Highfield Boats Expands to Panama Through SUMINAPA at Linton Bay Marina

A new partnership is strengthening access to rigid inflatable boats in one of the Caribbean’s busiest marine hubs. Highfield Boats has expanded into Panama through dealer partner SUMINAPA, extending the RIB manufacturer’s reach into the Western Caribbean as it continues to grow across Central and South America.

Highfield Boats in Panama at a glance

Dealer	SUMINAPA (Suministros Náuticos Panamá S.A.)
Where	Linton Bay Marina, Puerto Lindo, Colón Province, Panama (Caribbean coast)
Who	Founded by Spanish sailors; manager José A. Aleixandre; motto “From Sailors to Sailors”
What they sell	Highfield aluminum-hull RIBs (tenders and family boats), plus chandlery, Victron energy systems, electronics, rigging; delivery to Caribbean marinas
Announced	April 30, 2026, with Lake Life Marine (South Carolina) and CL Group (Rio de Janeiro)
Highfield	U.S. office Cadillac, Michigan; U.S. RIB market leader for more than three years; new Escape and ADV series, including the ADV9 cabin crossover
Also in the Caribbean	St. Barths Marine (St. Barths), Atlas Yacht Sales

Based at Linton Bay Marina in Colón, Panama, on the Caribbean coast, SUMINAPA, short for Suministros Náuticos Panamá S.A., supplies marine equipment, parts, and services to both recreational and commercial boaters. Founded by Spanish sailors, the company has built its reputation on firsthand boating experience and a focus on products suited to demanding marine conditions.

SUMINAPA’s base is the main building at Linton Bay Marina in Puerto Lindo, the anchorage where cruisers stage for a canal transit or a run east to Guna Yala, and the shop already carries the brands those boats arrive asking for: it is a Victron dealer and installer and stocks Hempel, Mantus, Lofrans, Spinlock and Rainman, with delivery across Panama and to other Caribbean marinas.

“The motto of our company, SUMINAPA, is ‘From Sailors to Sailors’, and this is our company’s mission. From our perspective as sailors, we seek what we believe the entire community desires: high-quality products, built to withstand the harshness of the sea and the sun, with a design tailored to our needs and tastes, which are almost always very demanding, and at a fair price. That is why we chose Highfield Boats, as it embodies everything we seek for ourselves and for our customers,” says José A. Aleixandre, manager, SUMINAPA.

The partnership expands the availability of Highfield’s aluminum-hull RIBs in Panama, including models designed for yacht tenders and family-oriented recreational use. Highfield, with its U.S. offices in Cadillac, MI, has led the U.S. RIB market for more than three years and recently broadened its lineup with new Escape and ADV series models. www.highfield boats.com, suminapa.com 

The Panama appointment came in the same April 30 announcement that added Lake Life Marine in South Carolina and CL Group in Rio de Janeiro, and it extends a Caribbean network that already includes St. Barths Marine and Atlas Yacht Sales. “Highfield Boats has been the U.S. market leader in the RIB category for more than three years,” said Christophe Lavigne, president of Highfield USA, who also pointed to the new cabin-crossover ADV9. The ADV7 is already listed in our Boats for Sale.

Carol Bareuther has written for ALL AT SEA since 2004.