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Passage ReportsBelow is an example of a passage report. This report can be exported to a file, emailed to someone or printed from BoatExec.
Passage Report for Jenny Passage: Isla Meanguera to Puesta del Sol Departed Sunday, May 11, 2008 at 7:25 PM local time from Isla Meanguera. The departure location was latitude 12 degrees 46.487 minutes North, longitude 87 degrees 37.877 minutes West. Narrative Sunday, May 11, 2008 1:58:38 PM Location: At Sea Latitude is 12 degrees 45.205 minutes north. Longitude is 87 degrees 36.304 minutes west. This weather observation was at Sunday, May 11, 2008 6:36:29 AM local time. Observation location: Isla Meanguera. Latitude is 13 degrees 10.857 minutes north. Longitude is 87 degrees 41.567 minutes west. The air temperature is 82, and water temperature is 80 degrees fahrenheit. The forecast is Sunny. The current weather is dry. The sky is overcast (more than 90% clouds). The wind is 1 knots from the north. The visibility is 10 nautical miles. The wave height is 0 feet with 0 foot swells. The barometer is 1009 millibars and rising. Its nice not being on a schedule. I guess if you get past the 6 month mark, you can get into a different groove, a different view of cruising. At this point, the boat becomes a home instead of a vehicle. You keep your home in a place for as long as you want / can afford to and enjoy being there. Then, you can move your home to a new place and be there for a while. Its really different from thinking about where you are going. Its more about being in different places. On the other hand, keeping a boat in top working condition is a constant challenge. Below is my list of things to do while we are in Puesta del Sol. * install new gaskets on the main engine exhaust * install a new water temperature sensor on the main engine * add a water pump to the Tecma toilet * install a new VHF antenna on the dingy * do the regular maintenance list items * install new TPS uphaul rigging * install new boom rigging * install a new magnatron on the open array Furuno * replace the deck light bulb * install the new navigation running boards and lights * clean the keel coolers and propeller * find out why the referigerator is not getting enough current in DC mode and fix That's all. A lot of these items have been accumulating over the past 6 months, waiting for the arrival of parts. Now that the parts are onboard, the work begins. Since Puesta del Sol is only about 100 miles from the lower edge of the hurricane zone, is the last inexpensive marina before going through the canal, and is a good place to leave the boat for inland excursions (which shamefully we have not done), we hope to stay there at least a month. Then we will move southeast again and see what Costa Rica is all about in June / July and then explore Pacific Panama in July / August. Life is good. das Arrival Arrived Sunday, May 11, 2008 at 5:12 PM local time at Marina Puesta del Sol. The arrival location was latitude 12 degrees 37.559 minutes North, longitude 87 degrees 20.487 minutes West. The customs checkin was Nicaragra. The trip covered 50.48 nautical miles in 0d 8h 1m with an average speed of 6.30 knots and a maximum speed of 7.90 knots. The last fuel record before the trip started was recorded on Sunday, May 11, 2008 at 2:39 PM local time. The total fuel load was 574. The first fuel record after the trip ended was recorded on Tuesday, May 20, 2008 at 4:44 PM local time. The total fuel load was 564. The trip used 10.0 gallons, burned 2.64 gallons / hour and used 5.05 miles / gallon. Narrative Wednesday, May 14, 2008 6:06:57 PM Location: Puesta del Sol, Nicaragua Latitude is 0 degrees 0 minutes north. Longitude is 0 degrees 0 minutes west. No recent weather observation is available. I'm sitting at the desk in the master cabin with the generator running and the air conditioner running, eating the last of the Pepperidge Farm Brussels cookies. I deserve it after a long sweaty day in the office replacing the gaskets on the three engine exhaust flanges. The generator is on because the shore power was turned off, but more on that later. After taking the insulation off of the exhaust pipe from the exhaust header up to the point where it goes up the stack, it was apparent that all three gaskets were gone. They must have been made of some kind of ceramic, but all were completely fractured with pieces missing. To make things worse, the nut on one of the 1/2 inch by 3 inch bolts on the first flange was stripped and had to be cut out with a hack saw. UGH. The rest came out easily. I worked from about 7:00 AM until about 3:00 PM taking out the connecting pipe, cleaning the flange surfaces, cutting new gaskets and getting them installed. I'll post more details to the Nordhavn 46 group along with pictures. I still have the one gasket to install, but need the bolt I had to cut. A neighbor at the dock has a car and he is going to town tomorrow and will try to get one. Fingers are crossed. In any case, I ran out of energy and quit for the day. The shower felt great as does the AC! Looking back on El Salvador and comparing it Nicaragua, it is a really nice country with an upbeat personality. I think they are going to do very well. I talked to a native who went to the same prep school in Tampa as our boys did. He is a land owner and I just happened to bring back an article regarding a plant that Florida is experimenting with to produce bio diesel and replace citrus crops. They hope to get 1,000 gallons of fuel per 1,000 acres. That would make a huge difference for the US and if it was successful in El Salvador it could easily make them energy independent in a decade. Well, this guy knew about the plant, and in fact is this week in Florida trying to get grant money to try it out down here. While the people outside San Salvador are poor, there are lots of trucks on the road and commerce is bustling. People are smiling and kidding around all the time. If you are interested in ocean front property, a cruiser we met decided to make El Salvador home, and purchased an ocean front home, complete with pool and compound for $70,000. Yup. Now, he has a full time maid and a grounds keeper / guard on duty and the windows have bars, but I'll bet the need gradually will go away over the next decade. Something to think about. We took a ride into town yesterday on the marina van. The dirt road between the marina / resort and the paved road was lined with homesteads all along the way. It looked like all were either subsistence farming. Some appeared to have electricity, but most had only well water. The homes were poorer quality than in El Salvador, with some being only thatched roof huts. Each homestead looked like it was an extended family, on their own. Horses and mules were used to carry loads, with some dragging tire based carts. A few people had small motorcycles. The schools we saw were open air, and seemed to be over by noon. The paved road to town looked new, and was filled with bicycles, horses, horse drawn carts and a very few cars. The public transportation buses were parked along the road because they could no longer afford the fuel to run them. The rolling blackouts that hit the marina are because the country can't afford the fuel to keep the power up. The town was larger than Usulutan in El Salvador, and seemed more modern and prosperous with all the roads paved. The people here are just not joyful like in El Salvador, and some are angry. One of our fellow cruisers said Nicaragua is the poorest country in Latin America after Haiti. What is obvious is that any country can be successful and prosperous if it has an intelligent, caring and durable government. Nicaragua, aligned with Venezuela, Cuba, and the DR, doesn't. We are going to stay here a while longer to get our projects done, then head south. There really isn't much to see and do here. das Narrative Sunday, May 18, 2008 8:54:58 PM Location: Puesta del Sol Latitude is 0 degrees 0 minutes north. Longitude is 0 degrees 0 minutes west. No recent weather observation is available. After making progress on our superstructure waxing and completing some small projects, Dee Dee and Larry Biggs with their daughter Isabella from Nexus came over to visit. We spent a very nice few hours with them. They of course loved Jenny and had many favorable things to say about 46's in general. Their Nordhavn 47 is quite nice too and at 110,000 lbs a lot bigger. Dee Dee and Larry are east coast people, and after spending the year up in Alaska and down the west coast, were very ready to get back to the Caribbean with its wonderful islands, warm water and European flavor. They made us feel that the best is yet to come. Larry was also involved in the UFC and was the wrestling coach for one of the training camps that has had many championship bouts and wins. The UFC is about the only sport I watch (when I can) any more. It was very cool. He is a former CEO of a public company, and is now involved in putting together a Latin American UFC "League". We also chatted about politics, healthcare, business opportunities, east coast boating, the transition from Nexus from being a vehicle to being a movable home. We have quite a lot in common with them and will probably hook up with them again in Panama. There are about 7 cruising boats here now that are continuing south. The big debate is whether to leave here tomorrow for Costa Rica or Tuesday. After looking at the weather forecasts, Mary and I chose to go on Tuesday and avoid some heaver winds that will blow across from the Caribbean Monday night. We will also get another chance to grocery shop before being on the hook for a few weeks. Everyone is looking forward to clear water and nice beaches. The water here is warm, but still not clear. Larry uses Caribbean standards (100 ft visibility) and needless to say is disappointed in the west coast even Panama. Right now I'd settle for 30 ft and be happy! I've made significant progress on my project list. We hope to complete our spring superstructure waxing tomorrow and that will leave only the new navigation lights and light boards as major projects on the list. Good timing as I hope we will be doing a lot more swimming and diving over the next month or two. I'll even get to use our new Hooka system this week when we get to our first Costa Rica anchorage. The Air Conditioner is really nice... das Passage: Puesta del Sol to Bahia Santa Elena Departed Tuesday, May 20, 2008 at 5:40 PM local time from Puesta del Sol Marina. The departure location was latitude 12 degrees 35.263 minutes North, longitude 87 degrees 21.627 minutes West. Narrative Wednesday, May 21, 2008 6:11:01 AM Location: At Sea Latitude is 11 degrees 26.179 minutes north. Longitude is 86 degrees 13.607 minutes west. This weather observation was at Wednesday, May 21, 2008 5:58:21 AM local time. Observation location: At Sea. Latitude is 11 degrees 26.282 minutes north. Longitude is 86 degrees 13.764 minutes west. The air temperature is 80, and water temperature is 80 degrees fahrenheit. The forecast is rain. The current weather is dry. The sky is overcast (more than 90% clouds). The wind is 3 knots from the northeast. The visibility is 10 nautical miles. The wave height is 2 feet with 2 foot swells. The barometer is 1007 millibars and rising. Five boats left Puesta del Sol Nicaragua the two days ago to go Bahia Santa Elana in Costa Rica and are presumabley already there. Five more left yesterday, us included. We left around 10:30 AM local time the rest went later. The forecast was for light and variable winds all the way down. Well, I guess the weather model does not consider local weather phenominon. We had a good 15 knots of wind onshore all day and put the birds down around 5 in the afternoon. Then it quieted down around 8:00 PM and thunderstorms grew up on shore. They were fun to watch for a while until they started moving off shore. Around 9:00 PM we were in the middle of our first boomer underway. It rained and flashed for the next three hours. Fortunately the wind stayed pretty low most of the time. It was quite the experience since neither of us knew quite what to expect. All the backup electronics was stashed in the oven in case we got hit, but I think the nearest flash was more than 4 miles away. We also bucked a good 1.5 knot current until about 5 AM so wwe were making only about 5 knots most of the way. We're now making 5.7 and are avoiding the adverse current by hugging the shore as it furns from SE to NW making a shallow bay. The sea turned clear and blue and came alive again a few hours south of Puesta del Sol. It was the best we've seen since Huatulco. We were joined by a school of over 50 bridled dolphin (got the book now) came over and kept us company for about an hour. Nicholas really enjoys watching them. And, they've been around the boat this morning. For some reason, the coast of El Salvador and Nicaragua has cloudy water and apparently little marine life. The book says we will see clear turquoise water in Costa Rica. We are all looking forward to it! It is still overcast with cumulus clouds dumping rain in various spots over land and on the water. This area is notorious for Papagayo Winds that blow through from the Carribean. So, hugging the coast has additional benefits. We'll turn west when we get close to the bend in the land, and then duck into Bahia Santa Elana. It is a very well and nicely prootected little bay that should have about 10 boats in it soon. Our cheap $40 West Marine binoculars hit the floor last night and brok into two large pieces. We were not vigillent enough to have properly stowed them. This is the reason you only buy cheap binoculars. It is inevitable that they will be thrown to the ground and break. In this case, even though broken, I screwed the pieces back together and they are functional once again. 7:30 AM - It's a comfortable 78 degrees F out and we are actually running in a rain shower for the first time since we were in the PNW 4 years ago. It's a real nice change. Van Morrison is playing on the sterio. We are cruising again... das Arrival Arrived Wednesday, May 21, 2008 at 1:02 PM local time at Bahia Santa Elana. The arrival location was latitude 10 degrees 55.322 minutes North, longitude 85 degrees 48.879 minutes West. The customs checkin was None. The trip covered 142.03 nautical miles in 1d 1h 21m with an average speed of 5.60 knots and a maximum speed of 7.10 knots. The last fuel record before the trip started was recorded on Tuesday, May 20, 2008 at 4:44 PM local time. The total fuel load was 564. The first fuel record after the trip ended was recorded on Sunday, June 01, 2008 at 11:47 PM local time. The total fuel load was 498. The trip used 66.0 gallons, burned 2.60 gallons / hour and used 2.15 miles / gallon. Narrative Thursday, May 22, 2008 7:39:04 AM Location: Bahia Santa Elana Latitude is 10 degrees 55.342 minutes north. Longitude is 85 degrees 48.902 minutes west. This weather observation was at Friday, May 23, 2008 6:27:56 AM local time. Observation location: Bahia Santa Elana. Latitude is 0 degrees 0 minutes north. Longitude is 0 degrees 0 minutes west. The air temperature is 78, and water temperature is 82 degrees fahrenheit. The forecast is Downpours. The current weather is dry. The sky is broken clouds (60 - 90% clouds). The wind is 2 knots from the southeast. The visibility is 20 nautical miles. The wave height is 0 feet with 0 foot swells. The barometer is 1009 millibars and rising. Well, it rained the rest of the day yesterday, but this morning dawned bright and blue. Last night was nice and cool so we did not need the air conditioner at all. The anchorage here is beautiful and the water is clear to 30 feet. We caught a Dorado on the way in yesterday and had a few pieces for dinner. Yummy. Later today I'll break out the new Hookah unit and do some diving. There are 4 other boats here and I suspect we will be doing some snorkeling too. We will continue doing some projects here like cleaning the bottom and finishing the waxing. We'll also take the dingy in and do some exploring on shore. This is a national park, and looks quite interesting. das Narrative Friday, May 23, 2008 6:43:40 AM Location: Bahia Santa Elana Latitude is 0 degrees 0 minutes north. Longitude is 0 degrees 0 minutes west. This weather observation was at Friday, May 23, 2008 6:27:56 AM local time. Observation location: Bahia Santa Elana. Latitude is 0 degrees 0 minutes north. Longitude is 0 degrees 0 minutes west. The air temperature is 78, and water temperature is 82 degrees fahrenheit. The forecast is Downpours. The current weather is dry. The sky is broken clouds (60 - 90% clouds). The wind is 2 knots from the southeast. The visibility is 20 nautical miles. The wave height is 0 feet with 0 foot swells. The barometer is 1009 millibars and rising. Yesterday was another busy day. We woke up to a bright blue sunny sky. The weather is one of sun and downpours. As yet, there has not been any thunder and lightening within the bay though. Our water catching is working, but not quite keeping up with our consumption. It is nice to have sun and rain, creating a nice variety through the day that we missed in California and Mexico. We can hear Howler monkeys on shore as well as wild parrots. I broke out the Hookah yesterday and used it to begin cleaning the bottom. The last time I got to do this was Acapulco. I had thought that the month in Barillas would have kept most of the growth down to nothing. Fortunately it did for the most part. However, it did leave a brown growth on the hull that requires strong brushing to get off. The barnacle growth was minimal except on the propeller. The propeller must be kept really polished to give us efficient passages. It was covered with barnacles. I'll have to dive on the bottom again today and maybe a little more tomorrow to get it clean and the prop polished. The Hookah is a wonderful tool. Except for the noise from the pump pulses going down the air hose, it is completely unobtrusive, unlike Scuba. With Scuba, you are carrying up to 100 lbs of gear which is clumsy and tiring. With the Hookah, the gear is no more than the addition of the regulator. Nothing else intrudes. WIthout the Hookah, I can now see that it would be impossible to keep up with bottom maintenance, thus resulting in slower passages and additional fuel consumption. Combined with the cost of having someone else clean the bottom when they are available, the cost of the Hookah easily pays for itself. I've also been tuning up on my weather data gathering while remote (no internet). Weather Buoy is our primary tool, but it does not give us the big picture through our email requests. So, I spent a few hours yesterday setting up frequencies and schedules to receive the weather faxes for this area. It takes some work to fine tune the schedule as the broadcast times and content changes over time. I need to verify and finish that work today too. I want to say here (it is beautiful!) until we finish our spring waxing, bottom cleaning, and some projects. The beach is also very nice and good for exploring and swimming. Life is good. If you want to contact us, use KI6CEL@Winlink.org since we will not have Internet for a while. das Narrative Saturday, May 24, 2008 6:50:54 AM Location: Bahia Santa Elana Latitude is 0 degrees 0 minutes north. Longitude is 0 degrees 0 minutes west. No recent weather observation is available. Well, Jenny's bottom is now clean as a baby's butt. Today I'll finish working on the propeller and the superstructure waxing. Then we'll be ready to go again. I also replaced the magnetron in the large open array radar and it's working like new again. When we wake up, the temperature is around 75 degrees and very comfortable. Nicholas and I take a trip into the beach where there are loads of shells, many of which are inhabited by hermit crabs. We are the only boate in the bay now and walking along the beach is like being on a deserted island. It is very quiet and peaceful. das Narrative Monday, May 26, 2008 7:54:12 AM Location: Bahia Santa Elana Latitude is 10 degrees 55.332 minutes north. Longitude is 85 degrees 48.913 minutes west. This weather observation was at Monday, May 26, 2008 6:56:35 AM local time. Observation location: Bahia Santa Elana. Latitude is 10 degrees 55.334 minutes north. Longitude is 85 degrees 48.913 minutes west. The air temperature is 74, and water temperature is 82 degrees fahrenheit. The forecast is Rain. The current weather is rain. The sky is overcast (more than 90% clouds). The wind is 5 knots from the east. The visibility is 5 nautical miles. The wave height is 0 feet with 0 foot swells. The barometer is 1008 millibars and steady. Well, the weather has closed in with at tropical depression sitting just off the coast. We are still in Costa Rica, but haven't checked in yet. We've had sunny mornings and rainy afternoons pretty consistently for the days we've been here, but today we woke up to an overcast sky and light rain. Later in the week, the weather is supposed to turn nasty with winds up to 30 knots and 22 ft seas out of the southwest. Since this bay is well protected from that direction, we plan to say here until the system passes. The three other boats we were with sailed down to Coco, the port of entry yesterday and plan to clear in today. However, that bay is open to the southwest as are many along this coast. So, they might be coming back up here later today or tomorrow. We've been gathering water while here and while it hasn't kept up with our consumption, it has helped quite a bit. What we really need is a downpour or two. das Passage: Bahia Santa Elana to Playa de Panama Departed Monday, May 26, 2008 at 8:55 PM local time from Bahia Santa Elana anchor. The departure location was latitude 10 degrees 35.477 minutes North, longitude 85 degrees 39.583 minutes West. Arrival Arrived Monday, May 26, 2008 at 2:56 PM local time at Playa de Panama. The arrival location was latitude 10 degrees 35.477 minutes North, longitude 85 degrees 39.585 minutes West. The customs checkin was Coco Capitan del Puerto. The trip covered 40.96 nautical miles in 0d 6h 48m with an average speed of 6.00 knots and a maximum speed of 7.60 knots. The last fuel record before the trip started was recorded on Tuesday, May 20, 2008 at 4:44 PM local time. The total fuel load was 564. The first fuel record after the trip ended was recorded on Sunday, June 01, 2008 at 11:47 PM local time. The total fuel load was 498. The trip used 66.0 gallons, burned 3126.32 gallons / hour and used 0.62 miles / gallon. Narrative Monday, May 26, 2008 7:23:06 PM Location: Playa de Panama Costa Rica Latitude is 10 degrees 35.489 minutes north. Longitude is 85 degrees 39.609 minutes west. This weather observation was at Monday, May 26, 2008 6:56:35 AM local time. Observation location: Bahia Santa Elana. Latitude is 10 degrees 55.334 minutes north. Longitude is 85 degrees 48.913 minutes west. The air temperature is 74, and water temperature is 82 degrees fahrenheit. The forecast is Rain. The current weather is rain. The sky is overcast (more than 90% clouds). The wind is 5 knots from the east. The visibility is 5 nautical miles. The wave height is 0 feet with 0 foot swells. The barometer is 1008 millibars and steady. We had a bumpy ride down here today. We rounded two points of land and a bunch of islands which tore up the water. So, the birds went in. On the weather front there are now two new pieces of information. First, the word from a boat coming north is that the Poterio bay does not offer much of any protection. Second, the big wind and waves have been removed from the forecast, but a nasty 8 second chop is forecast for Wednesday through Saturday. We have our Barillas boats around us now, and the consensus is to say put until this weather resolves itself. One of the boats is heading for Equador, has a crew and thus has a schedule, so they are staying but not happy. Crew is definately a two edged sword. This is a big bay and very pretty. The hills are being terraced for homes and development is evident. Tomorrow we will go to shore here and take a taxi into the port captain's office to check in and do some shopping. We'll probably head south when the rest of the boats do. There is a big bay (Nicoya) about 200 miles from here that is where we want to stop and spend some time. But in the meantime... das Narrative Wednesday, May 28, 2008 8:20:07 AM Location: Playa Panama Latitude is 10 degrees 35.495 minutes north. Longitude is 85 degrees 39.622 minutes west. This weather observation was at Wednesday, May 28, 2008 7:57:06 AM local time. Observation location: Playa Panama, Costa Rica. Latitude is 10 degrees 35.494 minutes north. Longitude is 85 degrees 39.621 minutes west. The air temperature is 76, and water temperature is 82 degrees fahrenheit. The forecast is Rain. The current weather is drizzle. The sky is overcast (more than 90% clouds). The wind is 6 knots from the east. The visibility is 10 nautical miles. The wave height is 0 feet with 0 foot swells. The barometer is 1005 millibars and rising. It continues to amaze me how comfortable the temperature is here all day long. We wake up to the lower 70's and ti seems to peak in the lower 80's. We have not run the air conditioner since leaving Nicaragua. There is a frontal system that is stalled off of Panama that is causing the overcast sky and steady drizzle, and has me wondering if it is the cause of these fine temperatures. We're enjoying them anyway. We took a taxi into the small town of Playa Coco to check in. It's a nice town, but we were expecting to see better infrastructure. This area is under heavy development with condo's and timeshares going up all over the hills. Sea view lots seem to be going for about $120,000; condos for about $200,000. There is a big condo development going up in Playa Coco and a new supermarket. In spite of that, the native buildings, roads, etc. are at pre-affluence levels. Maybe that will change as people buy and move in. Crime against boats seems to be higher here than anywhere before. One of the boats we know had thieves come onboard and steal their dingy and dingy motor while they slept. It is the first incidence of such a thing on a boat we know since leaving. Costa Ricans are more affluent and worldly than their neighbors to the north, but it seems to be at a price. Also, there is little open display of arms here like in the countries to the north. Maybe that is a mistake. Playa Coco has nice tourist shops and restaurants and a very nice grocery store. The grocery store is heavily oriented to North American shoppers and has all the American brands. Mary had a good experience! However, you have to walk in the street since the sidewalks are few and far between and watch out for the mud puddles with passing cars, trucks and motorcycles. Very odd. Lots of private funds and a poor local government. Another item of interest is that all the license plates since Mexico have "Central America" across the bottom and the name of the country across the top. There seems to be a political conscience and affiliation that extends beyond national boarders. We noticed that some of the political parties cross national boarders too. Maybe it is moving toward a confederation. While in town we saw white squirrels with a black Mohawk running down their heads to their tails. We saw a few new and exotic birds and a lemur that apparently lives in one of the back yards in town. It was ambling around the yard and then climbed up one of the big trees. We need to go into town one more time to get a National Zarpe to move to the next port and I'll bring the camera in. There is also an internet cafe, so we'll get caught up on our regular email and web activities. We plan a quiet day today making spaghetti sauce, cleaning the boat, cleaning Nicholas' teeth, etc. Hopefully we will get some heavy rain for our tanks. das Narrative Wednesday, May 28, 2008 11:35:25 AM Location: Playa Panama Latitude is 10 degrees 35.495 minutes north. Longitude is 85 degrees 39.629 minutes west. This weather observation was at Wednesday, May 28, 2008 7:57:06 AM local time. Observation location: Playa Panama, Costa Rica. Latitude is 10 degrees 35.494 minutes north. Longitude is 85 degrees 39.621 minutes west. The air temperature is 76, and water temperature is 82 degrees fahrenheit. The forecast is Rain. The current weather is drizzle. The sky is overcast (more than 90% clouds). The wind is 6 knots from the east. The visibility is 10 nautical miles. The wave height is 0 feet with 0 foot swells. The barometer is 1005 millibars and rising. At first light (5:00 AM) the water around Jenny boils with fish jumping and splashing. At first I thought it was pesky pelicans diving on the usual bubble fish that always take up residence under Jenny. This morning Mary got up to investigate. The noise was from larger fish running under Jenny and coming up under schools of bait fish that are hiding under her. The big fish come out of the water as well as a couple hundred minnow sized bait fish causing quite a racket right under our portholes. In spite of the rain, it was too tempting. First I rigged the fresh water rod and reel (12 lb test) with a small hook. I learned from the fishermen in La Cruz that you can jig a hook through a school of bait fish and snag them. It worked. I jerked the hook through the school that took up residence on the starboard side. Then I left the bait fish on the hook to see what would happen. The bait fish swam to the middle of the school trying to be inconspicuous with the hook hanging out of it. The next time the larger fish came through, wham it took the bait fish, and snap, broke the rig off. Hmmmm... I re-rigged the line and tried again. Bam, it struck pulled the bait fish off and left a bare hook. Now it was getting exciting. I tried to use my larger salt water rig, but could not gig a bait fish on. So back to the fresh water rig. I was jigging for another bait fish when the team of larger fish came through the school. Wham... One took the bare hook and was off. It was big. Much too big for the rig, but with the drag set right, nothing broke. An hour later I was still fighting it and it was hard to tell if I was even gaining ground. After another 20 minutes we caught sight of it, a beautiful young yellow fin tuna, about 20 - 25 lbs. I slowly fought it to the side of the boat, had the gaff in hand and the fish right at the surface in reach. Then it snapped. The rod was straight, the line somewhere in the air and the fish gone. When I recovered and found the line up in our TPS rigging, the hook was still there. Aparently the hook was too small and only caught bone. When twisted in the right position, it just let go. Lucky fish... My arms felt like waste material, burning from the constant effort. This was probably the best fish fight I've ever had. das Narrative Friday, May 30, 2008 7:15:48 AM Location: Playa Panama Latitude is 10 degrees 35.558 minutes north. Longitude is 85 degrees 39.573 minutes west. This weather observation was at Friday, May 30, 2008 6:39:06 AM local time. Observation location: Playa Panama. Latitude is 10 degrees 35.56 minutes north. Longitude is 85 degrees 39.573 minutes west. The air temperature is 76, and water temperature is 82 degrees fahrenheit. The forecast is Sunny. The current weather is dry. The sky is broken clouds (60 - 90% clouds). The wind is 3 knots from the southeast. The visibility is 15 nautical miles. The wave height is 0 feet with 0 foot swells. The barometer is 1010 millibars and rising. Yesterday morning a distress call from the 42 ft trimaran Stravaig came in on the Pan Pacific net. Jeff and Jose Allen, a British couple from Inverness Scotland had been up for 50 hours struggling to keep their boat afloat after being caught in the tropical storm Alma. They reported peak winds over 80 knots and steady winds of over 55 knots. The 35 ft seas had been breaking over the boat and had reduced their rigging to a tangle. Water had entered the main hull and was in the engine room. The engine would not run. Their position was 11 degrees 02 minutes north, 86 degrees 47 minutes west. We were the closest boats to them, about 70 miles southeast of them. They were below, exhausted and drifting with the seas. The net reached out to the maritime Mobil service net, the Costa Rican coast guard, etc and alerted them to the emergency. There was significant confusion regarding their responses except for the US Coast Guard sending a C130 airplane that was due to arrive in 4 hours. There was a report of the Costa Rican navy sending a frigate, but that was never verified. Stravaig did not have a life raft, they believed their dingy was damaged by the waves, and had an old EPIRB that came with the boat. They were reluctant to activate their EPIRB. After about an hour they signed off and would come back on in 2 hours while they worked on the boat. When they came back on at 10:20 AM Costa Rica time, they were in the eye of the storm. They reported a position of 11 degrees 06 minutes North, 86 degrees 44 minutes west. They were drifting in the waves and wind toward the Nicaragua coast. They were told that the C130 was on its way and that a Navy Frigate was on its way with an eta in 10 hours. Jose was very concerned about their chances for survival. When Jeff took the mike, he was concerned that they would be forced to evacuate the boat. He repeatedly asked the intension of the rescue teams and believed that they were not in immediate danger. They checked in again at 2:00 PM Costa Rica time. They reported a position of 11 degrees 14 minutes North, 86 degrees 37 minutes West, on a steady course for landfall. They were 27 miles from a dangerous shore. They had their engine running but did not have the boat under control. The best they could do against the wind and current was 1/4 knot. They also had very little diesel fuel. Due to sleep deprivation, their ability to communicate clearly was diminishing. Also, the closer they were getting to land, the more they were getting wave reflections, causing the sea to be wild making everything on the boat more difficult. The C130 was overhead and asked them to turn on their EPIRB. Jeff refused, believing that would signal they were willing to abandon the boat. The C130 asked them if they would like a de-watering pump, food or other supplies dropped. Jeff refused. The USCG C130 stayed overhead until the storm became too strong and left. The C130 declared them to be in an emergency situation and dispatched a USCG frigate to the scene with an ETA in 14 hours. They checked in again at 4:00 PM. They were at 11 degrees 20 minutes north, 86 degrees 31 minutes west. They were on a steady course that put them 19 miles from the breakers. Earlier, the rescue teams wanted them to go to San Juan del Sur 40 miles SE of their current position. However San Juan del Sur was reporting breaking 25 to 50 ft waves at the entrance even if they could have moved the boat. They still had not control over their drift. The coast guard cutter was reportedly getting within radio range, but other than that they were alone. There was no indication that Costa Rica or Nicaragua had any boats underway or near them. I advised Jeff of his position, course and closeness of land. Jeff was aware of the danger from the nearing lee shore and their plan was to use the engine as a last resort to keep them off the beach. Wahoo, a 40 ft sport fishing boat in our anchorage was the local controlling contact with Stravaig. They set a new check in time of 7:00 PM, which was after dark but did not change the sideband frequency to one that would work after dark. I was on with the Marine Maritime Service Net when that occurred. As of now, that was the last contact we had with them. Needless to say, this brings home our vulnerabilities and the folks in our anchorage have been very subdued throughout yesterday. 9:00 AM: Stravaig came on the net!!! They did rendezvous with the USCG frigate sometime last night. They delivered diesel just in time for Stravaig to keep them off the beach. They are now in a nearby bay sleeping. das Passage: Playa Panama to Potrero Departed Saturday, May 31, 2008 at 6:21 PM local time from Playa Panama. The departure location was latitude 10 degrees 26.860 minutes North, longitude 85 degrees 47.749 minutes West. Arrival Arrived Saturday, May 31, 2008 at 12:22 PM local time at Bahia Portero. The arrival location was latitude 10 degrees 26.859 minutes North, longitude 85 degrees 47.747 minutes West. The customs checkin was none. The trip covered 20.09 nautical miles in 0d 3h 17m with an average speed of 6.10 knots and a maximum speed of 8.40 knots. The last fuel record before the trip started was recorded on Tuesday, May 20, 2008 at 4:44 PM local time. The total fuel load was 564. The first fuel record after the trip ended was recorded on Sunday, June 01, 2008 at 11:47 PM local time. The total fuel load was 498. The trip used 66.0 gallons, burned 2970.00 gallons / hour and used 0.30 miles / gallon. Narrative Sunday, June 01, 2008 7:36:13 AM Location: Bahia Portero Latitude is 10 degrees 26.605 minutes north. Longitude is 85 degrees 47.109 minutes west. This weather observation was at Sunday, June 01, 2008 7:27:46 AM local time. Observation location: Bahia Portero . Latitude is 10 degrees 26.607 minutes north. Longitude is 85 degrees 47.106 minutes west. The air temperature is 82, and water temperature is 82 degrees fahrenheit. The forecast is Sunny, thunderstorms. The current weather is dry. The sky is overcast (more than 90% clouds). The wind is 4 knots from the southwest. The visibility is 10 nautical miles. The wave height is 0 feet with 0 foot swells. The barometer is 1010 millibars and rising. We moved 18 miles down the coast to Bahia Portero and continue our journey south. The trip was short and the bay is ok for a road stop, but not completely protected. There are several resorts and hotels lining the beach and many local boats on mooring balls. We came down with Wahoo, a sport fishing cruising boat, but they left this morning for the next stop leaving us as the only active cruising boat here. Mary is going to the beach this morning after we listen to the SSB nets and check out the resorts and town if there is one. She needs some land time.
Tomorrow we will continue down the coast toward the Gulf or Nicoya, a large gulf with several islands, bays and towns. das Passage: Portrero to Carillo Departed Monday, June 02, 2008 at 12:04 PM local time from Bahia Portero. The departure location was latitude 10 degrees 27.532 minutes North, longitude 85 degrees 48.379 minutes West. Narrative Monday, June 02, 2008 9:32:45 AM Location: At Sea Latitude is 10 degrees 6.801 minutes north. Longitude is 85 degrees 51.682 minutes west. This weather observation was at Monday, June 02, 2008 9:19:42 AM local time. Observation location: At Sea. Latitude is 10 degrees 6.973 minutes north. Longitude is 85 degrees 51.807 minutes west. The air temperature is 81, and water temperature is 82 degrees fahrenheit. The forecast is Sunny, Thunderstorms. The current weather is dry. The sky is clear or a few clouds. The wind is 4 knots from the east. The visibility is 20 nautical miles. The wave height is 1 feet with 3 foot swells. The barometer is 1010 millibars and rising. Well, we're on our way from Bahia Portero to Carillo and it is a beautiful day. The seays are glassy smooth with a gentle swell out of the south. We expect the wind to turn onshore soon as the land heats up. Looking at the weather charts, it is clear that wind moves into the Costa Rican, Panama peninsula from both sides and converges in the middle, forming thunder storms. This seems to happen most every day. We had a nice night last night in Portero and collected a bunch of water as the cumulus clouds dumped their load. The water catch is keeping up with our usage nicely now and the last water we loaded was in Nicaragua. We have full tanks and it looks like the daily rain will keep them that way. The watermaker has been pickled since arriving in Barillas over a month ago. We checked into Costa Rica when we were in Playa Panama. The port captains office was down the bay a bit in Playa Coco, so we took a taxi to that town. We checked in and then found out that you need a national zarpe to move from port to port. So, on the Friday before we left, we got that and declared our next stop to be Gulfito so we would not have to go through the bother in Punterinas. Playa Coco is a small port town surrounded by a huge home, condo, timeshare investment. The town has not caught up with the development and is right out of a Humphrey Bogart movie, dark, rainy, sleezy. The expat drunks show up at the bars which are open to the street before lunch and are still there after dark. We couldn't figure out why the cab drivers kept handing out their business cards. Well, the answer is that they don't pick up strangers after dark. If you have their card, you call them and they pick you up because they know they have seen you before and you are ok. We were warned about being in Coco after dark, but Mark (Wahoo) and I had to be there Friday evening to meet the port captain. If you are looking for the real thing in third world adventure this is a place to stop. One can only speculate at what point people buying into the modern developments will force a change. We will be staying in a roadstead called Carillo tonight and Wahoo who stayed there last night said it was pretty rolly, but better than doing an overnight. Hopefully these seas will make a better night for us tonigh. In any case, we'll probably have the birds down as roll dampeners. das Arrival Arrived Monday, June 02, 2008 at 2:09 PM local time at Carillo Cove. The arrival location was latitude 9 degrees 51.967 minutes North, longitude 85 degrees 29.358 minutes West. The customs checkin was none. The trip covered 55.20 nautical miles in 0d 8h 26m with an average speed of 6.50 knots and a maximum speed of 7.80 knots. The last fuel record before the trip started was recorded on Sunday, June 01, 2008 at 11:47 PM local time. The total fuel load was 498. The first fuel record after the trip ended was recorded on Sunday, June 08, 2008 at 12:45 PM local time. The total fuel load was 473. The trip used 25.0 gallons, burned 3.09 gallons / hour and used 2.21 miles / gallon. Passage: Carillo to Ballina Bay Departed Tuesday, June 03, 2008 at 5:52 AM local time from Carillo anchorage. The departure location was latitude 9 degrees 51.199 minutes North, longitude 85 degrees 29.221 minutes West. Arrival Arrived Tuesday, June 03, 2008 at 1:01 PM local time at Bahia Ballena. The arrival location was latitude 9 degrees 43.036 minutes North, longitude 85 degrees 0.604 minutes West. The customs checkin was none. The trip covered 46.26 nautical miles in 0d 7h 7m with an average speed of 6.50 knots and a maximum speed of 7.70 knots. The last fuel record before the trip started was recorded on Sunday, June 01, 2008 at 11:47 PM local time. The total fuel load was 498. The first fuel record after the trip ended was recorded on Sunday, June 08, 2008 at 12:45 PM local time. The total fuel load was 473. The trip used 25.0 gallons, burned 3.50 gallons / hour and used 1.85 miles / gallon. Passage: Ballena Bay to Naranjo Departed Wednesday, June 04, 2008 at 2:22 PM local time from Ballena Bay anchorage. The departure location was latitude 9 degrees 43.134 minutes North, longitude 84 degrees 59.904 minutes West.
Arrival Arrived Wednesday, June 04, 2008 at 12:29 PM local time at Narango, Oasis del Pacifico Resort. The arrival location was latitude 9 degrees 56.524 minutes North, longitude 84 degrees 57.833 minutes West. The trip covered 27.76 nautical miles in 0d 4h 6m with an average speed of 6.80 knots and a maximum speed of 9.40 knots.
The last fuel record before the trip started was recorded on Sunday, June 01, 2008 at 11:47 PM local time. The total fuel load was 498. The first fuel record after the trip ended was recorded on Sunday, June 08, 2008 at 12:45 PM local time. The total fuel load was 473. The trip used 25.0 gallons, burned 6.07 gallons / hour and used 1.11 miles / gallon.
Narrative Thursday, June 05, 2008 11:30:29 AM Location: Gulf of Nicoya, Oasis del Pacifico Resort Latitude is 9 degrees 56.516 minutes north. Longitude is 84 degrees 57.841 minutes west.
This weather observation was at Thursday, June 05, 2008 11:17:03 AM local time. Observation location: Gulf of Nicoya, Oasis del Pacifico resort. Latitude is 9 degrees 56.516 minutes north. Longitude is 84 degrees 57.84 minutes west. The air temperature is 90, and water temperature is 85 degrees fahrenheit. The forecast is Sunny, Thunderstorms. The current weather is dry. The sky is scattered clouds (10 - 50% clouds). The wind is 5 knots from the northwest. The visibility is 20 nautical miles. The wave height is 0 feet with 0 foot swells. The barometer is 1008 millibars and steady.
I think we found a good spot. The usual stop for boats is across the bay at Puntarenas. But, with a 10 ft tide the channel is only navigatable at high tide and the boats sit in the mud at low tide. The moorings are up a mangrove estuary with the usual noseeums and mosquitos. That is where the yacht club is. We decided not to go there. Instead we chose a spot across the bay. There is a resort here that is nice to yachtees. We still have the 10 ft tides, but we are away from a regular shore so don't have the bugs. The resort is on a cove with a very nice beach. Our entire stay looks like it will cost us $10.00 for the use of the beach and take in trash. It also seems very safe here.
We had a 3 hour downpour last night that nearly filled our water tanks again. So, today we are doing laundry. Our little machine did a full set of queen size sheets! We are hanging the laundry to dry on the upper deck. Not very elegant, but it gets the job done with the intense sun and light breezes. Tomorrow, we'll even try a few towels!
We walked into "town" this morning with Nicholas to discover it consists of a nice cafe and the ferry dock. That's it. We stopped at the cafe, chatted with the locals, and had breakfast. The breakfast for two cost all of $8.00. The hotel is in caretaker mode since this is the off season and the woman in charge is very nice. We are meeting her at 3:30 to walk to a resturant the other way down the road. We found out more about the town where the Super Mercardo is and the bus. The town is about 20 klicks from here and the bus stops at 7:30 AM and 11:00 AM. It returns at 4:00 PM and maybe sometime earlier. The lady at the hotel is taking the bus tomorrow AM and we're going to go with her. If that doesn't have the shopping we are looking for, then we'll take the ferry to Puntarenas. Given what is within walking distance, easy bus or ferry rides, this is turning out to be a very nice spot.
das
Narrative Thursday, June 05, 2008 5:39:12 PM Location: Oasis del Pacifico Latitude is 9 degrees 56.519 minutes north. Longitude is 84 degrees 57.839 minutes west.
This weather observation was at Thursday, June 05, 2008 11:17:03 AM local time. Observation location: Gulf of Nicoya, Oasis del Pacifico resort. Latitude is 9 degrees 56.516 minutes north. Longitude is 84 degrees 57.84 minutes west. The air temperature is 90, and water temperature is 85 degrees fahrenheit. The forecast is Sunny, Thunderstorms. The current weather is dry. The sky is scattered clouds (10 - 50% clouds). The wind is 5 knots from the northwest. The visibility is 20 nautical miles. The wave height is 0 feet with 0 foot swells. The barometer is 1008 millibars and steady.
This place has an appropriate name. The dingy dock us servicable in the top half of the 10 ft tide which is the first dingy dock that has been usable since Acapulco. We checked out the resturant this evening. It's a 1/2 mile walk from the resort and has a limited but ok menu. It was a good break from dinner on the boat.
Tomorrow we will take the 7:30 AM bus to Jicaral where the shopping is supposed to be and the day after we will go into photo journalist mode. This place is teaming with life. It is amazing. There are goves of teak trees, howler monkeys, skinks and small lizards, birds, and insects galore. There are two high volume streams coming down from the hills and the Puntarenas ferry San Lucas is passing buy on its last trip to Puntarenas for the day. Shania Twain is playing on the USB drive. It looks like there won't be rain tonight. Life is good.
P.S. We might be able to get WiFi tomorrow in Jicaral. Otherwise, use this email address. das
Passage: Playa Naranjo to Los Suenos Departed Sunday, June 08, 2008 at 1:09 PM local time from Playa Naranjo anchorage. The departure location was latitude 9 degrees 57.041 minutes North, longitude 84 degrees 57.109 minutes West.
Arrival Arrived Sunday, June 08, 2008 at 11:08 AM local time at Bahia Herradura. The arrival location was latitude 9 degrees 38.619 minutes North, longitude 84 degrees 39.570 minutes West. The customs checkin was none. The trip covered 29.10 nautical miles in 0d 3h 58m with an average speed of 6.70 knots and a maximum speed of 8.90 knots.
The last fuel record before the trip started was recorded on Sunday, June 08, 2008 at 12:45 PM local time. The total fuel load was 473. The first fuel record after the trip ended was recorded on Monday, June 09, 2008 at 1:04 PM local time. The total fuel load was 451. The trip used 22.0 gallons, burned 5.54 gallons / hour and used 1.32 miles / gallon.
Passage: Los Suenos to Quepos Departed Monday, June 09, 2008 at 1:22 PM local time from Bahia Herradura anchorage. The departure location was latitude 9 degrees 38.731 minutes North, longitude 84 degrees 39.914 minutes West.
Narrative Monday, June 09, 2008 10:18:25 AM Location: At Sea Latitude is 9 degrees 28.834 minutes north. Longitude is 84 degrees 30.288 minutes west.
This weather observation was at Monday, June 09, 2008 9:57:32 AM local time. Observation location: At Sea. Latitude is 9 degrees 28.859 minutes north. Longitude is 84 degrees 30.456 minutes west. The air temperature is 82, and water temperature is 82 degrees fahrenheit. The forecast is Sunny, thunderstorms. The current weather is dry. The sky is broken clouds (60 - 90% clouds). The wind is 3 knots from the southwest. The visibility is 20 nautical miles. The wave height is 1 feet with 4 foot swells. The barometer is 1010 millibars and steady.
We are now working our way down the Costa Rican coast to Gulfito. Playa Naranjo was a very nice place to stay. The bus ride ($1.40) to Jicaral was very native and interesting. We went through the countryside on a small country road that picked up folks all along the way going to town. We were the only non locals. The little town of Jicaral was also very native. It had an internet "library" where people could use the computers and internet connection. School kids were the visible users. We plugged in and sent off some photos, checked in with our bank, etc. I called the Port Networks service guy and he confirmed that the radio in the box had become "desensitized" whatever that means and had to be sent back for exchange. I may be able to do this in Gulfito, but otherwise it is likely to be in Panama.
We did some shopping and had lunch in a local cafe. The cafe's here have no menu. The locals know what they want and the kitchen just cooks it. So, figuring out what to order is a challenge. In Jicaral I had breakfast and Mary had lunch which were both good. We took an unofficial cab back to Oasis del Pacifico for $16 since the bus was not scheduled to be there for another 2 hours.
The next day we went on a photo excursion and got some pictures of the local flora and fauna, including a chestnut colored squirrel with a black mohak, a blue skink, flowers, butterflies. I also got a shot of the national bird of Costa Rica, an Eagle. This eagle is supposed to be the largest bird of prey in the world. Ours was regular eagle size, but the big ones have a 6 ft wingspan and prey on monkeys, etc. Good thing Nicholas was on the boat at the time. We also came across a lime tree and harvested some. They were delicious!
We are still hungering for civilization, so decided to continue south. Last night we stayed at Bahia Herradura where Marina Los Suenos is. The marina charges $3.00 per ft so no one we know actually stayed there. The bay was rolly and the water too murky to dive on the bottom, so today we are going to Quepos, the next stop on the way to Gulfito. The sea is glassy smooth so the trip is really nice in spite of an adverse current. We should arrive by 1:30 PM local time. We haven't had any decent rain for several days now so are hoping we get some tonight. The temperatures continue to amaze me. Last night got down to about 70 degrees F and it is only 82 now!
das
Arrival Arrived Monday, June 09, 2008 at 1:08 PM local time at Quepos. The arrival location was latitude 9 degrees 25.794 minutes North, longitude 84 degrees 10.328 minutes West. The customs checkin was none. The trip covered 35.85 nautical miles in 0d 5h 45m with an average speed of 6.20 knots and a maximum speed of 7.40 knots.
The last fuel record before the trip started was recorded on Monday, June 09, 2008 at 1:04 PM local time. The total fuel load was 451. The first fuel record after the trip ended was recorded on Wednesday, June 11, 2008 at 11:46 AM local time. The total fuel load was 446. The trip used 5.0 gallons, burned 0.87 gallons / hour and used 7.17 miles / gallon.
Passage: Quepos to Drake Bay Departed Wednesday, June 11, 2008 at 12:34 PM local time from Quepos anchorage. The departure location was latitude 9 degrees 25.337 minutes North, longitude 84 degrees 10.921 minutes West.
Narrative Wednesday, June 11, 2008 10:48:05 AM Location: At Sea Latitude is 9 degrees 4.427 minutes north. Longitude is 83 degrees 57.212 minutes west.
This weather observation was at Wednesday, June 11, 2008 10:36:04 AM local time. Observation location: At Sea. Latitude is 9 degrees 4.549 minutes north. Longitude is 83 degrees 57.311 minutes west. The air temperature is 82, and water temperature is 82 degrees fahrenheit. The forecast is Overcast, thunderstorms. The current weather is dry. The sky is overcast (more than 90% clouds). The wind is 2 knots from the southwest. The visibility is 20 nautical miles. The wave height is 0 feet with 3 foot swells. The barometer is 1009 millibars and steady.
We stayed a day in Quepos trying to find a way to visit the town. As with too many anchorages on this coast, there was no way to get to shore. There was a floating dock that we could drop off and pick up from, but not leave the dingy. It was 2 miles from town so Mary did not want to take the hike alone. So this morning we left, disappointed and are heading now for Drake bay. < |
