The Voyage of the Hai Mo

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In the early spring of 1967 your inveterate travelers began an historic voyage aboard a Chinese junk that would eventually take two years. It would be a 3,500 mile voyage during which we would visit five foreign countries, make 56 separate stops at ports or anchorages, endure hurricane force winds, lose the mizzen mast and foremast on different occasions, confront robbers, crazy people and accidentally sail to a prison island for murderers. All this on a boat that was constantly leaking and with an engine that conked out regularly. In addition to that, we were harassed by port officials, once took ten days to sail 350 miles, ran aground, tore up three sets of sails, dragged anchor into fishing boats in a dictatorship and ran out of money. We also I might add, had the most wonderful time of our life. We loved every minute of it.

We believe we were the first people to sail a Chinese junk along the west coast of Mexico and Central America. Everywhere we went south of the border we were called the people in the funny boat. The boat was built in Hong Kong using traditional methods of construction. It was built of Burmese mahogany, a very hard wood, and had iron fastenings which rust quite readily. Upon purchase we had the boat hauled at a boat yard in Redondo Beach, California where we added a deep keel, refastened the boat with copper nails, recaulked the hull, put in a gasoline inboard engine and built a self bailing cockpit.

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Hai Mo Hauled	Archie Inspects Hull	And The Rudder	A Hitchhiker

On the morning we left Redondo Beach our friends at the marina all gathered around on the dock to see us off. We found out later they were making bets on whether we would make it as far as Catalina Island, 26 miles away. Our first stop was indeed at White Cove on the East side of Catalina. We were very proud of ourselves.

Leaving had been a mixed experience for Margaret. To quit our jobs, sell our cars and move all our furniture into storage gave so much finality to our previous comfortable life that she wondered if we had made the right decision. After all we were exchanging the easy known life for living on a 30 foot boat that refused to stay still, was cramped , wet and required all our efforts night and day to keep moving and make a straight course to each destination.

We left early the next morning for Ensenada, Mexico a distance of 128 miles. At 5 knots (about 6 miles per hour on land) the trip should take about 26 hours. Because of light winds and a rather circuitous route it took 36 hours but we made it safe and sound and had spent our first night at sea aboard Hai Mo. We spent about a week in Ensenada seeing sights and making our rounds of all the government offices required of foreign vessels. Besides Immigration and Customs every boat must be registered with the Port Captain. We also were required to fly the Mexican flag higher and forward of the American flag.

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Day of Leaving	Where is Ensenada?	White Cove	Along Mexico Coast

We left Ensenada and headed for San Quintin a bay 105 miles distant. During the daytime of the first day of the 34 hour trip we had good sailing winds but that night the wind strength really picked up and about midnight the mizzen mast broke and came crashing down on us in the cockpit. In all the commotion the compass light was pulled out so Archie spent the rest of the night steering while Margaret held a flashlight on the compass. When we finally reached San Quintin we dropped the anchor, had some hot soup and slept for about ten hours.

Our next stop was at Cedros Island another 150 miles to the south. In the channel between the island and the mainland we were surrounded on all sides by gray whales on their annual migration to their mating place in Scammons Lagoon on the mainland. They didn't bother us but we were a bit apprehensive because they were so much larger than the boat. We also had a huge manta ray with a 15 foot wing span come clear out of the water and splash down hard next to the cockpit spraying us with water. We anchored off the village and spent a couple of days resting up from our travails at sea. When we did leave it was for Turtle Bay 35 miles away and on the mainland.

Turtle Bay is one of the best natural harbors on the west coast. It was also a place where we could buy gasoline. When we did order the gasoline it was delivered by Gordo a huge man who arrived in a row boat with six children and a 50 gallon drum of fuel. The children took turns rowing. The fuel drum had previously been used for paint so along with the gas, long white tendrils of paint were emitted from the pump Gordo was winding. We also were afraid of water contamination of the fuel so we strained it all through a chamois. Gordo also sold us a half dozen large abalone. When pounded, rolled in meal and fried to a golden brown they were a gourmet's delight.

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A Village on Baja	Cedros Island	Sardine Cannery	Asuncion Village

After Turtle Bay we stopped at San Roque 40 miles distant and at Asuncion eleven miles beyond that. All of these stops were at poor fishing villages that seldom got visitors in those days, so everywhere we went we were treated with the utmost courtesy by the citizens and warmly welcomed by the children since nothing very exciting ever happened there. The anchorages along Baja California are pretty good because the bottom is usually sandy and there is some protection from prevailing winds. From Asuncion we anchored at Hipolito a small cove with lots of pilot whales cavorting around us. After that 25 mile trip we spent the night then started on our 186 mile sprint toward Santa Maria cove just outside the large Magdalena Bay.

At Santa Maria cove we managed to barter with local fishermen for lobster. Four large Pacific lobsters for one pack of American cigarettes. Margaret cringed when Archie dropped them head first into a pot of boiling water but managed to eat them with great gusto. We spent a few days there eating lobster every meal. Lobster and eggs for breakfast, a lobster salad for lunch and lobster with butter and lemon for supper. We finally pulled up the anchor and headed around the corner into Mag Bay as we always called it. It is a beautiful bay. We traveled about 50 miles in it, to Puerto Cortes a Navy base where we could buy gasoline. The Mexican Navy people were very accommodating about the fuel but gave us some very bad information about getting out of Mag Bay. They told us that rather than going back north to the entrance we could go out the south end of the bay which would save us a considerable distance. Even though the charts showed it as not navigable we decided to try it because hurricane season was almost upon us, we were anxious to get to Mazatlan. Once we got to the shallows known as Rhehusa Channel we saw a long row of breakers with just one break in it. We headed there and got through with about a foot of water to spare, breathed a sigh of relief and thought we were through the channel. No such luck. Immediately ahead was another long row of breakers with one opening. This went on all afternoon with Margaret below reading the depth sounder and calling the numbers to Archie at the helm. "One foot - three feet - no feet - two feet" and so on until finally at dusk we emerged into the open sea and started our 150 mile sail to Cabo Falso at the tip of Baja California. We rounded the corner and continued another 195 miles to Mazatlan on the Mexican mainland.

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Turtle Bay from Our Junk Hai Mo,	Land Ho! Islands off Mazatlan	Mazatlan Breakwater	Mazatlan Harbor, See Hai Mo?

On July 10th we dropped anchor in Mazatlan harbor after 6 days at sea. We were tired and ready to go ashore. Mazatlan was the first real city we had been in since we left Ensenada on June 5th. We were also happy to be in a protected anchorage because this was now hurricane season. We also found out from the locals that we should not stay away from the boat at night because a local wind called a Chubasco was a frequent visitor in the summer. These wind storms though brief (one or two hours) could be violent. Indeed on the second night in Mazatlan a Chubasco hit. We went on deck started the engine and powered against the wind to keep the anchor from dragging. The wind was so strong that voice communication between us was impossible and although our anchor held, the only other cruising boat in the harbor with us, dragged anchor into us. We threw him a line and our anchor held both boats until the storm had passed.

The period between July 1st to about November 1st is the hurricane season along the west coast of Mexico so it was imperative that we stay in Mazatlan until that dangerous season had passed. When a hurricane was predicted to hit or pass close by, the Captain of the Port would order all boats out of the harbor and into a lagoon about a two hour motor trip up the estuary. We went up twice during that summer. We got to know Mazatlan well. We walked into town almost every day to shop for food at the public market since we did not have refrigeration and bought everything fresh. We also enjoyed the great restaurants along the shore and spent a lot of time on the mostly empty beaches. Please note that if you visit Mazatlan today those beaches are lined with hotels.

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Archie on Empty Mazatlan Beach	Mazatlan Beaches	A Yacht in the Lagoon	Avenue Olas Altas in Mazatlan


Archie Plots Our Course	Going My Way?	What Kind Of Boat Is That?	A Sailfish Hooked


Ocean from Mazatlan	Sunset from Mazatlan	Archie Finds Our Position	Bringing Aboard Dinner	Ready for Anything

On the 11th of November we left Mazatlan for points south. We were under sail with good wind but missed Isabella Island our intended first stop during the night. The light house that was supposed to be there, evidently had a burned out light bulb. The next day we ran out of wind and started motoring except that the engine would stop after about an hour until we cleaned the spark plugs. The engine needed an overhaul and now there was no place to get it done. We had an extra set of plugs, so we would swap all the plugs every hour, clean and swap, clean and swap over and over every hour, day and night. Finally we spotted some islands ahead and determined from the chart that these were the Tres Marias Islands. As we approached the largest of the three islands, we observed much activity ashore. Jeeploads of soldiers rushed down to the dock and herded all the inhabitants into the church. By loudspeaker we were told to anchor and for one person to come ashore. There we were met by the 'General'. He informed us that we had now illegally entered the waters of the Mexican prison island of Maria Magdalena. He said we had five minutes to leave or we would be included among the island's inhabitants who were murderers sentenced to life on this island. We left. Later we heard that a couple on a boat did anchor off the southernmost island and that a group of eight prisoners swam there from the big island during the night, murdered both of them and escaped to the mainland on their boat. We were happy to have been warned.

We successfully sailed or motored 80 miles to the mainland and anchored in Matenchen Bay at the town of San Blas. As we anchored we looked down at our feet and they were black with "noseeums", tiny biting bugs that left us in much pain from itching. Margaret still has scars from that place. San Blas is a very historic town because it was the first colony established by the Spanish on the west coast of North America. Ashore we saw the ruins of a church built in 1530. We also took a ride in a small boat, into the jungles to see iguanas and alligators. While there we met an American couple from Coos Bay, Oregon who had come down with their trailer to spend a year. They had just found out the man who was supposed to be running their business back home had died. They had to leave immediately and asked if we would we like to buy about six cases of canned beef. They had gone in with friends to buy a whole animal and have it canned. We were delighted to do just that and we enjoyed the beef all down the coast.

From San Blas we motored 21 miles down the coast to the small bay of Chacala. We were able to buy another mess of lobsters there and when we asked if any one in town sold lemons we were told to wait a few minutes and they would bring us some. Soon the man returned with a huge sack of limes and said they were free. Later, when we went ashore, we found the whole town had lime trees and that limes were laying all over the ground. In Mexico all the fruit was excellent and very sweet and juicy because in those days there was very little refrigeration in Mexico, so everything was freshly picked and fruit was left to ripen on the tree.

On November 26 we left Chacala for the 42 mile trip to Puerto Vallarta located in a large bay open to the sea on the west. Nowadays boats tie up in dredged harbors there, but when we were there it was open roadstead. We rowed ashore and tied our dinghy to a pier on the waterfront quite handy to the town. Even then PV as we call it, was a tourist town so we had great restaurants available to us and we did indulge. We also spent a couple of nights in a hotel. There was another American yacht there at the time, a couple from Santa Barbara with their children and a large German shepard who almost sank our dinghy when he jumped in to greet us.

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Mazatlan Carriages	Mazatlan Street Scene	Friendly Pelican	Geese Along the Coast


Shrimp Boat	Sunset from Mazatlan	Puerto Vallarta	San Blas Jungles


Tres Arcos at PV	A Tropical Sunset	And Another	A Dolphin Shows Up

From Puerto Vallarta we sailed 54 miles to Chamela where we spent a night anchored in the lee of an island filled with turtle carcasses. It was from there that fishermen hunted turtles for their skin which was sent to Italy to make shoes. Today those magnificent sea turtles are almost extinct from over hunting. We raised anchor and sailed another 30 miles to the little bay called Tenacatita. This was another beautiful place, well protected from prevailing winds and full of lobster. A couple was camped ashore in a Volkswagon van. The husband was American and his wife was a German whom he had married when stationed in Germany. This was their honeymoon. She spoke no English so was delighted to meet Margaret who speaks fluent German. We invited them for a dinner of canned beef with mashed potatoes and gravy. They were so happy because they had had nothing but lobster for two weeks and were sick and tired of it.

Twelve miles down the coast we stopped at Bahia Navidad and from there another 25 miles to Manzanillo. We left Manzanillo on the 14th of December in order to get to Acapulco well before Christmas. It was a trip of 350 miles. Shortly after leaving Manzanillo harbor but well out to sea, the wind stopped dead and the engine failed completely. So here we were with no locomotion drifting slowly southward and watching for ships as we were caught in the shipping lanes. That first dark night at about midnight a virtual city bore down on us as we helplessly drifted. Fortunately the Queen Mary on her final trip to Long Beach, California, didn't hit us. It did come close however. We found out later that Archie's cousin who was a newspaper reporter, was aboard the Queen having been sent by her paper to cover that last famous voyage. For ten days and nights we drifted on, occasionally getting some wind until we were finally at the entrance to Acapulco. We had seen the lights of Acapulco for two nights before that but couldn't get enough wind to sail on in. On that last day a Chubasco hit us and pushed us right up to the entrance then died. To make matters worse, the tide changed and we were drifting backwards out of the harbor entrance. We spotted two fishermen in a small boat with an outboard motor. We called them over and offered to pay them to tow us in to the yacht club about five miles inside the harbor. It took them all night but at dawn we tied up to the Acapulco Yacht Club dock. It was Christmas eve.

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Acapulco Yacht Club	Wide World Of Sports Covering Diving Competition	A Dolphin Up Close	Camera For the Show


The Acapulco Cliff Divers	Luxury Homes in Acapulco	New Sail, New Paint for Hai Mo	And a New Dinghy and Outboard	Flying High at Christmas


Acapulco	Beach Baby	Outside Anchorage	A Beach Vendor


Cabo Corrientes near Puerto Vallarta	Another Yacht at PV	Acapulco Sunset	Same Place Later

Acapulco is truly the pearl of the Pacific. The natural tropical setting, the white sand beaches and the balmy climate are so addictive. In addition to all of that, the city offers great restaurants, luxury hotels and a busy night life. We weary sailors took full advantage of all the pleasures offered.

One problem we faced was the sad fact that we were almost broke. We had used up a great deal of our savings on the trip so far and wanted to keep going. So we decided to leave Hai Mo safe at the yacht club and fly home and make money. Tax season was coming up soon and since both of us are accountants, we could probably work a few months and then return. We called the CPA firms we both had left and were told jobs would be waiting. Besides tax season we were paid extra bonuses to do a large audit and got stuck in California until July. Upon our return we hired a fellow to paint our boat, we hauled the boat out of the water for painting etc. and had the engine overhauled by an excellent mechanic. In our absence someone had stolen our dinghy so we had a local boatwright build us a new one.

At the end of August 1968 we left Acapulco for points south. We went first to Puerto Marquez a small bay just to the south of Acapulco. It was a place to rest up from all the hustle and bustle of the yacht club. From there we stopped at a small open anchorage named Bahia Escondido (hidden bay). The only noteworthy event of that passage occurred during one night when Archie was asleep and Margaret was on watch. She noticed the wind had died and an oppressive hot, humid calm had descended upon the sea. She also noticed lightening on the horizon. She came below, woke Archie and said "We are about to be hit by a Chubasco, please get up and come on deck. We have to get some sail down." Archie replied, "Wake the other guy" In a panic Margaret screamed, "There is no other guy, GET UP!" By the time Archie got dressed, had some coffee and got on deck, the Chubasco hit us. We got some sail down just in time because the winds increased to hurricane force and with what little sail was still up, we moved at well past hull speed across the water. Accompanying the wind was pouring rain which cut visibility to zero and steady lightening and thunder. After about two hours the storm passed and we were left becalmed again.

From Bahia Escondido we went to Puerto Angel a very pretty little enclosed bay with a narrow but deep entrance. There wasn't much ashore but a little open restaurant was available for 'fish du jour'. It was always served with rice and potatoes. It was there we met two young fellows from Toronto who had been traveling around Mexico and asked us if they could go south to Costa Rica with us. It was pretty cramped with four of us aboard but we took them anyway. As it turned out they became good sailors and were a big help. While at Puerto Angel we met some Americans who lived there. They took us in their pickup 30 miles inland to the town of Pechutla where we stocked up on fresh fruit etc.

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Puerto Angel in the Rain	Hai Mo at Puerto Angel	Buy a Pig Anyone? Market at Pechutla	A Tame Egret and a One Eyed Dog

After we left there, we made one stop along the coast and then entered the final port in Mexico, Salina Cruz. There the officials ran us from one office to another in an attempt to coerce us into hiring an agent to clear us out of Mexico. When we insisted on doing all the paperwork ourselves, they informed us we would have to go back to Puerto Angel for another signed copy from that Port Captain. We refused and just left Salina Cruz, sailing out into the Gulf of Tuantepec. Inland of the Gulf the mountains descend both on the north and on the south to a flat plain. This creates a 'window' through which the trade winds from the Caribbean side funnel, creating a powerful wind called a Tuantapecer. Since the wind is from the land the best strategy is to sail close to shore to avoid the high waves that these gales engender. We thought five miles offshore would be close enough, but we were sadly mistaken. The wind blew to gale force and the size of the waves increased to dangerous heights, so we spent 5 hours motoring against wind and sea until we were just off the beach. When we set sail to continue along the beach the foremast broke. Another disaster had befallen us, but we persisted on with only the mainsail left. Fortunately the Mexican navy had set up navigation lights at frequent intervals to aid us through the night. After leaving the Gulf of Tuantepec we continued down the coast entering Guatemalan waters.

We stopped at the port of Champerico which in reality consisted of a small town with a long dock extending out from the beach. So for anchoring it was open roadstead a very uncomfortable situation. The Port Captain came out to us in a motor launch as soon as we hoisted the signal flag. He arranged for fuel to be delivered, took our passports and said, "Welcome to Guatemala". When we went to leave we discovered our anchor was stuck in some big rocks on the bottom. Try as we did, we could not dislodge it. We called a tug for help and using our chain on their huge winch they were able to pull our anchor up, which was by then bent out of shape. They used a sledge hammer to partially straighten it and hand it over to us. They wouldn't let us pay for their work and time.

From Champerico we stopped at San Jose another Guatemalan town where we stocked up with groceries. To go ashore we had to go to a dock in the dinghy and then be hoisted up in a chair to the pier above. After we left San Jose we sailed down to the port of Acajutla in El Salvador.

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Champerico Pier	Acajutla Harbor	Acajutla Pier	Broken Foremast


Guatemala Coast	Gulf of Tuantapec	Storm Clouds Gather	Salina Cruz Entrance


Going Ashore	Inside Salina Cruz Harbor	Cane Fields in El Salvador	Crater Lake in El Salvador	After Shopping

Acajutla harbor is composed of shelter from the north because of the curve in the coastline and shelter from the south by a long dock built on fill rather than just pilings. After anchoring we rowed the dinghy over and climbed up a ladder to the pier. A man came over and asked if we wanted a ride into town. We accepted his invitation and instead of taking us to town he took us to his house. He introduced us to his family, a wife and three children. After a quick conversation with his wife he informed us that his little girl was moving in with her two brothers and that we could have his daughters bedroom for the length of our stay in Acajutla. He also informed us that he had ordered our boat to be watched so we had nothing to fear leaving it there. He told us he was a Colombian and was hired by the El Salvador government to train people as ships' pilots to take command of ships entering the harbor. His experience was as a Captain in the Colombian Navy, his last command being the navy's school ship, a four masted brigantine. He was also an artist and had a one man show starting that week in a gallery in San Salvador the capital. Among his art accomplishments was a series of Colombian stamps depicting the history of the Navy. He had had several exhibits in the US mostly in Florida. In addition to all that we found out he was President of the World Association of Amateur Radio Operators. While we were in Acajutla the Fonsecas took us on car trips all over the countryside. We were happy to be able to reciprocate some years later, when they all stayed with us in Los Angeles.

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Crater Lake (Archie center, Fonsecas on each side.)	Lake Ilapongo near San Salvador	Cattle - El Salvador	El Salvador Scene


Guillermo Fonseca (The man wearing shorts)	Street Scene in San Salvador	A Classic Volcano in El Salvador	Women Washing Clothes in El Salvador

We left Acajutla after a couple of weeks, stopped at La Libertad, El Salvador then anchored in the Gulf of Fonseca where El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua meet. From there we continued south into Nicaraguan waters. The main port of Corinto had enormous port fees (a charge for a minimum of a ton of water) so we didn't enter there, instead opting to go into San Juan del Sur. This small town is in an open bay in the south of Nicaragua. Besides having poor holding ground, the bay was crowded with fishing boats. We went ashore to check in with the authorities and found unpaved streets and machine gun nests at every corner. This was a time when the corrupt dictator Samosa ran the country and just about everything else. Later the Sandinistas would overthrow him, force him to leave the country and then gun him down in the streets of Miami, Florida.

The port captain's office was on the waterfront and he greeted us wearing a six gun on his hip. He took our passports and welcomed us to Nicaragua. Later we asked him for permission to go to Lake Nicaragua about 50 miles inland. He said we could all go except for one of the Canadian boys whom he said had a stamp in his passport for Algeria. He said that Algeria was an enemy of Nicaragua. Since Algeria is in Africa we couldn't see how that was possible, but then, dictators are very suspicious and fearful people. We said if he couldn't go, then none of us would go, so he relented and said if we didn't stay too long we could go see it and come right back.

Lake Nicaragua is unique in the world, as the only place to see fresh water sharks and porpoises. In ancient times the lake was part of a large bay but through lava flows from local volcanoes, that deep bay became closed off from the sea. As the lake slowly desalinated the sharks and porpoises trapped within, adapted to fresh water. A perfect demonstration of Darwinism.

On the third night of our stay in San Juan del Sur the wind came up strong, our anchor started dragging and we were pushed across the bay into some fishing boats. In trying to extricate ourselves our propeller became entangled in the mooring lines of the fishing boats. The large waves that came crashing into the harbor caused us to roll so badly, we were afraid we might damage our boat or one of the boats we were rolling and pitching into. As Archie and one of the boys fended off, Margaret and another boy took off in the dinghy to see the Port Captain about getting a diver to help us. After a wild dinghy ride to shore, she lost both of her shoes in the muddy streets. The Port Captain came to the door in his pajamas with pistol in hand. He called the owners of the fishing boats and they arrived shortly with their crews. They dove into the water cleared us from their boats and towed us to a safe place. We offered to pay but they said it was their pleasure to help us and after a cup of hot cocoa they left.

We immediately pulled up anchor and left to find a safer place to the south. After a wild ride through the storm we came to Bahia Santa Elena a beautiful and protected bay just into Costa Rica. As we came in we saw that seven American tuna boats were anchored there. We asked one of the skippers what they were doing there and he said he would not risk his men's lives by going out in such weather. Since by now we were old salts and pretty proud of ourselves for taking such weather in stride. After all we had been in much worse conditions earlier on our trip. It was such a pleasant and peaceful place we stayed there for a week. On the second day an American ketch came in and anchored near us. There was a husband and wife with a three year old boy aboard. The boat had been a Norwegian rescue craft. They had bought it in Norway sailed across the Atlantic to the Panama canal and were on their way up the coast to Seattle, the husband's home. The boat the 'Havorn' is still here to this day.

One day we were invited aboard one of the tuna boats for dinner. They were an all ethnically Yugoslav crew from Long Beach but originally from Trieste so they ate exactly as Italians do - antipasto first, then soup and salad and then pasta followed by the main course. Since it was Friday the salad was lobster and the main course was fish. For desert they served banana splits. The skipper explained that because they were away from home for such long periods they always ate well as it was their main recreation. He didn't add, but we knew they also worked very hard.

A strange thing happened on our last day there. Two sports fishing boats pulled in and dropped anchor close to shore. From one of the boats six Nicaraguan soldiers jumped in the water and waded into shore. They set up machine guns at either end of the beach as we all watched, wondering 'what the ____?' Then from the second boat a bunch of guys jumped out, carrying a young man on their shoulders. They also brought a large box and set it on the beach. They unfolded the box and it became a bar. The young fellow came over to us and introduced himself as the son of Samosa the dictator of Nicaragua. He said he was on a fishing trip and would we like a cold beer and some fish. He also asked if we had heard the latest news, to which we replied negatively. He replied that Jackie Kennedy had married Aristotle Onasis. This evidently had just happened and was very interesting to him as he said he spent most of his time in Europe. Being one of the super rich he was part of the jet set. Not exactly in our class.


Bahia Cocos	Bahia Santa Elena	Bat Islands	Margaret at Bahia Santa Elena

We left Bahia Santa Elena headed south past the Bat Islands and entered Bahia Cocos, the home to an American couple on a 40 ft. schooner. Maurie Gladstone and his wife had been there for several years and had no intention of ever leaving. They said "We have found paradise and we are here to stay". After Cocos we continued south around Cabo Blanco and into the Gulf of Nicoya. While there we were welcomed at the Costa Rica Yacht Club at Puntarenas and spent weeks cruising the Islands in the Gulf of Nicoya.

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Beach at Cocos	Yacht Club Mooring	Drying Out at Bahia Santa Elena	Bahia Cocos	Picking Papaya


Samosa Jr. On Left	Samosa Jr. Boat	Ashore in Gulf of Nicoya	Jesusita Island


The Bat Islands	Coffee Growing	Costa Rica Yacht Club	2 Yachties Relaxing


Y.C. Dinghy Dock	Gulf of Nicoya	Gulf of Nicoya	Gulf of Nicoya


Picking Coffee	Gulf of Nicoya	San Jose Costa Rica	Jesusita Island

The Gulf of Nicoya is a very large body of water filled with dozens of small islands. Near the head of the Gulf is a river entrance and on the river is the major port of Puntarenes. The Gulf is 34 miles wide at it's entrance and penetrates inland for 52 miles. It is a small boat cruiser's dream. The sound of howler monkeys at night, the beautiful birds and the lush tropical setting all combine to make exploring a necessity. We picked up exotic shells off the beach, swam in the warm water and went slowly from one island to the next. On Jesusita (Little Jesus) Island we found an American couple who had transformed the island into a resort. We had dinner there of fried oysters from the island, dipped in the owners special batter and fried to a golden brown. We went up the river at Punterenas and moored on a buoy of the Costa Rica Yacht Club. The yacht club facilities were quite luxurious, especially for us, who had been 'roughing it' for a few months. From Punteranas we took the plane up to the capital city of San Jose. We spent several days there exploring the city and visiting volcanoes.

We received word from Los Angeles that Margaret's mother was very ill and was in the hospital. We flew there and found her improving but still hospitalized. To pass the time during the day we wandered around marinas looking at boats. One day we saw Galatea a 66 foot yawl for sale at a very low price. We fell in love with her and before we knew it, we had bought her. But that is another story. Later we sold Hai Mo in Costa Rica and began another adventure with Galatea. aw

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Wild bird in Puntarenas	Islands in the Gulf of Nicoya	A Fish Market in San Jose, Costa Rica	A Wild Parakeet

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