REGIONAL NEWS
PANAMA POSSE: THE RALLY THROUGH CENTRAL AMERICA
Thus began the idea for Panama Posse, and founder, Captain Dietmar, continued with it ever since. “By the time we all got to Panama, we ran into more and more sailors, and we wound up with 78 boats,” said Petutschnig. With Panama Posse, participants sail on their own schedule anywhere from Southern California and Annapolis via the Panama Canal. Panama Posse is a cruising rally for sailors traveling the waters of Central America and the Caribbean. Sailors can discover Central America, the Pacific, and the Western Caribbean waters alongside like-minded cruisers, adventures, and explorers. “Our main mission is really to help boat owners connect between the west coast and the east coast,” said Petutschnig. Panama Posse aims to make sailing in Central America and the Panama Canal easier for everyone. Easier means more transparency, getting participants discounts, having the best information and resources, and becoming part of a group that helps each other. A unique aspect that Panama Posse offers is that the participants are the guide for those who come after them. As a participant of Panama Posse and a fleet, you are entitled and expected by Panama Posse to let the company know if anything goes wrong with the vessel in front of you or the next. “So that’s really the core of it,” said Petutschnig. “We use everybody to kind of write a report, and we then email that report out to everyone; we put out updates. We have a communication tool that we love, which is an app called Line, and we have our own group on there. That is where people drop any kind of information they need or want, and then somebody can answer that. And we keep it kind of to ourselves– the only participants that speak are participants that have a boat, are on a 38 SEAMAGAZINE.COM FEBRUARY/MARCH 2022
Panama Posse image
MANZANILLO, MX— IN APRIL OF 2017, Captain Dietmar Petutschnig and his wife Suzanne were sitting around a poolside bar in Barra de Navidad, a town in Central America. “There were 15 other cruisers,” said Petutschnig. “There was a powerboat, a bunch of sailboats and catamarans, and were all sitting around the pool, and we said to each other, ‘where are you going?’ So, I said, well, I plan on going to Panama, and they said, ‘that sounds good; I will come with you.’ So, 15 hands went up at that pool bar in Barra de Navidad, and of course I opened my big mouth and said, ‘why don’t we call it the Panama Posse?’ and everyone said, ‘Perfect! Dietmar, you organize it! You’re good at this!’ and that was it.”
Panama kickoff party in Barra de Navidad in 2019.
boat, or on their way.” Panama Posse is not like a traditional rally. There is no start date, assigned route, or timeline. “We say, ‘you go at your own pace,’ because ultimately, you’re going to go at your own pace anyhow, especially with a rally that goes through 16 or 17 countries, that’s 5500 miles, that’s over 500 anchorages,” said Petutschnig. Every participating vessel and crew goes at their own pace. “They have different interests and different things that they want to do along the way,” said Petutschnig. “Obviously, buddy boating happens, so two or three boats will say, ‘hey, we will buddy boat together!’ We don’t give them a schedule.” Panama Posse is always up-to-date with hurricane season to ensure that sailors are safe and not traveling during hurricane season.” The “set your own schedule” attitude that Panama Posse advocates for allows sailors to travel, explore, and experience their journey at their own pace without being confined to a timeline. “We’ve had one
vessel [complete their route] in like three and a half months, going super-fast,” said Petutschnig. “We had one boat that just barely made it through Panama in 4 years. So, it’s entirely up to the participant to go at their own pace, and if they see something they like- we’ve had some participants drop out and buy a house in Zihuatanejo. We really don’t rely on schedules because it’s up to the boat. Our whole philosophy is ‘no schedules.’” As participants venture further, their routes and priorities alter. Panama Posse’s flexibility allows sailors to add different marinas or countries to their roster. “We specialize in a little bit more of ‘off the beaten path’ locations that are primarily Spanish speaking locations,” said Petutschnig. Panama Posse’s routes hit over forty world heritage sites. The way the company operates lets all sailors know, if they want to visit one of the sites, then the past directions left by previous travelers will have left a road map to lead your boat there.
