sv evi

06/01/2006

Costa Rica, Part 1

Finally got some miles under the hull of Guava. Anchored in northern Costa Rica after a big 4 day, solo push from Huatulco, Mexico to Bahia del Sol, El Salvador. See earlier blog post for the story of that passage. I’ll also try to keep up on the website now that Dana has it back up.

While there i met crew Courtney…..well actually stole her from another boat that she flew down to crew on that was also headed south. Lucky me. I asked and she jumped ship to Guava. We provisioned, fixed my alternator (again) and left the next day. She had never sailed but nothing like a 300 mile, 3 night offshore passage, from El Salvador, passing Honduras, Nicaragua and into Costa Rica, to cut your teeth on.

We were dealt a mixed bag of lite to 35kts wind, up to 3 kts counter-current, lightning storms and no visible land for most of the trip. Also mechanical problems with the finicky alternator, and the engine belt breaking nearly overheating the engine. Disaster narrowly averted. Fishing on the other hand was a big success landing bonito tuna, sierra and a few delicious dorado.