Eendracht San Blas EE090127

Embark	Disembark	Vessel	Duration	Voyage No
Sat 09-01-2027, 16:00Portobelo, Panama	Sat 16-01-2027, 11:00Shelter Bay – Near Colon Panama	Eendracht	7 Nights	EE090127

Active Sailing Tall Ship Voyage to San Blas, Panama

A San Blas tall ship voyage on Eendracht gives you seven nights at sea aboard a three-masted schooner of nearly 60 metres, with the ship sailing day and night. You join one of three watches and help sail her from Portobelo, Panama, along a Caribbean coast that sees far fewer visitors than the island chains further east. Weather permitting, she heads east to Guna Yala, the San Blas islands, where the Guna people govern their own territory and set the rules for visitors. The voyage ends at Shelter Bay, Panama, at the Caribbean entrance to the Panama Canal.

This is an active sailing voyage. The emphasis is on sailing the ship, with island stops and swimming fitted around the passage. No previous experience is needed. Classic Sailing has matched guests with traditional vessels for over 30 years, and this is one of the most thorough adult sail training voyages we offer.

Isolated islands and local fisherman in canoe

What Can You Expect?

On a San Blas tall ship voyage you sail the ship as part of a watch, four hours on and eight off, through the day and night. Expect steady trade winds, warm water for swimming, and, weather permitting, at least one anchorage among the low coral islands of Guna Yala.

The Passage Experience

Watchkeeping on a three-masted schooner

Eendracht runs three watches: 4 to 8, 8 to 12 and 12 to 4, morning and night. Each watch has a watch leader from the permanent crew. On watch you take the helm, keep lookout, haul on halyards and sheets as sails are set and stowed, and help with the running of the ship, from serving meals to waking the next watch. Off watch, the time is yours to sleep, read, swim when the ship is at anchor, or sit on deck and watch the coast go by.

Every sail on Eendracht is set, trimmed and stowed from the deck. There are no powered winches, so halyards are hauled by a line of people working together, and your arms will know about it after the first day. Nobody needs to climb the rigging. That makes her a good first big ship for a beginner, and still proper work for someone who has sailed before.

Everyone gets a turn to go ashore and explore either in groups or the the full ships crew less some watchkeepers.

What you learn

By the end of the week most guests can find the right line among the many on a schooner’s pin rails, coil and hang it, steer to a compass course, and know what each command means before the watch leader has finished giving it. You learn how a gaff sail is raised with throat and peak halyards together, and why a big schooner needs a whole watch to tack her. These are skills that carry over to any traditional vessel you sail on afterwards.

Nights at sea

Night watches are where many guests find the voyage takes hold. A midnight watch might start with a fire and bilge round through the ship, then a turn on lookout and at the helm under a sky with almost no light pollution. At 9° north the stars run right down to the horizon. It is a ship tradition that the night watch gets toasted sandwiches from the galley in the small hours.

Trade wind sailing in January

January is the dry season on Panama’s Caribbean coast. The northeast trade winds blow steadily, which gives reliable sailing and a lively sea on the open passages. Heading east towards Guna Yala means working against the wind and swell, so the first days can be bumpy. Some guests are seasick until they adjust, usually within a day or two, and it is worth asking your pharmacist about patches or tablets before you travel.

Because Eendracht keeps sailing through the night, the captain can use the wind as it comes rather than motoring to a fixed timetable. You will see how the captain and officers plan the passage and read the forecasts, and you can ask about routing decisions as they are made. Chartwork is handled by the professional crew, using modern navigation equipment alongside traditional methods.

San Blas tall ship voyage from Portobelo: the route

The plan is to sail east from Portobelo along the coast towards Guna Yala, a passage of roughly 50 to 70 nautical miles to the nearest island groups. Weather permitting, Eendracht anchors among the islands for at least one stop. On recent voyages guests have gone ashore on the Cayos Holandeses and at Chichime, swum off the ship and snorkelled over the reef. From there she turns west for Shelter Bay, sailing a longer route if the wind allows.

The itinerary is subject to weather conditions and the captain’s discretion. The start and end ports, dates and times are firm.

For an experienced sailor, this is what you cannot get by chartering a yacht in San Blas: passages through the night on a ship far bigger than you would handle yourself, a professional crew to learn from, and none of the skipper’s worries. You can concentrate on the sailing.

“You’re not just a passenger; you’re part of the crew. You actively contribute.” Maaike Visser, Eendracht, Panama and San Blas, February 2026

San Blas on Wikipedia

San Blas Island Costumes

Ports and Destinations

Portobelo, Panama

Columbus named Portobelo, the “beautiful harbour”, in 1502. For two centuries it was the Caribbean end of the route that carried Peru’s silver across the isthmus to the Spanish treasure fleets, and its harbour forts are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There is a strong British thread. Francis Drake died off Portobelo in 1596 and was buried at sea in the bay, and London’s Portobello Road takes its name from Admiral Vernon’s capture of the town in 1739. Today it is a small village of crumbling stone forts and green hills running down to the water. Eendracht lies at anchor in the bay and guests are taken out to her by boat in small groups.

By Tedder, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7491459

Shelter Bay, Panama

Shelter Bay Marina sits on the site of the old US Army base at Fort Sherman, on the western side of the Caribbean entrance to the Panama Canal. Arriving here under sail, you pass the anchorage where ships wait for their turn to transit, from car carriers to container ships, which gives a sense of how much of the world’s trade funnels through this one gap.

The Gatun Locks are close by, and the Agua Clara visitor centre overlooks the newer locks, where you can watch ships being lifted towards Gatun Lake. Fort San Lorenzo, the other half of the UNESCO site, stands on a headland at the mouth of the Chagres River, west along the coast. The forest around Fort Sherman is still largely wild, and howler monkeys are often heard from the marina.

Shelter Bay Marina - out at sea ships at anchor waiting to go through the Panama Canal

If you have time after the voyage, Panama City is about two hours away. The old quarter, Casco Viejo, is worth a day, and the Miraflores Locks at the Pacific end of the canal complete the picture.

You can also stay on. The following voyage is a more relaxed sailing holiday from Shelter Bay to Bocas del Toro, near the Costa Rica border, with nights at anchor and more time ashore. Accommodation is provided overnight between the two voyages. Ask us for details of combining them.

Life Aboard Eendracht

The ship and her purpose

Tall ship Eendracht was built in 1989 and is one of the largest sailing ships in the Netherlands. She is owned by a Rotterdam sail training charity, and most of her year is spent sailing with young people and community groups. Voyages like this one help fund that work. She takes up to 40 guests with up to 20 crew. The permanent officers, bosuns and cook are joined by volunteer crew who sail with her because they want to, and many have done so for years. That shows in the way they teach.

Guests are aged from 12 to 80, and many come back again and again, so some of your watch may already know the ship well. That helps newcomers, as there is always someone to ask. Most guests are Dutch, and briefings and training are given in English when international guests are aboard. The working language on board is English.

Eendracht three masted gaff rigged schooner = crew raising a gaff sail

Daily routine

Each day starts with a briefing on the plan, the weather and what the ship will be doing. The ship’s cooks produce all meals, and guests regularly single out the food in their feedback. Eendracht’s guests rate their voyages 8.6 out of 10 on average. Meals are served by the watch on duty, and everyone helps with clearing up.

Cabins and air conditioning

Guest cabins sleep two, three, or four to five people, with bunks, a washbasin and lockers. Booking a two-berth cabin costs a little more than sharing a larger one, and cabins are allocated before the voyage. All cabins have air conditioning, which matters in the tropics: at this latitude the air below deck would otherwise stay warm all night, and it means you can sleep properly between watches. Bar bills and souvenirs can be paid by card.

Safety

Eendracht is classed with Lloyd’s Register and holds SOLAS, ISM and ISPS certification. She carries a rescue boat and seven liferafts, each for 25 people, well over her normal complement. A watermaker produces 8 tonnes of fresh water a day. Every voyage starts with a safety briefing and drills, including life jackets and man overboard procedures, before the anchor comes up.

Eendracht three masted gaff rigged schooner - fire practice

The last day

The final day is spent bringing the ship back to order: scrubbing decks, tidying and washing up. The last evening is the traditional “bonte avond”, an evening of songs, sketches and speeches put on by the watches. By then a group of strangers has become a working crew, which is a large part of why people come back.

“What stands out is how, in just a week, strangers become a close-knit crew.” Maaike Visser, Eendracht, Panama and San Blas, February 2026

Wildlife and Natural Environment

The Guna restrict commercial fishing and building in their territory, and as a result the reefs and islands are in better condition than much of the Caribbean. The water is around 27°C, clear enough to see the bottom at anchor, and snorkelling over the reef can show you parrotfish, angelfish and rays. Guests on a recent voyage saw a stingray off Chichime. Starfish are common in the shallows.

On passage, look out for flying fish skittering away from the bow, and dolphins are sometimes seen. Brown pelicans and magnificent frigatebirds work the coast, and boobies are often seen offshore. Bring reef-safe sun cream, and leave shells and coral where you find them.

Cultural and Historical Context

Guna Yala is an autonomous indigenous territory of around 365 low coral islands, about 50 of them inhabited. After the Dule Revolution of 1925, when the Guna rose against attempts to suppress their dress and customs, their self-government was guaranteed, and it was recognised in law in 1938. The Guna General Congress sets the rules for visitors, and individual islands set their own landing fees. Some islands are closed to visitors.

Arriving in the islands, you may be met by Guna women in dugout canoes selling molas, the layered and cut cloth panels that are part of their everyday dress, along with fresh fish. The crew brief you before any landing. Ask before photographing anyone (a small fee may be asked), dress modestly ashore in a village, and carry US dollars in small notes, as there are no cash machines on the islands.

“And the best part: you don’t explore these islands from shore, but from the sea.” Maaike Visser, Eendracht, Panama and San Blas, February 2026

catamaranadventures.net/single-post/the-ultimate-guide-to-guna-yala-culture-everything-you-need-to-know

Practical Information

Panama tall ship sailing, no experience needed

No previous sailing experience is required, as the professional crew will teach you everything from basic rope handling to sail handling at a pace that suits you. The physical demands are moderate, with tasks suited to various fitness levels. Hauling is done in teams, and nobody has to go aloft. You do need to be able to climb in and out of the boat that takes you to and from the ship, and to move around a deck that is sometimes heeling. Night watches mean broken sleep, which most people adapt to within a couple of days.

My first Tall Ship Experience

If you would prefer full nights’ sleep at anchor and more time ashore, the sailing holidays to and from Bocas del Toro are a better fit. Voyages and people vary; we are here to help you find the voyage that best suits you.

Solo travellers

Solo travellers are common on these voyages, with shared cabins available and a naturally social atmosphere developing among the crew. The watch system helps, as you work alongside the same people from the first day.

Solo Travelers Welcome

What’s included

All meals and accommodation, all safety equipment, and instruction and guidance from the crew are included. Travel to Portobelo and from Shelter Bay is not included, and nor is travel insurance, which is required. Bar bills are extra.

Preparing for your voyage

Getting there from the UK

International flights land at Tocumen Airport, Panama City. There are no direct flights from the UK, but there are good connections via Amsterdam, Madrid and the USA (transiting the USA needs an ESTA). Portobelo and Shelter Bay are each about two hours from Panama City by taxi or pre-booked transfer. We suggest arriving in Panama City at least a day before the voyage, to allow for delays and to adjust to the heat and the time difference.

UK passport holders do not need a visa for a short stay, but you may be asked for an onward ticket. Check the current FCDO travel advice for Panama before booking flights.

Weather and what to pack

Expect about 30°C by day and 24°C at night in January, with a sea temperature of about 27°C. Short tropical showers are still possible. The sun is strong at 9° north, so bring a wide-brimmed hat, light long-sleeved shirts and plenty of reef-safe sun cream. A light waterproof jacket is useful on night watches and for spray on the passages, and you will want deck shoes or trainers with soft, non-marking soles.

Time and value

With seven nights aboard, the voyage fits within a standard two-week holiday allowance, leaving time either side to see Panama City or the canal. When British weather turns grey in January, it is a week of warm sailing, with all meals, a cabin and instruction from a professional crew included. Compare the cost per day with a Caribbean hotel, then add the sailing. You will come home with practical skills and stories worth sharing.

Combining two voyages

The voyages join up, so you can sail this active sailing voyage and then the sailing holiday from Shelter Bay to Bocas del Toro, with accommodation provided overnight between them. A discount is available for booking two voyages. Ask us for details.

Next step

See the available dates and cabin options below, or call us on +44 (0)1326 531234. If you are not sure which Panama voyage suits you, use Ask a Skipper and we will talk it through with you.

WINDS, WAVES & WEATHER

Late June and early July are excellent times to explore the Scottish Highlands, with long daylight hours and generally mild summer temperatures. Daytime temperatures around Inverness and Oban typically range from 14–19°C, although conditions can feel cooler on the water.

Much of the voyage takes place on the sheltered freshwater lochs and canal sections of the Great Glen, where conditions are generally calm. Once the ship reaches Loch Linnhe and the west coast, there may be fresh breezes and some swell, although the surrounding islands and mountains provide considerable shelter.

Scottish weather can change during the day, with sunshine, cloud and occasional showers all possible. The long summer evenings provide plenty of time to enjoy the scenery, while warm layers, waterproof clothing and suitable footwear will keep you comfortable on deck and ashore.

This is one of the more sheltered voyages in Eye of the Wind’s programme and an excellent choice for first-time sailing guests. The professional crew will guide you throughout, whether you’re helping with the sailing or simply enjoying the journey.

A NOTE ON VOYAGE DESCRIPTIONS

On a sailing voyage we never use the word itinerary, as skippers will always be aiming for the best and safest sailing routes for the forecast. They are as keen as you to include some of the highlights described above, but when it comes to sailing, you have to go with Mother Nature, not fight her. The description provided is based on what we think might be possible, based on past trips, or prior experience, but nothing is guaranteed on a sailing voyage. As such, the scheduled joining ports, routes, activities and/or destinations may be altered. Due to the complexities of weather systems, this may be at very short notice.

HANDS ON HOLIDAYS

Whether you are an experienced sailor or a complete beginner, the professional crew will train you to be guest crew from the moment you arrive, with the intention that everybody works together to sail the ship. The common thread to all Classic Sailing holidays is ‘Hands on’ participation on ships that use ropes, blocks and tackles and ‘people power’ to set sail. For more on this, see our article ‘What is a Hands-On Sailing Holiday?’

SAILING STYLE & LIFE ON BOARD

We cater for a wide range of ages and physical abilities and how much you are expected to do varies a bit between vessels. See the vessel tab above which explains all about the ‘sailing style’ and what to expect in terms of hands on participation. There is a lot of information about day to day life, the ships facilities and accommodation on the vessel pages.