by Lars Akerholm
A Cruising Guide to Panama began as Lars Akerholm's answer to the lack of cruising guides and accurate charts of Panama. He began by assembling some of the most in-depth coverage of the San Blas region that is in existence, then continued with his writing and charting as he and his wife Birgitta cruised throughout Panama, including the Pearl Islands, Bocas del Toro, the Pacific coast to Costa Rica, and the Panama Canal. The culmination of his efforts resulted in A Cruising Guide to Panama with full coverage of the entire Panama cruising region. Much of the information presented does not exist in any other publication including the official charts.
Lars Akerholm began sailing in Sweden at the age of 15. He sailed for many years in and around the Swedish archipelago on the Baltic Sea. Though he worked as an airline captain in Scandinavian Airlines, he always harbored the dreams of long distance cruising in the tropics.
Upon retirement, he started to fulfill his lifelong dreams and with his wife Birgitta, a teacher/trainer, sailed out of Sweden aboard Fragancia, a 38 feet Hallberg Rassy sloop. The couple sailed down to the Canary Islands and joined the Atlantic Rally for Cruisers in 1990. With the rally they sailed on to the West Indies, where they spent the next five years cruising among the many islands of the Caribbean. Eventually they sailed on to Colombia and then to Panama. Lars and Birgitta have been sailing in Panama for two years but have now reached Australia on their circumnavigation. At present they are back in Sweden working for the OSK- Ocean Sailing Club. Lars and Birgitta are Commodores of the Seven Seas Cruising Association.
If you are interested to know more about the cruising guide you can send an e-mail to: fragancia@comhem.se