I always liked the Hamlet quote ¨When sorrows come they come not single spies, but in battalions¨…
The depth sounder stopped working as we sailed out of the tricky Pedregal River in Panama. Coupled with the theft of our GPS navigation, it made for a difficult exit.
We stayed in Isla Parrida for a day to clean the bottom of the boat. The wind came and we sailed south planning on stopping at Isla Cobia. Unfortunately, the 50 hp Perkins engine made a horrible knocking noise and stopped working as we were scouting out an anchorage, so we continued to sail. As a result, we did not have the opportunity to raise Firefox onto the boat. The wind and seas picked up, towing rings and grommets started popping like a handful of blackcats on July 4th. Around 2am, I jumped in the dinghy to build a makeshift bridle. 3 grommets burst as I finished the tangle of bowline knots and tie offs to the inflatable. Luckily, the last one held and we (me and Firefox) stayed connected to the Broken Compass and there was no manoverboard drill. At least so I thought before trying to get back into the BC with the swells crashing against the hull. I slipped and fell into what I can only describe as black silence. Falling in the water at night in rough seas was not really my cup of tea, so I hauled myself back into Firefox and returned to the safety of the Broken Compass.
Our solar panel purchase in Panama paid off. The generator shut down (later to find out it was a fuel line leak) and we somehow fried our inverter. This left us with no AC power (chargers for satellite phone, power tools, ipod, computers, fans, etc.), and only solar to charge the batteries.
The proceeding windless days made for some lousy fishing, and our beloved ´fish and rice´ diet turned into just rice with seasonings. Now destined for Ecuador to resupply and lick our wounds, offshore fishermen became plentiful as we approached Ecuador. Many of them stopped by the boat to talk, and were helpful in pointing us towards Esmeralda. The port captain was not there, so a naval officer instructed we head another 200 miles south to La Liberdad.
On the way, Tyler (Chief Communications Officer) was adamant that we charge the satellite phone and call let someone know where we were. Since the outboard engine on Firefox joined the rest of the engines in the apparent ´motor labor strike´ I was not very comfortable taking her into shore when she was crippling along at about 30%. We did it regardless. Chad stayed on the BC while Tyler and I left to complete the mission. As the shoreline swell rose up behind us, we were a sitting duck. (I had always wondered how other boats struggled to land their dinghy, but it seemed pretty obvious when your motor only gives you 9hp when you are acclaimated to 30.) The wave crested, tossed Tyler and myself in the ocean, and barrel-rolled Firefox onto the beach.
After charging the phone, we limped back to the BC looking like bedraggled strays. We raised anchor and set sail south hoping the tides would change when we crossed the Equator and entered the Southern Hemisphere as shellbacks.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Pedegral, Panama
We arrived at the small marina of Pedegral after navigating up a narrow river about 6 miles. Panama is amazing. The cost of living is about 1/3 the price of the states. An average meal costs $1.5-$3 at a local restaurant with a beer running about $0.60. Broken Compass is anchored in the center of an estuary with mangroves for protection at 50 feet on either side. There is an abundance of wildlife including monkeys playing in the nearby trees. Tyler and I are leaving Bret and Nicky to tend to the boat as we take a 7 hour bus ride to the city.
Panama City is fragmented. There are areas with extreme violence where military personel stand on each block corner with automatic weapons. There are also nice areas including a large mall which appears to be imported from the United States. We explored the city, picked up solar panels and won some money at the casino before we returned to find Bret and Nicky had a difficult time as security guards. Bret´s Decription:
¨Nicky and I took Makai to experience Panamanian soil and go for a morning walk. After three hours ashore, we found out the true value of our faithful puppy. She had been deterring the theives that patrol the Pedregal river all day. I returned to see our companionway door ripped open and the boat ransacked. Every drawer was open with clothes and valuables strewn on the floor. The VHF radio was ripped from its mount and in a "to go bag" with bilge pumps and riffe speargun sitting next to the accumulated valuables. Apparently, they left in a hurry because after hours of evaluating damage/theft, we found out the only missing items were our two handheld GPSs and $200 Nicky had in her passport.¨
We were lucky. Bret and Nicky took off for Panama City the following morning and Tyler and I took our shift. While preparing the boat for the long leg to Peru, we almost destroyed our boat and a dock after refueling. While refueling and topping off the water tanks, the tide went out leaving us stuck in the mud. I realized the weight of our craft when one tractor, 2 winches, and three boats carrying 30hp, twin 150hp, and 75hp engines respectively could not pull Broken Compass from the mud. We tied 4 lines from the top of the masts to trees and docks to prevent the boat from leaning. Fighting a rising tide using bumpers, 2X4´s and ply wood, we fended a floating steel dock off all night until BC started floating again.
Bret just returned today with a christmas list of boat supplies from the city. We are sail ready with two new 63 watt solar panels mounted, water, food and diesel. The trip to Peru should take about 20 days with intermediate stops at islands and perhaps Equador along the way. Pray for wind.
Panama City is fragmented. There are areas with extreme violence where military personel stand on each block corner with automatic weapons. There are also nice areas including a large mall which appears to be imported from the United States. We explored the city, picked up solar panels and won some money at the casino before we returned to find Bret and Nicky had a difficult time as security guards. Bret´s Decription:
¨Nicky and I took Makai to experience Panamanian soil and go for a morning walk. After three hours ashore, we found out the true value of our faithful puppy. She had been deterring the theives that patrol the Pedregal river all day. I returned to see our companionway door ripped open and the boat ransacked. Every drawer was open with clothes and valuables strewn on the floor. The VHF radio was ripped from its mount and in a "to go bag" with bilge pumps and riffe speargun sitting next to the accumulated valuables. Apparently, they left in a hurry because after hours of evaluating damage/theft, we found out the only missing items were our two handheld GPSs and $200 Nicky had in her passport.¨
We were lucky. Bret and Nicky took off for Panama City the following morning and Tyler and I took our shift. While preparing the boat for the long leg to Peru, we almost destroyed our boat and a dock after refueling. While refueling and topping off the water tanks, the tide went out leaving us stuck in the mud. I realized the weight of our craft when one tractor, 2 winches, and three boats carrying 30hp, twin 150hp, and 75hp engines respectively could not pull Broken Compass from the mud. We tied 4 lines from the top of the masts to trees and docks to prevent the boat from leaning. Fighting a rising tide using bumpers, 2X4´s and ply wood, we fended a floating steel dock off all night until BC started floating again.
Bret just returned today with a christmas list of boat supplies from the city. We are sail ready with two new 63 watt solar panels mounted, water, food and diesel. The trip to Peru should take about 20 days with intermediate stops at islands and perhaps Equador along the way. Pray for wind.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Pamama Islands
The 130 mile sail from Bahia Drake to Panama provided light wind in the afternoons and calm seas at night. After hours of carving and painting, Tyler’s creativity paid off and his plug named “Mexican-American” lured a whopping 47 inch Dorado into the boat. The Mexican-American also hooked a Wahoo for breakfast under a full moon.
We completed the last sail repairs underway. We flew the mended Genniker off the port bow until Isla Parida came into view. There are dozens of islands scattered around the gulf, Isla Gamez is just one sample provided below.
Out of fish and in need of food, we grabbed the spears in search of lunch. After two areas with shallow water and small fish, we anchored Firefox next to an exposed rock and three large coral heads. Chad dove the coral heads with a sling and quickly resurfaced to grab the high powered Riffe speargun. I swam over about 15 minute at the end of a battle to see Chad wrestling a mammoth sized fish and Tyler repeatedly stabbing it in the head with his dive knife. Chad’s Pargo (Red Snapper) kill:
Scanning the area, we motored to the only what looked like civilization to find a fisherman with his family of 18. The father skillfully worked the fish as his wife, Rosa, reluctantly prepared a meal for us. Their hospitality far exceeded any expectations. The grandfather took us on a nature walk, the children shared local fruit and played dominoes, and the father talked of fishing and diving. We ate the cooked Pargo for lunch before departing, leaving the rest of the fish to feed their family.
Fish, oysters, and coconut milk make great meals. After meeting an American couple on one of the islands, we traded these delicacies for an exquisite homemade meal, drinks and good company.
We completed the last sail repairs underway. We flew the mended Genniker off the port bow until Isla Parida came into view. There are dozens of islands scattered around the gulf, Isla Gamez is just one sample provided below.
Out of fish and in need of food, we grabbed the spears in search of lunch. After two areas with shallow water and small fish, we anchored Firefox next to an exposed rock and three large coral heads. Chad dove the coral heads with a sling and quickly resurfaced to grab the high powered Riffe speargun. I swam over about 15 minute at the end of a battle to see Chad wrestling a mammoth sized fish and Tyler repeatedly stabbing it in the head with his dive knife. Chad’s Pargo (Red Snapper) kill:
Scanning the area, we motored to the only what looked like civilization to find a fisherman with his family of 18. The father skillfully worked the fish as his wife, Rosa, reluctantly prepared a meal for us. Their hospitality far exceeded any expectations. The grandfather took us on a nature walk, the children shared local fruit and played dominoes, and the father talked of fishing and diving. We ate the cooked Pargo for lunch before departing, leaving the rest of the fish to feed their family.
Fish, oysters, and coconut milk make great meals. After meeting an American couple on one of the islands, we traded these delicacies for an exquisite homemade meal, drinks and good company.
Bahia Drake
Applying our finance degrees, we evaluated the price of diesel in Costa Rica at just over $5 we decided we could save $145 by filling up in Panama at $2.76. We only picked about 20 gallons which forced us to sail the entire way. The shifts were easy with 4 people, a nice change from the 2 man crew down to Costa Rica. With minimal wind, downtime was spend improving neglected areas of the boat, reading, and relaxing.
Bahia Drake boasts good surfing, diving and monkeys. Excited about the new surf boards purchased from a shaper in Jaco, we tested Firefox’s 30hp engine as she pulled each of us up with ease.
Makai even took a turn and she stood up first try (with a little help). Day 2 in Bahia Drake we procured food. We dove off a nearby reef and took 5 decent parrot fish and about a dozen oysters. Tyler concocted a sautéed oyster and pasta dish which has become a staple in our diet. We shared the extra fish with a couple we met the previous evening and concluded the evening with drinks and foosball at a bar overlooking the bay. Makai found her own entertainment as she sited her first monkey. She climbed half way up the tree to get a closer look. The monkeys didn’t take to kindly to this invader and threw branches at the playful puppy as she clung nearly 6 feet off the ground. The wind picked up and we are off to Isla Parida in Panama.
Bahia Drake boasts good surfing, diving and monkeys. Excited about the new surf boards purchased from a shaper in Jaco, we tested Firefox’s 30hp engine as she pulled each of us up with ease.
Makai even took a turn and she stood up first try (with a little help). Day 2 in Bahia Drake we procured food. We dove off a nearby reef and took 5 decent parrot fish and about a dozen oysters. Tyler concocted a sautéed oyster and pasta dish which has become a staple in our diet. We shared the extra fish with a couple we met the previous evening and concluded the evening with drinks and foosball at a bar overlooking the bay. Makai found her own entertainment as she sited her first monkey. She climbed half way up the tree to get a closer look. The monkeys didn’t take to kindly to this invader and threw branches at the playful puppy as she clung nearly 6 feet off the ground. The wind picked up and we are off to Isla Parida in Panama.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Gulfo de Nicoya
We departed Puntarenas the afternoon of January 11th for a nice break from boat work. On the way out of the marina, fish were breaking water and Tyler hooked into his first pescado. Excited about the early catch, Chad and Tyler deployed Firefox (our 14 foot dinghy) to chase after the fish. Firefox returned with a skipjack about an hour later as the Broken Compass was cruising in 25 knot winds. We never quite made it to our planned destination, but it was a great shakedown for Tyler and Nicky on the boat as we scurried to a familiar anchorage (Punta Leona) to avoid the swells. It was a rocky night chalk full of lessons on how to (and how not to) anchor in heavy weather. The wind shifted during the night, putting us in a precarious situation. Seeing a small fishing boat anchored next to us was reassuring until they were towed away by our buddies, the Costa Rican Coast Guard, early the following morning.
We subsequently hauled up our fouled anchors and pushed across the bay to a calmer anchorage, ironically named Playa de Muertos (beach of the dead), which we renamed ‘Paradise.’
The beach displayed coconut trees and the 30 year old ruins of a catamaran originally from Coos Bay, Oregon. We dove and collected dozens of oysters and conch. We learned the best way to remove conch is to boil them after nearly 2 hours of pounding and breaking drill bits on their shells. Unfamiliar with island life, we attempted to several techniques to procure coconuts. Tyler had a crack shot at a coconut with the compound bow, and it narrowly missed him as he tried to pull the coconut back down (we retired this method).
We subsequently broke out the climbing gear and attempt #2 yielded coconut milk for our beach bonfire. Makai had a close call with a fellow predator during the fire, which sent Tyler on scorpion watch for the rest of the night.
The weather normalized and we headed back up the gulf to Puntarenas and spend the past few days finishing overdue boat maintenance, re-working our itinerary, and hanging out with the local fishermen. A local charter fishing captain, Marcial, has made it tough to leave Puntarenas due to his hospitality. Off to southern Costa Rica and Panama this morning for some island hopping and to knock off a few hundred more miles.
We subsequently hauled up our fouled anchors and pushed across the bay to a calmer anchorage, ironically named Playa de Muertos (beach of the dead), which we renamed ‘Paradise.’
The beach displayed coconut trees and the 30 year old ruins of a catamaran originally from Coos Bay, Oregon. We dove and collected dozens of oysters and conch. We learned the best way to remove conch is to boil them after nearly 2 hours of pounding and breaking drill bits on their shells. Unfamiliar with island life, we attempted to several techniques to procure coconuts. Tyler had a crack shot at a coconut with the compound bow, and it narrowly missed him as he tried to pull the coconut back down (we retired this method).
We subsequently broke out the climbing gear and attempt #2 yielded coconut milk for our beach bonfire. Makai had a close call with a fellow predator during the fire, which sent Tyler on scorpion watch for the rest of the night.
The weather normalized and we headed back up the gulf to Puntarenas and spend the past few days finishing overdue boat maintenance, re-working our itinerary, and hanging out with the local fishermen. A local charter fishing captain, Marcial, has made it tough to leave Puntarenas due to his hospitality. Off to southern Costa Rica and Panama this morning for some island hopping and to knock off a few hundred more miles.
New Years 2010!!!
New Years
Still illegal immigrants of Costa Rica we decided to hit land at Hermosa and Jaco. We celebrated New Years on the beach in Jaco surrounded a bonfire and hundreds of locals as an array of fireworks lit the sky. The light show consisted of high grade professional fireworks being set off by amateurs, some being successful, others no so much. We counted down to the New Year at least 10 times as no one seemed to have the ‘real’ time. Guided by our new Tica (Costa Rican girl) friend, Roxy, and accompanied by an amazing group of people including our mother who i swear is a saint, a great friend from home Liz Rapp who is the smartest person i know (and i know a lot of people), Nicky our new sailing strategist to Panama, and our little brother Tyler who brings a lot to the table.
Following New Years we decided to prove ourselves in the ocean and get barreled. We got hammered at Hermosa beach with over head high waves which tested our breath holding ability. The following day, we decided to hike to a waterfall in search of monkeys. Our hunt for monkeys proved unsuccessful but we were rewarded with 3 tiered waterfall which consecutivley leaped down after a nature walk through the jungle. Tempted to see more wildlife, we procured chicken legs and headed to the river.
We tempted dozens of crocidlies by dangling chicken legs on a string until inevitably the seasoned preditor stole our bait. The last couple days were spend surfing and exploring before we parted with our friends and family to concentrate our efforts on curing the wounds from the Papagyos. Work efficiency increased dramaticially with a beefed up crew including two new additions including the little brother and model (Tyler) and Bret's girlfriend Nikki whom we met in Mexico weeks prior. Repairing sails and fine-tuning the old diesel engine have consumed the last couple of days and we will depart for islas de tortugas tomorrow morning. As if Jaco and Hermosa were not vacation enough we look forward to more wildlife and adventure the gulfo de Nicoyo has to offer.
Still illegal immigrants of Costa Rica we decided to hit land at Hermosa and Jaco. We celebrated New Years on the beach in Jaco surrounded a bonfire and hundreds of locals as an array of fireworks lit the sky. The light show consisted of high grade professional fireworks being set off by amateurs, some being successful, others no so much. We counted down to the New Year at least 10 times as no one seemed to have the ‘real’ time. Guided by our new Tica (Costa Rican girl) friend, Roxy, and accompanied by an amazing group of people including our mother who i swear is a saint, a great friend from home Liz Rapp who is the smartest person i know (and i know a lot of people), Nicky our new sailing strategist to Panama, and our little brother Tyler who brings a lot to the table.
Following New Years we decided to prove ourselves in the ocean and get barreled. We got hammered at Hermosa beach with over head high waves which tested our breath holding ability. The following day, we decided to hike to a waterfall in search of monkeys. Our hunt for monkeys proved unsuccessful but we were rewarded with 3 tiered waterfall which consecutivley leaped down after a nature walk through the jungle. Tempted to see more wildlife, we procured chicken legs and headed to the river.
We tempted dozens of crocidlies by dangling chicken legs on a string until inevitably the seasoned preditor stole our bait. The last couple days were spend surfing and exploring before we parted with our friends and family to concentrate our efforts on curing the wounds from the Papagyos. Work efficiency increased dramaticially with a beefed up crew including two new additions including the little brother and model (Tyler) and Bret's girlfriend Nikki whom we met in Mexico weeks prior. Repairing sails and fine-tuning the old diesel engine have consumed the last couple of days and we will depart for islas de tortugas tomorrow morning. As if Jaco and Hermosa were not vacation enough we look forward to more wildlife and adventure the gulfo de Nicoyo has to offer.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Christmas
After arriving in Costa Rica on Christmas Eve we could not officially check into the country due to the holidays. Avoiding officials, we hid out in an isolated cove about 6 miles North of Jaco beach. My father, his beautiful wife Maureen, and my little brother Tyler flew down and joined us for Christmas. Christmas Day was perfect. We had a great breakfast before heading out to catch dinner. The boys dove unsuccessfully off a nearby point with poor visibility while my father, the seasoned angler, caught a decent Sierra. Sierra are great for sushi and so it was. About 2pm we saw a large vessel cruise by towing a small boat. Further scrutiny yielded their identity,
The Costa Rican Coast Guard.
All our faces turned sheet white. We calculated our international criminal acts as the Coast Guard pulled past us in our dive boat and anchored 50 yards from the Broken Compass. Half a mile away, we darted to a sheltered cove to hide our rods and spearguns. They launched a patrol boat and cruised toward us. Amid the Chaos, Maureen saw a couple of monkeys and almost fell off the boat with excitement. Our plan: we are not criminals, we are now tourists. We threw on our masks and pretended to snorkel and Maureen snapped pictures of the monkeys. The patrol boat cruised right past us to a nearby beach and completed their patrol. We were never boarded or questioned on Christmas day, however we did attract a horn of approval following our Christmas light display up the main mast that evening. The coast guard stayed anchored with us all night and continued up the coast the following morning.
The Costa Rican Coast Guard.
All our faces turned sheet white. We calculated our international criminal acts as the Coast Guard pulled past us in our dive boat and anchored 50 yards from the Broken Compass. Half a mile away, we darted to a sheltered cove to hide our rods and spearguns. They launched a patrol boat and cruised toward us. Amid the Chaos, Maureen saw a couple of monkeys and almost fell off the boat with excitement. Our plan: we are not criminals, we are now tourists. We threw on our masks and pretended to snorkel and Maureen snapped pictures of the monkeys. The patrol boat cruised right past us to a nearby beach and completed their patrol. We were never boarded or questioned on Christmas day, however we did attract a horn of approval following our Christmas light display up the main mast that evening. The coast guard stayed anchored with us all night and continued up the coast the following morning.
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