3/28/18 – 7 nm – N8º37.5′ W79º01.8′ – At anchor, Isla Contadora
Dropped off Gary and Patty yesterday at 13:30. Tears and goodbyes. We motored around Isla Contadora looking for the ferry terminal but couldn’t recognize it. Finally called up on VHF and Itchy Foot came back with directions. We dropped the hook, lowered the dinghy from the davits, loaded the luggage and Chris motored off with them to the terminal, two bays down. Chris came back after a bit with news that the dinghy was pooped by a following wave on landing, soaking Gary’s bag and laptop. Ugh. We all piled into the dinghy, motored into the beach and anchored in dry sand with a slacking 10 foot tide. Walked to the nearest resort and found a 4 wheel Ranger for rent, $70 for four hours. This tiny island has paved roads, but only wide enough for two golf carts to pass with a yellow line in the middle. Chris tore around the island, found the ferry departure which we just arrived at in time to see Gary and Patty off. Do docks on this most populated island of Las Perlas (350 people), so passengers have to load into an outboard open boat to ferry to the ferry. Note for the future. When beach loading, motor close to shore behind the breakers and throw an anchor off to the side. Then reverse to the beach, snubbing the anchor when close enough to load and unload. This way the breakers harmlessly approach from the bow, no pooping.
We explored every inch of the island, roads or no roads, stopping for cervesas and ceviche. We found a small mercado to grab a few small snacks, 5 minute epoxy and cake mix for Yayoi’s suprise cake. We got back just in time to return the rental at 7 pm.
The tide had gone out a couple hundred feet leaving the dinghy high and dry, small waves breaking on flat rock below. The five of us got the dinghy safely launched and motored back to make dinner. I started mixing the cake batter up while trying to keep the cake a secret from Yayoi. When she asked what I was making, I said, “mashed potatoes.” Done, haha. So the birthday cake was a total suprise after another amazing dinner of steak, potatos, chimichuri sauce and veggie salad.
While making dinner, two neighbors popped over from their boat and were welcomed aboard with a cacaphony of laughing and hugs. Hadley and Simon were a couple Chris and Cheryl met in Shelter Bay sailng their 38′ steel sailboat around the world for the past four years. They actually got to sail through the canal when the advisor wanted to go faster than their motor could provide. Dinner, many drinks, Olympic Falling Off Cushion by a drunk Hadley (“Pointed toes to 1 point deduction! Oops! That was a snort! half point deduction!”) while Simona dn Chris hung out in the captain’s quarters (engine bay) talking systems. 1 am bed time.
09:00 wakeup, no wind, hot sunny, at anchor off Islan Contadora. Today we head for the open ocean dn El Salvador! But wait, weather looks heavy up near Tamarindo, Costa Rica, gusting to 40 knots off the nose before April 1. Maybe stay another night so we don’t push right into the middle of that?… Yeah, let’s stand by. We also topped off on water using the watermaker at anchor. Not the cleanest water in the world, but clean enough that it’s worth it. Put another layer of Marine Tex on our ding, added a charging switch to the control panel and relaxed to prepare for the sail ahead.