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Report On Costa Rica, Galapagos & Ecuador
Created by
doina.
Last modified on 2007-08-29 08:55:18
From “Moon Dog,” currently in Lima, Peru, August 2007. Golfito, Costa Rica We took a mooring at LandSea Marina for $5/day which also covered their dinghy dock fee and the use of their showers, internet and cable TV. They provide a very nice facility for cruisers. We cannot say enough about the outstanding abilities of Robert Fekete as a mechanic and electrician. He solved several long standing nagging mechanical and electrical problems for us. He was really exceptional in his knowledge and intuition about all yachting systems. He can be reached through LandSea Marina or directly at 861-6561. In April 2007 his rate was $35 per hour and was worth every nickel. Isla del Coco, Costa Rica (Lat 5 deg 33 N, Long 87 deg W) – We arrived in April 2007 without a permit. Sailing from Golfito we had very light winds the entire way. The Park Rangers were very polite, did not seem concerned about the permit but were very diligent in promptly visiting yachts to collect the Park fees. The fees are: $25 per yacht under 50’ per day, $35 per yacht over 50’ per day; plus $25 per person on board per day; plus $10 per person per day for scuba diving (this is not required if you only snorkel). The Rangers are also rigorous in their definition of a “day.” If you arrive at 4 p.m. one day, your 1st day is up at 4 p.m. on the following day. They will ask you to leave when your paid number of days are up. The best anchorage is just outside of Chatham Bay (on the NE tip of the island). It is foul ground inside the bay but there is a sandy strip just outside the bay, along the 10 fathom line. There are two moorings installed by the charter dive boats, one close to shore near the SE opening of the bay (Punta Pacheco), and one very close to the NE side of Isla Manuelita (the large island to the NW of Chatham Bay). When we arrived one of the dive boats was leaving for the mainland and generously told us we could use one of their moorings. We stayed 3 days and really enjoyed the unusual beauty of the island, the tame seabirds and the excellent snorkeling (leopard rays, large sea turtles, sharks, Moorish Idols). The Rangers were very friendly and showed us the many historic rocks along the beach carved with ships names, some as old as 1711, and including Henry Morgan and Jacques Cousteau. If visitors wish to hike the island’s trails, a Ranger must provide escort, which they didn’t seem to mind at all. Galapagos Our sail from Isla del Cocos was again very light air (April). When we had wind it was light out of the S-SW. We enjoyed the month of May in the Galapagos with a cruising permit obtained in advance, visiting three islands on our own boat and taking day-tours as well. We enjoyed it tremendously, and just as much as our first visit in 1990 when private yachts had the freedom to truly cruise the islands. The islands and animals are truly special, there is still a lot to see that is free, and there are a variety of day-tours that range from $25-90 per person per day. It isn’t ruined yet but easily will be soon if stronger control of tourism isn’t exercised, so go as soon as you can. La Libertad/Salinas, Ecuador We spent the month of June here hauled out on the hard at the Puerto Lucia Yacht Club. The YC is quite upscale and the boatyard is extremely pleasant, neat and clean. It was great weather for boat work, pleasantly cool and overcast most of the time, and rarely rainy. There are wonderful birds and several small sea turtles that populate the YC’s small boat basin. We hired George Stewart, Stewart Yachts & Services, a Canadian ex-pat and contractor operating in the PLYC yard, to make repairs to our keel, repaint the bottom, and do several other repairs. George is a charming fellow, is extremely knowledgeable of “all things yachting,” and was a pleasure to do business with. He has developed a team of very excellent Ecuadorian workers. We were very pleased with the quality of work done and the reasonable cost of George’s services. He can be reached at geo The PLYC fees for haul out and storage on the hard are comparable if not higher than US prices. For our 53’ boat we paid approximately $500 for haul-out, $550 for one month on the hard, plus $20 in electricity and water charges. We understand they have recently increased their on-hard storage fees and have added a live-aboard fee if you stay on board while on the hard. Check their website www.puertolucia.com.ec or email them for the latest information. For us, the good value of George’s services, the availability of cheap day-labor for routine jobs, as well as the convenient location of the PLYC balanced out the high cost of the PLYC haul-out and on-hard charges. In 2004, SSCA contributor “Nine of Cups” developed a very nice guide to the La Libertad area that is available on the SSCA website. The PLYC has updated it some and makes it available to cruisers when they arrive. Provisioning and shopping is quite good at the grocery store at El Paseo Mall nearby the PLYC. Most boat supplies can be found in town with a little searching and/or help from George. Guayaquil is an easy 2 hour taxi ride away. We found the “CarVIP” service from the Hotel Valdivia (a few blocks from the PLYC) the best deal at $10 per person each way to your destination in Guayaquil (hotel or airport) at the time of your chosing (between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m.). Their local phone numbers are 2-304-304 in Guayaquil or 2-775-144 in La Libertad. This was a better deal than the “collectivo” out of Salinas. They also can arrange for late night transfers from Guayaquil but at higher rates. Knowledge of Spanish With intentions to cruise for at least 18 months in South America, we realized Spanish was an essential cruising skill. So Ruth went to Spanish School in Antigua, Guatemala, famous for being the home of over 70 Spanish schools. She spent 3 weeks there in one-on-one environment with a teacher, 7-hours a day. Ruth highly recommends the school she attended, called PROBIGUA, an acronym that translates to “Library Project for Guatemala.” This is the only non-profit school in Antigua and uses its profits to build and maintain libraries around the country. The cost was $150 per week for 7 hours/day (most students take 4 hours/day at a cost of $110 per week). Their web site is www.probigua.org PROBIGUA was also one of the first to offer one-on-one Spanish lessons via Voice-Over-Internet (VOIP). Their fee is $8/hour for this and is a great way to continue studying after you leave the on-site in-person training in Antigua. Students can chose to get room and board from a local family (3 meals a day except for Sunday) for the bargain price of $75/wk, or a clean and safe hotel room can be found for as little as $20 per night. Antigua is an interesting and lovely place to spend time and there are many other popular Guatemalan attractions nearby (Lake Atitlan for example). John and Ruth Martin, “Moon Dog” Amel Super Maramu 53’ ketch |
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