Colorful Costa Rica: April/May 2019

April 17th - April 25, 2019: We spent the next few days after the transit exploring a little of the Pacific side of Panama. We explored the anchorage right off the canal and found it was ok. The marina there charges if you want to tie up your dinghy for a while. Going around the point to the other side, the swell and chop weren't as bad, due to the lack of canal traffic. Here, there were many more boats anchored. There is a small floating dock to tie up to at no charge. Garbage cans are nearby for disposing of trash and there are many shops nearby at a walkable distance. 

We decided we'd like to get out of the city for a bit and so treated our guests/crew to the neighboring islands called The Pearl Islands and they were indeed the Pearls of the Eastern Pacific. These islands boast lovely soft white sand and coconut tree-lined beaches, absolutely beautiful to visit. If you are a Survivor fan, then you are familiar with the location. We sailed right by those camps. 

We stopped at Isla Pedro Gonzalez and San Jose Island. There was lots of birdlife to watch, dolphins, and beautiful, quiet anchorage spots to enjoy. We waved to a small fishing village as we sailed by. The people were super friendly and I wished we had more time so we could get to immerse ourselves in this culture a bit longer. 

There is one spot to be careful of on Isla Pedro Gonzales, as old shipping containers are underwater when the tide is high but reveal themselves as the tide drops. Granted, they are very close to shore, but just be wary if you decide to stop there. Beautiful backdrop surrounding the spot though! We encountered several large logs in the water, which Jared and Mike drug away with the help of Hermes (our faithful dingy).

We treated ourselves to a stay at Flamenco marina for a couple of nights. Stef celebrated her 40th birthday and we all went ashore to a local restaurant to celebrate. After saying "see you later" to our crew (except for Mike, who was going to extend his stay to tour Costa Rica for a bit), Jared and Mike went back to Shelter Bay marina via taxi to help out as line handlers for our friends on Zephyrus. Stef and the kids caught up on boat schooling lessons and made friends with Ata Marie, who was heading on the same northward path. They had a daughter close to Cadence's age, so it was a great buddy boat to have.

A couple of days later, with all crew back on board, we pointed Roundabout north and sailed towards Costa Rica. We passed by a few more islands,  but having already cleared out of Panama, we didn't want to get in trouble for stopping (they give you 48 hours to clear out). As we were making way, there was a coast guard boat just behind one of the smaller islands, checking out the traffic. They did not hail us, but drifted along for a while.

April 24, 2019: We rounded Punta Mala at night and after hearing all the bad stories for this area, were very happy to experience smooth and fast sailing. We picked up a following current and hit over 10 knots SOG! Two days later found us anchored off of Banana Bay Marina in the Bay of Golfito, Costa Rica. The entrance to this bay is a stretch of water surrounded completely by an overgrown jungle. Howler monkeys sounded their greeting off in the distance. Colorful birds flit amongst the branches. We dropped anchor right in front of the marina, with the manager's approval, and it was time to head to shore to check-in.

We lowered Hermes into the water, grabbed our boat bag with our documents, and Mike with all his gear, and headed towards the marina for check-in and a celebratory meal. Michael, the marina manager, was very friendly and helpful. He gave us a map and told us about the places to check into the country ourselves. He will do this for you for a small fee, but we actually like the experience of completing this ourselves. We get to see a bit more of the country that way. 

We walked down to immigration to get stamped in and then to the Coast Guard office and finally to Customs. Mike was removed from our crew list and arranged for his travels on land. After walking back to the marina, we grabbed a tasty dinner and ice cold drinks. Later that evening, we said our goodbyes to Mike and just like that, it was our own family on Roundabout once again. After having several guests on board, it was strangely quiet. 

The next day we decided to go exploring a bit. We loaded up snacks and cold drinks into Hermes and with cameras fully charged, sunhats and sunscreen applied, we set off into the nooks and crannies of Golfito Bay. We saw so much wildlife! One of my favorites was a bright pink bird called a Roseat Spoonbill. The flash of pink against the deep green really stood out! 

The sounds that surrounded us reminded us of Shelter Bay, Panama. Monkeys, birds, and insects are constantly in the background, along with the sound of other cruisers having happy hour at the bar drifted out to us. 

The only thing we did not enjoy was the heat and humidity. While usually wanting to shower first to get the hottest water, we all wanted to go last to get the coldest. I remember telling Jared that the water just wasn't cold enough! Thankfully, a breeze would filter through the bay and frequent rain showers would cool things off just a bit. It was tolerable. We could not go swimming due to the crocs in the area. Michael told the story of how he was cleaning boats and looked over once to find a croc swimming in the current next to him! He slowly backed away, keeping close to the boat until he quickly climbed aboard. He has not cleaned boats in awhile, but as the money is too good to pass up, he is considering it once again. 

We had access to wifi for the cost of a drink or meal at the restaurant. They had great food and a lovely blended "lemonada con herba buena" drink that I still make to this day. It is ice, lime juice with a bit of sugar, and mint leaves. That drink was the treat I looked forward to each day we were there. It was cool and refreshing and helped to beat the heat. 

We met two California families in the bay, as well! Secret Waters came over to say hello one morning and we hit it off right away! They later introduced us to the Talisen Rose crew. We spent the next week hanging out and I even taught a STEM class with robotics and a science lab. It's always more fun with other kid boats around. The kids sailed in one of their sailing dingies and spent many fun hours playing with their newfound buddies.

May 1, 2019: The clock was ticking and its a resounding reminder that we had to get back to California before August pushed us to haul anchor, wave goodbye and set our course for Mexico. We celebrated Matthew's 13th  birthday while at sea. After 7 days and a little bit of a rough passage, we diverted to Huatulco, Mexico to check into the country instead of Acapulco. We sort of wish we had continued on as we had the worst check-in experience and the scare of our life in Huatulco. More of that crazy story in the next post! 

Bahamas!

A dolphin visited our boat and swam with us all day long! So magical!

We have sailed the Mediterranean, crossed the Atlantic Ocean, and explored all over the Caribbean from Barbados to the Bahamas. We have seen more marine life and stunning water colors since arriving to these lovely islands a few weeks ago. We keep saying, "Wow"!

Nature's swimming pool! 

Family time!

Steve and Tina captured this lovely pic of our dolphin friend. To see more of Steve's amazing
photography skills, check out his website: www.stevezmak.com  

Tree swing at Chat-N-Chill beach.

We swam all day with our dolphin friend!

We met up with Jared's parents in Georgetown, Exumas who flew in for a week. It was so good to see some family after almost 2 years away. Our friends Steve and Tina also came out and stayed aboard with us for the week. We explored the town of Georgetown, swam with a dolphin right at our boat for a day (it stayed until nightfall, but what an amazing experience), and moseyed on over to Chat-N-Chill beach for a day. That place is tons of fun! Volleyball courts, little beach shack, swings, swimming with the stingrays, treehouse, slacklines, and all sorts of things for kids (and adults) to do. We met all sorts of people and made new friends. We can see why people get stuck here for awhile.

Family volleyball match.

Exploring Georgetown.

Roundabout at sunset, Great Inagua Island.

After sailing around Great Exuma island with the grandparents, it was time for them to return to California. We said our 'see-you-laters' and set off for White Cay with our friends to see the pigs. We sailed north for a couple of hours and anchored off of white cay. The pigs are a bit shy at first, but friendly. After seeing we had some goodies for them, they slowly entered the water near the dinghy. They sat like little puppy dogs, mouths wide open, awaiting the treats. We fed them lettuce, carrots, and apples. Zach brought some cheese pizza and a chocolate chip cookie along for his snack, but they fell out of his bag on accident and the piggies gobbled them up! I hope their tummies were ok after that rich food! When they saw we were out of food, they slowly wandered back to the beach.

The following morning, we dropped Steve and Tina off at a little restaurant on the beach across the bay. Turns out, this was the same restaurant featured in the Fyre Festival documentary. We had a couple of cold drinks while they waited for their taxi.

We were surprised by lemon sharks feeding close to shore, so of course, that distracted us for awhile. They are so swift and graceful in their movements!

Just after sunrise, we exited the cut and out into the ocean for a sail north to Rudder Cut Cay. It is all about the tides and current, here in the Bahamas!

We heard there was an underwater statue that needed to be discovered. Turns out, this is one of David Copperfield's islands. He also owns Musha Cay and a handful of others in the area. If you have a spare $42k, you can rent Musha Cay resort for a day.

We dropped the hook of Rudder Cut Cay and dinghied over to explore the sea caves and the mermaid/piano statues. It's pretty easy to free dive down to the statue. Word on the street is that the original one was stolen a few years ago, so this one they affixed to a concrete block. Another cruiser mentioned seeing a 6' nurse shark in the area, but we didn't see it. As we sailed by Musha Cay, a gentleman came out of one of the remote houses and waved at us. Could it have been the famous magician himself? We couldn't tell from so far away. If so, hello Mr. Copperfield! =)

From there, we moved on to Great Inagua. We anchored off one of the beaches and fed the iguanas lettuce. They are quite a beautiful mixture of pink and green skin, and very friendly.
We made a pit stop at Blackpoint for some of Lorraine's mom's special coconut bread, as well as her coconut raisin cinnamon bread. These made amazing french toast!

Meeting Lorraine's mama and buying some fresh coconut bread!

We spent the night anchored off another beach on Great Inagua. They all seem to have iguanas roaming around, so you can't miss out on seeing them.

They come up to you as soon as you land on the beach. 

Thunderball Grotto was our next stop along the island chain. We spent one night anchored off of the Grotto and then moved around the corner to Big Majors Cay to wait out a blow coming through. The pigs here are famous and know it. They are a bit more aggressive than the shy White Cay piggies, but simply hold up your hands and they will go find someone else that has some tasty morsels for them. We saw lots of little piglets here as well.

Cruisers' beach, Big Majors Cay

Crystal clear water!

Hermes at the edge of the gorgeous water (cruiser's  beach)

Pigs of all shapes and sizes! The little ones were so cute!

Nurse sharks at Staniel Cay.

Fun tree at Chat-N-Chill beach.

Petting the friendly stingrays.

We spent a few days hanging out at cruiser's beach, snorkeling the grotto again, checking out Staniel Cay (go swim with the sharks off the marina), and waited for a fridge part to show up from Watermakers air (we replaced the compressor module). After swapping out the parts, we were back in business and made our way up to Little Halls Pond Cay, also known as Johnny Depp's private island. You will know for sure it is his, because of this sign on the beach: "This is NOT Disney. You are NOT welcome". We were hoping to catch a glimpse of our fellow pirate, Captain Jack Sparrow, but alas, he was out sailing the high seas during our visit. Right next to his island is a rock known as The Aquarium. This place has the most tropical fish we've ever seen in one place! Wow! We wandered around the other little islands and beaches, and prepped to cross over to the island of Eleuthera the next day.

We sailed about 5-6 hours and dropped the hook in greenish tinged water off Poison Point. The kids built a little campfire and we cooked dinner and made s'mores. We invited the other boats in the anchorage and made some new friends. The next morning was Monday, so we dinghied over to The Island School for a tour. Zach heard about this amazing marine science school and wanted to check it out. Stef ended up with a job offer at the end of the tour (no, she didn't take it,but perhaps a summer position in the future).  Zach  decided to apply to attend their Sophomore year. If you are in the area, please go see all the projects their students are working on. Simply hands-on project based learning at its finest!

The next couple of days were spent adventuring around Rock Sound with our new friends. One of them had a daughter Cadence's age, so she was happy to finally have another sailor girl to hang with.

We saw two of the big Ocean Holes inland, cliff dove, and crawled through Cathedral Cave, winding around the spider webs, bats, and all!

Planning on where to jump off at the Ocean Hole  (closest one to Rock Sound)

Cathedral Cave with the bats

At first light, we sailed back over to the Exumas and anchored off Norman Cay. This is also one of the islands featured in the Fyre Festival documentary. The current here can be wicked, so be sure to set out a 2nd anchor (aka bahamian style anchoring), otherwise you risk the anchor chain messing up your bottom paint when the current is one direction and the wind another.

From Norman Cay, we spent another night at Rudder Cut Cay, and then moved on to Georgetown, as we hopped our way south. We rode out another weather system here for a few days and went to play at Chat-N-Chill beach every day. So. Much. Fun!

Mid-afternoon, after getting some last minute provisions, we set off for Hog Cut Cay. We ended up not liking how it looked, even with high tide (take your dinghy in ahead if you are uncertain of the depth. A portable depth sounder is VERY handy for situations like these).

Sunny on Castle Island.

Shipwreck treasures on Hogsty Reef Atoll (Sand spit)

We anchored off for the night and at first light, went around the long way, around Long Island. It definitely has the correct name. We spent the night off of Castle Island (this beach is really cool and the old abandoned lighthouse deserves a look as well--don't go inside though, its falling apart). Snorkel the reefs there, as you'll see lots of pretty fish and colorful coral.

Anchored off Hogsty Reef Atoll.

We moved on to Hogsty Reef Atoll the following day and had the place to ourselves for the afternoon and evening! This is a truly amazing place, with so much wildlife! We found a few conch and made fritters (freeze them for 24 hours, then you can easily remove them without breaking the shell). You can only visit this place when the sea and weather are very calm. There are over 200 wrecks in the area. Ashore, there are lots of shipwreck treasures like pottery, glass, square nails, and remnants of cargo. We placed these on a flat piece of concrete towards the pillar on the east side of Sand Cay. Please add to these but don't take so that others can enjoy. Some of the pottery is stamped London 1888. You can snorkel some of the wrecks (you'll see at least 2 large cargo shipwrecks and the rest are below the surface). There's nice coral, lots of conch, and fish.

Next morning at daylight, we sailed on to Matthew-town, Great Inagua. We cleared out, got some provisions, dinghy fuel, and then set off on our 5-day passage to Panama! Jungle, here we come!

Next up: we arrive in Panama, haul out, explore the jungle, and prep for the canal transit.

Island Hopping: Isles deSaintes, Guadeloupe, Antigua/Barbuda

Stef leading a science class on the beach. Cocoa Point, Barbuda

We hopped up the islands from the Saintes, Guadeloupe, to Antigua/Barbuda. The Saintes are full of mooring balls, so we sailed by and headed on up to Pigeon island, off of Guadeloupe. This is one of Jacque Cousteau's underwater parks. The snorkeling area is better in deeper water, as any shallow areas were destroyed in the hurricanes.
We met up with some friends in Deshaies for a fun night out exploring the town and stocking up on a few fresh provisions. Next morning found us setting sail for Antigua.

Antigua

Approaching Antigua treats the eyes to beautiful shades of blue water. We entered Jolly Harbor and dropped the hook in about 2 meters. It's a bright shade of turquoise, but murky.

Kids playing in the water, Jolly Harbor.

Keep in mind there are A LOT of boats in this harbor, but the check in/out is easiest here. There is a large grocery store that has a pretty good selection. Shop like a local to avoid a huge bill. Chicken was the cheapest we've seen since the states.

Grocery shopping in Antigua (Jolly Harbor)

Check in was a simple process. The first part is completed online via Sailclear, and then the rest in person at the customs office. We spent about a week sailing around Antigua and moved on to Barbuda. This island, by far, was our favorite!

At anchor of Barbuda.

The anchorage at Cocoa Point is protected, lovely, and not crowded at all! Wild horses and donkeys roam the beach. The sand is pinkish and so soft! It's quite a long stretch of sand, so there's plenty of room for the kids to run and play. We had sundowners on the beach with friends each night. One afternoon, Stef lead a science class on the beach and later on that evening, we had a BBQ. The kids also built their own little fire to make s'mores.

Beach BBQ with our buddy boats.

The area is now under development, with multi-million dollar lots up for sale. We were glad we got to see it before this construction begins. Such a shame that future generations will not get to enjoy the wild beauty that Barbuda offers.

Roundabout at anchor, with Hermes (our trusty dinghy) anchored off the beach.

We moved to the other end of the island near the town for a night, just to check it out and explore a new place. There's a cool sand spit you can walk out on, adjacent to the lagoon. Lots of conch shells, hermit crabs, and turtles hang out here.

Morning walk along the beach on the coast of Barbuda.

Checking out of Antigua (Barbuda does not have a customs office yet, as they are still in recovery after the hurricanes): you need to clear out online and then visit customs. Any crew under the age of 12 has to pay 75EC (this was unexpected). After customs, visit immigration and then back to customs.


We hoisted the sails and set our course for St. Bart's.