Log Book
- Port of departure: Bahia Drake, Costa Rica
- Departure date and time: Sunday, December 15, 2013 at 12:00pm
- Port of arrival: Golfito, Costa Rica
- Arrival date and time: Monday, December 16, 2013 at 4:30om
- Total travel time: 1 day and 4.5 hours (28.5 hours)
- Miles traveled: 72.4 nm
- Engine hours: 1186.4 begin – 1191.7 end – 5.3 hours
- Fuel consumption: 36.6. begin – 34.5 end – 2.1 gallons used
- Fuel economy: 34.5 mpg
- Tides and currents: We left Drake towards the end of the incoming tide . We were sitting at the mouth of Golfo Dulce at the beginning of the flood, but it didn’t seem to be helping much. We entered the Golfito channel at the beginning of the ebb tide. Aside from a 0.5 knot current in the Golfito channel, the current did not impact us much.
- Weather: The forecast predicted 2-5 knots of wind from the W in the morning, switching to 4-8 knots from the S/SW in the afternoon and evening.
Bahia Drake is a place I could see staying put for awhile, but our rapidly expiring Costa Rican visas wouldn’t allow it, plus we have visitors set to arrive in Panama in just over a week (precise meeting time and location TBD (!)). We got a late start on Sunday for two reasons: 1) We had taken down a bottle of Guaro (the Costa Rican national liquor) the night before, the result being that we stayed up way past our bedtime talking about life; 2) We wanted to sail as much as possible and the wind did not make an appearance until around noon. We’ve noticed that the thermals (the land and sea breezes) are generally nonexistent in the morning and start to pick up around lunch time. So why rush the morning routine?
With the slightest puff from the E/SE we raised our sails under anchor and drifted with the tide, our sails lying limp, fluttering but not filling with what little breeze we had. We could see the wind line approaching, but it was taking its sweet time. In the meantime we were drifting towards a fishing boat on a mooring and the owner had emerged from his cockpit to keep tabs on us. Within 100 yards of the fishing boat the wind accelerated, enabling us to overcome the push of the incoming tide.
Grey clouds descended from the sky, sheets of water extending to the vegetation below, obscuring details of the landscape. The cool air was welcome, though we knew it was also likely to be accompanied by rain at some point during the day or night. Apparently the Osa Peninsula generates its own weather systems and there is no “dry” season, per se…it’s either rainy season or rainy-er season. We are sailing along a rainforest afterall, and I should probably just accept and revel in this fact.
Once we cleared Punta San Jose the wind switched from the E/SE to the S/SW, meaning it would be on our nose for much of the day. We tacked out towards Isla Cano, making very slow progress in the light wind. The wind was mild most of the afternoon and early evening. Jeff and I have noticed that when he is on shift the wind usually blows a bit more steadily and tends to die when I’m at the tiller. It’s a good thing that my tolerance for a rolly boat and floppy sails has increased considerably over time. It also tends to rain on my shifts. Unfortunately my tolerance for rain underway has not similarly increased. I have, however, developed coping strategies for the rain, complaining being one of them.
Since the conditions were fair (and would likely remain fair) Jeff opted to take the 6 hour night shift, starting at about 9:30pm. Under his watch we made good headway with a slow and steady breeze from the S/SW. When I took over at 3:30am there was still a slight breeze at our side, but the wind subsided as the sun illuminated the sky. For the next five hours we bobbed along, making no progress, either backwards or forwards.
When Jeff woke up we let the motor take a turn for a couple of hours, just to make some progress towards our goal. We wanted to enter Golfito before nightfall and we still had a good 25 miles to go. At 12pm, almost on cue, the SW wind piped up again, this time ranging from 10-15 knots (my favorite range) and we were flying with the wind at our back.
I’ve found that my mental state generally tends to reflect the state of our sails. When we’re bobbing along without any steady wind, not going anywhere, I feel tired, bored, lethargic. When the sails are full and pulling us along at a good clip I feel energetic and productive. When the winds are gusty and erratic, I’m anxious and on edge. When we’re motoring I’m just straight up grumbly.
Just as we approached the entrance to Golfito we could see a rainstorm cresting the hills. As the wind spilled from the clouds we trimmed the sails and pointed upwind towards the channel. The rainstorm was short-lived and when it passed, taking its wind with it, we doused the sails and finished under motor. Once again we were greeted with rainbows and a beautiful sunset. Cosa Rica: A rainbow in every port.
Golfito was a perfect final port in Costa Rica. We stayed on a mooring ball provided by Land and Sea which, for $8 a night, also comes with a comfortable cruisers hangout, wifi, showers, and a refrigerator stocked with cold drinks (all a luxury). We were also able to throw away our trash, fill up our water tanks and do our laundry. In two days time we checked off a half dozen things from our to-do list, ate chinese food (a requisite activity in each port), enjoyed a BBQ with other awesome cruisers AND cleared out of the country. Couldn’t have asked for more.