Finally in Costa Rica!

Yeah, we finally made it to Costa Rica late at night on February 1st. What would have been about a 3-day passage from El Salvador took 11 days! We made it safe and sound, but Blew Moon took a beating. The shredded storm sail was on its last leg, so now we plan to have a new one made. The bow cleat used to secure the anchor chain was ripped off due to the tremendous pressure caused by the gale force winds we endured anchored off the shore of Nicaragua. One of our winch handles flew overboard and then our port cap shroud broke underway from one anchorage in Nicaragua to the next. This is MAJOR because the shrouds are what keep the mast upright. (Nicaragua Sunset)

Despite some hardship we actually enjoyed the pretty scenery of the Nicaragua coastline along the way. Heavily wooded hills spill down to lovely white sandy beaches. In many areas the beaches are nestled between rugged rock outcroppings that give it a stunning look. Most of the beaches are deserted and some have really nice homes nestled in the hills overlooking the ocean. These are probably vacation homes for the wealthy population. A few times we spotted what looked like small resorts, but for the most part the coastline was unpopulated. I really enjoy being able to travel so close to shore because you see so much beauty.

In all, we spent 10 nights anchored off the Nicaragua coast in four different locations. All but one of these nights were totally due to the fact that the winds were blowing too strong to safely travel. Six of these were spent in one anchorage, referred to as No Name, where for several days we endured gale force winds (35 to 50 knots or 40 to 60 mph). Being anchored in these winds was like being underway in terms of boat movement. When the winds would hit us broadside the boat would heel over 10 to 15 degrees! Every piece of rigging was banging and clanging and the anchor chain was stretched tight as a rubber band (this is when the anchor cleat snapped in half). I didn’t’ realize until we were finally out of these uncomfortable conditions how horribly frayed my nerves were; it was very stressful being confined on the boat with all the noise and movement. It’s impossible to get a good-night sleep and during the day you feel pretty edgy. Of course, bouncing around on the boat at anchor is nothing compared to what it would be like at sea! No Name anchorage is in a small bay that is actually called Bahia Astillero (Boatyard Bay). There is a small town on the beach, but there was no way to safely put the dinghy in the water and get to shore. We had no fresh food left onboard so I got creative with canned and dried foods. We have enough of it to feed us for a couple months. (No Name Anchorage)

When we left El Salvador our immigration paperwork indicated that our next country of entry would be Costa Rica. We had no intention of stopping in Nicaragua even though there are many cruisers who have had good experiences. Technically, you are supposed to officially clear into a country even if you are just anchored in their waters and never come ashore. Well, there was no way we were going ashore for ANY reason. The day before we were able to leave No Name anchorage we were visited by their navy. It was pretty funny because the two very young uniformed guys had to hitch a ride out to Blew Moon on one of the local fishing pangas. When I asked them why they didn’t have a boat they said it was out on patrol. Well, we never saw it the whole time we were in their bay. They were very cordial during their one-hour visit. We showed them our exit papers from El Salvador, gave them copies of our passports and boat documentation and a cold drink which they were grateful for. One went below with Barry to inspect the boat. As he began opening drawers and cabinets he asked if we had any armas (fire-arms, i.e., guns) to which Barry said "no". He continued his search and then asked if we had any drugs to which Barry gave him the same answer. What I found very amusing is when he found my extensive supply of kitchen knives and exclaimed, "Muchas armas!" Fortunately, he didn’t confiscate them. Once they were satisfied, they hailed another passing fishing panga and were on their way. I’m kicking myself for not getting a photo of them on our boat.

Two days prior to our successful escape from No Name anchorage we had one aborted attempt. We got all of three miles down the coast before turning around and going back. The conditions were horrible; we were beating our way directly into the wind which was a constant 25 with gusts up to 30 knots; the wind-waves being created were coming from every direction. These were the worst conditions we’ve encountered.

We finally left the safety of No Name anchorage (for a second time) at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 31st. We had a comfortable amount of wind (10-15 knots) but it was almost on our nose. About 20 minutes from the anchorage in the midst of testing the ride with a little of our headsail unfurled, it happened. We heard a terrible pop and then a twang; that was the instant the port cap-shroud broke near the deck fitting. We immediately turned Blew Moon into the wind to take as much tension off the rigging and quickly brought the headsail back in. Barry is excellent at thinking "on his feet" and it sure was good in this situation. One wrong move and our mast could have ended up in the water! Barry used the main halyard to take some of the load. We only traveled about 10 miles that day (still in the company of Jim on Marco Polo who left El Salvador with us) because the wind and chop picked up again; plus we could not take the chance of putting any strain on the rigging. We anchored in a tiny bay where Barry jury-rigged a repair to the shroud and then we actually got a good night’s sleep. Under different circumstances I would love to have spent some time in this spot; it was really lovely. Maybe another time.

(Barry's Jury-Rig Repair of Shroud and Marco Polo at Anchor Beside Blew Moon)

Our daily ritual was to get weather reports in the morning and evening on the single-sideband radio cruisers "nets" for news of a possible break in weather. The morning after Barry repaired the rigging we finally heard that the winds were to be no more than 20-25 knots for about twelve hours (we’d gotten gale force winds again the previous afternoon). We conferred with Jim and the three of us decided to try to make it to Bahia (Bay) Salinas on the Costa Rica/Nicaragua border which would be the next sheltered anchorage. We were so close! The last step would be to get from there around Cabo (Cape) Santa Elena. Once you are beyond this cape you are safely out of the treacherous Papagayo region. This itself is no small feat because the wind and sea conditions are intensified by the cape. We had to stay focused on making one step at a time. We left this anchorage at 3:20 p.m. on Thursday, February 1st traveling close to shore in the direction of Bahia Salinas. It was frustrating because we were only 32 miles from Cabo Santa Elena which was clearly visible jutting out to the southwest. However, there are risks involved with cutting straight across and straying from the shoreline; the seas are always larger away from shore and there is the possibility of the winds increasing beyond what is predicted. After traveling along the shore for a few hours under calm conditions we had a decision to make. We could continue to the anchorage in Bahia Salinas and arrive before our twelve hour weather window closed or cut straight across to round Cabo Santa Elena in the same amount of time. If we went to the Salinas anchorage there was no way to tell how long we might be stuck there waiting for the next Papagayo blow to decrease. We would still have to round the dreaded Cabo Santa Elena from there. Along the shore we were only experiencing 14-17 knots of wind and very little chop. So, we decided to test the conditions and changed our heading toward Cabo Santa Elena. This put the winds and swells on our side instead of on our nose. It was decision time and we decided to go for it! Remarkably, the wind speed actually decreased to about 10 knots and eventually we had seas of only about 3-4 feet behind us. A couple of times we were joined by some dolphins. You could see them glistening under the full moon light. We motor-sailed with our repaired storm sail hoisted and cruised at a comfortable six knots under wonderful conditions all the way to the cape and around the corner! We dropped anchor right at midnight between several small islands and the southern side of the cape in an area that is a nature reserve. I cannot tell you the tremendous amount of relief we both felt knowing the worst was behind us! We slept really well that night. I was awakened by the morning’s first light so I went on deck to watch the sun rise. It was a glorious sight. The sun was rising in a crimson sky between a couple of the islands and the full moon was still high in the sky over the cape. It was breathtaking! I looked over the side of the boat and could see the sandy bottom 36-feet below through aqua-colored water. Our temperature gauge showed that the water was 83 degrees. I couldn’t wait to take my first swim!

(Sunrise the Morning after Arriving in Cosa Rica)

That was ten days and two anchorages ago. We have now been in Playa del Coco (the first port of entry) for five days. The provisioning here is excellent. We now have fresh fruits, vegetables and meat on board. Yeah, no more canned food! We even found some items that were not available in El Salvador. So, we are set to move on tomorrow to Bahia Potrero which is only 13-miles south. We plan to take a couple of weeks making our way to Puntarenas enjoying the numerous anchorages along the way. Puntarenas is a major port where we’ll be able to have the rigging replaced. We don’t know how long that will take. So, we may do some inland traveling from there while the work is being done.

(The Beaches at Playa del Coco and Playa Hermosa)

To say that we are enjoying our time in Costa Rica would be an understatement. The vegetation is really dry this time of year; very different from what we saw in the interior last year. The days are hot and dry with cool breezes and wonderfully clear water for swimming. The nights are extremely pleasant. We look forward to what lies ahead.

We send warm regards to all back home. Till next time . . . .

Awaiting a Break in Weather

As of this writing we are sitting at anchor in a protected area off the coast of southern Nicaragua after traveling about 200 miles in four days from our anchorage in El Salvador. Right now we are waiting for the Papagayo winds to die down. As we sit, they are blowing 20-25 knots with gusts up to 40 knots. That is the equivalent of about 30-50 mph. Most sailors like to sail in about 10-20 knots of wind. Once you get over 25 knots it’s pretty uncomfortable and hard on your rigging. That’s not even accounting for the sea conditions, which when added to the equation determines the true "ride" you are experiencing. Typically the winds in this area blow from the northeast. Oddly, all of our wind has been directly out of the east. Since that is the direction we are traveling to reach northern Costa Rica we are beating right into the wind. Yes, the coastline in Mexico and Central America actually travels east as you head toward the equator! Traveling directly into strong winds and seas makes for slow-going and a wet ride! Fortunately, we haven’t had any large swells to deal with, just mostly lots of chop and wind-waves. Barry likens it to traveling in a washing machine. The 170-mile long coast of Nicaragua is pretty free of obstructions so you can sail real close to shore, which lessens the wind effects slightly. As one cruiser put it, "If you can’t hear the dogs barking you are not close enough to shore!" Cruisers call this sailing with one foot on the beach. Toward the end of our first 24 hours at sea it was very rough and choppy with winds so strong that we were barely able to maintain 3 knots (less than 3 miles an hour). We were motor-sailing with a small storm jib up. Barry noticed a tear in the sail and by the time we lowered it, it was badly tattered in several places. It really was time to replace it anyway; this just drove that point home! It was becoming increasingly difficult to maintain steerage at our slow speed, so for the first time ever we anchored close to shore in about 35 feet of water. We had never "dropped the hook" along straight shoreline before where there is no protection from the swells and wind. But, when there are no protected harbors, inlets, bays, coves, etc., and you are getting beat up, this is a viable option. We managed to get anchored securely with enough daylight remaining to shower on deck (we were both caked with salt from being doused with water throughout our journey) and enjoy dinner in the cockpit while watching a beautiful sunset. Not a bad end to our first full day underway.

Anchoring alone in isolated areas is cause for being extra alert. We know of a couple boats that were boarded and robbed in the middle of the night off the coast of Nicaragua and Costa Rica so we wanted to take as many precautions as we could. So that you don’t worry, there have never been any reports of the intruders harming people on-board. Their intent is to sneak aboard undetected to steal anything they can get their hands on. Outboard motors are at the top of the hit list, but basically they’ll take anything that is available. In all cases where they have been caught in the act they have fled as quickly as possible. Some offenders evacuate the sailboat by jumping into the water! There are usually at least two people involved in these operations. One stays aboard their boat, which could be a small boat with an outboard motor or even a canoe-like boat that requires paddling; the latter could definitely benefit from an outboard motor! One or two more board the sailboat to do their dirty work. They’ve been known to successfully come below deck undetected while the crew was asleep. We don’t know of any boats that carry firearms. However, most cruisers are ready to inflict bodily harm if necessary. The weapon of choice seems to be a flare gun, which is legal in any country and can cause injury if shot directly at someone. We also have a very intense spotlight that will temporarily blind and disorient a person.

Being aware of our vulnerability at anchor off a lonely beach, Barry slept in the cockpit with a knife and flare gun at his side. I had the sole pleasure of the comfort of our soft bed below while Barry awoke every couple of hours to check things out. The next morning we repaired our sail with sail tape before getting underway again. The next night was also spent anchored off the beach. It was so nice having that "down time" the night before and being able to get a full nights sleep that we decided to do it again. I’m happy to report that we’ve had no problems so far. Let’s hope it stays that way! The next two nights were spent anchored in this protected area of shoreline where we sit waiting for better conditions before continuing on. There are two other sailboats here with us that we know from El Salvador. The Nicaragua/Costa Rica border is only 40 miles from here. Once we leave this anchorage it will take us between 7-10 hours to reach our first anchorage in Costa Rica. That means that we are "oh, so close" to that elusive Costa Rica destination. We’re only two years behind our original schedule. Not bad, by cruising standards! Costa Rica, here we come (I hope!).