Travel
Puntarenas
Puntarenas is a a long spit extending into the Golfo de Nicoya. That means there's a beach on one side and an estuary on the other. The beach is rather pretty - it's long and lots of Ticos come to enjoy the small surf and the big sun. The estuary is a long working dock […]
Costa Rica Yacht Club
For a variety of reasons we decided to travel to Puntarenas. We have been trying to get Scream hauled for months. Then our water maker developed a leak and we were pretty low on water to begin with. All of the guides that we have recommend the Costa Rica Yacht Club as the place to […]
Gulf of Nicoya
We went to Islas Tortugas after leaving Bahia Ballena. These two islands form an L which is open to the North and East. We tried anchoring off the north beach of the south island as recommended by Charlie, but the bottom shoals too rapidly for our comfort. We dropped 90 feet of chain in 30 […]
Bahia Ballena
Bahia Ballena is in the Gulf of Nicoya on Costa Rica's Pacific coast. We spent three nights here at anchor. The anchorage is calm but not entirely free of swell. There are many acres of anchorage in 6-10m, sand bottom. Several of the guide books that we have suggest landing your dinghy at the fishermen's […]
Playas del Coco, Costa Rica
The town of Coco is the northernmost port of entry on Costa Rica's Pacific coast. Coco is much smaller and more rustic than we expected. There are lots of shops, including two very fancy supermarkets, two large hardware stores, and three small "marine supply" stores. Clearing into Costa Rica here was okay. The port captain […]
Bahía Santa Elena
Bahía Santa Elena, Costa Rica, is possibly the best anchorage we've visited since leaving Canada. It is a large bay, with room for a hundred boats, protected from all directions. It is completely flat, even when the wind gusts, bordered by lush green hills filled with squawking parrots and other birds. The only problems with […]
San Juan del Sur
San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, is a surfer's paradise. The town is fun and funky, and while it's a little expensive by Central American standards, it's very reasonable for anyone used to North American prices. However, the anchorage is one of the strangest we've ever visited. There are several dozen boats permanently anchored here, even […]
Corinto
Corinto is the large commercial harbour on the Pacific coast of Nicaragua, and one of the best natural harbours of our voyage. It is in an estuary, however there is no bar to cross and the channel is wide and well marked. Entering the port was very easy. When we arrived, we anchored near the […]
The Beautiful, Majestic El Salvadoran Bus
The guide books call them "chicken busses", but the only chicken I've ever seen on board was fried and in a convenient cardboard takeout box. Whether you're going across town or across the country, these repurposed school busses (and for the very lucky, some old long haul coaches) will get you where you're going for […]