Paradise was a mess and needed a bath and so we took a slip in the Manzanillo Marina for one week we thought. The one week turned into a month keeping us busy with boat chores and doctor visits. Medical stuff here is very good and very affordable we took full advantage and did the yearly check up. We both have a clean bill of health.
Imagine the costs: Mammogram 28 bucks, Ultrasound 8 bucks,
PSA blood test 28, Cholesterol blood test 5.60.
(What is wrong with our prices in the US?)
But the big expense we had was definitely the marina bill. We were shocked to find out that the service fees were higher than the slip fee. Our bill for one month came to 1000 bucks, minding you we had to climb on another boat to get into ours, water coming out of the hose smelled like sewage, electricity never showed higher than 90 volt, due to that most appliances didn’t work. The showers had only cold water and the doors as soon as they got wet were see-through and the TV/computer room had no AC as advertised. When we were told that the slip fee was only 89 dollars a week we took it. But this is what the bill came to:
Slip fee is 20 000 per foot a months, for us: US$ 10.32
10 000 per day for live aboard US$ 5.16
10 000 per day for electricity US$ 5.16
5 000 per day for water US$ 2.58
You do the math and will be shocked to see that the extra fees are more expensive than the slip fee, outrageous.
For this price cruisers expect floating docks, a restaurant on the premises, good WiFi, a pool and a safe neighborhood, which this has none of the above except for a very slow most of the time not working WiFi because the son of the owner running the marina unplugs the WiFi so he can watch TV on his computer. Not just that he ignores the needs of his clients and does not come back to you for any inquiries or complaints, most cruisers at the yard were very disappointed and unhappy.
In the two months we were gone, drastic changes have been implemented with the check-in procedure. Last November when we arrived in Santa Marta we learned that the Port Captain there never had to deal with cruisers and gave us a rather hard time. Back in November Santa Marta was still pretty unknown for cruisers but with the new marina, it opened the doors for us to make a shorter passage to Cartagena which was a big relief along this treacherous coast line. Any of the boats arriving that had Cartagena as destination on the Zarpe the port captain would call into the office, they had to see him with an attorney present and he fined them all. The word spread fast not to stop in Santa Marta if the Zarpe did not state Santa Marta on it. Unfortunately right after we arrived in Cartagena they had a change of watch and the Santa Marta Port Captain was sent back to Cartagena were he originated from. Stories have it that everybody was relieved when he was sent to Santa Marta and that the moral is down with him back. There were no imminent signs then that he was back but we sure can tell now.
FEES FOR CHECKING INTO CARTAGENA
Exchange rate 10/10/11 USD 1.00 = Col. Peso 1,935.00
Agency fee in/out 150.000
Immigration 20.000
Cruising Permit 166.000
Temporary Importation 100.000
436.000 USD 225.00
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After two months you have to renew the Cruising Permit for an additional 200.000 Pesos/ 104 $ which brings the total bill now to roughly 330 US dollars. By the way even a boat that is on the hard for storage must pay the cruising permit.
This permit is good for 6 months, considering that after 4 months you have to leave the country as the 6 months tourist visa is over. You can only stay in Colombia for 6 months per calendar year. If you stay for 2 months, head to Panama for two and return you would think the 100.000 you had paid for the one year temporary importation would still be valid, nope that one expires when you check out.
Also after two months you have to renew your visa and pay 75.000 per person each month so if you stay 6 months you have to pay this amount 4 times. For the two of us that is another 600.000 pesos roughly 300 dollars.
One week after our agent started our paper work she called to tell us that a customs inspector will come to the boat. He never made it but he did want the number of the hull and engine. Then it took a full month for our paper work to finally be completed while I had to go to customs with the agent to sign the paper. Another new thing required to do. Why do we even need an agent if they need us there to sign the paper? My agent told me that she is really upset as the new/old port captain is also ordering the following:
NEW ADDITONS BY THE PORT CAPTAIN
Customs inspection 60.000
Health Inspection 60.000
Food and Animal control 60.000
Veterinary visit on yacht fee unknown
Plus 30.000 for boat rental that will bring them out to your boat as they refuse to take a dinghy (they say it’s too dangerous). I doubt they all show up at the same time so you can pretty much triple or quadruple the boat fee.
Also be careful which agent you use:
Be aware that David and Manfred are corrupt agents.
Manfred never filed for cruising permits as he thought they were frivolous charges, not until we were boarded and harassed by the Armada in Cholon did Manfred realize that it is an essential permit cruisers need. In the mean time he was charging the 166.000 pesos to his new clients but the money of some conveniently went into his own pockets. Nobody ever checked paper work on boats before, not until the new port captain came back. Several of Manfred’s clients had to pay a fine of each 1.000.000 (USD 516.00) because Manfred did not get a cruising permit for them. Another boat he screwed up with paper work resulting in confiscation of the boat and still is and all was Manfred’s fault. He also checks boats in and out of the country without them having to leave, they don´t understand that this illegal action could get them in mucho trouble if caught.
David does anything for you if it involves money, you can bribe him as much as you can bribe Manfred. Robin on Wind Shear bribed him to leave without his wife; the boat is in her name. To cover his own butt, David called for Robin’s arrest for fraudulent paper work, also called authorities his wife was against. Result: boat was confiscated, Rob ended up in jail, but this story is for a later date. Together with Manfred they helped Rob to get a Zarpe to get Wind Shear with help of Coast Guard out of the country. Fortunately his illegal attempt to flee didn’t succeed.
David lied too many times to my face so I definitely don’t trust him.
David’s Uncle Romero, is no longer an agent in Santa Marta, he was caught by Port Captain handling paper work with his own fabricated stamp, collecting the money into his pocket.
Makes you feel really secure to know you are at these agents mercy.
Unfortunately we are not allowed to check in by ourselves and this is the only country we have ever been to where we needed an agent, not to mention the most expensive place to check in.
321 583 1456
315 756 2818
or call Cruising Services VHF 68
The last thing I ever want to write down is the following. The authorities have started to board cruising boats in Cartagena. The first one announced it the following morning on the local net. They were approached by the authorities asking to come aboard for a routine inspection, instead of the routine they came aboard with a drug dog and searched the boat for over an hour. They pulled pretty much the whole boat apart and the more time past the more they got frustrated because they could not find anything.
One day after their boarding another cruising boat faced the same. This time they tried to bring a wet drug dog aboard, owner did not allow it, so they brought 2 dry dogs in. The owner just had eye surgery the previous day and was on bed rest, told the agents and asked if they could come back later. 3 ½ hours later the agents wanted them to sign paperwork that stated they were professional about it. The owner refused to sign as they were harassed and they left the boat a mess with head liners torn down and other damage. Just the other day a boat announced on the radio that the authorities were back and checking every boat for paper work.
You know hearing all this, takes the fun out of visiting a beautiful place like Cartagena and I don’t think we will ever return again. We have first hand seen how authorities work here and how corrupt it can be.
Did you know that Colombia celebrates Valentines Day on September 17th Sept and is called Amor de Amistad. Neither did we and were just puzzled to find the mal packed with people and we enjoyed a great concert with a local artist. With the Day of Love really nasty weather rolled in, we have never seen so much rain and had winds up to 35 knots, just good we were in the marina and were not affected by it, but the radio was busy as many boats broke loose in the anchorage of Cartagena.
While in the yard we had a change to catch up with Kim, Tim and Steve of North Star. Their boat is getting a major overhaul and work is going slow mainly due to lots of rain. We enjoyed some wonderful dinners on our boat or in their small yard apartment, gave them a tour in town they haven’t seen yet, discovered a new Restaurant “De Oliva” a must!!! This Restaurant is just up the street from Club de Pesca towards Carulla. My favorite meal is sesame encrusted shrimp with a ginger sauce with stir fried veggies. Sid loves the fillet stuffed with sun dried tomatoes and goat cheese.
Hopefully North Star can soon get splashed and head for Panama to catch up with us.
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| Having a Beer or two |
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| Beautiful Old Town of Cartagena |
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| Contraban Alley best prices for booze |
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| Steve and Kim ¨North Star¨ |
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| Dinner at De Olive with Carmen, Roberto and North Star |
We eventually escaped the marina and headed back to Cholon to finally spend some time with Carmelita and Roberto. Obviously you noticed that I haven’t updated our Blog in a while and you know what I am going to blame it on them LOL. But all that in our next update.
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| Roberto and Carmen having fun on Manatee |
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