On the Road Again

It was 6:00 AM when i raised the anchore at Golfito. The rain from last night was still pouring down, it looked as if it was going to be a long trip. As I was hiosting up my anchor the chain got really heavy. when I got the heavy spot to the surface i could see clearly what was the matter. I had snagged another anchore that was lying on the bottom, and it had come up on my chain. The anchore was one used by the comercial fishing boats that depart golfito, one of them must have dropped it overboard right where i was.
After a seemingly long while of pulling, prying, twisting, yanking, winching, and anyother manuver i could do, i finally got the monster off my chain, and hung it off my bowsprit.
I finished raising my anchor, and headed out for the passage to get to the golfo dulce.
I passed a few small fishing boats on my way, and finaly got one to come over and talk. I tried to give him the anchor, but i gues he had to many already. so i dropped the beastie over the side, because i did not want this anchor either.
The rest of the trip was fairly unevent full, twenty LONG hours of hand steering the boat sixty one miles to Bahia Drake.
I had orignaly planned trip to take about twelve hours, but there was a knot and a half current against me, and NO WIND!
The only stronger wind i got on the trip was short lived, and came from a squal near by. but for that time i was able to turn off the engine, and do some real sailing (FINALLY! it only took five hundred miles!)
I started to enter the bahia at about two o'clock in the morning. the bay was pitch black, except for afew lights on shore, and some flashing things that seemed to be on the water. hearing the surf thundering away at the side of the bay i aproached with caution to the flashings lights. when i was right at them i could see they were coming from little pangas on moorings.
I went below and turned on my depth finder, It read forty feet! Forty feet, and we are just off of this thundering surf and rocks, with little pangas on bouys!
"This cant be the right anchorage!" I told myself, and put the boat back in gear, and drove deeper and deeper into the dark bay. It is interesting and little stressing to be heading into deeper darkness, hearing surf thundering all around, and not being able to see where you are going really. all i could see was few lights up ahead, and to my starboard, the dark shapes that can only be the edge of the bay. with the moon covered up by clouds, and the stars the same, there was no natural lighting that would have made this aproach easier. there was only, drive ahead, check the sounder, drive some more. hear the surf, check the chart (yeah how acurate has it been before? at least we werent in the middle of costa rica yet, like we were when at golfito!)
putting along into the darkness, then WHAMM! some guy turns on this ultra bright spot light right at me! geezs thanks buddy! now i cant see even the compass!
I grabbed my flash light and beamed it right back at the guy. It seemed to be some body out in a panga fishing. I shown the light around, and it bounced back an image of a sport fishing boat anchored right near by.
I checked the sounder again, I cant rember now, but it was eitehr 32, or 25 feet. I dropped the anchor, and let out a ton of chain. I wasnt sure if it was high tide, or low tide. so i wanted to make sure i wouldnt drift away.
I went back to the cockpit, and put the engine into the reverse gear, then went back to the bow. I could feel through the chain what the anchore was doing down there. Slip, Slide, Oh theres a jump! Whack! I could feel it dig into something. the bow pointed around, and the chain came taught. I put the bat out of gear, and watched the chain slacken.
I shut down the motor, and stowed the handle for the windlass. Trip over! now i could relax, sleep, and wake up in the morning and find out where the heck i was anchored.
Cheers,
Josh

Live Your Dream!

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