Bahia Conchal, Costa Rica

For several days we anchored in Bahia Conchal, a delightful little bay well protected from swell by the rocky reef at the entrance. We tucked in on the SE side and enjoyed some beautiful sunsets and rainstorms.

Sunset at Bahia Conchal, Costa Rica

But it was not all relaxation and fun when we discovered that our roller furling gear on our mainsail was not working properly. Without any manual to guide us, we spent several days troubleshooting the problem. Fortunately, Chris is very mechanically inclined and after partially disassembling the roller furling by taking the tension off the cable inside and sliding the sheath down into view below gooseneck at the boom we discovered the problem - a cracked and torn sheath around which the mainsail is furled. The sail had been furling with difficulty but the damage was hidden from view due to the boom so we (and the rigger who inspected the boat at purchase) did not see the damage. Very likely it had been cracked for some time and continued use, especially furling under load as when reefing during a storm just made the crack worse until it finally gave way and jammed.

A couple phone calls to riggers in the US and we had a good grasp of the problem and possible solutions. The good news is that we had both the tools and the ability to fix this ourselves! I had my jewelry making cutting tools on board, so I was able to cut the aluminum sheath all the way around and smooth off the bottom to remove the rough, torn edge. Next we tightly furled the sail and lowered the sheath and sail together using the main halyard. This placed the sheath in the correct location and alignment with the lower part.

I used the broken piece as a template and marked the sheath. Chris then drilled and tapped the screw holes so we could install the set screws. Finally we re-tensioned the cable and reassembled the entire unit. Good as new!

Sailing on down the coast to Tamarindo...

Bahia Culebra, Costa Rica

Checking into the country in Cocos was a fairly simple matter of providing all of the necessary paperwork. The downside was that we needed to check through Customs at the Liberia airport half an hour drive away. We found a cheap rental car for the day and drove there to complete our check in, allowing us 90 days to stay in Costa Rica.

The first two weeks we've been hoping around Bahia Culebra, staying at beautiful anchorages in this northern bay. Marina Papagayo is conveniently located at the far end of the bay. It's primarily a sport fishing and luxury yacht destination, but for us it became a convenient place to stop in for a few hours  to top off fuel and water. Interestingly, the water here in Costa Rica is fresh and pure and drinkable right from the tap, unlike other countries in Central America, or even in some parts of the United States.

The anchorages were generally well protected from swell and peaceful. Often we encountered afternoon or evening showers but the daytime temperatures were warm in the 90's and perfect for snorkeling in the rocky reefs.

We continued to travel loosely with our friends Bob and Irma aboard S/V Gaia 

and Roy aboard S/V Mabrouka. Here we are at anchor in Playa Nacascolo.

One of my favorite anchorages, Playa Nacascolo lies adjacent to the Four Seasons Resort 

at Papagayo. One morning we rowed ashore in our dinghy and enjoyed a walk along their beautiful golf course. Howler monkeys and iguanas scurried through the trees in the surrounding jungle while exotic birds flew overhead. the course was hilly, lush and gorgeous.

The path crossed streams and gave us many opportunities to watch the birds.

From the top of the hill we had a delightful view of our boats anchored in the bay below.

Exotic trees such as this Indian Banyan tree were interesting focal points around the course.

Iguana sunning on some rocks.