IN THE FRIENDLY CITY

Welcome to Puerto Amistad, Friendship Port in Spanish. We hope you come to visit us, but we have to warn you; Bahia is a "sticky port." You may find it hard to leave here once you've arrived. We're a case in point. 

In March of 2004 Tripp Martin and Maye Baldovino arrived from Panama aboard "Walkabout" planning to stay a couple of weeks before moving on. We had met in Cartagena where Maye was the restaurant manager for her aunt's marina, Club Nautico. Upon arriving they fell in love with the people, the safety and security, the climate, and the laid-back atmosphere. After agonizing over the decision of whether to swallow the hook or keep on, we realized that we couldn't imagine a better opportunity, so we decided to take the plunge and try to build a marina in this virgin cruising destination.  

All we needed was a local partner who knew the ropes of how to get things done in the labyrinth known as Latin American bureaucracy. We hooked up with Rodrigo Velez who is a local businessman and highly regarded in Bahia as perhaps the most serious and honorable person to work with. 

On November 22, 2004 we signed an agreement with the Canton of Sucre to take over the abandoned ferry terminal where we are building the marina. The ground-breaking ceremony was held the December 21, 2004. We offered the initial shore services (namely our excellent showers) in March, the first happy hour shortly after. The inauguration (Grand Opening) was the 23 of September. Currently we have 22 massive moorings, dinghy dock, a gorgeous restaurant and bar, five star bathroom and showers, laundry, and administrative office. We also have DirectTV in the bar so you can watch the Super Bowl or CNN if you have to have a news fix.

Our goal was to create a place that was friendly and secure, in a place that is friendly and secure, and I think that we've accomplished this in Bahía. In other words, we didn't have to create a bunker enclosed place to leave your boat secure. Bahía is probably the safest place for you personally, and for your boat in South America! In fact, Bahia has the lowest crime rate in Ecuador. You can walk anywhere in town day or night without fear for your safety. The second thing we wanted was a place the ordinary cruiser can afford, so we charge work hard to keep prices low. This is not intended to be an exclusive yacht club that tries to extract the maximum amount of money from your cruising kitty. On the contrary, we want as many people as possible to come, stay a long time, and enjoy the town that we fell in love with. 

We certainly hope that you come and visit; we're sure you'll love it as much as us.

Best Regards, 

Tripp, Maye, and Rodrigo

  Tripp and Maye