Thursday, September 10, 2015

Pura Vida

Well, we never made it to Nicaragua.

I re-read my last post and noted I had discussed the need to maybe have to stop in Costa Rica and wait out the winds.  I also noted we were enjoying our sail, with the winds sort of pulsing up and down.

Things kept up like that - it was actually sort of fun.  We kept reefing the sails down when the wind hit, and then letting them out again when it died down.  Our first clue that something might be changing came when we noticed the wind was coming up faster and harder.   We finally left the reef in even when the wind was down, although that made us go slower than we wanted to.  But reefing the sails is difficult once the wind has already come up, and since the gusts were getting closer together and stronger we decided sacrificing speed for control was worth it.  Of course eventually the winds, which gusted up to about 40 knots, with sustained winds in the 30s.

Along with the increased winds came the dreaded fetch.  Fetch occurs when wind blows accross the water and stirs up waves.  If the current and the wind are acting in opposition, giant waves can be the result.  We did not have that, but the waves that did develop were large and choppy enough to constantly knock the boat off course, affecting the speed and making things generally uncomfortable.  We should have been able to fly along under reefed sails in that kind of wind without too much problem, but the wave action caused our speed to drop to less than 2 knots.  The only way to improve that situation was to head towards shore and hug the shore as much as possible.  Since these were easterly winds, coming off the land, the water closest to shore was the calmest. So we turned on the engine and headed towards shore.

We sailed along for awhile, but after checking our weather information, it became apparent things were not going to get better any time soon.  The further north we went, the worse it was going to get.  And since we couldn't make any speed, it would be days of misery to work our way north.  So I insisted we stop in Costa Rica.  After studying our sailing guide books, we chose an anchorage and dropped anchor.

Now, a word as to why we didn't want to stop in Costa Rica.  (I hope I am not repeating myself, but I am far too lazy to re-read my old posts and see if the issue had been addressed previously or not.)  When we left El Salvador in 2012 or so, we discovered right after heading out to sea that our depth sounder was not working.  We did not want to try and anchor without a depth sounder, so we bypassed Nicaragua and Costa Rica and went straight to Panama City, where we knew we could get it fixed.  And additionally, most cruisers bitch constantly about Costa Rica.  Most of the people we knew were either lukewarm about it or flat out dislked it.  The major complaint is that Costa Rica is expensive.  And it is true, it is not cheap here.  It is a LOT more expensive than Mexico or Salvador, but less than the US, for the most part.  Nothing crazy by our standards.   The other complaint is that the officials are hard to deal with.  Stories abound about people who have had to flee in the night after being threatened with boat confiscation for small infractions.  The officials were described as hostile and uncooperative.

After sitting around for a few days on the boat, we started to talk about what we wanted to do.  I admitted to being tired of feeling like I was always running away from something, like weather issues or immigation requirements.  I didnt want to just give up the whole thing, but I wanted something to change.

It seemed to me we had reached a strange and difficult point.  What to do next?  We decided that if we wanted to cross the Pacific, the boat needed some major upgrades, startng with new sails.  There are also a lot of little things to fix as well.  And then once you get there, where do you go?  There is Australia or new Zealand.  Both are a long way from anything else.  And the weather between Polynesia and those countries is starting to get more and more dicey, with no real storm season any more.  And then where to go from there?  After the burglary, I did not want to go back to Puerto Amistad in Ecuador.  There wsa supposedly another place to go n Ecuador, but  couldn't get any sensible information about it.  It just seemed too overwhelming.  I wanted to stop, regroup, and sort things out.  I kept most of this to myself because I was not ready to have that converstion with Mike.  I did not think he would react well to any suggestion we not keep moving on.  But he did agree that we should check in to the country and take a rest at the marina here.

I was stoked about that.  We reached the marina by email, and arranged for a slip.  We found out that the check in services through the marina required the use of an agent and would cost about $750.00.  Forget that!   So we raised sail and went a bit closer up the coast to Playa de Cocos, the check in point.  The next day, we went to the Port Captain at 9 am to begin the process.  We had all our paperwork in order and the officials could not have been more pleasent.  They were thorough, asking questions that no other country asks, but did not ask us for a cent.  After that, we walked about three blocks to immigration.  Again, everyone was wonderful and did not ask us for a dime.  Then it was back to the Port Captain, and then we caught a bus for the airport at Liberia, to handle customs.  The bus ride is about half an hour.  We then went to customs, handed in our papers, and within another half and hour we were done.  Even with a stop to get our phones set up with service and internet, we were all done by noon.

That gave us the right to stay here for 90 days.  We really started to like it here.  The marina turned out to be a marvelous place, with great services and amenities, like a work out room, a nice pool, and a laundremat.  The bar also serves decent food.  It costs us about $1300 per month to live here, including water and electricity.  The marina is part of a big hotel and condo and really fancy home complex.  We can hear howler monkeys, and the water in the marina itself is so clean and clear it seems like we are docked in a giant aquarium.  The depth is about 25 feet, and we can usually see the bottom.  None of the other boats here are liveaboards - most of them are fishing boats or huge catamarines with absentee owners.  We are the only people actually living in the marina.  It is kind of odd, but fun too.

We also rented a four wheel drive car.  Costa Rica has good roads, but also has a lot of dirt roads and jeep trails.  We have been exploring all over this area, and love it.

So here is what happened - Mike decided he loved it here and was in no hurry to leave.  Of course I was in agreement.  Then, while visiting with the marina manager, I discovered there was a way to keep the boat in the country for two years.  Without gonig into a lot of details, it seemed to me that it would meet all our needs for the time being.  We do have to live in the marina, but as long as we are paying our fees here, all we have to do is file a "float plan" with the marina and we can sail where ever we want to without all the usual formalities, which are a bit onerous here.  And this is a great place to sail - it is easy to day hop from anchorage to anchorage, all within an easy day sail of or marina slip.

So we decided to stay here, for at least the next year or two.  There is way less lightning here, although it remains an issue.  But the risk is way less, especially here in Northern Costa Rica.   The other really great thing about being here is that Mike has a cousin living here.  They have not seen each other since they were children.  She and her husband have lived here for 20 years.  We have visited with them twice and we all get along well.  There is also a very large expat population here, and we are finding it easy to make friends.  And the Costa Ricans are wonderful - I cannot say enough.   By the way, "Pura Vida" means "Pure Life" and is sort of a Costa Rican "aloha."  That sort of tells it all, better than I ever could.

"Before all masters, necessity is the one most listened to, and who teaches the best."  (Jules Verne)  



            


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