WHOA!!! Fritz The Cat sank!!!
Breaking news, hold the presses! Fritz The Cat, the infamous vessel which ferried us and hordes of other backpackers from Colombia to Panama SANK! That’s right, the catamaran is at the bottom of the Caribbean Sea. Colombian news website El Tiempo has a video in which you can hear the captain, Fritz, yelling in Spanish for rescuers not to take his picture as you see The Cat half-submerged in the blue water. Everyone came out alive, but how rough it must be for those 14 backpackers who lost everything. Here is a link to the video and news article:
http://www.eltiempo.com/colombia/cartagena/ARTICULO-WEB-NEW_NOTA_INTERIOR-11995415.html
Our boat trip seemed pretty crazy, but it’s hard to imagine going through that whole ordeal. Needless to say that it would have ruined our trip. I can’t wait to hear more details about the wreck. I feel like their will be a mention of captain’s error somewhere along the line. They probably hit an iceberg.
Posted on July 5, 2012, in Adventures, Colombia, Health, Panama, Travel and tagged adventure, backpacking, Carribbean, Central America, Colombia to Panama, Fritz the Cat sinks, Fritz-The-Cat, news, Sailing from Colombia to Panama, shipwreck, South America, travel. Bookmark the permalink. 17 Comments.
Zach, where you get the stupid info from, that “Fritz was yelling”? Fritz was not onboard, there was other captain. So, what you wrote here is big bull shit. Fritz higher the captain, who was not responsible, he did not notice the leak in one of the engine room, leaks can happen in any boat, but is important how you handle it, the second thing, he lost the dinghy, and abandon the boat… and did not try to do anything to save the boat.
Were you on the boat? Watch the video and tell me that one man does not look and sound exactly like Fritz!
reportage is not you strong talent
yes, this blog is not telling the truth at all.
Were you on the boat? What is the truth?
Ne croyez rien de ce que vous lisez sur Internet… Même pas ce que disent les americains arrogants!
Not your truth obviously
The boats in Colombia all is leaking.
Pobrecito
Pero pues hace cuanto que no vienes?
I think this Zac never once drive these boat. I drive novembre 2010 and was securo.
We have been on the boat. It was secure when we rode Fritz the Cat in April 2012! But accidents happen.
“Fritz the Cat” vor Kolumbien havariert
: Drei Deutsche bei Schiffbruch gerettet
zuletzt aktualisiert: 04.07.2012 – 07:59 Bogotá (RPO). In der Karibik sind am Dienstag 16 Menschen von einer Segeljacht gerettet worden. An Bord des australischen Katamarans befanden sich fünf Australier, drei Deutsche, drei US-Bürger, zwei Norweger, ein Pole, ein Niederländer und ein Panamaer, teilte die kolumbianische Marine mit.
Jacht “Fritz the Cat” segelte 45 Seemeilen von Cartagena de Indias entfernt, als offenbar ein Schaden im Schiffsrumpf entstand. Auf den Seenotruf reagierte ein Tanker, der alle Insassen der Jacht rettete und unversehrt nach Cartagena brachte, hieß es im Pressekommuniqué der Kriegsmarine.
Hi, This is Fritz the Cat.
True is: I was NOT on board. The Captain: Duncan Thorwald van Donkelaar, 40 years, licenced in St Marteen, was on his first voyage, ignoring my orders I gave him in 3 crossings he did under my presence. After it happened, he blackmailed me for $7500.- threatening that he would tell my insurance:” what would make them not pay”- in writing emails and SMS, so I can proove it. Last year Roli of the Stahlratte did the job of the captain for 3 month, I had a holyday and everybody was pleased. In February the Fritz the Cat was a month at the dock in Shelterbay, got a new saildrive SD50-4t, and a compleat recondition job inside and outside, replaced the right Daggerboard with a keel and made new shower/toilets and 2 new cabins, so live on board for the backpackers was more confortable. That costetd me almost $ 20.000.-. Fritz the Cat carried up to 6 bikes on deck and 20 passengers, she was a strong boat, that was found a day lateer by John Condon on the SY Wild Card still afloat- he tried to tow her in (I offered $ 30.000.- if he succseded to get her into Cartagena port) bot hedid not sucseed…….but like the Austrians say: I’LL BE BACK!
Fritz, whats the new catamaran like? Is it similar in design?
Hi everybody, that’s real fast, how do you know? we got yesterday a Fontain Pajot Maequises 56 and will sail her to Cartagena…..
Zache, You should probably edit your initial posting to reflect the facts of the sinking
I was on fritz when it sank! It was an ordeal alright I lost all my belongings, I was left with what was on my back. Fritz wasn’t onboard the boat. It is difficult to say who’s fault it was. Duncan had been smoking weed all week and seemed a bit incompetant however some of the repairs looked like they were shoddy which would have been fritz’s responsibility! Overall pretty scary but great travel story in the end! Except for losing all my stuff (which fritz never paid for however can afford to buy a whole new catamaran!!)