Darien Gap Crossing Ferry-Express is now DEAD!
 

Ok....I was at another site and it seems the Ferry Express that started transporting people and motorcycles no longer is running after the end of April (until further notice....yeah right). Besides the 4 day San Blas cruises what other options does anyone recommend other than Girag to get from Colombia to Panama in a day or extremely close to it without having the boat drop your bike in the bottom of the sea???? ?c?

Hopping "banana boats" across the Darien gap took me two weeks. As far as I know there are no "fast" options for doing the Darien gap by water except the ferry.

If your timing was good air shipping would be the quickest, but the stars would have to align for that to all be done in a day.

Any reason it has to be done in one day? That crossing was the best memory of my trip, even including the bike almost being dropped in the water. The Kuna Yala and their islands are unique in the world.

Translation please
 

Visited the FerryExpress web site and found the image below as a pop-up notice.

Disfruta tus vacaciones viajando con Ferry Xpress

I tried copying the text and running it through Google Translate, but it didn't make the clearest to translations... I looks like the voyage from Colon to Cartagena are running through April, then "end of season." (Fin de la temporada) Was there always a plan not to run the ferry in the Caribbean during hurricane season?

http://www.ferryxpress.com/images/avisos-popup.jpg

Already !!! That didn't last long did it.

Ferry
 

If this is just a seasonal closing, any idea when the season begins and it will resume operation? I'm planning a crossing in Oct-Nov. What is their website?

link already posted above

www.ferryxpress.com
 

www.ferryxpress.com

By default the HUBB is set to, "...Automatically retrieve titles from external links" which can be confusing when the website is in Spanish. I turned off the preference for this post.

Peter, a while ago I was going to suggest that the blue colour of links be deepened a couple of shades to make it a bit more obvious that they were different to the surrounding texts.

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/newreply.php?do=newreply&noquote=1&p=501511

Copa Air Cargo
 

Best of luck with your travels Gabeslaw; I air shipped my KLR with Copa
AirCargo from Panama City to Medellin in 2008 and was happy with their
services - just another option.

schedules....
 

End of season could also be the end of the Latin travel/summer season. In Argentina summer is the reverse of North America. Given that Central America and South America has little change in temperature year round, does travel generally slow down in May, just when it is picking up in northern climates?

Indeed time will tell and someone planning the cross the gap, to whom the topic is of greatest interest, will eventually contact the offices and share an update.

In recent years, three boats have transported bike from Panama to Colombia. Last year there was a report or two of riders having problems getting out of Cartagena on a smaller boat. The Stalhratte is the largest and has not been subject to the whims of customs officials. Ask around and see if there are current reports of problems.

The Stalhratte can transport 26 motorcycles. I believe they run out of bunk space due to back packers before deck space. In the past you could reserve a space simply by sending an email and waiting for a confirmation. Captain Ludwig posts here from time to time, correct me if wrong or policies have changed.

Taking a sail boat is expensive, cheaper that air lifting and way more fun, in my opinion. Airlifting motorcycles across the gap is for riders with more money than time. The Stalhratte was one of the highlights of my trip. I haven't taken the ferry, which is/was cheaper, but a bit institutional/commercial by the reports.

Ultimately a voyage schedule needs to match your adventure schedule. I rode a bit faster through Central America in order to sail on a certain date. Having already ridden sections of CA and with plans to ride more on the way back, I made a one month dash from North Carolina (the HU east coast rider meeting) to Panama. By most accounts that was a rushed schedule... Check their website for dates and availability:

panama_cartagena_en

Even if someone suffers from extreme sea-sickness ? Very narrow minded of you Peter.

There are often more reasons than "more money than time" for an option.

Guilty as charged, very narrow minded of me. I have suffered a few times from sea sickness, learned from those experiences and take preventive steps. Before a boat leaves anchor, I take motion sickness tablets. Are there people that don't benefit from motion sickness preparations? Could be. Maybe you're one of them.

Of the three long sails on the Stalhratte, I took and offered tablets to everyone on board. The passengers that did get sea sick also declined the tablets. A physician told me to take the tablets BEFORE the boat starts rocking. Sea sick tablets have little or no effect after motion sickness sets in.

Between Colombia and Jamaica one passenger couldn't get out of bed for the first three days and made spot appearances on the fourth day... He decline tablets when as we left Cartagena. The same brave soul continued on the Caribbean tour through Cuba, Mexico, getting off in Panama. He wasn't planning to change his strategy for the last and longest leg. Go figure.

A lack of time is the reason I have seen posted here on the HUBB for air lifting. Lack of time can easily mean that a traveler could not wait for the next available boat to sail.

A few years back riders sometimes wanted to avoid Colombia and would airlift to Ecuador. I forgot to mention that reason, probably because its not the issue it was. At least not in my (non-risk adverse) opinion.

Not me, my wife. And yes it is extreme. In fact she gets motion sickness when a car or motorcycle passenger. (Not affected when actually driving/riding).

A gentle swell can kick here off, it was somewhat amusing though that she agreed to do the Navimag later in our trip (I think it was the lesser of two evils, Ruta 40 or seasickness). Fortunately while in Santiago we stayed with an anaesthetist who was able to prescribe some anti-sickness medication (used for chemo therapy). This removed the being sick, but kept a lot of the other feelings, she slept on the floor during our night in the Pacific.

Also bear in mind that some people cannot swim, have a fear of water etc. Each to his own for the reasons to take the routes and options available.

Well, I hope someone on the road in Panama will chime in here and straighten this out for us all. It'd be a shame if the company are truly gone for good. This would be like the 3rd time (in my memory) that a Ferry has been set up ... only to fail. :(

I'm guessing travelers alone won't make a Ferry a profitable enterprise ... it will take LOTS of locals going back and forth and LOTS of truck commerce as well.

Until politicians, entrenched bureaucrats and greedy investors get it sorted ... it may not happen. If the govts. at both ends can't skim enough off the top ... then could be impossible to operate a profitable Ferry company.

Wanna know why the Mexico/Baja Ferry works, and has worked for decades?
German boats ... Japanese ownership. :thumbup1: Runs like a clock. bier

I guess in two moths I will reach this bottleneck. Hopefully there is a solution till then, too for 4x4 travelers


:Beach:

Yes, please continue to post to this thread as the story evolves. I was planning to use this sometime early next year.

Appreciate the valuable discussion far.

various options
 

Regarding Panama to Colombia, the Stalhratte is booked out (May 2) or on their Caribbean tour until early August 2015.

http://www.stahlratte.de/panama_cartagena_tours_en.html

There are two boats that have transported bikes (and passenger) in the past: Jacqueline and Independence.

http://www.mamallena.com/sailboats-to-cartagena.html

With the ferry service ending there will be more overlanders shipping their cars/trucks via container. You can connect to communities on Facebook (or via web forums...that I don't know about) and ask if anyone is putting a container together with room for a motorcycle. Search on Facebook for 'overland' or try this group, 'PanAmerican Travelers: Past, Present and Future'. Its all about timing. Finding someone that will share a container, when you want to ship...

A very brave (or foolish) guy built a raft and tried power it with his motorcycle. There are posts somewhere on the HUBB about his his experience.

People have moved their bikes via coastal cargo boats that make local runs. The reports describe multiple boats and extended journeys. It has been done on the Caribbean and Pacific, but its challenge logistically and requires strong negotiating skills, where you have to piece together on deal after another...

And then there is always airlifting.

My son and I are leaving in June to South America. The existence of the ferry is what solidified our plans, now we will be taking our chances with our luck. I have zero desire to go on a sailing trip to the San Blas islands so I guess we will be looking to share a container or something.


The problem with that ferry was that it is too big and tried to run too frequently. it also takes a while before news of it gets around, and people who plan trips because of the ferry cannot just decide to do a long trip and be in panama the next day. They have to start slowly , with a smaller ship and absorb losses till the stream of travelers gets to them.

I'm sure that a boat for 50 cars and 300 people could be viable, and would be a game changer, especially for those on 4 wheels. Riding and driving to South America would become as popular as it is to Alaska.

sailing
 

Vic,

I had a great time taking a boat to Colombia. Day 1, arrived at the dock and took a launch to a Kuna island for the night. Day 2, a short 2 hour trip down the coast, anchored and had beach party, Day 3 we motored for ~24 hours to Colombia. That was my trip on the Stalhratte. I imagine the other boats have a similar schedule.

Air lifting means a running around between the airport, customs, hotel, etc. in Panama and Colombia. Add paying to ship the bike(s), then paying for your ticket(s). You'll have to do the numbers and decide for yourself. I didn't see the boat as just transportation, it was part of the adventure.

Well Peter, I guess I'll think about it, problem is, we don't know when we will be in Panama as we will be going with the flow.

BTW, my name is Mitch, the Vic is for Victory, which I ride when I'm not on my V-Strom. We rode back from the HU meet in Nova Scotia together.

Mitch

Hey guys, in Panama city now catching the last ferry tomorrow. It seems like nobody knows for sure if the ferry service will be coming back but the signs aren't good. I overheard someone asking when it would start again and "maybe december" was the reply. I had some friends pass a few weeks ago and the insinuation they got from some employees they were friendly with was that it wasn't coming back.

FWIW May is the start of the rainy season so ending the season right now might actually be legit/logical, but I wouldn't base any trips off a need to take this ferry. I'll ask around on the boat tomorrow and see what I can learn.

No way north from Colombia
 

We have been looking into ways to head north into Panama from Colombia since the demise of Ferry Xpress. It seems that the sailing boats that used to take motorcycles stopped doing so when the Ferry Xpress was around. No sailing boats are taking bikes now and apparently neither Copa or Girag are taking bikes either. Trying to contact cargo ships now. Would appreciate any tips or update from anyone currently heading north!! Tks.

UPDATE: Air Cargo Pack have quoted US$2215 for air freight Medellin-Panama and Enlace Caribe US$810 per bike for RO/RO Cartagena-Panama. There are definitely no sailing boats taking bikes through Mamallena.

As far as I know the Stahlratte is still taking bikers.

My ferry experience was arriving 11 hours for the ferry, and leaving 7.5 hrs late. They couldnt look up my ticket because I bought it online lol. Also all the motorcyclists were charged different prices with no explanation. I paid 397 for me, the bike, and a seat. A friend paid 297 for the same thing. And 2 other friends paid only 200 and had a cabin. No response from ferryxpress by email. Taking 40 hrs from arrival to leaving colombian customs, being overcharged, leaving the port at midnight and immediately getting pulled over by cops in cartagena, all was well worth it to be in Colombia.

It was a very nice modern ship but I'm pretty sure they are going under for good, but didnt get any concrete answers. The lore of the ferry goes on!

Thanks for the response but I talked to Stahlratte last week and they are not going Panama - Cuba is their next port of call. Our only option is cargo or airfreight. Still waiting for written quotes...

Our plan was to leave from NY at end of June. My son has to be back at work first week of September so, we figured he could make it to at least Ecuador at a relaxed pace if there was a ferry. I would sell or otherwise get rid of his bike and co ntinue on my way. Now it seems he may only be able to get to Panama.

This Ferry turned our dream into a reality and it really sucks that time and money constraints will limit us.

For the guy who went on the ferry and complained about the wait time and irregular prices, it seems that the Ferry at its worst was still way better than all the other options.

Someone needs to set a more reasonably sized ferry like the one to Isla Margarita in Venezuala, less party boat, more transport and I think it could work.

Mitch

I agree Mitch, see my post #14 above. Just basic A to B transport would be best, (IMO), low cost ... and should be govt. subsidized like most transport is worldwide. Keep the service small, fast and agile. :thumbup1:

For your trip this Summer ... this is what I would do (of course, YMMV!)

Since leaving in June you would be in Mexico/Cent. America in the HOTTEST and WETTEST time of the year. :nuke: I would SKIP all this and get to Miami and either fly or ship your bikes to Colombia. There is service.
Bite the bullet, pay the cost. Maybe even book a R/T? Selling off bikes can be complex ... or you could get lucky. :innocent:

This would put you in Colombia with better weather and lots of time.
Perhaps take your 4 months and explore Colombia, Ecuador, Peru', Bolivia or possibly Venezuela? Or any combo of those?

Colombia alone could keep you busy exploring for at least a month or more. Same with Ecuador. Lots to do and see, great riding from high Altiplano to coastal low lands, fun historic Cities to interesting beaches, sub tropical jungles and more. Both ON and OFF road riding, even guided off road tours, very doable, even for novice dirt bike riders.

Just a thought ... good luck! bier

Thanks for the info Mollydog, but I don't have time or money to deal with shipping bikes from Miami and such. My son is a student teacher and I'm a retired truck driver, not rich folks. We're just going to throw some bags on a couple of old bikes I got at a salvage auction (Victorys of course) and go. Perhaps my son will just make it to Panama this time and I will try to find someone to share a container with.

We intend to spend some quality time in Mexico, my son's not been. I've spent months in Colombia, Equador and Peru. My son spent most of his summers in Colombia as my ex wife (his mom) is from Cali.

I try to stay on road, any off road is by accident.
http://images2.snapfish.com/23232323...4%3A8337nu0mrj

and usually leads to an accident
http://images3a.snapfish.com/2323232...5%3C2337nu0mrj

http://images2.snapfish.com/23232323...5%3C8337nu0mrj

That thing looks awful to pick up!

Subscribing to this thread to get updates on Panama to Columbia Ferry Service. Still in the planning stages, but looking at riding from California to Peru in 2017. Hopefully by that time the Ferry Service will be in operation!

think small
 

Hi Mitch,

I would recommend a small and high quality trip. Think about riding Central America for three months (which will go by very quickly) and forgetting about crossing the Darién. Forget about crossing the gap this time anyway. You can get from northern Mexico to Panama in 10 days for semi focused daylight riding. Add at least another 2-3 days to get from NYC to the Texas/Mexico border. These are rough estimates, but knowing a little about your riding preferences when we returning from Nova Scotia, my estimates are optimistic. So if you rode there and back, its roughly 4 week of travel time alone. That still gives you +60 days to noodle around, hang out, relax... If you add crossing the gap, on a schedule, then all bets are off. At least in terms of a relaxed trip through CA. And what were you planning to do with your son's bike? Would he ride back alone or would you ship it to Colombia? What would you do with his bike in Colombia? Yes, some people sell their bikes at the end of their trip and fly home. Some people win the lottery too. Good luck.

Alternately, fly to Colombia and buy a couple of second hand dirt bikes and tear around Colombia and northern South America for three months. I suspect that you know enough people in Colombia that you could easily store them until the next adventure. My next South American adventure will follow this general strategy.

The key take away, take a hard look at the miles between here and the end of the rainbow. Then estimate the number of days you can take off from reality and live in Wonder Land. Everyone's trip is different, but minimum road time is the same.

Peter, my original plan was, of course to take the ferry to Colombia with my son and continue riding as far as we get, or if we are in Ecuador, head back to Colombia. We could sell the bike between Ecuador and Colombia , leave one country and not enter the next with the bike. That was the plan. Now maybe we'll just do Mex and CA together and I'll carry on as I have not time limit. I personally like to stay in high altitudes so CA might start to irritate me.

Truth is, the adventure is riding a $1500 bike as far as possible. I don't want to buy a dirt bike, i want to do the distance on the same bike I start with, and I want it to be a non traditional bike.


Back to the original topic, i wonder what the smallest ferry that would safely make the trip is. i would think that there is enough business for something simple and if it was reliable, people would plan trips around it. For me it was the game changer, I thought it would last at least a year and that's why I planned this trip now. Whatever, we'll just go and see what happens.

Fly from Canada, sounds crazy, but check it out
 

My friend Philip brought this Air Canada offer to my attention. Basically they are offering what look like reasonable rates to air lift your moto to South America or Europe. The first link is not from the Air Canada, but its to a detail Q&A with the airline.

Air Canada's new motorcycle cargo options - Canada Moto Guide

Air Canada contact info

http://www.aircanada.com/cargo/en/news/index.html?news=150218

Riding to Toronto from NYC is closer than the Mexico border...and the deal is very clear. Your mileage may vary negotiating with airlines in Panama City. I am rethinking the logistics of my next adventure, but I am still one the fence with the concept of buying a used dirt bike, they are so much fun off road.

:scooter:

Interesting, Montreal is even closer.

No boats - ferry or sailing - Panama to Columbia!!
 

Hi all,

I am in Panama and am sad to say that ALL sea crossings for motorcycles are now gone!

The ferry did it's last run on 21 April and the Panama Customs have banned further motorcycles from going on sailboats too - as they are 'cargo'

When I started my ride South a month ago all 3 options (inc flying) were avaiable but I found out 1 week in that flying the bike is now the only way. Short of a major undertaking of tracking down a cargo boat, which I am trying but my Rosetta Stone Spanish didn't quite cover this so maybe it'll mean $1500 for me and the bike to fly instead of the $300 or so by ferry 1 month ago.

If anyone is in Panama and has any info please PM me asap - I will do the same if I get lucky.

This is really not good news, I hope this is only temporary...

All sail boats?
 

It won't help you now, but the Stalhratte is sure to be able to transport motorcycles when they return from Cuba/Mexico tour. The next Panama to Colombia voyage is August 7, 2015. The Stalhratte at 124 ft in length is considerably larger than the other sailboats that were offering transport. Captain Ludwig has never had problems leaving Colombia with motorcycles on board when other boats did. I can't imagine the officials in Panama would raise issues now. Check with them to confirm. contact_en

For us 4x4 Overlanders- somebody here with good contacts for Container based shipping?

It would be nice to find a company this way, where other travellers had good experiences!

Surfy

Ogrica

No boats - ferry or sailing - Panama to Columbia!!


Are you going to COLOMBIA, South America ?......or heading western Canada?

I was told that the Panamanian customs are not allowing ANY sailing boats so good luck assuming that doesn't apply to the Stalhratte.

There were a few other boats previously accepting bikes ($550 each) so if there was a way around the rules I am sure at least 1 would have continued.

And where are you currently travelling?

It was a typo - jeez.

re: "illegal to carry passengers and cargo"
 

Those laws are old, and they have never been a real impediment before. Try a different port, ask different boats.

Unless they have suddenly started a massive enforcement campaign the laws on the books do not match the situation on the ground (or sea?).

Hi guys,

While searching for ways to cross from Colombia to Panama I came across this thread. Although I'm a big motorcycle fan and ride myself, I was actually looking for information on the Darien Gap crossing for a pushbike trip I'm planning. I'm a student (that hopefully graduates in August) so unfortunately I don't have the funds to do the trip on a motorbike.. The KTM 690 Enduro is my dream bike so hopefully one day....

Anyhow, I'm a bit disappointed reading that Ferry Express is likely to stop offering their service. I can't understand why there isn't just a ferry that actually works and where you can rely on... Although I'm sure it's probably easier for me with a pushbike to do the crossing, money and time wise the ferry was a great option.

I will follow this thread and see how things are going. If I set through with my project I will probably have to cross somewhere in February/March, so that gives me some time. But I hope for you all they'll sort things out sooner than that!

Cheers,

Job

Don't give up yet. There is still hope.

anyone flown their bike recently from Panama-Colombia?
 

Surfy, I just got contact information for an agent who is coordinating shipment of motorcycles and larger vehicles by container. She is very thorough and will provide you with all the information you need, quickly. If you would like her email, pm me.

MEANWHILE...
Folks, I'm looking into flying my bike across the gap. Most of the information I've found is at least a few years old. Has anyone in this community recently (say, within the last 2 years) transported their bike by air? If there's a "yes" out there, any information, especially any agent or office contact/location info, would be fantastic. In the past I'm aware that the protocol here has been to just show up at Girag, etc.. it'd be good to know whether or not this is still the case based on someone's recent experience.

Cheers and thanking you all in advance,

Heather

http://facebook.com/thefrighteningandbeautiful
In Search of the Frightening and Beautiful

Always worth checking the "Shipments by travellers" section (see main drop down menu)

particularly:
From Bogota, Colombia. to Panama City, Panama. - February, 2014 | Horizons Unlimited

This is an extract from an email I received when I filled out the online booking form for the Independence,

"Sorry to inform you that The Independence is currently out of bussiness, And*I've been doing the researh and it seems that the captain port in Cartagena have prohibited to yacthies to trasnport bikes, But I can suggest to you send it by container if you have more bikers or even people traveling in cars it will be sharing price for it"

The rest of the email contains names of others looking to ship and a contact email. I can bounce it on to anyone that wants it.

I'm in Kundur hostel just north of Pasto and heading Bogota direction in the next few days. If anyone hears of any yachts willing to take a bike please let me know!

No guarantees, warranties written or implied

San Blas Ferry - Home, Portobelo, Cartagena, San Blas, Panama, Columbien

Just cross posting from another site.


David

Interesting! Very expensive.

bike flight info
 

Thanks Grant. At the time of my last post I'd seen that and had already sent an email to Veronica Mosquera, the contact he listed in that report. I'm pleased to say she has just now gotten back to me.

So.. for anyone else interested in flying a bike from Panama City to Bogota, I was quoted $USD1250 (cash), plus a $190 customs handling fee (also cash), which brings the total to just shy of $1500. Plus you have to fly yourself. She provided a link to a Colombia-based airline that has reasonable flights (one way at $158).. so.. $1600, not including any extra unanticipated/hidden sh*t. This is via LynCargo.

Regarding the June 15 ferry... I emailed them a few days ago and haven't heard back. If I find out anything specific I'll post it here.

Heather

PS. I'm in Costa Rica near the Sixaola border. Plan on crossing into Panama tomorrow. If anyone is in Panama and would be interested in meeting up, let me know!

http://facebook.com/thefrighteningandbeautiful
In Search of the Frightening and Beautiful

Great Blog Heather!
What's the story with the Needle point of Motorcycle parts? :welcome:

Heather I arrived in Panama today with viva colombia. US$167 Bogota to Panama. Viva use the airport on the opposite side to tocumen international where your bike will fly from.

My bike is due tomorrow via lyncargo/cargopack. I was intending to write up a shipping report once I have it. US$1450.

For anyone coming the way I did, viva Colombia were reluctant to let me board in Colombia without proof of an onward air ticket but eventually let me board when I produced and they photographed my airways bill and colombian aduana exit.

Was beautiful looking down on the Darien but I wouldn't have minded sailing past it either!

Tadhg

At these prices, Africa is once again looking pretty darn good! :mchappy:

oh boy.. that's a bit of a long story. the shortened version is that the mc parts are like human body parts, metaphorically speaking.. given that human and bike are one on the road, if you will. the text on each piece describes things I've seen or felt while traveling. so when I leave these things in the landscape, I'm literally leaving pieces of myself behind.

for anyone who wants to know what in god's name I'm talking about, it's best described in this video which I used in a crowdfunding campaign back in the late winter to fund my trip/project:

https://vimeo.com/119767875

Very original idea, fascinating art work. Hope you get a chance to hook up and ride a bit with friends a while .. you may go insane riding alone for so long ... all those thoughts banging round in your head! bier

You'll love the embroidery skills of the Men and Women in Mexico, Guatemala, Bolivia and Peru'. I spent a few years in Guatemala, got to know the work a bit. Incredible weaving skills. (as you've no doubt seen by now as you're in Costa Rica) More to come further South.

You're bike looks very well kept for having over 25K on it. It reminds me of Lois (On The Loose) and her poor dysfunctional and neglected Serow. (yours being a Jewel by comparison)

I'm sure you're having better luck than poor Lois did as well.
Safe riding! Hope you can find a way across the Darien.

* with your little bike you may be able hitch a lift in a "Launcha".

Several bikers have done it. You sort of hitch from island to island on Launchas. No set schedules, pretty uncertain, can take a while. But plenty of small boats out there looking for paying cargo/passengers. Cash Talks.

!Que le via muy bien!

bier

Thanks mollydog,

That method has been suggested to me by others, and believe me, I've thought about it. But if Colombia is now giving the sailboats such a hard time with importing bikes, I'm not sure how I'd pull that part off in such a scenario, especially with my limited Spanish. So, I will likely pony up the cash to fly it and just camp a lot more on the way down.

And yeah.. it gets lonely. Was going to meet up with a friend at some point down the line, but that's not panning out. I'm sure I'll find others to spend time with along the way. Riding alone has its advantages anyway.. no "chaperones" :thumbup1:

Cheers
Heather

Tadhg has posted his air shipping story in the HU shipping database at:
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/shi...anama-may-2015

Thanks Tadhg!

Hey folks.. good news.

I managed to get through to Girag today. I was under the impression from the LynCargo folks that they were no longer flying bikes. But this morning Girag emailed me a quote for $985 ($900 + $85 "dangerous goods" handling fee).. which is, um, quite a bit cheaper than $1450. bier

They've got a flight leaving from Panama to Bogota this Saturday, so - assuming all goes well - I'll do a ship report here next week with the info.

... HELL yes ....

Heather

Glad to hear that everything's as it should be, all reports to the contrary notwithstanding.

Heather, I'm not sure whether you've read any of the old reports about how to do this. Basically, you ride around the airport to the old freight section--couple of miles circling the field clockwise from the passenger terminal area, asking for directions if you feel uncertain. Bring cash for the full amount. Bring a supply of patience, and just muddle along until the deed is done. It's a lot like crossing Central American borders, except more so.

They will probably tell you you don't need to worry about the aduana. Don't believe them. There's a little aduana shack on the access to the cargo area of the airport. Go there, and do whatever it takes to check the bike out of the country. The aduana people might tell you you don't need to do anything, just as the Girag people did. Don't believe them, either. You'll be glad to have it done if you ever come back--which you might, whether or not it's in the plans.

Take photos of the bike before turning it over. Don't leave valuables with the bike. Think about removing mirrors or other vulnerable bits, but don't obsess. Etc. etc. etc. Be philosophical if stuff gets bent or broken. You'll be reunited with your bike on another continent before you know it.

Last piece of advice: try to get a window seat on the plane. Worth it.

Hope that's helpful.

Mark

yet another wrinkle of fabulousness in this ongoing saga
 

Well, my dear virtual friends..

I have some news I think you guys will find interesting.

Quite literally within 20 minutes of confirming my plans to fly my bike to Bogota I got word from the owner of Mamallena Hostel here in Panama City (who knows many of the sailboat captains and whose staff coordinates San Blas sailing trips) that the captain of the Wildcard - a 60-footer that used to take bikes fairly regularly - has agreed to take my bike on a voyage to Colombia scheduled for June 18.

I have not been able to figure out why so many boats have stopped carrying bikes.. so many mixed messages.. but hell.. I think this may be good news for all of us... if of course this works out! Fingers crossed I don't get sent back the way I came once I get to Cartagena..

bier

I will of course keep you all posted. xx

Heather

http://facebook.com/thefrighteningandbeautiful
In Search of the Frightening and Beautiful

I know a Japanese guy who just used Girag recently for $902. Not sure if that included any extra fees. Lower price might be due to the fact he is on a 250 cc bike, however. (Just a wee bit lighter than something like a 1200 GS :innocent:)

Bike weight has no bearing on the charge. Dimensions make no difference either. More than likely that cost is sans "dangerous goods handling"..


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Nice one! Keep us posted.

Ferry Schedule
 

It looks like this ferry will be making a few trips.
San Blas Ferry - Home, Portobelo, Cartagena, San Blas, Panama, Columbien

That one is about $1k for bike and rider.

YEAH!! Writing from Cartegena..
 

So I made it to Cartegena via the Wildcard, sans glitch. No export/import problems, the food was great, the captain was professional and my bike was not dropped into the sea. I did get a DIJ inspection in Panama City which proved to be a godsend, as we were visited by the police after loading the bikes and I'm pretty sure they would have either forced us to unload or insisted on "fixit" cash if we hadn't had all the paperwork in order (DIJ/Panamanian import permit/Panamanian insurance/passport copy/title). Not sure how it works going from Colombia to Panama..

I highly **highly*** recommend this boat as an option. It's smaller than the Steel Rat but it's steel hulled and very stable - stable enough for 3 bikes (including an R1100) and the sea sickness wasn't a major issue (for most, anyway..).

To book, contact Mamallena Hostel in Panama:
info@mamallena.com
507-393-6611 / 507-6676-6163
They have a hostel in Cartegena as well.

Feel free to shoot me a message if you guys have any questions. Pics are on my FB page: https://www.facebook.com/TheFrighteningAndBeautiful

Cheers everybody,
Heather

Excellent news. Can you confirm that the same boat transports bike the other way - to Panama from Cartegena. Thanks .

It does. You'll need to figure out the paperwork for the bike. They take care of the immigration part for yourself.


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I am delighted that there is a decent alternative since the Stahlratte (4 trips including Cuba) is not in service now. I definitely did not want to take the Independence as I had one miserable trip with them.
Actually, I had already decided to leave my bike in Quito at a shop I trust and highly recommend. I will fly back to Michigan for a brief family reunion. I will then use Lulu's Stahlratte in the Fall.

I had serious charging issues and replaced major components on my way to Quito from Santiago. The local HUBB folks suggested going to the Suzuki, but I decided to return to Willy at City Motosport. He found the problem of a bad switch between the thermostat and radiator fan right away. The only challenge was getting the needed parts from the dealer, Comandato, who were terrible. I ended up telling them that I have worked for Yamaha, BMW, Harley-Davidson, and Ford in 14+ countries besides the US and have never seen such a poor parts process. After four trips there, I finally got one of two needed parts from them and Willy found the other somewhere else.

By the way all the many official (including the president) motorcycle escort riders bring their work and personal BMW's, Suzuki's, Honda's, etc. to "Chilly Willy," because they know and trust him. This a strong recommendation in my book. So, even if you only need to do some basic maintenance, on your own there, I strongly recommend him. He charges motorcycle travelers VERY reasonable rates and is an all around great fun guy.
This was an unpaid non-political endorsement,
Chris/motomon "Pinche Gringo Loco"

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Costa Rica to Columbia
 

It sounds as if the government of Panama is the problem with this issue. Has anyone considered bypassing Panama altogether and shipping a bike from Costa Rica to Columbia or vice versa?

Not a bad idea, BUT I've heard of no one shipping from CR to COlombia (The Colombians are sensitive about the spelling of their countries name)

Certainly worth checking out on the way down, (volunteers? :D) San Jose has a good airport and there are probably flights to Bogota regularly. MAY not have much cargo capacity or infrastructure for bikes, but you never know - it might be easy!

The Costa Rica option could be worth looking into. Eons ago, THE WAY to get past the Darien was to go via Costa Rica. As a back packer I did this in the early 70's ... and saved a bundle over flying from Panama to Bogota.

I've NO IDEA what the situation is now, but I'm guessing bigger, better planes are being flown? Perhaps they can fly small bikes? Or ... perhaps there is ship traffic from Caribbean side of C.R. to Colombia?

I flew from San Jose, C.R. to the Colombian island of Providencia, out in the Caribbean but near to C.R. Lovely island. NO tourism back then. Stayed one day, then flew out to Bogota.

In the 70's prices (passenger only)
S.J. to Providencia : $30 usd
Providencia to Bogota: $30

It was triple that cost to fly Pan to Col ...

NOW? Who knows, but maybe worth a look as an alternative to the inflated
situation in Panama/Colombia.

I corresponded with the San Blas Ferry. They are doing 2 round trips a month (about every 2 weeks). Their prices are high - they quoted me $4000 for my Unimog camper. I hope they make a lot of money and stay in business.

Charlie

In the late '80s I flew from Guatemala to the Colombian island of San Adres, then to Cali for very cheap. i had driven down to Nicaragua and then to Belize in an ex NYC yellow taxi that I sold in Orange Walk Belize for $300. Took the bus to Guat city and hopped a plane. Not so easy with a bike though.

Their prices are outrageous, sure Ferry Express was too cheap but this guy is charging 3 times the price for a piece of crap boat.

Doesn't matter too much what the boat is like as long as it gets there. Outrageous as a superlative is only applicable if there is reasonably-priced competition to compare it with. If it is take it or leave it, some travellers might find it very reasonable.

Previous owners of our camper - 5 1/2 tonnes - paid $3500 for RoRo across the Gap a couple of years ago and a Unimog is likely heavier.

Darian gap crossing from Panama to Columbia
 

Hello, I intend to cross the Darian gap from Panama to Columbia end of August. Thought I could take the Xpress ferry but now I found out the discontinued their service at least until Nov.. So I am also looking for an option.
Hope something comes up on this post. Thank you

Try reading some of the previous posts, better still searching HU works too doh

The San Blas Ferry is dead in the water-
 

Last I heard it was bogged down in Paperwork on the Panama side. The guy that is running it, not sure he owns it, but he used to have Fritz the Cat based in Panama and it sank two years, everyone on board is okay, but the guy has a reputation of sorts.

The Express Ferry is rumored NOT to returning.

Any news on this for 2016? Any new options out there? Planning to cross November-December from Panama to Colombia.

D.L.C.L. - @motopoet
www.themotopoet.wordpress.com
~Ride on, Blink Slow~

I am planning to cross late October as well... Checking options....

Are you riding south from US or coming from somwhere else?

D.L.C.L. - @motopoet
www.themotopoet.wordpress.com
~Ride on, Blink Slow~

Live in Atlanta but plan is to ride to Alaska and all the way South...

Target date to leave from Atlanta is 1st July...

Awesome, I'm leaving NY heading to South America in October so maybe by the time you head south we can meet on the way :)

D.L.C.L. - @motopoet
www.themotopoet.wordpress.com
~Ride on, Blink Slow~

I will follow from your blog. We have a blog but in our own language (translation available but not good - using bing) but I will add track information before taking off...

ayferonurseyahatnamesi.com

hope we will meet on the way, cross borders together :) :clap:

Sounds good, same here. I did add you on Instagram too so let's definitly stay in touch my friend! :D

D.L.C.L. - @motopoet
www.themotopoet.wordpress.com
~Ride on, Blink Slow~

Hi folks, we're currently in el Salvador having ridden from the USA. What are the current options for getting past Panama? Any boats doing the trip with a motorcycle in reasonable time?

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This seems to be the slow season for boats. Shipping is always an option, and from reading other reports, it can cost around the same, all things considered. Ill keep my eyes/ears peeled for info and will let you know if I hear of anything though . Good luck out there friend!

D.L.C.L. - @motopoet
www.themotopoet.wordpress.com
~Ride on, Blink Slow~