Seeking Refuge in Bahia Santa Elena

When we went to bed at dawn in Bahia Santa Elena we were the only boat there. When we awoke at about 10:30 am, we were delighted to be surrounded by the group we'd been with in Puesta del Sol, Nicaragua. Passion had come in and was off our stern, Mentor was off our bow and Blue was anchored on the other side of them. In comparing notes, we'd all had a tough go of it, although no one had the harrowing experience we did of losing our anchor in 50 knots of wind.

Mentor was on a mission as Cindy's dad was on his death bed and she needed to catch a flight home. Although the Papagayo winds were still howling a good 40 knots, Mentor left the next morning. They called to report conditions as they rounded Key Point to Blue, because they were trying to decide whether to leave that day or wait until the next day. We listened in to Mentor's report "It's not bad, blowing about 40 knots". Pacific Northwest sailors certainly have a different perception of conditions! Blue decided to go anyway but we decided to stay put that night and leave the next day - hoping the wind would die down.

Tom was really sick and loosing weight. He had very little appetite and was feeling lousy. We went ashore in the dinghy anyway, just to get out and stretch. We went with Passion, but had trouble locating the hiking trails described in the cruising guide.

It was getting rough because of the wind and Passion wanted to go up the estuary. We decided to go back to the boat. Tom decided we wanted to put around the shoreline in the dinghy, then we found a protected gravel beach that looked inviting. It was a fish camp, with a fire pit, old nets, shells, etc. We hung out and walked the shoreline for a bit.

We were ready to leave and hopped back in the dink. As we got closer Tom said "Is that an optical illusions, or is our boat REALLY CLOSE to Passion?" I said "It must be an illusion." But as we approached, it was clear that our anchor had dragged and our stern was about 3 feet from Passion's bow. I was off the dinghy before we tied up, fired up the engine and put her in gear to keep from hitting Passion. Tom quickly ran to the bow and pulled up the anchor. We moved closer to shore and further from Passion. There we were, in this great big bay, only one other boat and we drag anchor to Passion - like a magnet. How does THAT happen??

That was the second time our secondary anchor had dragged, so we were losing faith in our ability to continuing anchoring. We looking at the guide books and there was only one marina within 100 miles: Marina Papagayo. It was expensive, but safe. I was starting to feel sick too and we might need to find a doctor.

We decided to head to the marina the next day at first light. Fortunately, waiting a day had been a good move. The wind had died, so much so that we had to motor the 40 or so miles to the marina. With the seas calm and no wind, we were fine with using a little fuel to reach a peaceful place. 

A Very Short Stay in SJDS

After losing our anchor, we looked at our options and decided to a make a run for San Juan del Sur, a large port in the southern part of Nicaragua. We just might make it before dark, but if we didn't it was well marked and lit with red and green markers and channel markers with a heading. Tom was still not feeling well, and we were exhausted by the wind and seas.

The sun never seemed to have set so fast before, soon it was getting very dark. We just don't go into unfamiliar harbors at night, but we did. We had a great computer program Jack gave us in Barillas, it turns your computer into a chart plotter. We had a great chart of SJDS, and knew exactly what our position was at all times. Without it, we would never have attempted going in.

The cruising guide warned of empty mooring balls and unlit boats. Tom got out our big spot light and identified plenty of both. He was on the bow, my eyes as I was flying blind. He'd pulled out our secondary anchor on the way to the harbor, found the dead center of the bay and dropped the anchor. We put out lots of chain and set the anchor alarm on the GPS. We were starving fo I made a quick easy meal of angel hair pasta and marinara sauce. We took showers and were in bed by 8 pm.

We awoke at 11:30 pm, something wasn't right. The wind seemed to be increasing - if that was possible?? Tom checked our position and confirmed that we'd dragged anchor. We were up in no time, I had the engine started and was ready at the helm - scared to death and not knowing how we'd get out without hitting something. Tom was calm, cool and collected and just told me to follow his directions. He pulled up the anchor and guided us past the immediate obstacles. From there it was just a matter of doing the reverse of what we'd done to get in.

Restful sleep would not be ours that night. We were only about 20 miles from our destination in Costa Rica, and we didn't want to enter that one at night. Tom explained that we'd just go 2-3 knots, bare poled with no sails. We'd work our way around the next bay and enter the bay in the morning. We saw other boats at sea too, it was probably safer there than at anchor. First light was just beginning and we slowly approached our destination: Bahia Santa Elena - a pristine park and completely protected anchorage. By 6:30 am we were finally anchored safely and went to bed.

Papagayos Stole Our Anchor

We left Puesta del Sol on 01/04/11 at 3 pm in the afternoon - when the paperwork Cha-Cha was finally finished. Santorini and Passion headed south together for an over night sail to Bahia Santa Elena, Costa Rica. With her longer waterline, we knew Passion might not be able to stay with Santorini if there was wind, and BOY WAS THERE WIND!

We went offshore about 10 miles and and nice 20 knot breezes. That meant we were sailing over 7 knots, however the wind continued to build to 30-35 knots. With too much sail and building seas, we started surfing into waves coming our way, slamming down after going over the top of them. So everything in the cabin started flying. By now it was pitch black out as it was a new moon. We reduced sail and headed for the shore.

January and February are peak Papagayo season and the further you go off shore the heavier the seas due to "fetch" - wind generated wave that build to greater heights the further you are from shore. It was a long bumpy run to the coastline, and finally morning light came. After sailing all night, very fast at times, we'd only traveled about 55 miles from where we started. The cruising guide recommends southbound vessels hug the shore line and only travel during daylight and "anchoring in uncharted nooks and crannies" - great. the problem it that there is a lack of protected anchorages in which to escape this Devil Wind.

After sailing in these conditions all night we were exhausted and urgently sought a safe harbor to wait out the wind - which can and did blow for 5 straight days. We saw a remote surf-spot beach that looked protected from the north east and decided to head there. We dropped the anchor in 15 feet of water with a sand bottom. Unfortunately there weren't high hills around the bay so it wasn't protected from the wind. Tom let out 125 feet of chain after dropping the anchor. Just then a 50 knot gust blew and 75 feet of chain came straight out of the water.

Before he could let out more chain or tell me to move forward with the motor, we heard a loud "pop", then the chain went limp. Our 75 lb CQR anchor was gone. Tom jumped overboard to see if he could find it, but the water visability was only about 3 feet. Due to the conditions, we had to leave without our anchor. I almost cried as we pulled out of the small bay.

On to Nicaragua

It first light, we left Isla Meanguera along with our buddy boat - Passion. Dick and Nancy, one of the cruising couples we spent Christmas with at Barillas, suggested we stop at Puesta del Sol - a marina in Nicaragua about 50 miles from the Golfo de Fonseca. We thought a couple of days there for some R & R sounded good, and the cruising guide said they had reasonably priced moorings available.

It was a nice day sail, and we arrived at the mouth of the estuary Puesta del Sol was tucked into before sunset. The channel was nicely marked with red and green buoys to guide us in. Although their staff was directing us to a slip, we preferred the less expensive mooring. We passed the docks and proceeded directly to the mooring area of the marina. After we got tied up, a panga came by and handed us a flyer with rules, policies, prices, etc. I looked it over as the panga went to hand one to Passion as well.

On the price sheet, it said the cost for a slip was $1.25 per foot, per day for the first two days and $1.00 per foot after that. It listed the price for a mooring at $1.25 per foot, per day for the first two days and .50 cents per foot, per day after that. The guide had indicated the moorings were .50 cents a foot, with a higher rate the first two days - we expected to pay .75 per foot per day. I confirmed with the Panguero that the price was correct, asking incredulously: "It's the same price for a slip as a mooring?" "Yes" he said. We quickly realized we'd make a mistake coming there.

We moved off the moorings and into slips, thinking we'd leave the next day without clearing in/out. Alas, no that was not possible. The officials had been called upon our arrival and we're already en route. Once they arrived, seemingly never ending sheets a paper were generated - with a long list of fees for this and fees for that. We said we wanted to leave that day, but the officials insisted we had to wait until they returned - at 2:00 pm to clear us out. In short, our "quick stop" of one night in Nicaragua cost us well over $200! If we'd only had know.

There was a silver lining in the story of this port: we meet great cruising friends there who we were delighted to spend time with and travel south with. South Africans Neville and Maggie on Blue - a beautiful expedition-style trawler that used to be owned by John McVee of Fleetwood Mac had the slip to our port side. On the other side of them were Dick and Cindy on the steel sloop Mentor.

We also had a scrumptious and inexpensive lunch at Joe's. There was an adorable little kitten I just had to share my lunch with. He's a former cruiser that swallowed the hook and decided to stay there 6 years ago. Our cruising guide said anchoring in the estuary near the marina was possible, but complicated due to "politics". It said there was a cruiser who got permission from the Port Captain to anchor there, only to have his boat removed by the Navy 23 days later. It turns out that was Joe's boat!

It's still at anchor near the estuary, a source of irritation to the marina owners. According to Joe, the Port Authorities in Managua encourage yachts to anchor and will issue permits freely to do so. Unfortunately, the marina owners have the local Port Authorities in their back pocket. If yachts can anchor for free in the estuary, the marina isn't making money. Get it? Oh yeah, this is another one of those empty marina/resorts. Can't see how they are making it as a business. According to Joe, the washing machine is running at full chat.

Bahia de Hotel de la Joya

The Golfo de Fonseca borders El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua. In 1992 the International Court of Justice resolved a land dispute between the three countries and drew new boundaries.

Our first stop was Punta Amapala because it's an easy day sail from Barillas. We anchored for the night in the calm bay. On the way there we put out our fishing poles and caught two fish we did not recognize. The first one I caught and it looked a little small. After Tom threw the second one back, he spoke with Don on Passion (our buddy boat for Barillas) and found out they are Sierra Mackerel or King Mackerel - and damn good eating! Oops! When we caught a much larger third one we were sure to fillet it and its taste lived up to what Don had said.

On New Year's Eve Day we sailed from Punta Amapala to Isla Meanguera (El Salvador). We initially anchored off the town, but there was no dinghy landing. A young man approached as we were pulling up the dinghy on the beach and said that there was a better anchorage just south, with a nice hotel where you can land the dinks.

We hopped back in the dinghy, pulled anchor and went around the corner to the scenic anchorage. We went to the hotel for a drink and met Richard, the owner, who greeted us warmly and provided local knowledge. That night they had the most amazing fireworks show - just above the little cove where we were anchored. We went to bed after the show - about 10 pm.

The next day we walked to into town and over to the pier. Tom wasn't feeling very well for the past few days, and we assumed he got a touch of Montezuma's Revenge. We had an amazing dinner at Bahia de Hotel de la Joya - I had the stuffed lobster and Tom had a steak. It was just the two of us on the ramada overlooking the bay. We couldn't remember the last nice, romantic dinner we had but decided it had been in San Diego before we'd left. It was magical.