1) Banana Bay Marina, Golfito, COSTA RICA
Hi from Octopus Garden here at Banana Bay Marina in Golfito with Shearwater, Chantey, Nirvana, Paradise plus a few others.  The marina is great, the staff is wonderful and the food and restaurant is very good.   I highly recommend it!  

Picture  of the week – the Banana Bay Beach Band. 

Jim & Susy

OCTOPUS GARDEN






2)  Bahia del Sol, EL SALVADOR
Summer Storage marinas in Bahia del sol for summer storage. 
Marina at the hotel Bahia del sol. $300 per slip (length insensitive). You may need to argue a bit to get this rate, they sometimes ask for more. Includes power and water. Slips available, perhaps 1/2 dozen free. 
Marina at paradise fishing lodge.
Rates need to be negotiated, but you can usually get them to match Hotel Bahia del Sol. Few slips available, perhaps 1 or 2.


Bill & Jean will do boat management at either location. Security is good at both. 
While Bill and Jean have moorings available now, if you want one you should reserve now. They are getting close to a full house situation, and it takes a couple for weeks to make another mooring (which he is willing to do if you book for the season). 

Thanks

Rob & Debra

AVANT




3) Las Perlas, PANAMA

We on Knot decided not to go through the canal to the Caribbean immediately.





We left Vista Mar Marina on Saturday 3/23 to sail to the Las Perlas Islands. We had been stuck in the Marina for almost three months and were forgetting what this adventure was all about. So we prepped the boat for a two week visit to Las Perlas. When I dove the boat, I saw that my Gori folding prop was frozen in a half way reverse position. Barnacles and such had decided to make themselves at home. I know this had happened, because Mike on Interlude was heading back north and he too has a Gori prop, and delayed his exit until the prop was scrapped clean. After spending 2 hours on the hooka, my prop was clean but I couldn’t get to all of the gears. It would only open all of the way in reverse mode and close. Could not get it in the forward mode. I decided to finish the job the next day. Unfortunately I left my heavy plastic “reserve tank” connected to the compressor tank. With the cooling down over night and the heating the next day, the reserve tank blew apart, exceeding its 60 psi limit. The pressure hose to the regulator was still attacked, and that swing helped to redirect the trajectory of the end cap (pointed end of a football shape,about 12” diameter) to avoid my nav station at the helm. A witness said it went around 70 yards before it went into the water. No damage and no one was hurt, but the boom attracted everyone from the marina. Now I could dive without that tank, but I wasn’t looking forward to it. So there was a boat in the marina where the young french guy was a great diver and needed th money, so I let him do it. Also, I didn’t have a wet suit, so I could avoid some of the lingering jelly fish in the marina. He got my prop working and cleaned my bow thruster and bottom.



Saturday 3/23 we sailed (motored) to Bona, then did a sharp left North to get into the south bay of Otoque. THe Northerly winds changed the swells to come from the north also. So I felt extremely safe for the night. We had gotten a very late start leaving Vista Mar, and I was tempting to cancel that day (should have). Anchored late afternoon, and the anchor did not set. Sounded like solid rock. Didn’t want to re-anchor, it was getting dark so I dropped a stern and it set. The next day, se sailed to the west side town of Otoque, the chop was too great for us to launch the dinghy, so we flagged down the mainland panga ferry and he pciked us up and dropped us back on the boat after an hour. Sleepy Sunday afternoon, hardly anyone there. No shops or restaurants. In other words, not worth it. I do believe that the town on the east side might have a restaurant, but I don’t think you are protected from the Northerly.




Monday morning 3/25 we motored to Contadora.

We had some friends on Distant Drummer in the south amchorage of Contadora, it was great to see them, There is a very large anchorage and mooring field, The Hotel, restaurant and a beach bar is called Marr y Oro. The Beach bar has two for one on wine and domestic beer from 4 to 5:30. The beach landing is easy, But the tide range is 17 feet, so walk it all the way up and tie it to a stairway railing, or bring your anchor.





Some additional friends came in on Wednesday (Dandelion) 3/27 and they brought some of the ex-pats from Vista Mar (Steve and Betty). So Jearine and I we Steve a Betty rented a golf cart and drove around the island. The roads are steep, so go big with a golf cart, we had not power and sometimes no brakes.




Saturday 3/30 we left to anchor between Isla Chapera and Mogo Mogo. Mogo Mogo is where some of the Survivor episodes were filmed. We took the dinghy in and found one of the reminance of a lean-to with the survivor “buffs” still marked on one of the poles. This anchorage is a very popular place, there were 10 party boats that eventually dropped the hook. But as the sun set, they left us alone for some peace and quiet.




The next morning 3/31, we traveled south to Isla Pedro Gonzalez. There is a small town on the north shore, but it would not have any protection from the Northerlies at night. Just east of the town is a beautiful Marina, identical construction to Vista Mar Marina. Probably cabable of holding 60 Cats, big double slips. There is a hundred foot cruiser five slips away. But there is a total of four to six boats here. Beautiful “High End” restaurant (opens 18:30, call ahead of time on week days, to make sure it’s open). Showers, power, open WiFi but water is not potable. Laundry can be done, but it is $10 a load.





We could hear the music coming from town on a Sunday night, about 1 NM away. Sorry we didn’t go there, might have been fun. After I got the bill for one day at the Marina, I wish I had anchored by the town. The total was $146 for a 47 ft. $2.25/ft plus $0.65/ft for utilities. YIKES.

If you are interested https://www.inmare.net/en/case-histories/marina-pearl-island


Monday 4/1, going to leave “On Golden Pond” and head to San Jose. In San Jose, we went to the bay in the SE corner where the resort Hacienda del Mar overlooks. There are about 8 to 10 mooring balls, so we grabbed one. Also there is sufficient room for anchorage. This was the resort that Dads Dreams mentioned. Every good thing he mentioned was very accurate. We dinghy’d into the beach (very little waves), had some wine and an appetizer. Then went back to the boat. We rolled a great deal that night, which was not expected because the winds were slight. At 23:30 I heard a crash. Someone hit our bow. I thought that it was a panga that earlier I had told them that they were way too close, and they moved. But it was a small open deck sport fishing boat. The two guys must have anchored after we were in our bunks, but they too were awakened by the crash. They fought to free themselves from the area. It look like they hooked “a mooring line”. As they left, they shouted back that I was tangled up with another mooring line. The next day I took my dinghy and its anchor and used it as a grappling hook to determine what was going on. Found it almost immediately. My mooring line had angled back on the starboard side and laid on top of my bulb trailing off to port stern. We were turned 90 degrees from everyone else. No wounder we rolled all night. Fearing wrapping the line on the prop, I had Jeariene engage the bow thruster, while I nugged starboard stern around. We were successful, but heavy lesson learned. Some gelcoat scratches that I have to work on back at the marina. That day we spent a lazy day at the pool. The resort is completely empty, except for the beautiful and very noisy McCaws.

Today Wednesday 4/3, we are hired a guide for a motor tour of the island. We saw the air strip, with the island’s owner plane. We saw a WW2 antenna base on Punta Muialto (sp). All of the roads were dirt or rocks. Two hours of driving and not worth it. Next time I’ll sit at the pool and drink Cervezas. Thursday will be our last day in this bay, we will be leaving for Vista Mar Marina early Friday morning with the hopes of getting there to re-fuel before we tie up at the slip. The picture is Knot Right while overlooking the infinity pool. BTW, no cell coverage at all, but Wifi “Hacienda Del Mar” pw “islasanjose” (no quotes)

In Vista Mar,  some cruisers started what we call The Bubba Cruiser’s net.  It starts at 1330 UTC.  On marine SSB, starting on 6A, then 8A, 12A, 16A. Two of our boats are halfway to French Polynesia. For you hams, 6.224.0, 8.294.0, 12.353.0, 16.528.0 USB. It is daily. Join us if you want. Nirvana was net control, he went north and we haven’t been able to hear him too much.  I have been net control when I can.

Walt & Jearine

KNOT RIGHT




4) La Marina Acapulco, Acapulco, MEXICO

Blue Oasis had a fast overnight from z-Huat to Acapulco, 18 hours 12-15 behind our starboard quarter most of the 115nm. Caught a nice tuna just S of the Rocas Potosi. We ran 8-12nm off shore to keep the breeze, avoid fishing nets(didn’t see any) , only a few freighters that were 9-30nm offshore. At La Marina Acapulco resting, waiting for a new wind vane from fed ex through a dealer SS Marine Parts and Service .

Barry & Kathy

BLUE OASIS




5) Offshore Waters Forecasts for the East Pacific Ocean

Offshore Waters Forecasts for the East Pacific Ocean within 250 NM of Mexico,
Central America, Columbia, and Ecuador to Operational Effective April 16, 2019

Yay!

https://www.weather.gov/media/notification/scn19-24east_pac_offshore_waters.pdf
Rob & Debra

AVANT







6) Herradura Bay, COSTA RICA
Anchored in 30’ at low tide.  All the party barges left and we’ve got this place almost to ourselves.
09° 38.625N    084° 39.4616 W

Rowan, Victoria & Crew

TALIESIN ROSE






7) Bahia Ballena, COSTA RICA Footloose anchored Bahia Ballena, CR, 20 ft, sand bottom, 09  43.078N, 085  00.606W

Celebrating Michael’s Birthday !
Michael & Lisa

FOOTLOOSE




8) Panama Posse Weekly Line Net – we currently have 78 vessels taking part

MONDAY’S at 16:00 UTC via LINE  and open 24/7 to all !
( go to line.me and download the app works on WIN/MAC/IOS/ANDROID )

– Register using your vessel name as the USERNAME SV CARINTHIA
– Search for panamaposse or SV Carinthia or Seaglub and be friend us
– wait and accept your panamaposse GROUP INVITE
–  send us your position via the message system and listen to the vessel check ins
– the LINE system allows for up to 200 live conference call participants  !

9) Please reply to this email with … anything really

– your updates
– contenders for picture of the week – links to your favorite SONGS
– relevant blog posts – and of course your valuable suggestions

and we’ll include it in the next FLEET UPDATE – Keep em ‘coming

Dietmar & Suzanne

CARINTHIA


10) Opt-out from Fleet Updates simply reply with “REMOVE“