SHELTER BAY AND SAN BLAS ISLANDS

Shelter Bay Marina is the only marina on the Caribbean side of the Canal. It was not here when we sailed from Honduras to Panama about 8 years ago with brother Bruce aboard Chance Encounter. At that time the Panama Yacht Club was the only place to stop to do laundry, provision, clear customs etc.  That has now been replaced by a huge container port but one can still anchor out in the flats although with no place to go ashore  it has not got much appeal unless a late transit of the canal leaves it too late to approach Shelter Bay on the other side of  the Canal.

With our 2 day passage we were into the marina early afternoon and were very glad to be greeted by Ken and Carole ( Nauti Moments) Chris and Dwayne  (Risk Taker)and the Shelter Bay staff as we tied up alongside.  It had been a long time since we had pulled into a dock!

With a fair bit of coordinating we were able to get Jeff onto the staff bus back to Panama then had dinner ashore at the restaurant.  Shelter Bay has a very nice swimming pool, a great little store, a Laundromat to do your own laundry or get it done for you, a small marine chandlery and wonderful warm showers with unlimited water!!!!!

We gave Optical Illusion a well deserved wash down and did a fir bit of cleaning.  Jack and Marilyn took the free shuttle bus into Colon to explore the shopping there and to buy a few things as well.  We chose to see Colon, or at least the safe parts of it, on our return from the San Blas.

Friday morning with a very brisk wind we headed out towards Portobelo, our first stop on the way to the islands!  We had forgotten how windy the Caribbean was and it was a most unpleasant re-introduction!  It is only 18 miles but took us 6 hours of bashing.  Jack and Marilyn were real troopers but did not enjoy that leg! By the time we anchored and headed ashore to explore all the shops were closed and Portobelo was a rather depressing place to wander around.  The history there is incredible with the ruins of three different forts from the Spanish plundering days!  This city and Nombre de Dios further along were the major storing and loading ports for the ships taking gold from the Americas back to Spain and was once a thriving place.

We met some cruisers at the local hang out and discovered that the trip to the San Blas needed to be broken into 2 parts; it was too far with the wind on the nose again to make it all the way with proper lighting. So off we went early the next morning and anchored off Isla Grande some 12 miles away intending to stay the night.  It was not an appealing anchorage and after a quick snorkel we went in search of a better destination.  We discovered there were not many options and when Jack and Bill were left unattended they headed off on a very pleasant course following an Italian boat who must know what he was doing! Unfortunately he did not!! In order to get back on the correct course we were right into the wind again and bashing forward!  We soon discovered that the very pleasant bay at Green Turtle Cay was not a viable anchorage but by nosing in slowly we did discover boats tied alongside tucked in a Marina. Since the boat we could see was considerably bigger than us it looked like a possible refuge for the night. We could see the manager out on the breakwater talking on his VHF (we thought) but could not find the channel he was on. He was making hand signals but not making much sense.  We tippy-toed in through a rather scary entrance and eventually tied up to the gas dock at Turtle Cay Marina.  It was at this time that we found out the Yogi, the manager was talking on his cel phone to the lost Italian boat who had the wrong coordinates . He thought he was talking to us since the Italian boat was nowhere to be seen at the time so communication was not really happening at all. What a fiasco!

This marina has been under construction for many years and has progressed very slowly.  It was only European boats who were there any most were tucked in more than us. We moved to a slightly less surgey spot for night two but needed to be way back inside to avoid the surge even more. There is a travel lift being constructed and a storage area being graveled but it was along way off yet!

We walked out to a little restaurant/bar near the breakwater and could not believe the size of the rollers coming in.  Our planned departure for the San Blas to keep Jack and Marilyn on schedule was not working out well.  We had not counted on the unfavourable weather we had encountered and were advised not to try an escape the next day.  The closest airport in the san Blas had been closed for political reasons and the only one operational was still a long way off.  Jack and Marilyn had booked their flight back to Panama based on our estimate and their flight from Panama to Mexico the day after.  We did discover that Yogi could taxi them to the bus station for the chicken bus to Colon from Nombre de Dios and then they could take the express bus to Panama City from Colon and after much discussion we decided it was not a good option to continue on.  We were all disappointed because we had wanted to share the San Blas Islands experience with them and had thought it was a doable trip but alas it was not in this weather!

After 2 very surgey nights aboard Optical Illusion at the dock they headed back to Panama City and were at their hotel right from the dock in only 4 hours.  We did have some nice down time reading and relaxing on the beach but swimming was not much of an option because the waves just kept growing as the wind kept ablowin’.  The best laid plans of mice and men!

After a third night at the marina we were ready to head off and the wind had abated so off we went again. This time after motoring for a few hours to get out far enough to avoid the shoals we were actually able to put up the sails for something other than stability and we sailed the last 4 hours into a little atoll called Chichime. This was our first experience in a long time navigating in shallow waters amid coral reefs and we went very slowing from waypoint to waypoint and dropped anchor in the midst of about a dozen boats.

The next day we moved a couple of miles to the East Lemmon Cays to connect with a boat called “Dream” owned by an Italian couple.  Pierrot is a refrigeration technician and our frigo-boat had not been behaving quite right lately.  We didn’t know if it was a fridge or a battery issue.  Being new to the area we chose the wrong anchorage in the East Lemmons and bumped the ground at one point just off Yan Saladup.  We a bit of powering we moved back into deeper water and dropped the hook.  We contacted Pierrot on VHF and although we could see the boats close by, it took a full hour to go the 5 miles around the coral reefs to the correct spot.

He was aboard shortly after we anchored and by the afternoon he had evacuated the gas in the system because there was water in the evaporator tube.  He evacuated the gas twice and then refilled it.  This was probably caused because we had not changed the seals in the 6 years we have had the system.  $80 later and the fridge was humming.

This is also a very popular spot for the local Kuna Indians who visit in their cayucas (dugout canoes equipped with sails) and show off their artwork.  Venincio, a well known artist arrived with his salesman brother shortly after 2 sisters and we bought molas from both groups.  It is very hard to say no since the work is so labour intensive and is done exclusively in this part of the world. Venincio has a very intricate product and does ask quite a bit for his craft but you can see the difference in the quality. Lisa is another well known transvestite artist. He/she is very talented as well but we never got to see his/her work.

While we were at the East Lemmons, Gosling, Warren Peace and Alegria  arrived and chose to go to the East Hollandise Cays to the “swimming pool” anchorage.

We spent one more day in the Lemmons then joined the gang at the swimming pool. The scenery here is incredible; it is called the swimming pool because it is almost completely surrounded by reefs and there is wonderful snorkeling. We eventually moved right up to the front near BBQ island with only 2 feet of water under the keel. It was a bit nerve-wrecking but was a beautiful spot.  We later found out how beautiful, when a few days later a lady from a boat called Safari, came by and asked if we would like to purchase a picture she had taken from the top of her mast. She is a professional photographer from South Africa and since they are heading to Tahiti where they would like to enroll their children is school decided to earn a bit of money while she could.  Ours was the first picture she took and charged us $5.  The price quickly went up to $10 for others since the $5 price was ridiculously low and we did a good job of promoting here work.While we were anchored there, a Canadian couple came b y in their dinghy. They were just saying hello but we quickly discovered that we knew each other. In 1999 before our last Caribbean trip we had joined the Fleet of 99 with the BlueWater Cruising Association. Neil and Ester Symons were in that fleet with us as we took all those extra courses available. They have been sailing since that year; some years for 8 months and now generally in the San Blas for 4 or 5 months at a time. It is their floating cottage since this is the area they like the most and they have a large network of friends they associate with in this area. Neil took us to his favourite snorkeling area and later led us to the pigs on the islands.  For the next few days we gathered our compost and took it ashore each time we snorkeled and fed the pigs. They were in an enclosure but the owners are a bit negligent and they were quite undernourished.

We moved from the swimming pool to Bug island with more protection as the wind picked up, then eventually to the hot tub anchorage, the calmest one around as the wind picked up again.  We almost dragged down on Warren Peace at Bug Island when our anchor dropped off a ledge and thanks to Steve’s voice and preventative maneuvers we avoided a double insurance claim with the same insurer.  Warren Peace has had two claims in one year so did not want another! They were hit by a boat in El Salvador in the Spring when a micro burst dragged the moorings around then were hit by lightening in the summer sometime.  They have exhibited a lot of patience with the repairs that were needed.

Over the next few weeks we moved around a bit and eventually visited Cambobia where we met with Rio Nimpkish, Rio Azucar to get some water then Nargana to buy diesel and a few basic provisions. Janet got a desperation hair cut in Nargana. The lady was not a hairdresser but cut her kids hair and was willing to give it a go.  There was not much hair left when she finished and Janet and the dog sitting beside here were totally covered in hair!! The curls were almost gone and there is time for it to grow back for a more stylish cut when we return home. Fran and Jean-1Guy on Gosling kept us company on these little detours.

From Nargana we met up with Rio Nimpkish at Coco Banderos, a very beautiful anchorage. The wind picked up too much for us to really get to appreciate it and eventually we moved back to the hot tub for some more peaceful nights.

Warren Peace and Alegria had both headed back to Portobelo. Alegria was eventually heading to Cartegena but needed to reprovision since the weather had not been cooperating and they decided to meet with Windward who had just transitted the canal and wanted to go to Cartejena as well. Warren Peace was going to Portobelo to meet with Ray and Jena on Nighthawk to have the repairs done on their boat from the original insurance claim. Ray is a talented shipwright and could do most of the repairs at anchor in Portobelo.

From the hot tub we headed back to the East Lemmons and eventually said good-bye to Tabasco and Pavo Real

Fran and Jean-Guy on Gosling left with us the day we headed back towards Panama.  We had a nice breeze and managed to get in a lot of sailing  on the way. We anchored near Warren Peace,who kept trying to get away from us!

The ladies finally got in their morning hike together as Linda, Fran and Janet climbed up into and behind Fuerte San Fernando.

It had been a different year.  There had not been a chance to have any routine and it was very nice to get in at least one hike together.

Our trip back to Shelter Bay was much more pleasant then the trip out and we were tied alongside Ventana with Mitch and Ann (friends of Chris and Sandy on Faith) by late morning.

The next few days were a whirlwind of activity trying to get everything done in time to haul on the 23rd. We did manage to get in a dip in the pool each day and it really helped to refresh and revitalize after the hot days of slugging. When we were hanging in the sling waiting to be moved onto the trailer and after the powerwashing removed all the bottom paint we discovered a hitch in the plans. The trailer was not able to accommodate a wing keel! So…back into the water, back to E 27 (?) across from Cirque and get her ready to lock. Unfortunately the dehumidifier did not make it aboard before we left and so for a week or so, until we heard from them we were a bit anxious.  Dave, the yard manager is leaving at the end of May and not knowing who is taking over is also a bit of a concern but what can you do????

We taxied into Panama with Jean-Guy and Fran ( a very long ride since our driver did not know where he was going) and we spent 3 nights at the Baru Lodge and will stay there again when we return. It was quite central, very nice and quiet and not too expensive. We took in some of the tourist highlights,  got a lot of scouting done for purchases when we return, a lot of walking and our teeth cleaned in the two days we had there.

The flight home was uneventful and we are just delighted to be back home with nice cool nights and a bed that stays still!

PANAMA AND THE CANAL

Our trip through the Perlas Islands was much shorter than we had planned but the weather intervened and made the decision for us.

We spent 2 nights in San Jose and eventually said good-bye to Warren Peace, Liberte, who got there the day before, Ideal 1 and Targon, a Dutch couple we had met in Golfito and set off exploring.  We ended up motoring the whole way and anchored with 2 other boats off Canos Island where we found a much calmer spot than San Jose had been.  For whatever reason, I am very susceptible to the rolling of the boat at night and do not much like the swells.  Needing a good night’s sleep we went in hunt for a calmer spot.  I, Janet can spend hours below when the boat is underway and cook, wash dishes whatever, but for sleeping I like it calmer.. Bill can sleep anywhere, any time!

We spent an afternoon anchored off Mogo Mogo Island where one of the Survivor series had been filmed and after a few somewhat disappointing snorkel trips we upped anchor and headed to Isla Contadora, the hub of the area.  There had been some very brazen outboard motor stealing events in the recent weeks and we were a bit uncomfortable being the only boat in the other anchorage so we joined the masses.

The next morning after listening to the weather we followed Liberte’s lead and were soon followed by Warren Peace and we all set sail from different locations for Panama City. The forecast was predicting a strong system arriving the next day and it was thought it might last up to 6 days.  Wanting to connect with Jack and Marilyn who were crewing for us across the canal we did not want to get too much behind schedule.

We had a lovely sail across and checked in with the Flaminco Signal Station so they could give us clearance to anchor in La Playita and avoid the big boys out there who were coming and going to and from the canal.

Warren Peace in the meantime had been waved down by a large barge-type boat with about a dozen people aboard. They were out of gas and wanted a tow.  Since they were much bigger and 15 miles from anywhere that was out of the questions.  They had no VHF so WP put out a call for assistance and the only answers they received were from us and Liberte.  There were many relayed messages back and forth for over an hour.  WP to us, the Optical Illusion to Liberte who was closer to Panama. Liberte back to us, and Optical Illusion back to Warren Peace who could not hear Liberte.  Eventually another boat showed up and WP headed toward Panama. It was a tricky situation because you don’t want to leave them but you can’t get too close because of a possible but unlikely danger.  All turned out well!

We anchored in La Playita (little beach) which was not at all what we expected!  Where was the beach?  There were probably 50 boats all crowded in as close to the breakwater as possible to get out of the weather.  The weather system did happen and it was a very uncomfortable place to be for over a week but we sure did get a lot done.  We had a VHF radio to get repaired, a sail to get repaired, new windows to be put in the dodger,  fuel tanks to fill, water to be transferred from ashore since this was not a place to make water with the water make  . With all the tanker traffic and boats anchored it just was not appealing.

We eventually hooked up with Gosling,Rio Nimpkish, Warren Peace, Liberte, Ideal 1, Kuan Yin 1, Sea Whisper, Sea Fiesta and several other Canadian flag vessels. It was quite amazing to see the numbers.  Liberte was the honorary Canadian in the crowd.  Risk Taker and Beverly 1 were also there and we had met them in Huatulco the year earlier.  It was a great reunion place! Fran and Jean-Guy on Gosling showed us some of the haunts in the area and we appreciated the time they took.

The 10 days there flew by and we were quite exhausted each evening. Even though we had hired an agent to asset us with the canal formalities, we still had many duties such as clearing in with the Port Captain, visiting Immigration for ourselves then the Immigration in the Diablo district to get a cruising permit for the boat and to allow us to stay more than the three days allowed. We also needed to clear out before we left and get a National Zarpe for travelling within Panamanian waters. We also taxied all over getting our repairs done and did several major shops to provision the boat for 2 more months.  We had also ordered prior to arriving, through a place called Marine Warehouse many of the items we needed for the rest of the trip.  We needed more wind scoops, more fans, motor parts, water pump parts etc. etc. At the end the bill was way over $1000 but everything arrived from Florida on time and in most cases for less than we would have paid in Canada.  We did take time out to celebrate a few birthdays. Steve and Rebekah both had birthdays within a week and that called for a celebration for both!  We also took a day off to do an On/Off bus tour with Jack and Marilyn to see some of the sights of Panama.  The visit to the Miraflores locks and the museum and restaurant with David and Rebecca was a highlight and well worth the stop .This is a must-see in Panama because so much of the economy revolves around the locks.

On Monday, the 4^th of March we had our appointment with the admeasurer for our trip through the canal.  We, along with Liberte and Risk Taker, were asked to up anchor and move out to the traffic buoys near the traffic lane to be met by the official boat.  We did as we were told, reluctantly, because it was still blowing like stink!  The attempts to unload the admeasurer were not successful and we were eventually told to return to our calmer anchorages and thankfully no one had moved into our much calmer but still bumpy spaces yet. About an hour later this great big boat approached Risk Taker, the smallest of the three and after three attempts managed to unload the admeasurer, Jose, aboard.  This was not an easy feat with both boats bouncing and big seas!  An hour later, Bill called and asked if it would be better if he did the taxiing by dinghy.  “This is strictly against Regulations” we were told but a bit later he was asked to do just that.  Eventually all the boats were given their inspection papers and assigned a time for the canal. Jose, the very nice admeasurer told us that this unsettled weather we were having was because of the Canadian cold front that had stalled.  Even in Panama, the Canadians get blamed for the cold!!! Not fair!!!!

Risk Taker wanted the Saturday date and Optical Illusion and Liberte asked to go together on Tuesday March 12^th.  Warren Peace and Gosling chose not to have an agent and did much more running around on their own but all worked out well for them as well.  Warren Peace chose the same day as Liberte and us and we hoped we could all go through together, rafted!!!!

In the meantime Jack and Marilyn came aboard from their very comfortable hotel to a slightly bouncy bed but they managed well as we scurried around on the Monday to get prepared.  We needed to get all the tired hung around the boat, get the throwing lines attached at the four corners and get the decks as clear as possible for the transit.

Tuesday Bill picked up Jeff from Chasing the Sun as our 4^th deckhand. Bill at the wheel and Janet, Jack Marilyn and Jeff as the 4 line-handlers. The dinghy was put aboard and we headed out to await our advisors.

Darcy, from Ideal 1 came out in his dinghy and took some really great pictures of the boats and the crews, and the advisors arrived about 9:30. This was an hour later than schedules and pretty much guaranteed that we would have to overnight in the Gatun Lake.

As we approached the locks, the three boats rafted with Warren Peace in the middle.  That meant that we only had to have line handlers on the starboard side.  This made my job as photographer and cook much easier, although it was still stressful!

Three locks later and 4 hours of motoring through the lake with a strong headwind, we tied up to a huge mooring buoy with the other two and said good-bye to Jose, our advisor for the day. It was a lovely calm night except for the truck noise all night for the new canal being constructed.

We swam in the lake and were a bit reluctant to leave when the advisors were dropped off at 10:15. Off we went on the next step when we discovered that only 2 had been dropped off and Warren Peace was still back at the mooring buoy.  We were told we could not wait because the ship we were down-locking with was quickly approaching and we could not miss our spot!! So Sad!!

A bit later, Liberte and Optical Illusion were rafted and at the head of the lock when the monster freighter started to enter. But wait!! I t stopped and backed up and around the corner scooted Warren Peace with just enough space to fit. We dropped our aft line, Bill had to motor to keep us straight as they tied up to our starboard side, took the forward line and retied the stern line. Smooth as silk.  This time we were in the middle and doing the motoring but we had a very skilled advisor who kept everything beautifully orchestrated while the other tow boats did the line-handling.  As far as transits go, we don’t think it could have been much better except for that one advisor who slept in and arrived 15 minutes late!!

We left the advisors off in the flats which is where the Panama Yacht Club used to be and is now a huge container port and we were tucked into a berth at Shelter Bay Marina by early afternoon.

We had a wonderful crew, Jack and Marilyn and Jeff were all great and we heard a bit later that Jeff went through again with Rio Nimpkish and Gosling. He has a 30 foot islander with an outboard and is single-handing and wants as much experience as possible before he goes through himself on his way home to Venezuela.!

This transit has been so much a part of our plans since we left home 5 seasons ago. It is an incredible relief to have accomplished it and now we are into the windy Caribbean and another chapter.

BALLENAS BAY TO LAS PERLAS ISLANDS

We spent two more nights in Ballena Bay before heading on towards Panama.  One day we did errands on the boat and took a little dinghy tour up the small river estuary. We did not see much at all except a few birds and were a bit disappointed compared to other dinghy tours we had taken. We had developed a leak in our dinghy. After pulling it way up on shore for our whole day tour the day before we guess we must have met up with a sharp branch or something because we were definitely losing pressure.

Early the next morning we motored the 7 miles around to Isla Tortuga for a day of snorkeling at a well-known and well visited site. As we arrived we were greeted by a lovely red tide in streaks across the bay. We snorkeled off the pinnacles of rock a bit outside the bay and outside the red tide area but the visibility was not at all good.  There were a lot of fish but we could not appreciate all the spectacular colours. A beer or two ashore and back to the boat and back to Ballena Bay for one more night. Tortuga Isla is not known to be a calm anchorage so we went back to the known spot.

The destination the next day was a fairly calm anchorage called Punta Quepos, just two miles from a little town called Quepos. We were hoping to avoid the formalities such as checking in with the Port Captain and trips ashore and managed to do just that. We had a swim right near three tour boats that had loads of snorkelers and once again enjoyed the 86 degree water and had a relatively calm night. The weather the past few days had been very settled and we just were not used to this lack of wind.  There was still a swell coming in but it was quite gentle and sleeping was quite good.

Early the next morning we motored the 4 miles around the point and dropped the hook at the Manuel Antonio National Park.  It is the second smallest national park in Costa Rica and is a very popular tourist destination. It cost us $8 to anchor, $10 each to enter the park and $20 each for a guide so it was not a cheap destination but without the guide we would not have seen much.   As it was, we found it quite fascinating!  We saw two and three-toed sloths, lizards, a turtle, a family of bats, a hummingbird sitting in her tiny nest, acoutes, capuchin monkeys, howler monkeys, a beautiful red and green grasshopper, hermit crabs, a male and female walking stick, raccoons, squirrels, tree frog, listened to the toucans talking and heard the cicadas noise the whole time and more. The guide had a spotting scope and knew where things were and without him we would have had a nice walk in the park.

Back at the boat we made the decision to stay for the night where we were. The anchorage motion has been described as being in a washing machine but again on this particular night we were able to get tucked in quite nicely since we were the only two boats there and had a reasonably calm night. Once again the cicadas and howler monkeys kept us company through the evening.

Another calm morning greeted us and we had to motor once again much more than we wanted to in order to get to Drake Bay, 50 miles away. There was enough wind in the afternoon to shut the motor down for a few hours and during that time we managed to catch a 100 or so pound sailfish on the fishing rod! The thing came along quite nicely until it saw the boat and then it was heading towards Tahiti. This is the second sailfish we have hooked and we do not want anything that big; we want nice 5 pound sierras or something like that. Last time near Acapulco we were able to get our tackle back, but his time we eventually had to cut the line so we could be on our way.

We dropped the anchor in Drake Bay in front of a Windstar Clipper Cruise ship and beside a very peculiar home-made wooden boat with outriggers. We had seen it written up in a tourist magazine and knew it had been built by Tomas Ritchie from the Ritchie Brothers Auction family from White Rock. Judi and Bill had stayed at his place when they had visited Costa Rica a number of years before and Bill Mainwaring had been in tennis coach in another life.  His mother, Erika had loaned Bill M her Rolls Royce car for Mom and Dad’s 50^th Anniversary party.  I had also played tennis with his sister, Tammy. Small world!

Drake Bay is a fascinating place with lovely B and B’s ringing the bay and many Dive companies here but no other great development.  There are two small supermarkets and the rest of the place is just for accommodation and they are all inclusive because there are only one or two restaurants here. It is a very popular tourist destination because of its proximity to another very large National Park, Corcovado Park and the whole Osa Peninsula is supposed to be the single best wilderness area in the country.  The Isla del Cano is a protected biological reserve and is thought to be one of the best dive sights anywhere.

We made a trip out to the island 13 miles away with a tour group, Bill to do two dives and Janet to snorkel and it was quite spectacular. The visibility was probably about 50 feet but apparently can be much further in ideal conditions. One of the attractions is the white tipped sharks of which we saw many!  The number of fish is quite overwhelming; you find yourself in the middle of very large schools and they are quite unconcerned.

A canopy trip is another must. We were going to do this later out of Golfito but have been told there is not much further south and this is the thickest forest area and the rainiest area in the country so it is very green.

The zip line canopy tour was just as good as we hoped. The longest run was 400 metres and there were 13 rides. It was incredibly well run and they take safety very seriously.  We were always attached  to something as we climbed to the platforms  and the rides through the secondary and primary rainforest was very beautiful. Two days in a row we took the dinghy up the river and swam in beautiful fresh water pools.  We just found out too late that if we had climbed a small trail from there we would have had waterfalls and been able to see the 3 resident crocs there.  Apparently there is a mother and 2 little ones.  Oh well, we can’t see everything!

The tour boats in this area all tie themselves to floats for the nights and have large 50 gallon drums attached to their sides to keep them afloat if it rains.  It can rain enough in one deluge to fill the boats and sink them before anyone can get out to empty them. It is supposed to be the wettest part of the country.

From Drake Bay we headed  another 60 miles or so into Golfito to do a major provisioning and to clear out of Costa Rica. We anchored off an establishment called Land Sea run by Tim and Katie.  For $5 a day we got to use the dinghy dock, get $1 beer and sodas, free coffee in the morning and use the lounge upstairs for socializing as well as wonderful unlimited water showers.  Here we also caught up some internet and phone calls to those at home. Somehow 5 days disappeared with fuel fill-ups,long walks to view wildlife, haircuts, shopping, a few dinners out, some shopping at the duty free shop there and more visiting. We also got a wonderful tour of a private botanical garden a few miles away by dinghy. We went with Isabel and Darcy who are much more accomplished gardeners than we are but found it to be fascinating in such a remote location.  Golfito is an interesting place but 5 days was more than enough for us. We did not really have time to do the whole area justice. There are some beautiful little bays further up into the gulf but we were not able to visit them because of our time constraints. We also bought more fishing lures since that seems to be the item we dispose of most frequently.

On the next leg of the trip we did manage to catch a dorado on one of the new lures but by the time we reached Panama City we had lost both of those lures as well. We do keep the fishing industry in business.

Our first anchorage in the country of Panama ended up being a very nice one after we aborted the first attempt.  Warren Peace was the first to arrive at the advised location in the afternoon. We were moving south and arrived at the same time as two boats moving north. It was like a race was on to get there first! The second boat beat us and dropped the anchor immediately. We were third to arrive and had a difficult time finding a level spot to drop. It was incredibly deep then it was way too shallow to drop. After a few circles we decided we did not like the spot so moved further east and eventually found a fairly level spot. In the meantime, the second boat from the south almost dropped its anchor on top of Warren Peace since it was such a small area. Steve and Linda pulled their anchor and came to join us, as did Second Sun and eventually Ideal 1 who was towing a disabled Panamanian boat. We later discovered that these two boats knew we were coming from the morning net check in on the ham radio and were trying desperately to beat us in since they knew it was a tight anchorage. As it turned out we were very comfortable where we were and enjoyed our first night in Panama.

The next morning we headed to Isla Parida and actually got to sail the last half of the trip. We have done so little sailing on this trip south so far that we all thoroughly enjoyed seeing what those big white flappy things are for. We’ve also been wondering what that long line we drag behind the boat is for.  Warren Peace has given us several lovely pieces of fish, both sierra and dorado and Ideal 1 has given us some grouper that they were given as a thank you for the tow they offered the stranded fishermen. We were the only  boat who had an actual Costa Rican fishing license but never caught anything we kept!  Thank goodness we have good and generous friends. So far these Panamanian Islands have been a most pleasant surprise for us. They are like the Gulf Islands with very tropical vegetation and lovely warm water and so far the water has been lovely and clear.

Lovely Scenes

They are much more deserted than the Caribbean Islands and just as lovely.

From Golfito we had been told to spend some time in the western Panama Islands and we are sure glad we did. They are quite lovely and yet we had heard very little about them. In the next few days we stopped at Isla Parida and Isla las Secas both wonderful spots to relax and snorkel. Isla las Secas has a very exclusive resort with 6 yurt style accommodations costing about $600 per night. We snorkeled there and the visibility was better than most places we had tried. It was so clear that I didn’t notice until later that I did not have my prescription goggles. We also visited some beautiful remote beaches and Bill got a photo of a beautiful beach bunny.  Eventually we stopped in Bahia Honda where we stayed three nights in the calmest anchorage we’ve every stayed in.  There is a very poor fishing village on an island in the bay and the locals come out in their little dugout-type canoes to sell spinach, cilantro, limes, grapefruit and trade for whatever they may need. They are a very long way from any city and are often short of items.  Domingo wanted a shirt and paper for his grandchildren at school and another wanted to trade for a towel. Our laundry got sent ashore and came back the next day beautifully clean.  They won’t ask a price either; they want you to tell them what you will pay. I think they do better that way since no one wants be cheat them. It was quite an experience.

This next leg was a highlight because we finally caught a dorado. It was 36 inches long and was delicious!  At last!

Before heading to the Las Perlas Islands we needed to round one more cape called Cabo Malo, (Bad Cape) and we had to get ourselves into position to round it when the weather calmed down. Two days later out of nowhere came two high powered boats with 5 people in each one. One boat went to each side and the occupants were wearing balaclavas and were armed with guns. It was the Panamanian Navy and they wanted to check our documentation. The scariest part was when they tried to get the boat close enough to ours so they could board us.  The water was very bouncy and we were afraid of damaging the boat.  Eventually 3 made it across and they were very pleasant and recorded all the information.  In the meantime Warren Peace called across to confirm on the radio that all was well. Once the paperwork was completed for us both boats raced across the repeat the process with Steve and Linda.  We had lost Ideal 1 somewhere a day before. They had left Bahia Honda ahead of us and we thought they had carried on ahead.

We anchored that night in Bahia Benao just before Punta Mala. Almost as soon as the anchor was dropped the Panamanian Navy came in and tied to a mooring ball right behind us.  This is a surfing town and we had managed to pick up internet on our kindle so we were in the cockpit checking emails and having a glass of wine when we were called on Channel 16.  “Optical Illusion, This is the Panama Navy”.

We replied and they asked us if we could “borrow” some water.  We said of course and over they came in one of the boats and dropped off 6 cup of noodles. They had asked if they could “boil” some water, not borrow.  So we boiled the water, filled their cups, gave them all cigars and some banana cake and away they went back to moor to the other boat.  We don’t know what the other boat had for dinner but we did give them all cigars.  They spent the whole night behind us sleeping in those wide open pangas then headed off again in the morning.  I think Worker’s Compensation might have something to say about the working conditions if this had been in Canada.  They were all so pleasant and thankful it just made our whole day!

The trip around Punta Mala was not rough but was very uncomfortable with very confused seas. We had to motor a lot of the 85 miles and finally just as night fell the wind picked up! We were sailed flat out but had a 2+ know current against us so made very poor headway. We were in the shipping channel for the Panama Canal and there were a lot of freighters on the horizon. Only 2 came close to us; one about 3 miles ahead of us and one about ½ mile behind. It is a bit unnerving since they move so fast compared to us.  We tip toed into Ensenada Playa Grande on Isla San Jose about 2 a.m. dropped anchor, sat in the cockpit and had a glass of wine and Bill had his passage cigar before falling asleep.

COSTA RICA

It’s Ground Hog Day and we’re not sure what the Ground Hog had to say but the weather is nice here! We’ve just returned to the boat after another of our Adventure Days.

There were four boats at anchor in our little Northern Anchorage spot in Ballena Bay, Costa Rica: Sunday, a trimaran, Liberte, Warren Peace and Optical Illusion.  We had a wonderful night’s sleep after a rather rolly night the night before at the southern anchorage. That night Linda suggested a Beach Party since Sunday was going north and we had not seen Lex and Gil or their crew Carla and Dinny for several years. The house on this part of the beach is owned by the Heart family. They’ve been here many a year and he is the one who developed the heart inverter for boats many years ago. We set up shop under a little lean-to some kids had built that morning and got caught up on lots of old news. Sunday had spent a year in Equador, then gone through the canal to Carteneja and the San Blas islands and were now through the canal again on their way back to Mexico and ultimately the States.

At 6:30 a.m. we looked out and we were the only one left.  The rest of the gang was motoring across the bay to catch the Organic Market held on Saturday mornings. It didn’t start till 8 a.m. and we later discovered it had changed to 9 a.m. somewhere along the way. It took us a while to find it behind the fishermen’s co-op but it was well worth the hunt. While at the fishermen’s co-op we asked to purchase a red snapper. They had a huge ice chest full of them. We thought that buying them directly at the source we would get a good deal. Not so!  They had cleaned the fish but with the head and tail still on they wanted $8 a kilo and the small one was 1.75 kilos. That would be $15 for one fish so we decided against it. We had bought a fishing license on Playas del Coco for $25 and caught nothing yet that we wanted to keep so maybe the $15 was worth it, but we are still hoping to catch our own!

Steve and Linda on Warren Peace took our groceries back to the boat while the Jackson’s went off to find the town of Montezuma.  The bus runs very infrequently and eventually we hitched a ride with a couple from Spain. A few minutes into the ride we discovered we were going the wrong direction. Montezuma is the other way, they said. Oh well, we’ll go to Paquera with you since we’d never been there either.  Along the way we saw the sign to CURU, which is a privately run nature reserve.  We quickly changed plans, got out and spent a couple of hours walking around there looking at the monkeys, deer and birds

It was 2 ½kms each way out to the road plus all the hiking in the park so we did a lot of walking in the heat!  We soon discovered again that buses run infrequently, there was a bike race going by and Costa Ricans don’t pick up hitch hikers!  The car that did stop after ¾ of an hour was an informal taxi and he agreed to take us back to Timbor, where the boat was for $10 (about 1/3 of the price we had been quoted when the gate attendant called). We discovered he was going to Montezuma and agreed to pay $17 all the way there. This is a very busy, very compact surfer tourist town. Our original goal was to find the Waterfalls that are close to town. After a wonderful lunch, we hiked up to the falls, had a very refreshing swim and headed back to town to catch the bus that left a 4 for Timbor.  Unfortunately again, we had been given the wrong information and the bus went to Cobano . With the help of the driver he told us when to transfer and off we went on another bus about ½ hour later. By the time we got off, found the dinghy, rode out to Optical Illusion which again was the only boat left and motored the 4 miles across to the Northern anchorage, the sun was just setting.  Nothing went as planned but it was a very interesting day!

Somewhere along the way between park entrance fees, taxi, lunch , bus, drink we had spent $105.  Costa Rica is not a cheap place to travel but it is very nice.

Our trip to Ballenas Bay took a bit longer than planned; somehow the navigator thought it was 67 miles, and it was, as the crow flies, but we don’t fly across hills and vales! We needed an intermediate stop in the little village of Samara tucked in behind the little island. Apparently this is the least rolly anchorage all along this stretch but we were not impressed!  The water temperature was about 85 degrees F and was delightful  for swimming but we rolled a bit too much for a good night’s rest.

The remaining 60 miles from this point took us most of another day to cover. We had two of the best sailing days we’ve had in years; usually we need that noisy old motor but these two days hardly saw it running at all.

On the trip from El Salvador to Bahia Sta. Elena we needed the motor almost all the time, not because there was not enough wind but because there was too much but the wrong direction so we needed a motor assist to cheat and head up higher to make our marks!

We over-nighted in the Gulf of Fonseca tucked in behind a small island and were not bothered at all. This area still belongs to El Salvador so we were legally allowed to stop. Another boat, earlier in the season had been boarded by the Coast Guard and questioned thoroughly.  They are trying very hard to control the movement of drugs through this area since it is where Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua all join in a small area.

As the sun came up the next morning we headed out and were planning an overnight trip since we did not want to stop in Nicaragua and go through the hassle and $200 expense of checking in and out of the country just to anchor.  So, Kuan Yin 1, Liberte and Optical Illusion moved along peddle to the meddle to arrive 32 hours later before dark in Bahia Sta.Elena. Along this stretch Liberte discovered they were leaking diesel oil and had to slow down to investigate. This can be a serious issue, although their boat is only about 10 years old and shouldn’t have that issue. Many hours later, they discovered that by motoring more slowly and continuing to put in new oil they were able to make pretty good speed to we all proceeded. This is where you are glad you are buddy boating and it is one of the few times we have traveled with others for any distance.

Just as dark approached, our engine stopped. Just stopped.  Bill filled the fuel tanks again from the spare tank, then found a very plugged filter.  Then he had to bleed the injectors and restart the motor. It all only took about ¾ hour and we were away again. Meanwhile Kuan Yin 1 stood by and was hoping they would not have an issue.

We had some very brisk winds off Nicaragua, near San Juan del Sur and thought about tucking in, but it was manageable if we kept in close to shore to reduce the size of the waves.  It was like dinghy sailing and Bill was hauling the mainsheet in and out, in and out.  The next day he had very sore shoulders but it was exhilarating for a while, then very tiring!

We anchored in Bahia Sta Elena, supposedly for a couple of days in a nice quiet anchorage and you know the rest. We were there for almost a whole week! The kayak was used a few times to get us ashore or over to another boat for happy hour but the dinghy never got launched; it was just too windy! We swung around on the anchor as the wind swirled and got wind readings of 40 K plus at times. It was not quite the peaceful retreat we had been hoping for. I‘m sure it is lovely most of the time!

We had a slight sail repair to do as well when the tape came off the leach. It was a challenge to get the headsail down to repair because of the high winds.  David and Bill came over from Liberte to help in one of the lulls. 

When we got the chance we made the run around and anchored in Bahia Culebra after a very windy sail. We did not want to go into the marina, not so much because of the $80 fee but also because marinas can be so hot and we did not want to pay the $300 fee they wanted to facilitate the entry into the country. We anchored at the very head of the bay and had the most wonderful, quiet sleep..definitely the best since leaving El Salvador. Liberte headed into the marina; they had had Bill and Marie on board for about 10 days now and wanted to do some inland traveling and felt the boat was the most secure at the marina.

The next morning we along with Kuan Yin 1 moved the 5 miles around to Playas del Coco, anchored and went ashore to clear in. A trip to the Port Captain for some forms to fill, then we headed up the street to Immigration for more forms to fill. By this time we were too late to bus out to the airport to visit Customs, so we dropped off laundry, toured, got money from the ATM and did a minor shop.  We also go a nice meal which we shared with Bob and Bobby on Kuan Yin 1 ashore before braving the waves for another beach launch back to the boat! All went well, except for a few splashes. We’ve had some pretty terrible ones over the years!

The next day it was out to the airport area for Customs on a very comfortable bus. We have not seen such lovely public buses anywhere since the U.S and Canada; definitely not Mexico! Unfortunately when we got there the printer was broken so we had a very long visit and the lovely lady got to practice a great deal of her English on us. She was actually very good and was the only one of 5 in her department who spoke English. They would not pay her one penny more for it even though she was in high demand when charter flights arrived! We waited while she sent the forms to the other office a few miles away then waited for them to print out our forms and for them to find a car to deliver them to us.

The total cost was about $5 for the return bus ride for 2. The marina wanted $300 for the service.. They are catering to very big boats with crew and very wealthy owners. A small boat with 2 aboard was the same price…go figure.

Playas del Coco is a very interesting town. There are many restaurants, 3 big supermarkets, lovely beaches and endless activities to attract crowds.  While we were there a rodeo was in town and there were bands on the beach, pictures riding a bull (securely tied) and many family activities.  There always seemed to be someone on the beach who would assist us getting the dinghy over the waves and afloat.

There is also quite a large ex-pat community here as well. The cost of living here is definitely not cheap. We figure the cost of food is equal to Canada and the same with restaurant prices unless you are eating only what the locals eat.

We spent several more days in the area waiting for Warren Peace to arrive and they did arrive at Bahia Culebra on Monday night with Dennis and Lisette aboard Windward. They have a beautiful Norseman 447 and we had met them years ago up in the Sea of Cortes in Santa Rosalia. We’ve seen them on and off over the years and do enjoy their company.

This year they had left San Diego where they were having some woodworking repairs done caused by hurricane damage two years ago and traveled all the way to Costa Rica in just 2 months. The woodworking repairs inside the boat had cost the insurance company $150,000.00

It had been a tight schedule with not a lot of time to relax. Lisette’s brother and his wife are visiting them here so they will now get a chance to slow down for a bit.

Warren Peace cleared in, cleared out with the National Zarpe, got their money, got their laundry done, shopped and were ready to go with us on Wednesday morning. They had spent so many months waiting for the insurance repairs in El Salvador and then waiting for Linda’s shingles to get better and now they are wanting to catch up.  So early Wednesday morning we headed out to Bahia Ballenas and because of that navigation error we made it there one day later than planned and met up with Kuan Yin 1 and Liberte again.  There are not a lot of boats making this trip so you often cross paths with the same ones over and over as paths cross.

In this part of Costa Rica the water temperature is on the rise. It is about 86 and wonderful. So far the snorkeling hasn’t been spectacular because the water has been churned up with the Papagayos. The foliage is beginning to thicken and green, more like we expected. We are also finally starting to hear the howler monkeys in the forest.  They should be called Growler monkeys because it is quite a scary growl you her.

EL SALVADOR TO COSTA RICA

We are currently “hunkered” down in beautiful Bahia Sta. Elena on the northern end of Costa Rica. This was our first landfall since leaving El Salvador on January 14^th. We have been traveling with Kuan Yin 1 and Liberte and have enjoyed the comforting feeling that comes from seeing others you know not too far away.  Since leaving Huatulco on December 8^th we had covered 500 miles to El Salvador without seeing another cruiser. It was a bit lonely!

We are hunkered here because the Papagayos are ablowin’. Apparently they blow 330 days of the year in Costa Rica, just harder at this time of year.  These are the gap winds that cross Central America from the Caribbean and are governed by the weather there. The land mass here is low and narrow and the winds head across with a vengeance.

We timed our departure from Bahia del Sol to coincide with a bit of a lull.  In this lull the first day was quite benign and we got to the Gulf of Fonseca early enough to anchor for the night in the lee of an island then carried on the next morning. The second day the winds were a lot stronger and fairly early on, one of the boats , Liberte,discovered oil in the bilge. This is not a good sign so they had to investigate and proceed into the wind with sails only so did a lot of zigging and zagging.

They found that as long as they kept filling her with oil they could idle along under sail and we slowed down to their rate just in case there was an issue.

Liberte had caught 2 fish and we had just continued to wash our lures until the worst possible time with the wind howling and white caps everywhere. That is when we had to haul in a real fighter just to find it was a Pacific bonito, one fish we do not like at all; the meat is very dark. So after a valiant fight, back into the brink it went.

The night was restless, with a lot of panga fishermen to dodge, trying very hard not to get tangled in their nets.  The Nicaraguan Fishermen seem to be more well off than their Mexican and El Salvadorian neighbours.  Most of these nets actually had lights on them. There were however, hundreds of pop bottle floats which did not seem to be attached to each other. We think they must save been crab traps or something. The trick here was not to hit one head on or you might tangle the prop.

About 4 a.m. in the wind, Optical Illusions’s motor decided to take a break and stopped dead in the dark.  We had done a fuel transfer earlier so knew we should not be out of fuel but Bill transferred another 10 gallons from the tanks on deck just to be sure, He then checked the fuel filter and it was plugged. A half hour later, he had changed filters, bled the injectors, re-primed the system and away we went! Kuan Yin 1 in the meantime was the only non-ailing boat and they hung back to make sure all was well.

From the time the sun came up, the wind did a 180 degree turn and blew up to 25-30 knots. Bill was having a great time hauling the traveler up and down as the wind blew, to keep the boat level. It was just like sailing a dinghy. He thoroughly enjoyed it for a few hours and then those arms and shoulders were sore. We have a massage therapist aboard Liberte so she might be helping him out at happy hour tonight if the wind dies down enough to visit.

We arrived here about 4 p.m. on Wednesday and were told it was a totally protected anchorage from all winds. The only thing that might interrupt our stay might be the occasional gust and the noise of hunting dolphins as they come into the bay. Since we’ve been here it has been too windy to even blow up the dinghy or kayak and the gusts have been up to 45. We are not getting big seas but we sure do swing on the anchor. The noise of the parrots and monkeys is quite incredible though and we are hoping to hike to the waterfall and take a dinghy trip up the estuary in the mangroves soon. Our intention was to stay here for a week to wait for Warren Peace anyway.  We just hope it calms down a bit.  Another thing is the water temperature. It is only 80 degrees here and it was 85 when we were in El Salvador. It is still nice but one does get spoiled.

Dad’s birthday was January 15^th and we were sailing 30 hours straight but did think about him. He would have been 98 I think. I am sure my siblings will correct me if I am wrong.

Back to the beginning.

We arrived in El Salvador Dec 22^nd as we noted in the previous entry and spent a bit more than 3 weeks there. The time did fly since it included Christmas, our 43rd anniversary and New Years Eve. Christmas was held at Jan’s place on the island. She arrived here 10 years ago on here big sailboat and never left. She is still in the process of building a very nice home and spends her time teaching the island children English. For New Year’s Eve, Darcy and Isabel from Ideal 1 and Steve and Linda from Warren Peace came over for dinner. We then poured Bill into the dinghy ( a bit too much rum compliments of Darcy) and went over to Jan’s to watch the fireworks. Bill slept through them all.

We also had a lunch out at a little palapa about an hour away in the estuary. A little dinghy parade, led by Jan took us to a very remote spot where they served food on Sundays. It was quite an adventure just getting there and the little restaurant was a busy place.  Other guests arrived with their own music and speakers and danced away!

Work on Warren Peace was progressing at a very painfully slow rate; promises made, promises broken, more promises made etc. they plan to leave this week even without everything done.  Enough is done for them to safely make the trip. They have a chart plotter, inverter, new batteries, autohelm but are still missing some parts that are apparently there but just can’t get to the boat for some reason. (other priorities we suspect). Linda has had shingles this whole time so she has not been ready to go anywhere until now so it did not matter that much. They are ready to go now and will let the insurance company just cut the payment to the company and get the work done elsewhere along the way.

Bill and I decided to spend the time exploring a bit more of Central America and headed to San Salvador with our backpacks intending to go to Nicaragua on the night bus after Janet got her 3 monthly chest x-ray. Things didn’t work out that well and we were not able to get a Wednesday night overnight bus and had to settle for a Friday morning all day bus instead. After the x-ray we decided to bus to Sochitoto, a tourist attraction by a large lake in the mountains. We were told we needed to go to Salvador tourism a mile or so away to get the travel info. Instead of the $2 for a cab ride the taxi driver wanted $4 so we decided to walk. Asking more directions along the way we managed to get there just to find it closed. Still on Christmas holidays we think. So, off to the Touristica Policia Politica office nearby. They told us what bus to take from Terminal Oriente and one woman officer stayed out at the bus stop for ½ hour to make sure we got on the right bus to take us to the terminal. Eventually they got out the near new police pickup truck, put us in the back seat and we had a tour of El Salvador downtown with stops at the square and the most famous church. The insisted we take pictures and enjoy the sights! Talk about hospitality!

They put us on bus 129 and told us it would leave in 40 minutes. Riding these “chicken buses” is an adventure in itself. They are old bluebird school buses and they pack so many people in, it is hard to breathe let alone move.  Two hours later we got off the bus found a hotel across the square then went out for one of the best meals of our lives!

The next morning we went to check the bus schedule with the Tourism office here since it was opened now. We were informed there would be no buses today or Friday because of work action. We had already booked our bus tickets and a hotel at the bus terminal so we needed to get back.We took a shuttle down to the lake for some sightseeing then headed back to town to figure out how to get back to San Salvador. Fortunately we saw a cab from the city drop someone off in the square; he hung around for a bit hoping for a return fare and we grabbed him.  $25 took us back to the hotel at the bus terminal and we were ready to head to Nicaragua!

The bus left at 5:00 a.m. and the hotel woke us at 4 a.m. to go downstairs. It is a very nice and safe concept because bus stations are not always in the best part of town. However this one was in quite a nice area.

It was a full bus with El Salvador to exit, Honduras to enter, Honduras to exit and finally Nicaragua to enter. The 12 hours mas ou minus became 14 and we were ready to get off.  Fried chicken and chips for our breakfast stop and Fried chicken and chips for our lunch/dinner stop.

We took a taxi right from the terminal in Managua, shared with a young American backpacker and got dropped off at Hotel con Corazon in Grenada. (hotel with heart since the proceeds go to help educate young Nicaraguans). It was a great choice and we spent two nights there and shared a lake tour with an American couple. We did not have the time to get to Emetepee, the island with 2 volcanoes but heard it was worth the trip. Grenada is a very nice colonial town and has quite the ex-pat, tourist population. It was wonderful wandering the square and lovely streets at night.  We had another delicious meal, equal if not better to the one in Sochitoto. At this point we were comparing Filet Mignon recipes. Fortunately for Senor Bill, my appetite is much smaller so we order an appetizer to share and share an entree, he getting the lion’s share. If we share a dessert and have a couple of glasses of wine our bill is quite reasonable, maybe $40 for first class food in a first class restaurant.

Our trip to  San Juan del Sur the next day was another eventful one. We had been told there was a bus at 9:30 am and 11:30 am. It was only a 15 minute walk through the market so off we went with our backpacks  for the 9:30. When we arrived we were told there was only an 11:30 one. What to do with 2 hours?  First Bill got a $1.50 hair cut and a good one at that, with straight razor and all! We walked back to the terminal just in case he had got it wrong and met other backpackers milling around. We decided we would see if we could find a taxi who would take 5 and what the fare would be.  A taxi driver dumped his family our and told us he would take us for $30. This seemed reasonable even though the cost on the bus would have been about a dollar, but it was only $6 each and much easier. Just as we were deciding the bus to San Juan del Sur rounded the corner to the terminal and told us they left at 10:30 so back with the pack to the terminal and onto the bus!  We waited 1 ¼ hours in the heat and he left at exactly 11:30 as we had been told! We are discovering the people here tell you exactly what you want to hear, not necessarily the truth! He got 5 more riders on his bus and made more money.

We found a lovely hotel in San Juan del Sur although it was rather noisy in the morning and spend the better part of 2 days exploring and taking in the sights. It is a very upscale surfer town and quite a tourist destination. There are obviously some very wealthy people who either live here or have summer homes because the hills above the town are dotted with some lovely casas.

Our trip coincided with a V.O.S.H. trip and we traipsed to the school where is was being held to explore. An American Optometrist and his wife from Connecticut have been doing this for one week a year for 10 years. They were very organized and managed to see quite a few patients during their short stay.

We were fascinated by Nicaragua since it was not at all what we had been expecting. It appears to be much wealthier than Honduras and el Salvador and definitely more organized.  There were many more bicycles than elsewhere and definitely more horses. They were everywhere!  I guess some American aide has helped with the infrastructure. The land seems very fertile and the roads are much better than elsewhere.

We had needed to book our bus trip back to El Salvador while we were in Granada because we were still in the Christmas holiday rush. Tuesday was the earliest day back so we had booked it after standing in line for more than an hour. We did not know when Steve and Linda would be ready to depart and did not want to hold them up. Obviously now that was not a concern.

We bussed back to Managua, stayed at the hotel attached to the bus terminal there and once again were off at 5 a.m for the 14 hour return trip to San Salvador. We’ve had enough of bus travel for a while. These are comfortable buses but the trips are too long to want to do frequently.

Because we were getting in late again we taxi’d to a hotel recommended on Trip Advisor.  It was the Morrison Hotel de la Escalon and it was number 3 for el Salvador and was a delightful place to stay. For $55 we had a very nice room, hot showers, a quiet sleep, wifi and breakfast for 2. We met Gretchen, whose husband and father-in-law run the hotel. She married a Salvadorian and is from Arkansas. She ended up driving us all over San Salvador to do our shopping list then drove us the hour and a half out to Bahia del Sol for a $45 fee and was delighted to do it. She said it would help immensely with the children’s school fees.

Back at the boat we needed to fill with water, get laundry, get the boat ready to sail again and do some projects. Janet went with Linda back to San Salvador to the hospital where the x-rays were done to see the Doctor I had seen there. We shared a car with David and Rebecca on Liberte and packed that little thing full after more food, hardware etc shopping. There was not room to move by the time we got back.

Linda and Rebecca organized a dock potluck for our last night there and it was a fun night.

At daybreak, Kuan Yin 1, Liberte and Optical Illusion were led by our sea-do through the reef and away we went enroute Costa Rica. Here we are!

GUATEMALA AND EL SALVADOR

After a quick shop in Tapachula at Sam’s Club and a good night’s sleep we were ready to go exploring.

The midnight bus left Tapachula for Guatemala City and we were on it as it pulled out about 15 minutes late. It was absolutely packed with Guatemalans who apparently do a lot of shopping in Tapachula, Mexico.  The Mexican peso is low right now and the Quatzal, the Guatemalan currency goes a long way there; it was like those Canadians crossing the border into the U.S. when our currency is good. Imagine that!

We had an air conditioning issue part way and the attempted repair slowed the progress but we eventually carried on. The scariest part of the trip was at the Mexican/Guatemala border. We have always been very careful not to check our backpacks and keep them with us or in our sight.  However, we had to leave everything on the bus to go and clear at the border.  We followed the crowd to the immigration booth and very politely let others go in front of us.  When we were all stamped and headed out our bus was gone! We ran around in circles for a while in a bit of a panic, knowing we had nothing but our passports and a bit of money on our persons. We were eventually pointed down the road a block or two. When we rounded the corner and saw the bus we headed straight for it, but were stopped because we had not cleared into Guatemala yet.  Thankfully there were some of our fellow passengers still in the line there and they helped us along. We gave a great sigh of relief when we got back on the bus and all seemed intact with the backpacks.  The adventures of traveling!

We got to Guatemala City about 6 a.m. in a rather tough looking part of town.  We had been told it was safer not to leave the bus station and to get a taxi from there all the way to Antigua so we did that.  It was an hour plus taxi ride and cost us about $50 while the bus ride for 6 hours had been about $50 for the two of us.  We still thought it was worth it.

We were dropped off at the town square about 7:30 and found a coffee shop and had a nice breakfast and coffee.  We met a couple of “Grumpy Old Men” there and they helped us a bit with the directions around town.   After checking out about 5 establishments we chose the San Jorge Hotel and it was wonderful. It was not cheap (about $60) but came with an incredible breakfast.  Evelyn, the owner there soon lined us up with a 3 hour walking tour of the City Centre area. As it turned out we were the only 2 on the tour and Roberto, our guide was a wonderful guide and ambassador for Guatemala.  He knew intricate details and took us into little areas we would never have seen on our own.  After the tour we went to one of the recommended restaurants .  Fran, Jean-Guy, Carol and Ken, fellow cruisers had spent 2 weeks there learning Spanish and had given us some recommendations.  The dinner was spectacular; one of the best Filet Mignon steaks we had ever had!

By then we had been on the go for many hours with very little sleep so meandered back to the hotel and crashed for 12 whole hours.  The bed was comfortable and it was very dark and quiet there.  We would definitely recommend out little oasis.

After finding the local market and walking again for several hours, we packed up and were picked up around noon for our shuttle bus ride to Lake Atitlan. It ended up being 3 1/2 hours instead of the one or so we anticipated. I guess we should do our research better next time. We spent the night in Panajachel, a very busy little lakeside town and signed on for a 4 village tour of the lake the next day.  We started at 8:30 and visited San Marco, San Pedro, San Juan and Santiago.  While at San Pedro we booked a hotel for the night in an area recommended by Steve and Linda.  They have spent a total of 4 weeks there studying Spanish in two sessions. We really enjoyed the area and quickly decided to forgo any further exploration and stay another day here to unwind a bit.  We can see more ruins and markets from another location if we chose. San Pedro has a very interesting mix of people.  There are quite a few Americans and Canadians who seem to spend 6 months a year or some just stay for many years.  They seem to be mostly artistic types; either poets or writers or artists. It was a very fascinating place. We also ran into Katie and Mike from the sailboat Magna Jean at Smokin Joe’s restaurant.  It was the biggest meal imaginable!

Our exit route from San Pedro took a lot of detours and about 5 1/2 hours instead of the 3 1/2 we were promised, but again we got to see many of the mountainous villages and some splendid scenery.

We did not get to Antigua in time to make a quick connection to Guatemala City. By the time we got the bus terminal the last bus had left for the day but we already decided we wanted to spend the night there so we just booked the bus for the afternoon departure the next day. We took another recommendation, this time from Simon and Sunny on Seascape from Victoria. They told us to stay at the Grand Tikal Futuro Hotel so off we went in another taxi.  This is a five star hotel with a beautiful swimming pool, 3 hot tubs, 4 saunas (2 men/2 women). the cost was $75 for the night. We did a quick exploration of the immediate commercial area and were amazed at the traffic and pedestrians everywhere.  We luxuriated for several hours in the pools area, then had a wonderful dinner, an air conditioned sleep and a great breakfast.  It was our big splurge but cost less than $150 total.

The next morning after a wonderful breakfast we checked out and met an American Native Indian all dressed in formal garb in the lobby.  He had been invited to attend a big ceremony for the End of the Mayan Calendar. Since we planned to be at sea on Dec 21st we asked him about it. He told us it was not a physical location that mattered but a spiritual location and we must be in a “good spiritual place” on that day.

Lobby Grand Tikal Hotel, Guatemala City

Another taxi to the university where we spend a very enjoyable couple of hours touring the Mayan textile and clothing museum. It was very well done and we wished we’d seen it before we headed into the highlands so we could have identified the different patterns on the clothes in the various villages we had stopped at.

Our bus trip back to Chiapas took forever. We don’t know if it was the beginning of Christmas traffic or what??? But our 5 hour trip became 10 and we did not get back to the marina until 2 a.m.

The next day was a whirlwind of formalities. We needed to clear out with customs, immigraton, get our exit zarpe . We did another power shop in Tapachula because everyone kept emailing us to tell us that Mexico was much cheaper and we would be paying much more from there till Panama. The next morning the port captain and navy visited us again with the drug sniffing dog in the background.  I guess we did not fit the profile for a thorough search!

We were on our way out the harbour at 8 am after saying good bye to Precious Metal, Rapscallion, Grey Goose and Chrysallis  I. The previous night I had lost the boat keys and Pamela had had to drop through a hatch to get the spares and open up for us.  Just before departing another guardian angel arrived in the form of a security guard and he had found them in the washroom.We were very grateful to say the least.

The trip to Bahia del Sol, El Salvador was another 250 ish miles and about 48 hours. In order to make it on time it is necessary to keep our speed to about 5.5 mph. The high tide going into the estuary was going to be about 10 a.m. two days later so we ran the motor quite a bit along with the sails. The wind picked up enough for us to get a few very nice hours behind us with only the sails. Just about the time we had decided to put up the spinnaker the wind increased and we were very glad we had procrastinated.

As we approached the border between Guatemala and El Salvador the wind had increased to the point where we were not sure we could make the trip in time for that high tide. We headed right in towards the shore in order to reduce the size of the waves and picked a spot to return to if it became necessary to anchor. With the motor and main sail we were still making progress in the right direction so we carried on. I kept asking Bill if he was in a “good spiritual place” since this was Dec 21, the end of the Mayan Calendar! Just as quickly as the wind came up, about 5 hours later it shifted 180 degrees giving us a nice point of sail and away we went again!

Our biggest concern on most of these long trips is avoiding the fishermen and their nets.  The nets we encountered on this leg were nowhere near as long as the ones we kept snagging in Mexico in previous years. With very careful lookouts we seemed to be zigging and zagging and avoiding the many nets.  Just when we thought we were past one big bunch, a panga came racing out right toward us and we thought we must have snagged his net and he was going to curse us.  He got very close to us before he cut the speed, took out his cell phone and took a picture of us under sail, waving all the while and smiling at us. Away he went…so much for pirates etc.

The rest of the trip was uneventful except for a few shrimpers and freight ships. We did not manage to get as much sleep on this leg as on the last one so we were getting quite tired by the time we dropped the anchor a few miles west of the estuary entrance.  It was a very rolly spot but we needed to again avoid all the fishermen who were out near the mouth of the river. In spite of the rolling we both managed to get a few hours sleep before we called in to the hotel about 7:30. They were not answering yet but Linda from Warren Peace had been expecting the call and was listening for us. Steve went to talk to Rojillio, the jet ski guide and came back with the news that he would be out to guide us in about 10 a.m.

Steve arrived on the back of the jet ski with his VHF and following them we crossed the bar without incidence.  We had been trying to arrive on the Saturday because according to the wave predictions, that was when the least surf would be.  We were delighted to have a benign surf on the way in and only managed a mere 11.9 knots, a far cry below the 19+ we have heard about.

When we arrived at the dock we were met by a wonderful welcoming committee, including the crew from Saucy Lady, Ideal 1, Nemeste, Mangareva and of course Warren Peace.

When we left the boat in Huatulco last season to head home early we were heading to Bahia del Sol and are thrilled we have been able to carry on.

We now have many more names to learn. All the villages and towns have complicated names and we have our work cut out for us in the next few weeks while Warren Peace puts all her navigational instruments on the boat if they ever arrive!

.

TEHUANTEPEC

It’s 5:30 a.m. and we’re tied to a dock at the lovely new marina in Chiapas, Mexico. It is very close to the Guatemalan border and was our destination when we finally set out from Huatulco to cross the Gulf of Tehuantepec. We were in Huatulco last season waiting for a weather window when the cancer diagnosis was discovered.  We had been waiting for another weather window for almost a month this season upon our return. There was one earlier aborted attempt to leave for a very short opening but the bad seas and a motor problem forced us back to Marina Chehue for another two weeks.  Luckily the motor problem was solved very quickly when Sunrunner with Paul aboard followed us into the marina the next morning after a very rough crossing from Chiapas heading north. Bill met him and asked if he knew anything about diesels and he informed us that he was a small diesel mechanic! He quickly diagnosed the problem as a frozen turbo and 5 hours later he and Bill had her up and running. Another one of those guardian angels who have been working so hard for us!

The gang back at the dock, coordinated by Chris and Gerry on Misty Michael had manned all the lifeboats and were ready to escort us back to the dock but we managed to limp back in after dark under our own steam at a low idle. Mike on Aimee E had set put with us and also accompanied us back. He set out again a few days later without much of a window and 24 hours later returned to stay.  He asked himself why he was in a rush to leave Huatulco when he liked it so much and just turned around 12 hours out. He had stayed there for 2 weeks and had never stopped anywhere that long and decided to stay another month or two or ???? Huatulco does have that power; it is a very appealing town. Misty Michael and Paesano both stayed for 4 years and maybe more.

We arrived here Monday December 10 about noon after a 44 hour crossing.  We needed the motor the whole time but also had the sails up most of the time and got quite a boost from the little wind there was.  It was uneventful except for the discovery of a bilge full of water.  Many buckets later she was empty and we discovered the starboard fresh water tank was empty. There were several possible explanations; the least appealing was the possibility of a crack in the tank.  After exploring the system and finding no obvious culprit we are hoping that Janet’s lack of upper body strength caused the problem by not screwing the lid inside the boat tightly enough.  We have filled it here and there is no apparent leak.  Fingers crossed!!

We were shocked by the lack of activity on the water on the way across.  Once we had passed Salina Cruz and the 3 big tankers at anchor awaiting berths we did not see another vessel except the occasional shrimp boat and closer to our destination several fishermen in their pangas.  The sum total of our encounters are: one turtle, one whale, one donkey on the beach pulling a cart, followed by a very old black dog trailing further and further behind, one fisherman on the beach throwing his nets, one person on the donkey cart and 4 others on the beach. This was in about a 150 mile stretch.

We followed a huge dredge boat into the harbor at Chiapas and were greeted by Enrique, the marina manager and builder.  He had been at Marina Chehue in Huatulco for many years before moving here to work for the developer of this private marina.  It is quite spectacular and the washrooms and showers are wonderful and clean and there is endless hot water. At Marina Chehue there was an outdoor stall which was never cleaned and only cold water. It was built as a temporary measure 8 years ago by Enrique when he was there, .

We were soon also greeted by the port captain and the navy representatives as well as the drug sniffing dog. There were many forms to fill out and many questions to try to answer in Spanish. They were very friendly, accepted our offer of juice and spent quite a while aboard filling the little cabin up entirely. It was a very neat experience!

There are not many boats here at the moment; it is a bit early in the season and more will pass through later on their way north or south.  There is Stray Cat with Carol and Guy, Chrysallis 11 with David and Leianne, Lucky Goose with Greg and his dog P2 and a power boat with someone aboard on the other dock.

We were very happy to be here since the Tehuantepec is quite the hurdle to pass and now it is behind us. We still have Papagoa winds to contend with as we move south but the expanse is not so great. The T-Pec has been known to blow huge freighters 300 miles off course while trying to navigate the waters in a blow up.

On land, big semis have been turned on their side as the wind whips from the Caribbean across the lowlands to the Pacific so it is a body of water to be taken seriously.

Our stay in Huatulco was most enjoyable and we did not sit and wait for a chance to go. We were kept very busy.  It took us about 10 days to get the boat ready.  We spent the first week at a 2 ½ star all-inclusive until we could comfortably move aboard.  We had breakfast at the hotel then took a taxi to the marina.  We both worked for an hour or more then Janet headed to town for 2 hours of one on one Spanish lessons for two hours .She also had 3 dentist appointments with Dr. Patricia. One for cleaning then 2 fillings. She is the wife of Dr. Tovar who diagnosed the tumor and has had 3 serious operations in the same time frame as me. She is not technically back to work until January but wanted to see me so she came in. She is a great dentist and a very nice person.

Bill worked until about 2 each day then we both headed back to the hotel for a more relaxing afternoon.  It is quite an adjustment getting used to the heat here after being away so working in the afternoon is very hard.  We had lunch, and some drinks poolside and at the ocean and had a hard time staying awake until dinner was served at 7:30.  It is a mostly Mexican resort and we did meet the 2 other couples from up Norte.  Mary and Gary were from various places around the U.S. and the other couple was from Salmon Arm. With our stay here we did not have to worry about stocking the fridge or doing any cooking until we were ready to move aboard.

Chris and Gerry kept us busy with trips into town for cappuccino and cinnamon buns or croissants at Max’s, visits to Hemmingway’s Restaurant, several visits to Santa Cruz to enjoy the food and film festival there and dinner at several other restaurants.  This part of Mexico is very affordable and the food is very good. I am still a pretty cheap date since my appetite is very small. We had dinner several times at Senor Puck’s; I have an appetizer and share it and bill orders an entrée. I find the appetizer size works for me! We also attended a violet/cello quartet concert at the Camino Real Hotel. It was an incredible setting and the musicians are world famous. It was quite magical.

We took the 1 ½ hour bus ride to Puerto Escondido to take our Icom VHF radio in for repairs but since it needed chrystals and would take about 5 days we took it back with us and will see about it in Panama.  We have a spare hooked up and it is functioning well enough in the meantime.

We were taken to town, La Crucicita for many shopping trips by the crew of Misty Michael and we thank them for their warm hospitality.

Janet managed to find the time to get food poisoning, knocking her out for a couple of days. On one of those days she also managed to walk full steam ahead into an overhanging bow pulpit and anchor from one of the other boats. The bruised head, nose and arm were a reminder for more than a week. Luckily there was no sign of a retinal detachment; my glasses took quite a bit of the blow and saved damage to the eyes. It could have been so much worse!

Storm Bay of Hobart was beside us at the dock in Huatulco and we had many enjoyable chats with Margaret and Chris. They have been gone from Tasmania for 10 years and spent 1 year in Kodiak and another 18 months in the Vancouver area before heading to Mexico.  They departed with us on Dec 8^th and accompanied us almost to Salina Cruz then headed across since they were going non-stop to the Galapagos Islands, about 1200 miles away. Their destination for this season is Chile, where they plan to spend some time on a farm there. We will miss their company.

We actually delayed our departure by a day in order to connect with Simon and Sunny aboard Seascape. They were on their way north from Chiapas and had we left at our planned time we would have passed them in the middle of the gulf somewhere.  Since we had been trying to connect for 3 years we decided it was worth the risk since this seemed like quite a long window.  They arrived in the Bay Friday evening after dark so anchored out and came in to the marina at 9 a.m.  we power-visited for 5 hours and picked their brains for suggestions on our trip south. They have spent a lot of time in Central America over the last 5 years and had many suggestions for us. It was great to see them and was worth the extra day’s delay. The seas had quieted down in that extra day as well.

Yesterday Enrique dropped us off in Tapachula, a large city 20 km from here and we did quite a big shop at the Sam’s club and a quick tour of Wal-Mart.  Later, prior to departing we will visit the Office Depot and get loaded up with provisions and the grocery stores.

Our plan now is to head to Guatemala tonight on the overnight bus. We will connect immediately with another bus to Antigua. We would also like to visit Lake Atitlan,  Panajachel and Chichicastanango.

When we return to the boat we are not sure of our plans. Gosling and Nauti Moments have already left El Salvador and are now in Nicaragua. Steve and Linda on Warren Peace are still ordering equipment and making repairs to the boat.  They were hit by lightning in the summer season and didn’t know it until Nov 15^th so are now way behind their proposed departure.  August Moon with Russ and Doreen are on our heels. They have just arrived in Huatulco and will leave when they have a window.

For Christmas we may head into Bahia del Sol and spend it with Steve and Linda to give them some moral support and a bit of muscle if they want. But.it means crossing that infamous bar and surfing in to the lagoon. We will check the tides and make a decision later.  We have spent every Christmas in Mexico with Warren Peace and would like to again this year if the stars align.  We shall see….