In December we got back into our groove. We either fixed all of those problems that plagued us in November or stopped worrying so much about them. The actual sailing in Southern Costa Rica was not necessarily a highlight (light and finicky winds with quite a bit of rain), but there were so many beautiful places to explore, including the waterfalls of Montezuma, the nature reserves at Playa Curu and Manuel Antonio as well as lots of great snorkeling and eclectic beaches. Our last stop in Costa Rica was in Golfito where we found a cruiser’s haven at Land and Sea (the only place we found in all of Costa Rica that was set up for cruisers by cruisers). Run by a cruising couple, Land and Sea provided what every cruiser needs and wants – showers, water, laundry, fast internet, a comfortable place to relax and hang out with other cruiser’s, an incredible book exchange, coffee and cold beer. It was the perfect two day respite before we headed to Panama.
Puerto Mutis was our first stop in Panama and we couldn’t have been any happier with our choice. The check-in fees were minimal, getting to the city for provisioning was easy and cheap, and everyone (especially the port captain and his staff) went way out of their way to make sure we felt welcome. It was the perfect port to prepare for the arrival of our friends Claire and Brandon who flew in for a two week trip around the islands and mountains of Western Panama. We wrapped up 2013 with a solid week of snorkeling, hiking, sailing, swimming, eating and drinking with friends in the incredible Parque Nacional Coiba. A perfect way to end one what was one of the strangest and most incredible years of my life.
Here’s the quick recap of our month in numbers!
582.3 … miles travelled
19.5 … gallons of diesel used
29.9 … fuel economy in December
28 … nights on the hook
3 … nights on a mooring ball (at Land and Sea in Golfito)
0 … nights at a marina
4 … unbearably rolly anchorages encountered (Quepos, Bahia Uvita, south side of Isla Gobernadora and the west side of Isla Coiba)
2 … number of birds Tack caught from the boat
1 … number of bats Tack caught from the boat
3 … signs warning of cocodrillos (crocodiles)
0 … crocodiles seen
2000 … colones ($4 US dollars), the most we paid for a national beer in Costa Rica (in what amounted to a very expensive trip to the bathroom for Harmony)
3750 … colones ($7.50 US dollars), the cost of Nutella in Costa Rica
7000 … colones ($14 US dollars) the amount Harmony paid for two bags of potato chips in Golfito (most expensive chips in the world – we didn’t realize that’s how much she had paid until we looked at the receipt.yikes)
3250 … colones ($6.50 US dollars), average cost of a casado lunch in Costa Rica (which typically includes meat, rice, beans, veggies and salad)
2000 … colones ($4.00 US dollars), cost of the cheapest casado lunch we were able to find (in Golfito, and it was probably my favorite of them all as well)
4500 … colones ($9.00 US dollars), the most we paid for a casado lunch in Costa Rica
23 … percent tax assessed to all restaurant bills (13% sales tax and 10% service tax)
2 … US dollars, cost of the cheapest lunch (comida corriente) in Puerto Mutis, Panama
3 … sloths spotted at Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio
10 … capuchin monkeys spotted at Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio
4 … number of times we traversed Parque Nacional Manuel Antonio
5 … times that Jeff thought the outboard motor was finally fixed
2 … tiny metal pieces that broke in our outboard motor
2 … tiny metal pieces that Jeff fashioned out of scrap metal on our boat to repair the outboard (happy to report it is now working!)
9 … feet of water, the shallowest depth we’ve ever anchored in (Isla Coiba at low tide)
7.5 … feet of water, the actual depth when we accounted for the rock situated beneath our keel
6 … feet, the depth of our boat
230 … dollars, the cost for four people and one boat to tour around Parque Nacional Isla Coiba for 6 days and 5 nights (totally worth it, in case you’re wondering)
10 … sea turtles spotted while snorkeling in Coiba
1 … white tipped reef shark spotted while snorkeling in Coiba
3 … resident spiders aboard Serenity whose presence we can abide (in addition to lots of jumping spiders)
1 … GIGANTIC spider discovered aboard Serenity (thank goodness it was dead)
44 … days, the longest we’ve gone without freshwater showers (though we swim and bathe almost daily in the ocean)
4 … failed attempts to fill our fiberglass propane tank in Costa Rica and Panama
10 … pounds, the maximum amount of propane our fiberglass tank can hold (we use this for cooking)
57 … days that 10 pounds of propane lasted (we had to significantly curb how much we cooked and temporarily eliminate home baked bread from our diet :-()
86 … US dollars, the cost of a replacement propane tank (they refused to fill our fiberglass tank, requiring us to buy a metal one)
103 … US dollars, cost of clearing into Panama at Puerto Mutis
6 … total number of cruising boats encountered since leaving El Salvador (it’s become a very small community)
Not sure which brand of fiberglass propane tank you have, but a popular brand went into banned status up here recently. Check C-Brats or one of the other boating forums for more info. Hope you do not have to buy a new one. Sounds like Rica and Panama have been treating you right; you seem to be having more fun than in Mexico!
Hey there! Yes, we did hear about the recall – thanks for passing along the info though. We’ve been having a lot of fun, on par with the fun we had in Mexico…I think Mexico (for me) was just a weird transitioning phase, trying to adjust to all of the drastic changes in our lives. We actually miss Mexico quite a lot – if we could have Mexican culture and food with the waters and islands of Panama…oh man, that would be bliss.