything until January 2009, and he said that there was another dealer in Panama City who could possibly get it done sooner. I did not call the other number as I had been assured by Lewis at Centro Marine, George at Central America and Paul at Central America that it would be fixed at the Centro Marine location and I had already spent $650.00 to get it there. I was also skeptical that I could get any better results.

At the beginning of January, four months after Centro Marine was authorized to fix my motor, Centro Marine again promises me that they will repair my motor next week.

Mr. Winner, as you know I live on an island. This motor is my sole transportation, and it is a serious concern not to have it for me and my family. In the event of an emergency, this is our only sure way to get help. We have had to depend on unreliable water taxis for our sole transportation. This can be a dangerous situation and has been very expensive, both of which have put my family in difficulty . Our daily life is profoundly affected by the loss of use of our motor in everything from necessities to recreation. This has been a distinct hardship on my family, especially during the recent flooding emergency here in Bocas.

In the last four and a half months Mercury Marine Corporation has misled me, lied to me, and caused true daily hardship on my family, time after time. My patience is completely exhausted. My recent experiences with representatives of the Mercury Marine Corporation have shown the company representatives and the company to be a corporation capable of dishonorable, disreputable and despicable practices. In good faith I have spend thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours. Mercury has returned my good faith with fraudulent assurances This has been a true nightmare, and it continues to this day.

Now, UNBELIEVABLY, to top it all off, on January 15, 2009, after 133 days, $650.00, and repeated assurances my motor would be repaired (by Lewis, George, Paul and Alberto) I called Centro Marine to check, hoping that someone had finally had made good on their word and made the necessary repairs. But Lewis now told me they won't fix it as the motor is not under warranty?!

I called George Alvarez (the man who had authorized the repairs and assured me repeatedly my motor would be fixed) at the Central American office. He and Jorge Rota, on speaker phone, contradict what I have been told for 4 months and now say that the extended warranty is not valid outside the United States?!

Last Friday, January 23rd, I received and email from George Alvarez at Central America Mercury and he says that I can PURCHASE a new or reconditioned power head. This is ludicrous. He also contradicted himself by saying the motor is not covered under warranty because of the computer?!

Please Sir, I have written to 92 employees and the Board of Directors of the Mercury Corporation and it's parent company have received no response. I suppose that there is not one person in the Brunswick/ Mercury Marine Corporation who will respond to the shameful behavior I have been subjected to repeatedly? This has gone on now for FIVE months. If Brunswick/Mercury Marine Corporation will engage in such despicable behavior to a loyal customer, then I feel obligated to warn as many people as possible.

Carl L. Miller, Jr.

By Sharon Drechsler - Yachting Examiner - Amidst some controversy, the Panama Ports Company carried out a “midnight massacre” maneuver to take over the historical Panama Canal Yacht Club in the town of Colon, Panama, recently. Arriving in the middle of the night and demolishing the club during thAmidst some controversy, the Panama Ports Company carried out a “midnight massacre” maneuver to take over the historical Panama Canal Yacht Club in the town of Colon, Panama, recently. Arriving in the middle of the night and demolishing the club during the course of a holiday weekend, workers were reported to have leveled the club. According to a report by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com, most boaters moored at the yacht club had just paid their monthly slip fees and are now without electricity or water. They will be required to remove their vessels by April 1st. (more)

Apparently the marina had fallen on hard times. One cruiser who visited there a few years ago reportedly was offered cocaine four times in one hour and a pair of Colombian prostitutes to go along with it.

The club and docks are purported to have been constructed by workers on the Panama Canal in the early 1900s. Throughout the ‘70s and ‘80s, cruisers reported stopping at the conveniently located port to rest, refuel and visit the bar.

Several boat owners will be moving to Shelter Bay Marina across Limon Bay from Colon. While more expensive, Shelter Bay’s facilities are much more extensive and there is better security. Situated next to historical San Lorenzo National Park and. the Panamanian Coast Guard Station, they are 30 minutes by road to the nearest shopping center in Colon. Their two main concrete floating docks have a capacity of 80 boats ranging from 35 feet to 70 feet. Yachts up to 125 feet can be berthed on the T-head end ties, or yachts up to 225 feet and a 12 foot draft can be side-tied to ther floating dock designed for mega yachts. All slips are equipped with potable water and electrical power; 120, 240 and 480VAC power or 30, 50, 100 amp service. Along with a diesel fuel , the marina facilities include hot showers, bathrooms, a self-service laundry room, a multi-purpose room with internet access, a swimming pool. WiFi, 24 hour security and much more.

An interesting history of the canal may be found at www.czbrats.com. Further information about expansion plans can be seen at http://www.pancanal.com/eng/index.html. The Panama Canal Authority’s Web site hosts live cam shots of the canal in action at http://www.pancanal.com/eng/multimedia/index.html.

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - The "Panama Canal Yacht Club" has been taken over and demolished. There are some very serious allegations that some of the actions taken were illegal and criminal. I received the following this afternoon via email; "*The story: Since before we first sailed into Panamanian waters 5 years ago, the "Panama Canal Yacht Club" at which we have been docked off & on now for over 3 years has been constantly rumoured to be about to be closed and taken over by an ever-expanding container loading & storage operation. It was built by the US canal "zonies" 75 years ago and admittedly possessed a certain charm in it's constant and progressive state of decay and dilapidation. (more)

More importantly, we have come to know many of the "real people" workers and staff very well as one does over the years, and have developed attachments to these warm, generous and genuine people - exchanging gifts on special occasions and on other occasions being invited to share their hospitality - very poor by our overly materialistic standards but rich far beyond in terms friendship and generosity well beyond their means.

While this should really be their story, it has been a gut-wrenching experience for us to witness the events of the past few days, and we have not had an easy time with our emotions. That all this could be allowed to happen when general elections are about to be held for all levels of government in this country is the most poignant demonstration we have yet witnessed of the relative states of the "well-being", respect and dignity of the populace.

We can really only accurately relate to how we have been affected - relatively speaking only a minor inconvenience - in return for which Fran - nothing like the wrath of a woman to deal with the male of the species - has literally been on the warpath and we'd like to think she has been at least somewhat effective at making the lives of the on-site supervisors - and legal representatives of those responsible - miserable and with any luck somewhat apprehensive - admittedly probably not in the long run - but the water and electricity service has been promised to resume in a few hours (probably Panamanian time, unfortunately).

The moral: It seems to be more efficient and productive to beg forgiveness than permission.

Here's Fran's version.

On Thursday afternoon (the day after we paid our dock rent for another month) after the club manager left the office the sleezeball lawyers for Panama Ports Corporation whose stacks of containers have for years surrounded and steadily encroached on the club's land arrived and told the meek, mild, timid elderly little lady still in the office that they had an "order signed by the government" and were there to "simply do an inventory" and she would have to follow them around while they did it....unfortunately, as they planned, she certainly would not know any better - like to say "no way" - as the manager would have....so having done the inventory with a witness made it legal rather than a "break and enter"......at 0300 hours Friday morning......the entrance to the club was sealed off by two massive containers and the fence into the club was breached for access..... the demolition crew arrived with huge spot lights, wrecking balls, trucks and back hoes and started bashing down the buildings......sealing off the club may or may not have been legal - wrecking the place we've been assured is an illegal - probably criminal act - by 0800 hours the water main had been busted and the power lines downed.....now Friday was "Colon Day" another of many official holidays making a long weekend so naturally, as the Ports lawyers had calculated, there was no recourse that the Club or its lawyer could take as all government offices and judicial offices were closed.....no way to get an injunction to stop .....very slick on the part of Panama ports.....when we all started waking up and seeing this incredible destruction and walking around asking questions we were told that they were only taking down one old empty shed that the workers had been using - to send a message.......as the day went on the demolition never stopped......it was dismal with all our the friends we've made among he workers (the real people) who showed up for work as usual, sitting stunned in shock and tears.....all the contents of the office, the bar, the restaurant, the storage rooms, freezers and the workers lockers were being carted away and locked in containers which were moved to unspecified and unknown locations "for safe keeping" - uh huh...........now this morning......it has begun again.........there really won't be anything left standing by the end of today.........yesterday we were told that we had six weeks to empty our shed that contained virtually everything we keep on the boat....YEAH, right! I said.....I should believe them???!!!!!!....after all the lies so far???..(they didn't seem to appreciate that observation)....anyway we almost emptied everything in one day that we were planning on working on for a month - at our usual pace......but I will be dammed if we are removing OUR lock from it......because these sheds hold personal (customers') stuff that was not part of the club operation inventory and they will need each boater to sign off before they can touch the sheds and their contents......well.....they can send us a telegram to the San Blas Islands.....we will be leaving our lock on the shed when we leave.....right now we are being very difficult and fighting to have our power and water turned back on on the dock.....we're not as desperate as we've made out but after what they've done to the folks whose livelihoods have been here for years, it sure feels good to be difficult to these inhumane pricks!!!!!!!!!! I just had my turn venting at a real nice guy in fact, and I feel like a million bucks right now.........I was advising him that I am #1 not as nice as my husband #2 am not a dumb woman #3 am not a happy tourist passing thru #4 AM a Panamanian resident #5 have a lawyer #6 am aware that civil charges in Panama go nowhere #7 am aware that charges I intend to file relate to THE THEFT OF = MY - electricity-water-internet- and access and egress - all of these being CRIMINAL CHARGES.....together with the list of names and photographs we have gathered over the last 48 hours our lawyer is waiting to be told to FILE THE CHARGES.....I summed up by saying that while the criminal charges may not come to anything.......the time involved for YOUR lawyer to make them go away will at least give you more gray hair and at best the beginnings of an ulcer......he answered by saying 2:00 or 3:00 today.... he hopes to have water and electricity restored .....I said I would return..... and I will

Such a pity.

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - On Wednesday afternoon I attended a public hearing held by Panama's National Authority for the Environment (ANAM) on behalf of the developers of the Harbor of the Americas marina project in Bocas del Toro. As anticipated by the developers, residents, local business owners, and outside environmental activists who attended the hearing expressed their concerns and presented significant resistance to this proposed mega marina project. Most of their worriers were in some way connected to the additional strain the project would place on the already overburdened public services infrastructure, especially with regards to supplies of electricity and drinking water, and disposal of raw sewage and additional garbage generated by the marina. The proposed Harbor of the Americas would be built using more than $23 million dollars of new Foreign Direct Investment. The plan calls for the construction of a very "green" or environmentally friendly facility complying with the internationally recognized "Blue Flag" protocol for marinas built in environmentally sensitive areas. The marina would have slips for 435 mega yachts and would create at least 300 long term jobs for local residents. This was the first public hearing regarding this project and if the tone and tenor of this meeting is any indication, the promoters and developers face a long and difficult task of winning over the hearts and minds of the residents of Bocas del Toro to gain their support for this proposal. (more)

By Way Of Disclosure: If you're a regular reader of Panama-Guide then you know I try to cover things like this fairly and objectively, and when there's a potential for a personal conflict of interest then I reveal that right up front. In this case you should know the developers of the Harbor of the Americas project, specifically Frank Delape and Richard Kiibler, contacted me directly and asked me to cover this public hearing. They said they wanted to make sure there would be "at least one non-biased and objective journalist observer in the room" when the even occurred. They were anticipating a somewhat hostile or negative reception from some of the the residents of Bocas del Toro as well as outside environmental activists and others. And, they saw me raise the BS flag in reacting to the biased reporting in La Prensa about the earlier meeting that was canceled. When I told them I didn't have the money to pay for the trip myself they offered to cover my expenses. The hearing was scheduled to start at 4:00 pm yesterday afternoon and lasted until after dark. By the time the meeting was over the last plane out of Bocas for the day had already left, so I had to spend the night. In any case, you the reader should be aware that the developers paid for my transportation and lodging - so heads up to the potential bias or conflict of interest on my part - but I suggest you should just read the article and tell me if you think I'm being objective or not. Anyway, that's what the comments section is for.

But What's More: You should also know, for what it's worth, I am generally in favor of these kinds of large development projects involving significant amounts of foreign direct investment, especially in areas lacking in basic development like Bocas del Toro. So, again by way of disclosure of a potential for personal bias and a skew of my objectivity, I'm basically in favor just on the simple economics. Foreign Direct Investment is the "really good stuff" for small economies like Panama, and the potential impact on an economical microcosm like Isla Colon in Bocas del Toro can be huge. Most of that money would go directly into the pockets of business owners and workers, and that cash goes floating around the local economy on average five times before it ends up in someone's savings account. It's "new money" and it has an exponentially important impact on economic growth. So, I personally tend to support almost any development project involving significant sums of Foreign Direct Investment in Panama because I think that money is what will help this country grow, prosper, improve, and modernize.

My Vote Doesn't Count: So what, right? I don't live in Bocas del Toro and I personally will not be impacted if the Harbor of the Americas happens or not. What matters much more are the opinions of the residents of Bocas del Toro and even more specifically those people who currently live along the Bay of Saigon. These are the people who will be most impacted by this project if it's constructed, and the governmental authorities should give the most weight to their opinions. That's why the ANAM has these public consultations built into their laws and regulations - to keep developers from ramming projects down the throats of the locals without giving them a chance to at least air their concerns.

Google Harbor of the Americas: But here's what does matter. The Harbor of the Americas as a product will (eventually) be offered for sale by the developers to potential clients and customers. Those people, the owners of mega-yachts worth millions of dollars, will almost certainly plug "Harbor Americas Panama" into Google and do a quick search to see what the deal is. And, they will almost certainly find this article (hi, folks. Nice boat you have there, Skipper...) So my opinion does matter to the point that all of those nice boat people who are potential customers for the developer will be reading this and forming their opinions regarding the project. Ain't the Internet a wunderful thing?

In Favor, With Caveats: So again, personally I like the idea of huge amounts of new Foreign Direct Investment being pumped into Bocas del Toro, especially when the project will create 300 new jobs and draw new sources of revenue streams for many people in Bocas del Toro. But, the concerns regarding infrastructure shortfalls are serious, significant, and real; and those issues would have to be addressed. Right now Isla Colon and several of the surrounding islands get their power from a diesel generator. According to the power company that energy is basically a "loss leader" because they are obligated to supply electrical energy to the islands as part of their concession, but the costs to generate the power are almost more than what they can charge, and it's the most expensive electricity to produce in the entire Republic of Panama. So, they are generally loathe to expand that capability and to create more loss for themselves. The long range plan is to connect the islands to the mainland power grid using underwater cables, a much greener solution considering that a much of the power feeding the national power grid is hydro generated.

Negotiating With The Developers: The electrical company has been in talks with the developers of the Harbor of the Americas, and the plan basically calls for them to suck up the $10 million dollar cost of laying the cable to connect the islands to the mainland grid. About half of that money would be paid back over time if the project actually comes to fruition. Anyplace else in the world and the government of Panama would find a way to work with the power company to lay down the infrastructure to improve electrical supplies to Bocas del Toro (regardless of any potential mega marina project) in order to fuel new growth and expansion of tourism. So, what we have here is a plan, but resistance from the people already living there because their power goes out three or four times a week as it is right now. Where's the power going to come from in order to supply these yachts? It's a valid question that has to be addressed.

Typical Bay of Saigon Direct Shitter System

Raw Sewage Into the Bay of Saigon: Please, no one come to tell me about how this projected mega marina will potentially cause environmental damage to the "fragile" Bay of Saigon. I took the photo above of a typical outhouse behind a residence directly across the street from the "Cabanas" where the meeting was held. After it was over I walked out onto a pier to take a look at the pristine bay and there it was. In fact here are about 350 houses or so (probably a conservative estimate) housing around 2,000 people who shit and piss directly into the ocean every day, right where this mega marina is supposed to be built. It's a friggin' cesspool! While we were there taking a picture of this structure, a resident of the house next door was nice enough to squat and piss and we were treated to the tinkle-tinkle serenade of sweet relief. So, considering the current conditions of the water in the Bay of Saigon, I have zero tolerance whatsoever for anyone who wants to attack this project on the grounds of potential negative environmental impact. In reality, the developers will have to spend millions of dollars to get all of these houses connected to the sewage water grid to stop the floating turds from hitting the bay - if for no other reason than millionaire owners of mega yachts don't want to tie up in an outhouse. It's a matter of practicality, and in fact this project will almost certainly be a net environmental improvement rather than a negative. All of the environmental activist are both significantly conflicted and hypocritical if they attack this project while ignoring the current situation on the ground and in the waters of Bocas del Toro.

The Bocas del Toro Beach Dump

What About Garbage Disposal? Another concern raised by residents is the additional impact this mega marina and the huge yachts tied to the slips would create in terms of trash and garbage disposal. Right now the Municipality of Bocas Town on Isla Colon collects about 16 truckloads of garbage every day, which is hauled out to "dumpers" and literally thrown onto the beach. There is an ongoing controversy over the land which has been used for more that 20 years as a dump. Apparently the municipality has been renting that land to use as a dump, and if you can believe it or not someone bought it for $4.5 million dollars. They immediately informed the city government that they would no longer be accepting the city's garbage, canceled the rental contract with the city, and fenced the property. What was Mayor's Binns' response? He just ordered the trucks to start dumping the tons of garbage right onto the beach in front of the land (sending a very nice "fuck you, buddy" message to the new landowner...) There was a public march and demonstration in the middle of town held and organized by the surfing community. Apparently anyone who goes into the water near the dump, and there are some fantastic surfing beaches in the area, comes out covered with boils and sores. And I ask the obvious question - Where are the environmental activists on this one? Why not be most concerned about the existing problems that are ruining the environment right now? In any case, the issue of garbage and trash disposal is a current and valid point which will also have to be addressed by the municipal government. I mean, that's what governments are for, right? Oh, i forgot - "this is Bocas..."

The Meeting At The "Cabañas" First of all, the meeting was supposed to start at 4:00 pm but it got off to a late start. I know, no meeting in Panama has ever started on time in the history of the republic, but after the meeting was over some residents (gringos) did complain that it showed a "lack of respect" for the people who attended to make them sit around and wait. Another issue was the sound system they had did not work very well. For the first half of the meeting the presenters had to literally yell to make themselves heard in the back of the room, and the room was hot and noisy. The room was full and there were not enough chairs for everyone to sit down. And, even if you could sit you really could not see the television screen they used to present the slide show. In general, the whole hearing was not very well put on, and I had a hard time hearing and understanding people who were speaking, either because of a total lack of a sound system, or when they finally got it working there was so much noise and feedback that you practically couldn't understand the speaker anyway. So, D- for setting.

ANAM as Moderator: One thing most people don't understand is that the ANAM serves as the mediator or moderator for these public hearings. One of the other complaints I heard was "this wasn't the first hearing - they scheduled another one between Christmas and New Years that they tried to slip in when no one was looking." Well, not really. The way it works is, the developers tell ANAM they would like to hold a public hearing, and then ANAM sets the date. For the meeting that was scheduled for the last week in December some of the engineers for the project couldn't get there (for whatever reason) and the meeting was canceled and rescheduled to yesterday - by ANAM. Also, Mr. Sergio Harbor was the ANAM employee who oversaw the hearing and acted as the mediator and moderator for the event.

Official Presentation and Slide Show: The developers started off the meeting by presenting their slide show and having engineers and architects explain exactly what they intend to do. For example they described how the design of the project has gone through at least 14 changes so far, that they intend to use floating piers, to stay away from and protect coral reefs nearby, and to build the marina conforming to Blue Flag criteria. They covered most of the sensitive issues regarding the potential environmental impact, job creation, economic investment, and technical features included in the plan and overall scheme to make the project as attractive as possible to the residents of Bocas del Toro. Then, they were done.

Waiting For A Copy: One of the lawyers for the Harbor of the Americas group who was at the head table promised to send me a copy of the slide show and other materials used during the presentation. When I get it, I will post it here and make it available. Esther?

The Six Diamonds Guys: The Harbor of the Americas is being proposed by the same group and backers as the guys behind Six Diamonds. In a nutshell, this organization as created a whole lot of ill will in Bocas del Toro, especially among the gringo residents there due to past land purchases and they way their representatives have generally conducted themselves over the past couple of years. They engaged in a running battle with the backers of the Red Frog project which continues to this day, although at this point since the Panamanian Supreme Court has tossed out Red Frog's Environmental Impact Study they are pretty much dead in the water right now. No matter - at issue is the reputation of the developers and the resentment felt for them among the community. The Six Diamonds guys could practically invent a cure for cancer and they would be despised for having done it. If this Harbor of the Americas project was being put forward by some other group then there would almost certainly be less resistance - pretty much everyone I talked to agreed with that observation, including the guys from Six Diamonds.

Not Really Six Diamonds, Per Se: Yeah, I know, it's another company. But, the principal backers are still Frank DeLape and Richard Kiibler. So, it's the same guys. Another company, another organization, and different "SA" or what have you, but it's the same group putting it forward. I'm glad we got that out of the way.

Guys Making Speeches: This hearing was supposed to be a question and answer session between the public and the developers, but they frequently turn into a kind of public circus in which anyone with a cause can grab the microphone and grandstand for awhile. On several occasions different people from the public would start talking and speak out against the project, and after they ate up five minutes of time the ANAM guy would say "and, exactly what is your question?" There was a lot of speech making and grand standing going on, all against the project.

Iker Lasa

The First Guy To Complain: The first guy to step up and speak was Iker Lasa of who was representing a group of environmental activists called the Nature Conservancy. In fact most of what he said was environmental grandstanding. He focused primarily on the fact that there have been changes to the overall plan and design of the project, and that those changes have to be reflected in the Environmental Impact Study. When he was done talking I went over and spoke to him and asked him a few questions, and it became apparent that he really didn't understand how the process and procedure works, and the interaction necessary for a development company to cooperate and coordinate with the ANAM in order to apply for and obtain a Category III Environmental Impact Study for a project of this magnitude. I mean, he had parts of the rap down but here were major holes as soon as you start to look at the details of what he was saying. What matters is that the developers are just starting down the road of applying for the Environmental Impact Study, which is no easy task. They still have a lot to do and holding this first pubic hearing is simply one step along that trail. Mr. Lasa wanted to focus on a particular technical detail (that there have been changes made to the overall plan) and he said that those changes have to be reflected in the EIA, but he seemed oblivious to the fact that the EIA has not been granted yet, and of course the new plan is what's reflecting in the proposal to the ANAM. No matter, he had a full head of steam and received a rousing applause from the sympathetic crowd. The whole meeting kinda went like that.

Gringos In The Mix: Strangely enough probably a third of the bodies in the room were gringos. Several of them spoke and one of the first was a woman who raised the following issue: "If you are granted a concession to develop a marina in the Bay of Saigon then you will be taking away the possibility of the residents who live there now to potentially be granted a concession in the future - by what right can you do that?" Panama's Maritime Authority (AMP) are the guys who grant concessions for things like this, and in fact it's quite possible for someone to apply for and be granted a concession to operate something like a marina that would sit in front of another landowner's property. It doesn't happen all the time, but it can be done. And, it would fall to the AMP to consider all of those issues as part of the application process. Again, this project has not been approved and they are still in the process of just getting started. Basically, at this point they have a big old plan and an idea. The answer provided was that "there will be a lot of room" between the existing houses and the new marina.

Will You Be Selling Out? Another point raised was the idea that the developers might just go through the process of getting the permissions and permits to build the project, then they might sell it to someone else. The developers answered that they have no intention of selling the project, and that they intend to see it through to completion. There was a whole series of questions asked and the answers are: the project will cover a total of 20 hectares of space, the total investment will be more than $20 million dollars, they did not have estimates of the total amount of new tax revenue the project would generate, and that the application for the EIA would be tied to the most recent (final) design for the project that was being presented there at the hearing.

Jose Thomas

Jose Thomas: The next guy to speak was Mr. Jose Thomas, the owner of the Hotel Bahia in Bocas del Toro. Again, he is very much opposed to the project. He had in his hands a copy of a pamphlet used by the developers to promote the project at a boat show in Ft. Lauderdale, and he said that according to Panamanian law it's illegal to promote or sell any project in Panama until all approvals have been granted, and that "we're going to sue." He also wanted to know where the black water treatment plant would be located? Where would the water be coming from? Most of his concerns were tied to the stress and strain the proposed marina would put on the existing infrastructure. But, he's obviously very much opposed to the idea, and even raised the question of social impact - "We know what these people are like. What about all of the pregnant women these boat owners are going to leave behind?" What did he just say? No kidding, it actually came up in the meeting. Absurd, but there you go. Obviously the developers didn't have an answer for that one.

The Mayor of Bocas del Toro

Hey! That's What He Looks Like! This is the guy who would never come out of his office to meet with me. I went up to Bocas on dozens of occasions, and on every trip I made a point of stopping into the offices of the Mayor of Bocas del Toro, Eligio Binns, to ask to speak to him. His secretary has a stack of my business cards and the guy never paid me the courtesy of a call back. He knew I was an investigative reporter and he literally hid in his office and avoided me. Well, he showed up at this hearing and basically spoke in favor of the project, saying that it would be in the best interests of the people of Bocas del Toro just so long as it's built and managed according to Panamanian law. The problem for the developers is that there is a widely held belief among the residents of Bocas del Toro that this guy sits firmly in their pocket, and that they have paid him off for his support for any project they put forward. He's known as the "Mayor with the $64,000 dollar wrist watch." Perception becomes reality with regularity in Bocas del Toro.

The Little Indian Guy: I think many people in the room completely missed what I considered to be the most important statement made during the hearing. A small little indigenous Indian guy stood up and said "I represent a group of Indians who live in this area. I'm here to make a statement and not to ask any questions. It really doesn't matter if the developers go to the ANAM or the AMP and get permits and permissions because we are against this project. We will shut it down and make it go away, just like we did with Red Frog." And then he sat down. If I could make a single recommendation to the developers it would be to find out who that guy is and to work on him. All of the other stuff like infrastructure and environmental issues you have to deal with anyway. But, if you don't win that guy over you'll have problems for 20 years or more.

Weird Economic Stuff: The next day Forrest Walker introduced me to Giselle Socarraz, the owner of the Bongos Cafe in the middle of town. We ate lunch there (highly recommended, the roast pork was fantastic) while we discussed the proposed project. Amazingly, Giselle thinks that if there were 435 mega yachts tied up at a new mega marina in Bocas del Toro that those people would not frequent her restaurant enough to have any significant impact on her bottom line. I wanted to talk to some of the small business owners, especially service providers, shops, restaurants and the like, to get their take. These mega-yachts usually have some kind of a crew, and those guys are usually looking for a beer and a burger on dry land as soon as they pull in. Giselle points to other huge yachts that have come and gone and says there have been as many as four or five at one time in Bocas del Toro, and that no one spent a dime in her restaurant. She simply doesn't believe that she would realize any benefit from the project.

A Voice Of Sanity: I was able to talk to the one guy at the hearing who apparently had a fully functioning set of logic who was not hampered all too much by knee-jerk emotionality. Forrest Walker and I actually shared a taxi to the meeting with Dr. Juan L. Mate of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI). Dr. Mate studies coral reef ecology and is the person who has been designated by the Smithsonian to consult on the proposed Harbor of the Americas mega marina project. After the hearing I spoke with him for a minute. The marina project will basically be neighbors with the STRI facility in Bocas del Toro. I had one question and it had to do with the relative current ecological and environmental health of the Bay of Saigon, today. I asked "if you were going to try to study something out there now, about the only thing you could look into would be E. Coli, right?" Dr. Mate laughed and agreed that the Bay of Saigon is polluted, without a doubt. I'll be consulting more with him in the coming months (or maybe years) as this project moves forward.

And The General Consensus Is: After the residents had a chance to digest the hearing, the general feeling among the members of the English speaking expatriate community in Bocas del Toro is that "there's no reason to get all worked up over this deal because it's not going to happen anyway." These people have seen an endless string of developers and promoters who come along with the next greatest idea, and in the end most of them pack their bags and go back home with their tail between their legs. Either they were just flat-out scam artists like Harris or generally nice guys who got eaten alive by the "system" like Red Frog, but the end result is the same. Lots of plans, lots of promises, and in the end nothing. So, that was the conclusion many residents left with. Let's see what happens over time.

Thanks, Forrest: My friend Forrest Walker took me out to see the piles of garbage at "dumpers" beach, introduced me to a bunch of people who I've known (virtually) through the Internet but never had the pleasure of meeting in person, and also put me into contact with others to help me better understand reality in Bocas del Toro. He also helped me chew through my notes and observations from the hearing and to get my head straight on many of these issues. So, if I'm all screwed up, blame him... (grin)

Please, Leave Your Comments: This is the first article I've written on the proposed Harbor of the Americas mega-marina project but it certainly won't be the last. I invite anyone and everyone to leave a comment to this article. Please share your thoughts and observations with the rest of us. What did I miss? What do you think? Let's hear it.

Copyright 2008 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.

By Milerick Alvendas for El Siglo - Nine people had to jump into the ocean and they were rescued by another boat. In an impressive way the yacht My Tiche burned near Isla Naos just off of the Amador Causeway. The fire occurred at 8:30 yesterday morning causing the occupants of the boat to jump into the ocean and they were later rescued by another boat that was nearby. The American occupants were enjoying a morning on the Panamanian Pacific. Then the smell of smoke coming from the engine room alerted the crew, who tried to extinguish the fire that was spreading all through the boat. Upon observing there was nothing they could do, they signaled for help by firing off a flare and calling on the radio, put on their life jackets, and jumped in to the water and swam as far away as possible from the burning boat. A boat that saw the flare changed their course and rescued the Americans, taking them to the pier on the Causeway. The Americans from the boat as well as passers-by observed how the 30 foot long yacht burned on the water. The boat burned for almost an hour and a half, putting up a black column of smoke that could be seen for miles. Other boats approached and talked via radio to ensure no one else was aboard the burning vessel. The fire department arrived and said there was nothing they could do. Eventually, the boat sank.

Se incendia yate en la Calzada de Amador

Milerick Alvendasmalvendas@elsiglo.com

Nueve ocupantes tuvieron que saltar al mar y fueron rescatados por otra embarcación

De forma impresionante se incendio el yate My Tiche anclado en isla de Naos en la Calzada de Amador (Causeway). El incendio se dio cerca de las 8:30 de la mañana de ayer causando que sus ocupantes saltaran al mar, siendo rescatados por otra embarcación que estaba cerca de ellos.

Los ocupantes de la embarcación de origen norteamericanos disfrutaban de una mañana de verano en el Pacífico panameño.

Un hedor a humo que emanaba del cuarto de máquina alertó a la tripulación, quienes trataron de sofocar el fuego que se propagaba por toda la embarcación.

Al observar que no podían hacer nada, solo les quedó pedir ayuda con una luz de bengala, por el radio de comunicaciones, colocarse los chalecos salvavidas, lanzarse al mar y nadar los más lejos posible.

Una embarcación que vio la luz de alerta cambió su rumbo y rescató a los nueve extranjeros y los trasladó a uno de los muelles de la Calzada.

Tanto los norteamericanos como los curiosos que llegaron al lugar, observaban cómo el yate de 30 pies de largo se quemaba al igual que las pertenencias de los que allí estaban disfrutando de un paseo inolvidable.

Fue casi una hora y media que duró esta nave encendida, cuyo torre de humo negro se podía apreciar desde varios kilómetros a la redonda.

Otras naves se acercaban sigilosamente y se comunicaban por radio entre sí, para asegurarse que no hubiesen víctimas que lamentar. Aquella nave que tenía en su popa el nombre “Cabo” empezó a hundirse en su parte trasera poco a poco hasta que la proa (parte delantera) se vio por última vez y quedó en el fondo del Pacífico panameño.

Al lugar llegaron unidades del Cuerpo de Bomberos del área canalera quienes no pudieron hacer nada, excepto observar cómo la nave se hundía.

También unidades del Sistema Nacional de Protección Civil (SINAPROC) se apersonaron al lugar y también les quedó solo observar. Miembros de la embarcación fueron llevados a un hospital privado a recibir atención médica, debido a que algunos de ellos sufrieron una crisis nerviosa por la tragedia que no pudieron evitar.

La Critica - Nine people who were aboard a yacht in Panamanian waters got the scare of their lives when the boat caught fire. The people who were aboard the yacht, among them some children, were aided by rescue personnel from the firemen and the Panama Canal Authority. The incident occurred near to Naos Island, and according to unofficial reports a 15 year old child alerted the captain of a strange noise on the yacht, and when he went to the engine room he found it to be in flames. Subsequent to the rescue the yacht sank.

Se incendia yate

REDACCIÓN | CRITICAENLINEA

Nueve personas abordo de un yate que navegaba en aguas panameñas pasaron el susto de sus vidas cuando la nave se incendió.

Los tripulantes del yate, entre ellos menores de edad, fueron socorridos por bomberos y rescatistas de la Autoridad del Canal de Panamá.

El hecho se registró muy cerca de la Isla de Naos y según informes extraoficiales una menor de 15 años alertó al capitán del yate sobre un ruido, por lo que decidió bajar al cuarto de máquinas el cual se encontraba en llamas.

Posterior al rescate el yate se hundió.

A TOTALLY UNORGANIZED & STRICTLY FOR FUN EVENT will take place in Panama´s Pacific, on September 7th, 2008. The Event is open to yachts & boats of any size, type, age, shape or form. All the boats are welcome to gather between Tortola Rock and the half-sunken vessel - West of the Canal - on September 7th, 2008 at 11:00 AM. The boats will start moving along, as one huge flotilla, at 11:30 AM… The general idea is for the all the boats to arrive in Taboga at the same time (i.e.: more or less around 12:30 PM), thus ensuring a magnificent show for the hundred of spectators expected to watch the arrival of the flotilla. Since this is a totally unorganized Event, all participants must bring along their own food and beverages, as well tableware, trash bags and of course their beachwear and sun/rain protection. As a courtesy to the Taboga Island community, participants are requested to kindly dispose of their garbage upon returning on mainland, thus leaving the beach as clean or cleaner as they found it upon arrival. A totally unorganized “bring-your-own-booth-and-ice” Beach Party will begin shortly after arrival and will last for the better part of the afternoon. SAFETY FIRST: At every opportunity, boats must give way to avoid the risk of collision. Boaters handling their boats in an aggressive or irresponsible manner, as well as party poopers and grumpy boaters will be frowned upon and excused from participating in any future such Event. The Event is FREE OF CHARGE. As a result, all those participating in this Event will do so at their own risk and under their sole responsibility. There will be no “Organizing Committee” to blame for anything that may go wrong, or for anything that may not be to the liking of the participants. Keep in mind that the success of this Event is entirely in the participants’ hands - no one else. In any case, a good sense of humor is a plus. Please use International VHF Channel 69 for all your B2B communications. SAIL SAFELY AND ENJOY THE PARTY

.autotagframe1 { float:right; padding:5px; width:210px; border: silver solid; border-width: 1px; text-align:center; } Maritime Global Net - PANAMA'S Merchant Marine Directorate has issued a directive aimed at improving the performance of the Panamanian Register in the Paris MOU where it currently languishes at 65th in the detentions league and is listed on the MOU's Black List as “medium risk”. A new Resolution details a series of technical measures for vessels over 20 years of age that will require submit to an occasional inspection by a Recognized Organization (RO) and forward the results of such inspection to Panama’s Merchant Marine Directorate before setting sail to a port within the Paris MOU. The inspection should be programmed in advance and the RO will notify the operator and shipowner of the necessity to perform such inspection within the conditions established in the Resolution. If the vessel has not gone through the required inspection, it could be deleted from the Registry or subject to a monetary fine according to the Panamanian Law. If the RO inspection proves no deficiency but the vessel is detained in the Paris MOU or any MOU, action will be taken against the RO. (more) In addition the Panama says it will cancel the registration of any ship of over 20 years that is detained twice in six months. The Panama Register has cancelled 35 vessels for not fulfilling its requirements and 20 more vessels are in process of cancellation according to Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) Director of Merchant Marine Alfonso Castillero.

He said that the number of detentions in the Paris MOU “does not reflect the quality of all our flag but the behaviour of ships operating in that area”. “However, these are the rules of the game and we must adapt ourselves to the market,” he added.

Earthrace.net - Sagunto, Spain: Earthrace, the world’s fastest eco-boat, has smashed the world speed record for a powerboat to circumnavigate the globe, knocking almost 14 days off the previous record. The boat crossed the finish line in Sagunto at 13.42 GMT on Friday 27 June, having taken 60 days 23 hours and 49 minutes to travel around 24,000 nautical miles fueled by biodiesel to demonstrate the efficiency of, and draw global attention to, the potential for alternative fuel sources. “This fantastic team of people and our astonishing boat have broken the record by a massive margin, said Pete Bethune, New Zealand skipper and owner of Earthrace, "I finally feel that all the sacrifices made, especially by my wife and daughters, have been worth it. I don't even know how to begin to thank all the individuals and companies that have supported us along the way, some of them since the very beginning over five years ago. Without them, none of this would have been possible”.