Our next stop was Playa Coco. This is a touristy area with many restaurants and shops. Ralph and I had been here years ago when we stayed on-land at Playa Hermosa, one beach up. We had to check into Costa Rica here, and while waiting for the Port Captain, saw the town band which was leading a small parade to the grand opening of a supermarket.
We followed the parade and were able to enjoy some local dancers right in front of the new supermarket. From here we went to Marina Papagayo and met up again with Rich and Jane on Rediscovery II who were kind enough to take Ralph and Ken to the airport at Liberia where Ralph had to clear customs. I did laundry and enjoyed the swimming pool in their absence! We left for Golfito which was three days/two nights away. Although winds were reported to be only up to 15 MPH and the weather report was a good one for sailing, the winds built the whole day on April 7. By dawn of the 8th, the winds were gusting to 40+ knots and we were heading into the wind. At the Gulf of Nicoya, we stopped making headway, and Ralph determined that we needed to go back some 20 miles (the closest bay) to wait out the storm. Poor Ralph was soaking wet from getting the brunt of the waves while he steered the boat in an effort to keep the bashing down to a resonable level. I mentioned to him that I thought this was an extremely uncomfortable leg of the journey and Ralph said "Are you kidding, this is exhilarating!" We ended up at Bahia Carrillo and had a most pleasant evening in a very pretty bay. I must say, the boat handled it all very well and that reinforced our confidence in the Beneteau. It is built for the rough, open seas and that is what it has gotten the last couple times we were out!
We did make it to Golfito, Costa Rica on 4/10 and what we really needed was to get off the boat and get some cocktails. However, since this was Good Friday, bars, restaurants and stores were not allowed to sell alcohol. Fortunately, we had a supply of such provisions on the boat so we made due. This is a really pretty spot, however, and we will check out of Costa Rica here and prepare for our journey to Panama.
We stayed several nights at Banana Bay Marina in Golfito. The greenery you see behind this building is part of a national park that skirts the city. This used to be a major port for the export of bananas until the banana trees were wiped out by an unfriendly bug. Then the growers tried to grow palms for palm oil, but that industry was decimated due to health concerns in the countries that had used the palm oil (like the U.S.). The old buildings from the "company store days" are now used for schools, hospitals and housing. Its major business is now a duty free center where Costa Ricans reportedly shop for appliances and other items at reduced prices.
Our next stop was Playa Coco. This is a touristy area with many restaurants and shops. Ralph and I had been here years ago when we stayed on-land at Playa Hermosa, one beach up. We had to check into Costa Rica here, and while waiting for the Port Captain, saw the town band which was leading a small parade to the grand opening of a supermarket.
We followed the parade and were able to enjoy some local dancers right in front of the new supermarket. From here we went to Marina Papagayo and met up again with Rich and Jane on Rediscovery II who were kind enough to take Ralph and Ken to the airport at Liberia where Ralph had to clear customs. I did laundry and enjoyed the swimming pool in their absence! We left for Golfito which was three days/two nights away. Although winds were reported to be only up to 15 MPH and the weather report was a good one for sailing, the winds built the whole day on April 7. By dawn of the 8th, the winds were gusting to 40+ knots and we were heading into the wind. At the Gulf of Nicoya, we stopped making headway, and Ralph determined that we needed to go back some 20 miles (the closest bay) to wait out the storm. Poor Ralph was soaking wet from getting the brunt of the waves while he steered the boat in an effort to keep the bashing down to a resonable level. I mentioned to him that I thought this was an extremely uncomfortable leg of the journey and Ralph said "Are you kidding, this is exhilarating!" We ended up at Bahia Carrillo and had a most pleasant evening in a very pretty bay. I must say, the boat handled it all very well and that reinforced our confidence in the Beneteau. It is built for the rough, open seas and that is what it has gotten the last couple times we were out!
We did make it to Golfito, Costa Rica on 4/10 and what we really needed was to get off the boat and get some cocktails. However, since this was Good Friday, bars, restaurants and stores were not allowed to sell alcohol. Fortunately, we had a supply of such provisions on the boat so we made due. This is a really pretty spot, however, and we will check out of Costa Rica here and prepare for our journey to Panama.
We stayed several nights at Banana Bay Marina in Golfito. The greenery you see behind this building is part of a national park that skirts the city. This used to be a major port for the export of bananas until the banana trees were wiped out by an unfriendly bug. Then the growers tried to grow palms for palm oil, but that industry was decimated due to health concerns in the countries that had used the palm oil (like the U.S.). The old buildings from the "company store days" are now used for schools, hospitals and housing. Its major business is now a duty free center where Costa Ricans reportedly shop for appliances and other items at reduced prices.
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