Sailing Cartagena to Panama (Rosario Islands Stop!)

Before casting off lines for an open-water passage to Panama, the crew aboard the Vision 444 catamaran Sailing Big Lost concluded preparations at Club de Pesca Marina in Cartagena, Colombia. Facing a 125-nautical-mile passage toward Puerto Obaldía, the family balanced provisioning tasks and pre-departure mechanical checks with a 21-nautical-mile hop to the Rosario Islands to await a favorable weather window.

In addition to passage preparations, the crew addressed sudden off-boat administrative hurdles. After their original social account was deactivated without notice, Kelly filed a formal review through Meta verification and established a backup account to maintain daily dispatches while navigating the Caribbean coastline.

Living Aboard the Vision 444

Before getting underway, the family conducted a walk-through of their living arrangements aboard the Vision 444 catamaran. In the port-side stern, Finn highlighted his private queen-size berth, dedicated head, expansive hull window lighting, blackout shades, and built-in cabin cabinetry. Forward on the port side, Maddie shared her cabin layout, pointing out deep three-cabinet storage for art supplies and dominoes, large hanging lockers, hull port holes, and an emergency escape hatch fitted with security locks for marina stays.

In the main salon, Kelly reviewed the vessel’s primary systems and helm layout. A forward-facing interior navigation station provides a protected watch post during night passages, consolidating chartplotter screens, wind instruments, breaker panels, and engine gauges. Galley refrigeration includes an upright refrigerator, two freezer drawers, a standalone drink cooler, and an icemaker. Cooking appliances feature a dual-burner gas cooktop, portable induction burners, and a toaster oven. Under the galley seating, five 200 amp-hour lithium iron phosphate batteries connect to a 3200-watt solar array on the cabin roof, supported by red overhead night lighting throughout the cabin.

“I have always been a fan of a single bay stainless steel sink when I lived on land, but now that I have a black composite one, I love it even more because it hides all the bunk and the spots on the stainless steel.”

Cartagena Preparations and Departure

Prior to clearing out of Colombia, the crew completed routine maintenance and personal errands in Cartagena. Engine compartments were inspected to ensure raw water pumps were free of leaks, while fresh produce was restocked from local markets. Reflecting on their stay, Kelly noted spending $8 for a haircut at a local barber shop and $162 for the entire family’s dental cleaning. Colombian immigration clearance was finalized and marina dockage settled before untying from the slip.

Departure from Club de Pesca Marina presented sudden logistical timing when dock staff arrived with clearance paperwork just as lines were being slipped. With the bay bustling with boat traffic and fireworks ahead of Cartagena’s November 11 Independence Day celebrations, the crew stowed lines and fenders and motored clear of the harbor to escape the downtown noise and begin the 21-nautical-mile run to the Rosario Islands.

Navigating the Rosario Islands

Approaching the north side of the Rosario Islands, the crew encountered choppy conditions and evaluated whether smaller barrier coves would deflect incoming chop. Reaching the anchorage at Isla Grande required navigating an unmarked reef passage where a missing channel beacon was substituted by a white plastic jug tethered to a submerged concrete pile. Passing the jug to port, Big Lost made consecutive turns west, starboard, and back to port around the shoreline shallows to drop anchor inside the sheltered reef.

Over a two-night stay at Isla Grande, the anchorage experienced heavy daytime wake and loud music from Cartagena day-trip tour boats. Between shoreside walks on the beach with fellow cruisers, Kelly studied coastal weather models and satellite current imagery to map an open-water crossing to Panama.

Open-Water Crossing to Puerto Obaldía

Weighing anchor from Isla Grande, Big Lost began the 125-nautical-mile journey across the southwestern Caribbean Sea to Puerto Obaldía. Current charts indicated a strong counter-current along the Colombian shoreline and a circular eddy offshore; by navigating the boundary between the two systems, the catamaran picked up a favorable push of a knot to a knot and a half. Although head winds produced one to two-foot confused seas, the gentle wave heights allowed continuous motoring.

Early in the passage, the propellers failed to shift into overdrive, capping forward speed around five and a half knots before the crew confirmed the running gear was spinning freely without obstruction. Trolling lines trailing astern hooked skipjack as the boat pressed southwest toward the Isthmus of Panama.

“Out here on the ocean, you really do feel at peace. Sometimes I wonder why, you know, I enjoy doing things like this. I think I just like being on the move. I like adventuring. I like seeing new places, meeting new people, and keeping life interesting.”

Arrival, Customs, and Anchoring in Panama

Big Lost entered the harbor at Puerto Obaldía at 4:30 AM in darkness, relying on previous cruiser waypoints stored in Navionics. Shortly after daylight, buddy boat La Vida Shred motored into the harbor running on a single engine after their port raw water pump impeller failed during the night. Dinghies were secured to the harbor dock using tires and shoreline tie-offs.

Officials from Panamanian immigration, the national police, and the port captain completed entry formalities in under one hour, granting passports stamps, the official zarpe, and a Panamanian cruising permit. With water clarity revealing grass and barnacle growth accumulated during their marina stay in Cartagena, Connor scraped the catamaran hulls while the crew fitted magnetic hatch screens to guard against coastal insects. Big Lost then relocated to an uninhabited anchorage nearby, paying out 125 feet of anchor chain in calm waters surrounded by jungle birds and frogs.

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