That mean old Customs Lady in Golfito messed up Costa Rica's last, best chance for us to spend time and money there. That'll show 'em.
Since we were illegally in the country, we moved quickly and silently up the coast. Sailed 272 miles in mostly calm seas, from Golfito in the SE to an overnight stop at Bahia Huevos in the NW after we'd received a forecast for a Papagayo wind event in our area and needed shelter. We saw very little sea bird action underway but sightings of dolphins and sea turtles grew more frequent. The heat was relentless. Even the water in The Fox's tanks came out hot.
There was very little vessel traffic of any kind until we reached Punta Blanca on the northern edge of the Gulf of Nicoya. Note to cruisers: the freighters and car carriers rounding Punta Blanca travel very close to shore and therefore are not visible if you're on the opposite side of the point. I would suggest one sail one's boat further than 2 miles offshore in this area.
Winds increased to the mid-20s with a 2-foot chop as we continued north and entered the Gulf of Papagayo, making for Bahia Huevos. (We'd strategized that, traveling south to north, Huevos offered a quicker, easier early-morning departure than Bahia Culebra next door would have.) Along the way into Huevos we saw many leaping manta rays, singly and in groups of up to 12, along with sea turtles, pelicans, frigatebirds and boobies. I do so enjoy the sea critters in the Pacific. Anchored in Huevos in 22 feet without incident. Overnight conditions were calm.
Our illegal sailboat raised anchor the next morning to brave more forecast Papagayo winds and round Cape Santa Elena, to make for the next sheltered anchorage at Bahia Santa Elena on the Costa Rica side of the border with Nicaragua. The Gulf of Papagayo was sheltered enough, but as we rounded the point The Fox got punched in the face by 25-knot Papagayo winds and a rolly 4-foot chop. The strongest conditions were precisely at the entrance into Bahia Santa Elena, but after slogging into it for several hours, once inside the sheltered bay only a few random gusts reached us and the 2 other sailboats anchored here. We dropped our Bruce in 45 feet without incident. This time of year – early April – was very dry here, yet we could hear many green parrots chattering to one another in the low trees on shore. Bahia Santa Elena is one of the best-sheltered, most interesting anchorages in these parts and I'd recommend it to anyone. Just watch out for migrating yellow-bellied sea snakes who enjoy in this bay too!
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