Category Archives: Costa Rica

A two-island oasis: Islas Tortugas, Costa Rica

May 2015 Once again, wind funneled north into the Golfo de Nicoya, directly on our nose, preventing us from making use of our sails. The sky was blue, however, and having friends aboard made motoring less bothersome and the day more beautiful. Leaving Little Jesus and the Cedars, our destination was Islas Tortugas, two islands […]
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A few days in the Golfo de Nicoya, CR

May 2015 We awoke in a state of near-giddiness on the 5th of May. In less than 24 hours, Mark and Helen, two of our dearest friends would have their flip flop-clad feet on Costa Rican soil. We weighed anchor, and began the final push to our rendezvous point in Puntarenas, a gritty commercial port […]
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Rolling in-n-out of Gringolandia + an impromptu overnight passage

May 2015 A few hours after we arrived in Playa del Coco, we dinghied to the beach, survived the surf landing, and got to the business of clearing back into Costa Rica. This time around, we were not rookies. We knew what to expect, and we managed to go through the process relatively quickly; half […]
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From Nica to Tica: The Red Thread Returns to Costa Rica

April 2015 We untied our dock lines and set out from Marina Puesta del Sol in the early afternoon of April 28th. The day was hot, 92° Fahrenheit to be exact. Four-foot seas rolled long and steady from the west southwest as we exited the estuary. Fourteen knots of westerly breeze filled our sails, and […]
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Northbound or bust: Costa Rica to the CA-4 + Ep. 6 VIDEO

March 2015 By the time the clock ticked 7 o’clock on the morning of March 19th, we had already craned our anchor from the sandy bottom of Bahia Huevos. The sky was clear and the waters of the Golfo de Papagayo were glassy. We rarely crave such calm conditions at the outset of a passage, […]
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Howlers and hermits at Huevos + Ep. 5 VIDEO

FYI: We created a new VIDEO! Check out the link at the bottom of this post! March 2015 Finding a new favorite Even after officially checking out of Costa Rica, it is not uncommon for cruisers to spend a few days vagabonding from bay-to-bay in the nation’s northern waters before crossing the border into Nicaragua. […]
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Beaches of Bahia Culebra: Playa Hermosa, a Tica favorite

March 2015 After our most recent boat breakage debacle, we needed some time to unwind our nerves and relax. We departed Marina Papagayo at dusk and dropped our hook off Playa Hermosa as the last flecks of color retreated beneath a dark sky. We awoke early to an already-hot boat, tackled a couple projects, and […]
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No good very bad day

March 2015 Do you remember that game whack-a-mole? In case you’ve forgotten, it is a carnival game in which you whack a rubber hammer at a seemingly endless succession of “moles” that pop up from a series of holes in the table before you. The speedier you are and the more you strike, the higher […]
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Beaches of Bahia Culebra: Playa Iguanita, a little-known gem

March 2015 After six days in Playa Panama, we weighed anchor and motored a few miles north to Playa Iguanita, the northeastern most anchorage in Bahia Culebra. Devoid of the panga-tethering mooring balls and tourist boats that characterize the other bays, the unspoiled space of water and blonde beach were welcome sights. We’d been enjoying […]
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Beaches of Bahia Culebra: Playa Panama

February/March 2015 Winds in this bay never seem to abate for more than an hour or two. Gusts have spiked as high as the upper 30s in the anchorage, and we see the low 30s almost daily. Some moments I’m convinced that the only redeeming quality of this bay is its good holding. Okay, okay, […]
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GUESTBOOK: Musings from the boat-el by Lindsay

February 2015 When our gaggle of friends visited Costa Rica, Lindsay opted for a berth at our boat-el, rather than the all-inclusive hotel. And we were so glad she did. Lindsay is the type of person everyone yearns to call their friend. She is empathic, encouraging, and fun-loving. She finds joy in simple moments and […]
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Rendezvousing with friends in Costa Rica

“There are big ships and small ships. But the best ship of all is friendship.” ~Author Unknown February 2015 We had weathered high winds and a long night of storms and spent the morning close-hauled in 30+ knots as we bashed across the Golfo Papagayo. We sailed as tightly to the wind as Red Thread […]
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