Leaving Cocobeach, Enroute to Nicaragua

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There are many breathtaking moments at sea. Mental snapshots that will live with you forever, a slice of natures stunning beauty and amazing versatility that are often impossible to convey with words. I've watched sunsets so overwhelming they made me cry, storms so severe I cowered at their power, giant manta rays leaping ten feet out of the sea, one after the other, then slapping back down with a splash, thousands upon thousands of phosphorescent jellyfish, that flashed in eerily green explosions beneath the water's surface as we passed them by. I've swam with sharks the size of small torpedoes, gliding lazily around past me, and watched chameleon like octopus changing colors as they moved about. I've floated with barracuda hanging just off my peripheral vision, that would dart up and back as if to challenge me, their teeth arranged in a menacing smile; I've seen eagle rays and turtles so close I could pet them, seen whales not far off in the distance breaking the water's surface and listened to their sound beneath it. Best of all, I've had the pleasure of watching my friends and crew mates as they too enjoyed many of these moments along side me, but nothing has come close to this evenings spectacle.

We had been sailing through rough seas in blustery weather, when we noticed that the phosphorescence was particularly strong this evening. Perhaps it was due to the new moon and heavy cloud cover, leaving the sky almost black and the water's surface a charcoal gray, but we could see everything clearly outlined in light. We were leaving twin greenish trails in our wake and everywhere the whitecaps were glistening with a whitish blue foam that seemed to glow from within. As we sailed along I heard the popping/sucking noise of a dolphin breaking the surface, and then saw this magnificent animal just off our bow. It was a ghost, completely outlined in a brilliant phosphorescent glow, streaking through the water around the boat, completely visible and starkly outlined in the dark waters, leaving a shimmering trail behind that lasted for minutes. Soon, many more of his kind arrived and we watched, mesmerized, as they flowed around our boat, danced in our bow wake, played amongst themselves and darted off, only to rejoin us seconds later. We could track each dolphin's path as they wove around us and each other--all of them outlined perfectly in thousands of pinpoints of green-blue light that blurred and faded as they sped along.

On every leg we've been presented with some new treat, each one amazing in its own right, but this has been the best to date, and I'm glad my friends got to witness this with me. These pictures just don't capture the incredible beauty of the moment, but we were there, and saw it, and we will always treasure that time, standing on the deck, watching these graceful creatures streak and blur around us, all the while being able to follow their phosphorescent contrails as the shot away, spun or dove, and eventually returned. It was a very special moment for us all.

The next morning was blustery, and the previous night's entertainment had started to fade a bit. It was colder, but still warm by San Francisco standards. By the mid day we decided to stop for a swim and jumped in, only to discover that even now we were still plagued with jellyfish. We worked on scraping the hull a bit more, and got off most all of the barnacles, then had lunch and relaxed as we motored on. Towards the afternoon the wind was picking up a bit and seemed to be veering around to our starboard. As it did we unfurled the headsail and began to pick up speed. The cat sliced through the water and soon we were moving along at eight, nine, then ten knots, in rough chop that we barely felt. It was smooth as silk, with only the occasional bump from a rogue wave against our hull. Nice weather, if only it would last.

It didn't of course, as the day wore on the thermals that generated it were dying off, and the wind faded. We motored some more, eventually arriving at the Nothern most headlands of Costa Rica around 4PM, long before the sun would set and with plenty of time to find the anchorage. At least we thought. As we approached the coast, using an older chart book whose GPS coordinates for the beach didn't match it's description, we found ourselves a bit confused as to exactly where we should land. There appeared to be several possibilities, and we all disagreed about which one was most likely. We decided to head inland and Eastward, but after a few miles the area seemed less and less likely to be what we were looking for. As we did, the wind picked up, and the waves began to grow. The various chart books we'd read had warned that there were many unexpected shallow areas and that the charts weren't always correct. "Beware of the reefs!" it said, and we could see large expanses nearer the shore that developed breakers as the waves picked up. I positioned Jacob and Robinson up on the bow as lookouts, put Ian at the helm. and asked Roxanne to monitor the depth gage as we approached closer. In an odd moment, we realized that more terrifying than the reefs, was the distracting sight of two butt cracks off the bow. "Roxanne", I said as the cockpit crew chuckled at the butts off our bow, "go get your camera!" Without even hesitating, she disappeared below, then surreptitiously began taking shots as she walked forward. Ah, good times, good times. If either of these two ever decide to run for office, the black mail money alone should cover the cost of my trip.

As we motored along, trying to determine our position but still quite lost, a fishing ponga came by and we hailed the three young men fishing from it, asking them for directions to the harbor. They assured us we'd overshot our mark and pointed us back to the original headlands we'd passed by on the way in. We motored quickly back, keeping an eye on the depth sounder until we found what we assumed was the entrance. A large mono-hull motor-sailor was making fast time for it as well, coming in from the North West. So, doing what any two boats must do if their paths are even slightly parallel, we raced along with them, entering from the East, trying to beat their speed and be first into harbor. To our dismay and shame, they had the advantage of wind, current and waves, plus a bigger motor, faster boat and better captain, and eventually we had to admit defeat and bear off, tipping our hats and waving as they went past our bow.

Eventually we found our way into the harbor, and dropped anchor a bit west of the main area. The bottom was sandy and seemed to hold on the first try, even after backing down on the anchor pretty hard. The harbor isn't much to speak of, with a few main roads that run along side it, and a small town of limited tourist attractions. There is no dinghy dock or wharf, and any going ashore must brave a beach landing. Fortuately the shore is pretty forgiving, and the waves moderately short and small.

Since it was late in the day we decided we'd wait until morning before attempting to check out, postponing the inevitable ordeal of Customs and Immigration. The rest of the crew were anxious to see the sights and grab a meal, so I ferried them into to shore, and then picked them up later that evening. They'd eaten at what was considered to be the best restaurant in town, and came back pretty unimpressed. It was expensive, with poor service and only mediocre food. Even Robinson, who tends to be pretty gracious about just about everything, was pretty down about it.

The next morning we set about checking out, which was a convoluted process that involved first going to the Port Captain's office (he wasn't there but his secretary was, and she was incredibly helpful) then next buying some sort of stamps, then going to Immigration, then over to the bank (where we waited on line for over two hours before being able to pay to leave the country) then back to the Port Captain's office. All in all it took over five hours, and although everyone was quite nice and very helpful, by the end of it we realized that we'd actually have been better off waiting in Golfito until Monday and just checking out of there directly. If I had to do this over again, given the better shelter, ease of entry and better amenities, I'd definitely make Golfito my first or last stop between Nicaragua and Costa Rica and avoid Playa Del Coco entirely.

We are leaving this evening and will head straight up the coast for Nicaragua. There is more distance between us than we want, we're all a bit tired and just want to get home now. This is certainly beginning to feel like work instead of fun, and I hope that Puesto Del Sol turns out to be worth the effort.

That's all for now!

Robb


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All's well that ends well.

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Dear Friends,

This will be the last adventure post you'll see from the Triton, at least for the next two months. We won't sail again until the end of July, but we're always looking for good crew, so if you think you'll have a couple of weeks around then, drop us a line.



We've arrived safe and sound in Golfito, a well protected harbor in a bay off the coast of Southern Costa Rica, near the Panama border on the Pacific side, and will stay here a bit to regroup and wait out the hurricane season.

Our travels getting here were pleasant but uneventful. We stopped once or twice along the way to go swimming in the ocean, which was nice - but the water is getting colder and dirtier the further north we go, and the jelly fish were still a nuisance.

The weather wasn't great, but the wind was in our favor some of the way there, and we enjoyed a few spectacular moments sailing (enough to satisfy the crew that they actually got to sail a boat for real) before we arrived at our final destination.



Golfito itself is stunningly beautiful, with lush rain forest climbing up into hills that disappear into the clouds. There is abundant jungle everywhere, with the squawks, shrieks, chirps and hoots of birds, frogs and mammals providing a constant, soothing soundtrack. Sadly, the bay waters themselves are polluted from industrial and agriculture runoff, a non-existent pollution control policy (a lot of sewage and garbage just gets thrown into the bay), and a local government that seems more interested in the quick buck than preserving the ecosystem. We were amazed at the beauty of the land,even from several miles away, but were sad to find that as we approached the mainland the water seemed to get more and more muddy. We then started seeing bits of vegetation go by and the water became brown, with a reddish tinge to it.

By the time we reached the bay there was a steady stream of jetsam going past us, and as we entered the harbor the water went bright red from a plankton bloom called "Red Tide". It is a very dangerous condition where a micro-organism in the water reaches dangerous concentrations. It causes massive fish kills, disease and dysfunction among mammals such as dolphins or humans, and with enough exposure, even death. I had several insignificant, superficial cuts on my hands when I first arrived. Within a day they were all infected and swollen, just from the exposure of handling the wet lines, even though I would wash them immediately after exposure. It's bad stuff and (I believe) a result of the pollution levels in the local water.

We anchored in twenty feet of water just off of a marina called "Land And Sea". They provide great facilities for cruisers, including moorings, showers, laundry facilities, WiFi, and are fantastically helpful. It is run by Tim and Katie, a lovely West Coast couple that stumbled into Golfito over ten years ago while cruising. According to Tim, they just couldn't believe how amazing the place was, and he felt as if his whole life had been about waiting for that one moment. They fell in love with the bay and settled in. Back then there wasn't much to the place, and they've worked hard to promote it ever since. From our point of view, they have done an amazing job and the area is just starting to become popular, largely due to their efforts. Land prices sky rocketed a few years back, and the sports fishing industry also moved in.

If you'd like more info about Golfito, or Land Sea Services, you can contact them at http://www.marinaservices-yachtdelivery.com/

Since we arrived late afternoon on Friday, we needed to rush to try to get our boat cleared in, inspected by the agriculture board, registered with the harbor captain, and checked into customs. That meant several hours of dashing about a town we didn't know, spending a lot on taxis and probably not accomplishing it all in time.Katie arranged to have all of them (save customs) come to the marina instead. We hung out chatting with Tim, learned a lot about the local economy and where/how to get things done.

Eventually the various representatives arrived, all of whom were all extremely polite, courteous and efficient. It was such a change from the attitudes we'd experienced in Panama or Trinidad. These officials couldn't have been more helpful. Or, in the case of one of them (a beautiful woman) more sexy. She was wearing a very well cut naval style outfit which only enhanced her appeal. I think she captured Jeff's imagination and it was the first time I've ever seen him appear shy or stumble with his Spanish.

After we'd finished, Katie and Tim boughtthem a round of sodas, and we all sat around talking, as best we could, through our blushing interpreter. It was quite cute. And then it started to rain. This is now the rainy season in Costa Rica and it comes down in buckets. There was at least five inches of rain in the dinghy by the time it stopped. During this half of the year, each day the sky will be bright blue for several hours in the morning, then cloud up around lunch time, then start to drizzle around three, and may or may not deluge the rest of the evening. There is no shortage of fresh water available; you need only set up a tarp and you can collect as much as you'd like for free. We all took lots of fresh water showers at the marina, and felt clean for the first time in days.

The next day Holly T. and I went into customs. The process took less than ten minutes, they made photocopies of some documents for us, and there was no charge for doing so. We were amazed. I'd heard that Golfito had the best customs process in that part of the world, but I've never been so impressed, especially since it was Saturday morning when we checked in. It is really incredible how much "red tape" can spoil your trip to a country. Costa Rica clearly wants tourists, especially cruisers, and they've made it very easy to enter the country. Afterward we walked around a huge "duty free" zone, where you can get almost anything you'd want for about half price. It isn't clear why this is so, but we saw folks carting off refrigerators, microwaves, cases of J&B scotch, everything. All for cheap.

We then went back home and moved the boat to one of Land & Sea's mooring balls.
Once we'd moored the boat (and added our own second anchor to it, along with backup lines) Jeff and Thorny decided to head into "The Jungle". They jumped on the local ferry, went over to the other side of the bay, and hitched rides on the "Collectivo", a sort of pickup truck converted into a mini-bus, for a ride into the bush. They came back telling tales of wild adventure, fantastic animals, unbelievable sights and sounds, car crashes, getting completely swamped and were both extolling the virtues of the forest. Whatever it was (you should read their blogs for a more detailed account) it did them a world of good. They came back smiling, happy and energetic. I don't think I've ever seen Thorny so beaming.

The next day Holly T's boyfriend Nick arrived, and all of us spent the next few hours getting the boat ready to be left for a while in the care of Land & Sea. That meant sealing up the hatches, closing off the seacocks, stowing the gear, locking up the outboard, and the general routine of making your home mold proof. Everyone worked really hard, and it took four hours longer than we anticipated, but eventually we got it all done.

Holly & Nick are headed off for their own jungle trekking, and Jeff, Thorny & I rented a car and drove over the mountain to the capital city of San Jose. We all had a wonderful dinner the night before we left, and it was really hard to say goodbye to such great crew. Holly & Nick plan to stop back at the boat on their way back out of town in a few days, so at least they'll be able to check on things before they leave. Jeff is headed for Columbia, and Thorny said he wants to spend more time in the jungle. I think they are all bound for exciting times ahead. I gave them all hugs as we left, but I just don't think I'm very good at saying goodbye. It never feels like I've said enough, and I don't know if they understand just how much I've appreciated their company.

It has been only a few hours since we parted ways, but already I'm filled with nostalgia for this trip. Deliveries aren't supposed to be fun. They aren't supposed to include fabulous meals, great conversations, stunning vistas, amazing sites, and more laughs per hour than you can find anywhere else on the planet, but this one did. I was truly blessed with the great good fortune of having wonderful friends whose company I treasured, who quickly became a highly competent crew I could count on.They all worked well together, always pulled their weight, and most importantly put up with my eccentricities as we sailed from Trinidad to Costa Rica. No captain could ever ask for anything more. I wish them all the best, and owe them a huge debt of thanks, from the very first crew (Mota, Jeff, Jen, Mike and Mary Ann) that worked so hard to launch the boat in Trinidad, get everything ship shape, then bash their way to Panama via Aruba, to the folks (Jeff, Thorny, and Holly) who took Triton from Panama up the coast to Costa Rica, and then worked so hard to pack her up in Golfito. I couldn't have done it without their help, but then again, I wouldn't have wanted to either! It has been a marvelous journey, and their efforts have made our lives all the richer for it. As we say in New Jersey, "Youse guys is da bestest!"

I'd also be remiss if I didn't mention My Better Third, the Admiral of the fleet (aka She Who Must Be Obeyed), love of my life, my reason for getting up in the morning and sailing north towards cold weather (now that is true love): AnnMarie Powers (who worked eighty hour weeks as a contract accountant when she wasn't on board) and who cooked, cleaned, captained and crewed along side me when she was. She is an amazing woman whose talents, beauty and charm are beyond my mere words, and I love her with all my heart. No sailor ever had better. Thank you babe. I've missed you so and can't wait to see you again!

Lastly, I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to read our posts, who sent us encouraging emails, and who helped support our efforts to bring Triton home.We aren't finished delivering her yet, and there will be more miles to come, but your encouragement meant a lot.Thank you all for sailing along with us in spirit if not in person. I look forward to seeing you all at Camp'N'Sons, and hope you'll all join me in a toast to my crew.

Wishing you all flat seas, calm anchorages, and a chandlery that always has what you need.

With Love,

Robb Triton



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