I've taken the Stahlratte several times, including to/from Cuba, which wasn't worth it, but they don't get back from Cuba til April. I want to go in Feb and it seem to be the only choice now.
I've been having trouble just paying a deposit and am underwhelmed by them so far.

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motomon at pobox dot com
Have returned to Latin America ... again in 2024/2025. +15179800336 WhatsApp

I just got to Panama City after a terrible 7 day ride on the Independence. Poor food, almost undrinkable water, filthy\buggy (didn´t empty the used toilet paper cans for 6 days!) boat, VERY poor, unloading process, just to begin. I would recommend that any motorcyclist contemplating using them, wait however long to go on the Stahl Ratte or airfreight the bike on DHL.

I would NEVER consider using them again. As far as I`m concerned, it was a total ripoff, but then I've only made this trip four times and ridden 160,000+ miles in the past 4 years.

Feel free to PM me with any questions.

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motomon at pobox dot com
Have returned to Latin America ... again in 2024/2025. +15179800336 WhatsApp

This information might be helpful over on ADVrider.com, if anyone's willing. Motomon, maybe a few details....?

In fairness, this is a difficult time of year for that crossing. Stahlratte was delayed in stormy weather coming into Cuba 4 weeks ago, generating many good stories about wrestling flying refrigerators, vomiting over railings, etc. etc. etc. Ludvig told me that the cause is a weather pattern which forms every year offshore off Cartagena.

I had a bike on that crossing, and even on the Stahlratte, 6 feet above waterline and wrapped securely in plastic, it had clearly been drenched in saltwater. If concerned about such things, I'd suggest other means of transport and/or other times of year.

Oh, and loading and unloading always seems to involve hoisting bikes in and out of dingies or pangas at some point. No getting around it.

Mark

Even though no personal experience, but from what Heidi and Bernd Kleine (2-year-RTW) have told me the "Stahlratte" was the best!

Food and everything great, so ..... maybe that's the way people should go. For more info check here: welt-tour.com - Stahlratte!!

Hope this helps.

PS: sorry forgot to mention that it's all in German, but maybe just the pics .....?
Or using some online translation tool .......... ?

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Mark, Yes, unloading and loading involves hoisting bikes out of dingies. I have done this five times, including going to Cuba, BUT unloading from the Independence was horrible. The captain, Michel, wouldn't let us use the ropes, wasn't there to help in Carti, and the bikes ended up on their sides on the dock, with significant damage to fairings. In my experience, it was totally unnecessary and negligent. As I said, I would NEVER consider using the Independence over the Stahlratte and would use airfreight if not available. There were several "extra" charges that weren't done by Ludwig. Michel had a habit of smiling to your face, when not bragging about himself, then complaining to others about you. I really odious person.

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motomon at pobox dot com
Have returned to Latin America ... again in 2024/2025. +15179800336 WhatsApp

Do tell about Cuba? I went in 2010/2011 and had a hell of a wild time, I would find it almost impossible not to have a good time. Is your broken??

I'm betting I spent more time on the SteelRat that just about any other biker than Rollie. If you can't get along on that boat then sailing is not for you.

Too bad the Stahlratte is getting so expensive, guess that capitalism comes
out in us all at some point.

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www.throttlemeister.net

They told me Rollie is back in Austria following much further adventuring. Lulu is somewhat in touch. And, if you're not aware, Lulu himself is recently a father....a couple of days before the Cuba trip left Cartagena without him on it.

I was glad not to have been on the recent trip to Cuba, in part because I don't care to spend a lot of time vomiting (and I would have felt obligated to tackle the loose refrigerator, which might have had a bad outcome). But Cuba's a blast, and it was good having a bike there once all the aduana/policia stuff was taken care of. We unloaded the bikes from the inflatable dingy onto a soft sand beach, more or less as I'd done in Carti a couple of years ago.

A lot of discussion about the original concept of the Stahlratte and its collective ownership. Based on the small fragments which were conducted in English, there seemed to be a substantial push for the boat to continue its RTW journey, with a countervailing push for expanded ferry service around the Caribbean. All agreed that motorbikers are generally preferred to backpackers--the latter reportedly demand too much and offer too little.

John, I mentioned your name and got a couple of blank stares in return until I clarified: "You know: Crazy John from the USA." On this basis you're fondly remembered.

Mark

I could have a hell of a lot more fun had my German been better than my Spanish. We didn't have many people on the way up to Jamaica and then onto Cuba which made it really nice trip on the big boat, was sad Rollie didn't come along on that trip North. I really enjoyed my time aboard and will be back again one day.

I just about got mine put in the drink first:


Then landed like this:


Never could figure out what Maria saw in Lulu She is a nice girl, last I heard was going to become a doctor?? First girl on my bike in Cuba and not the last

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www.throttlemeister.net

Hello,
we made this trip (Cartagena to Panama) with the "wildcard" (a lot of smaller boat than the stahlratte) from 22.03 - 27.03.2013 - posted about "blue sailing" ... The "steel rat" was in the Caribbean for 8 weeks - we could not wait 8 weeks for it ... Our boat was filled with too many people, the water tasted on day 3 no longer bearable, the food was excellent and the atmosphere on board well. Our greatest joy was that we had excellent weather and so the San Blas islands were able to enjoy and to swim, etc.
Even the sail on the open sea was calm, with no wind and storm, so that the bikes were spared from the salt water. We had it wrapped in plastic wrap.
We believe the Sailing Trip is a lottery ... it can go great or anything off the mark ... for us is this unique experience, which went very well, enough. Next time we would prefer the transportation by plane with Cirag, which made an offer about 750USD - 3 times a week Bogota-Panama (the sailing trip cost 500USD for the bike).

Greetings from Guatemala


chrilli
[URL="http://www.reise-ecke.at"]