Colombia Panama Crossing
 

Just saw this post on advrider

No more bikes from Colombia to Panama
Guys,

I may be the very last person to ever take a motorcycle on the sail boats which run between Cartagena and Panama
( via the San Blas Islands).

We booked ourselves and the bike on the Independence two weeks ago. All was good. Three days before our departure we tried to start the custom process for the bike. What a **** around It turned out to be! Apparently the port authorities and customs are in a blame game ever since the Fritz the Cat sank with about 16 passengers on board ( all of who are now safe) and one motorcycle ( which didn't make it unfortunately).

Apparently the motorcycle onboard did not properly clear customs before departing Cartagena and the port authorities say that the vessel carry the bike was no designed to carry cargo, hence may have contributed to the sinking of the vessel.

Long story short, we have spend the past three days trying to get permission to leave on the independence with the bike and until 4.00pm today (Friday) were told that there was no way that this would happen. After a lot of persistence, sop stories, and some bullshit thrown in, we finally got the customs official to stamp the form. However, her last words were that we would be the last people to ever transport a motorcycle via this method and that all future motorcycles would either have to be transported via a shipping container or via air freight.

We were also told that the new transport ferry which was supposed to be up and running in May, won't happen and neither customs not the port authority in Cartagena will approve it.

Its basically a big **** up at the moment!

Max

Boat.
 

Hi, check up on the Stahlratte, a German ship which can carry motorcycles properly. They do the ferry journey between Panama and Colombia plus Carribbean tours and a world tour coming up.
www.stahlratte.org: Ongoing Tours

Lindsay.

I don't think there will ever be a last, if Cartagena shuts down then Turbo, Colombia business or the Pacific side will pick up.

Never say never...

We just arrived in Panama today with our bikes, we also travelled on the Independence. We heard about your issues from the Captain and expected the same just before we arrived. We experienced no problems, it seems that Customs are allowing bikes to travel as before until they recieve written instructions not to allow it. Other good news is that Fritz has got a new and much better boat. So it's all smiles.

Pending Stahlratte reservation
 

Stumbled across this today and considering we have a reservation on the Stahlratte in October it managed to raise an eyebrow.

Nonetheless, I emailed Ludvig (El Capitan de Stahlratte) to get the low down on the trip, his response is as follows;

"absolutely no problems at all for us..we are on tour (today 25th Aug 2012) coming from cartagena with 4 bikes...and no trouble with customs! too many rumaors around in the www!!!! i will go through all paprework with you so dont worry you do not have to do anything! ludwig"

Too many drama queens on advrider! :thumbdown:

I will be sleeping easy tonight!

Chris & Chloe
BUENOS AIRES to VANCOUVER | Chris, Chloe & two motorbikes across South, Central & North America

:rolleyes2:You must not read much on here.

"Too many drama queens on advrider! :thumbdown:"

Brilliant :)

CYA in Panama guys!!!

P&C

Hi guy's!

We've been on the last sailing on the Stahlratte.
4 Motorcycles went across customs within 20 minutes....

No problems here! The only problem i can see is after 4 day's on the Ratte you won't fit in your Mc gear anymore....:rofl:
That trip is absolut awesome!!!


Werner+Claudia

hi,

we was on the stahlratte on the last trip -just perfect!!!

the costums in panama was easy, only the traffic in the city in the eavening was too much.

the stahlratte is the best choice!!!

cheers,

heidi and bernd

Cheers guys, great to hear we've booked with the right gig :D

Cartegena to Panama Motorbike Shipping Ends today
 

May 30 2014 - All boats are now stopped from doing the trip from Cartegena to Panama - both passenger and moto ferries. We spent two days trying to get out of the port with a similar story to the one below basically a big mess with Fritz's boat Jacquline in the middle of it all. A real waste of time but we were lucky to get our deposit back. Now we fly to panama

Hi !

Apparently no problem for the Stahlratte.... so it's still going...

Have fun!!!!:palm:


Would love to be there again..:-)


Werner+Claudia

But is he still taking people+ bikes to cross into panama?
A friend has found out he cant do that now. Only fligths.......
Can you confirm he is doing that?

I flew, much easier and i don't find seasickness that romantic....
Not that much more expensive than sailing either:D

Looks like it:

panama_cartagena_tours_de

-Terry

So my friend got quoted,and its similar to air,bike and person.
But dont know yet what he will do now.
Will post update soon

Capt Ludwig says...
 

I wrote Capt Ludwig a few days ago to share the recent issues reported. He is aware of the problems other boats have encountered in the past and recently. Notably, the Stalhratte has never had problems leaving Cartagena with motorcycles on board.

At 124 feet in length, the Stalhratte is significantly larger than all other sail boats transporting backpackers and riders with motorcycles. When you hear reports that transporting motorcycles is illegal, the person is probably failing to understand that this applies to smaller vessels (if it is in fact illegal...time will tell.)

The Stalhratte just returning from its annual Caribbean tour and will sail from Cartagena to Panama July 22.

Judging by everyone talking about ferries, I take it there is no land crossing into Panama from South America?

Also whilst on the subject is there a crossing over the Panama Canal?

Cheers

Any updates on this?
 

So is anyone here 100% sure what the situation is with Stahlratte? I'm awaiting an email back from Ludwig but anyone else with information would be my hero.

I'm currently in Ecuador making my way north and was expecting to hop on a boat from Cartagena in September. I heard from the crew of one of the smaller boats on the San Blas circuit (Gypsy Moth) that the Colombian customs folks in Cartagena has put the kibosh on any ships picking up bikes, including the MS Independence (the only other big ship that sails San Blas).

He wasn't certain if the Stahlratte was still picking up boats or not, and I haven't seen anyone confirm if he was carrying bikes on the July 22 trip from Cartagena to Panama yet.

Any info is appreciated, since Don Winner seems to be the only other person "writing" about this issue online.

Also whilst on the subject is there a crossing over the Panama Canal? Yes.

I took the Stahlratte from Mexico to Cuba and back in May. They travelled back to Panama and Columbia with bikes and have an itinerary for the next twelve months. Have a look on their Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/stahlratte

Ludwig is very much in business and if he doesn't answer your emails it is because he is out on the Stahlratte. He needs to connect with satellite phone for Internet when sailing.

PN

Thanks

Can you only get to Panama via Ferry or is there a land crossing from South America?

Thanks and no
 

Thanks PaulNomad for the optimism and wisdom. I'm just hearing a lot of different reports on the current situation out of Cartagena.

As for your query, Lonerider, the only way across is by sea or by air. There's a patch of jungle called the Darien Gap that straddles the Colombia/Panama border and cuts off all roads between Central and South America.

This is why all us bikers making the jump between continents have to let someone else do it for us, and also why I'm so anxious to know for sure if bikes are still leaving Cartagena or not.

I'm planning to take Stahlratte Nov 21st so I'm watching.

Ludwig lives in Cartegena and the Stahlratte is based from there Lulu has a 'special way' with authorities so I'm sure there will be no problems. Just be there when he says and he will handle the rest.

PN

relax andd take a big boat
 

Understand that the Stalhratte is different that the other sail boats that provide transportation between Colombia and Panama. The Stalhratte is a 124 foot steel hull schooner. The size is significantly larger than the other boats servicing the Darien Gap. The Independence is 85 feet and their website is advertising motorcycle transport.

The catamaran Jaqueline's record of transporting motorcycles out of Colombia does not have a good track record. The reports from a crossing from Panama to Colombia via ferry could have been the script to a travel adventure horror movie... I believe the ferry and the Jacqueline have the same captain. Fritz. The same navigator of Fritz the Cat, the boat the sank. Do I need to say more?

Thanks for the info, I was unsure which is why I asked the question, if you don't ask then you don't find out!

Cheers

Stahlratte still in business
 

Yesterday I got a message from a buddy of mine who caught a lift for himself and his bike on the MS Independence from Panama to Cartagena. He confirmed that multiple boats are still carrying bikes from Panama to Cartagena, but Ludwig is the only boat currently able to take bikes on board from Cartagena to Panama.

Still awaiting a return email from the Stahlratte's official email account to make 101% sure this will hold til I arrive in Cartagena in September

From the boca of Cap'n Luddy
 

Ludwig just wrote me back, confirming that he did indeed get a couple of bikes out of Cartagena on July 22 but only after Colombian customs hassled them for a couple of days.

He said this kind of pressure comes from the aduanas every year in the low season, but this year its a bit more punctuated on account of some backpacker recently got busted trying to smuggle drugs on one of the smaller boats (he didn't say which one). Nevertheless, he said he expected things to settle down in a month or two, and that he plans on taking a couple of bikes on the next Cartagena-Panama run (August 22).