Puerto Amistad (Bahía de Caráquez) - General Info

Description:

This port is a known hurricane hole. Puerto Amistad is located in Bahía de Caráquez, known locally as simply "Bahía" 36 nautical miles south of the Equator and 966kms (600 miles) from Panama.

Bahía de Caráquez suffered a devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake in April 2016, followed by at least two smaller quakes and an untold number of aftershocks. The streets and town still have a lot of rubble and re-building is on-going.

Bahia de Caraquez is a sub-port of Manta (which is a port of entry). Puerto Amistad marina in Bahia can assist with clearance, so while this is not a port of entry, clearance can be undertaken here, or you can travel into Manta and Salinas to undertake clearance yourself (with permission of the Port Captain).

Cruisers Highlights:

It is a very safe place to leave your boat while you travel inland to popular sites such as Machu Picchu and Cuzco, Peru, or return home. Because Bahía is located in a dry tropical zone, your boat will not suffer from the mold and mildew that is rampant in wet tropical locations such as Panama.  Water is readily available, as are hot showers and gas refills.  Good for provisioning with fresh fruits, meat and vegetables available.

Entrance Notes and Cautions:

The harbor entrance is not buoyed, currents can be strong (there is an 8-10 foot tidal range here) and river shoals may not accord with published charts. It is advisable to time your arrival with high water morning for best conditions. If you arrive or leave on an afternoon high water you will quite possibly be in for rough conditions on a shallow bar.

Boats with a draft of more than 2.5m should enter with caution and only on a high Spring tide. Keep a lookout for the local fisherman in the area and their nets.

All vessels require permission from the Capitania before entering and must also have a pilot on board. Call Puerto Amistad on channel 69 and they will arrange for one of their pilots to come out.

The pilot will meet you at a launch at the ‘Waiting Room’ waypoint (00º 35.805S,080º26.832W) and come aboard and coach you into the anchorage (00º 36.400S,080º25.200W). Anchoring in the waiting area can be uncomfortable.

The fee for pilots has been established by the Port Captain and you pay the Pilot directly (see fees below in Clearance). Note, the pilot boat will bear no responsibility for damage to your boat, so fender well!

Be ready to move HW -1 hour. You do need a pilot.  The sandbanks move and there is no buoyage. If your chart plotter remembers a track then you can save yourself the pilot’s fee for your departure.

If your landfall timing causes you to miss the high tide, one can anchor behind Cabo Posada 24 kms (15 miles) to the north of Bahia (sand bottom). Cabo Pasado is clear if you enter from the north or northwest. The reef runs WNW from the point and that breaks down the usual SW swell. It is not recommended to anchor at the “Waiting Room” point, as this is an open roadstead.

The river carries a lot of debris so proceed with caution. Bottom growth is also quite prolific here (black clams, barnacles and weeds).

Useful Links:

• Tide table for Bahia

Position:

00° 35' 24"S, 80° 25'W