hello,
I am now in Panama, having just taken the buss. I am visiting some amily, and friends whoa re here, and getting afew essentials for the boat.
The boat, after the fiasco at the customs office, and the new laws they laid down, is sitting in Bond at Banana Bay Marina.
After hours and hours of trying to get a extention on my boat papers form the customs offcials it was just not going to happen. The are being really hard on all forgien boats, and it does not look like it is going to end soon. I was left with the options of leaving the country, or bonding the boat. If i could not do either, they would inpound the boat, and if i wanted it back I would have to pay two thirds thier assesed value to get it back. for my case that would be $20,000 more or less to get my boat back. I asked her if they would really do that, and kick me off the boat to start living on the side walk outside the customs office, her answer was ¨Yes¨. so no matter how desperate you are, do not count on gettng a break, not even if the boat is broke. I tried that one too, but would only be granted a fifteen day extention - not a day more.
I had to put the boat into Bond, but got a very clear understanding that if anything happend to my boat while she is in bond, that it would be fully made up to me with new items. In other words, if my boat sinks, or somehting is stolen - I get a new boat, or a new piece. with that I have a feeling of complete ease while traveling away form the boat.
when I return, and remove the boat from bond, I will have to sail away imidatly, and not return for a minimum of six moths, if my memory serves me right.
so thats the way of the Banana Republic as of late- real friendly.
Cheers,
Josh
Live Your Dream!
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Has Costa Rica Gone MAD?
Has Costa Rica gone MAD? that is the question!
I have now arrived at Golfito. The trip here was nothing like the blissful sailing that it was while going up north. sense leaving herradura I had the wind on the nose, and had to tack to get here.
I managed to do it in about two tacks. the first day I did 65 miles made good. and arrived at golfito late at night on the tenth. but not after getting hit with one of these fierce winds that swoop out of now where.
over all the trip went well, longer then I would have liked, but well.
Now I have a new problem. Like I said in the last post, my papers need to be extended so I can have time to get my electronics working, and then sail to Ecuador.
while I was blissfully cruising the coast, some costa rican politians got to getheer and started to talk. well, as can be expected the conclusion was not good. It resulted in costa rica no longer giving any forien vessle more then three months in the country. They will no longer allow people to extend their crusing permits to six months, something that every one has always done, or at least counted on being able to do. so here i sit with this new news in my lap, and papers the expire tomorow. I have one day to come up with something to do about this problem.
there are three options that one can do.
option one, go to one of the expensive marinas and pay a fee ( I hear it is a large one) to bond the boat, and keep it at the marina. I dont know aswell how much it costa to take the boat out of the bond. more over, while the boat is bonded, you can not move it.
option two, Leave the country. They are literally throwing cruisers out of costa rica, and into the hurrican season. If you do not leave, they will inpound the boat, and make you pay an astronomical percntage of the boats value (they determine the boats value, so saying it is worth two grand won´t fly).
now that I look at it, there are only two options.
I am going to try and persuade the customs to give me a extension, hopefully it will work.
if not, it looks like I will be sailing south soonner then I thought, like day after tomorow!
so there is the current update from the Banana Republic.
A quote from a man who is trying to make a living here running a cruisers facility says " Costa Rica is being harder on sailors then murders, and rapests!"
I would have to agree.
Cheers,
Josh
Live Your Dream!
I have now arrived at Golfito. The trip here was nothing like the blissful sailing that it was while going up north. sense leaving herradura I had the wind on the nose, and had to tack to get here.
I managed to do it in about two tacks. the first day I did 65 miles made good. and arrived at golfito late at night on the tenth. but not after getting hit with one of these fierce winds that swoop out of now where.
over all the trip went well, longer then I would have liked, but well.
Now I have a new problem. Like I said in the last post, my papers need to be extended so I can have time to get my electronics working, and then sail to Ecuador.
while I was blissfully cruising the coast, some costa rican politians got to getheer and started to talk. well, as can be expected the conclusion was not good. It resulted in costa rica no longer giving any forien vessle more then three months in the country. They will no longer allow people to extend their crusing permits to six months, something that every one has always done, or at least counted on being able to do. so here i sit with this new news in my lap, and papers the expire tomorow. I have one day to come up with something to do about this problem.
there are three options that one can do.
option one, go to one of the expensive marinas and pay a fee ( I hear it is a large one) to bond the boat, and keep it at the marina. I dont know aswell how much it costa to take the boat out of the bond. more over, while the boat is bonded, you can not move it.
option two, Leave the country. They are literally throwing cruisers out of costa rica, and into the hurrican season. If you do not leave, they will inpound the boat, and make you pay an astronomical percntage of the boats value (they determine the boats value, so saying it is worth two grand won´t fly).
now that I look at it, there are only two options.
I am going to try and persuade the customs to give me a extension, hopefully it will work.
if not, it looks like I will be sailing south soonner then I thought, like day after tomorow!
so there is the current update from the Banana Republic.
A quote from a man who is trying to make a living here running a cruisers facility says " Costa Rica is being harder on sailors then murders, and rapests!"
I would have to agree.
Cheers,
Josh
Live Your Dream!
Friday, September 5, 2008
update from latitude 9
So here is the update. I am currently siting on deck in complete darkness hoping the rain gives me a break long enough to write what is going on.
The Electronics on Elusive have not been going to good, so in light of that i have decided to leave them here with my friend who is working on them while i do other things.
unfortunatly my visa for costa rica is expiring and i need to get it renewed before sailing to Ecuador. That meens that i will be taking a bus trip down to Panama city for a while. this trip on the bus also gives me a great opertunity to check out a couple of steel hulled boats that are forsale. with luck i might be able to shift the wayward odyssey into a steel hull, and sail off of the guide book paradise next cruising season. along with my electronics being left with the hands of my friend, will also be left me laptop. so my, sad to say, speratic posting will be even more speratic untill i am re-united with my computer. but i will try and post when ever possible. so thats where it stands now, and the plan is to sail to the Tortugas Islands before leaving the boat. I will update next chance i get, unitll then,Cheers!
Josh
LiveYour Dream!
The Electronics on Elusive have not been going to good, so in light of that i have decided to leave them here with my friend who is working on them while i do other things.
unfortunatly my visa for costa rica is expiring and i need to get it renewed before sailing to Ecuador. That meens that i will be taking a bus trip down to Panama city for a while. this trip on the bus also gives me a great opertunity to check out a couple of steel hulled boats that are forsale. with luck i might be able to shift the wayward odyssey into a steel hull, and sail off of the guide book paradise next cruising season. along with my electronics being left with the hands of my friend, will also be left me laptop. so my, sad to say, speratic posting will be even more speratic untill i am re-united with my computer. but i will try and post when ever possible. so thats where it stands now, and the plan is to sail to the Tortugas Islands before leaving the boat. I will update next chance i get, unitll then,Cheers!
Josh
LiveYour Dream!
Monday, September 1, 2008
Cabin Work
Hello,
Today I did some more work in the cabin. TheGalley to be specific. I had a uncomplete deep shelf behind the stove that was not finished, and was looking pretty bad. So today along with afew other projects I got out the hard wood, tools, screws, and paint. The Galley looks alo better now that I have that part nearly complete. II got some food from the super marcket today, put a nice thick piece of Almond wood as trim, and then paineted the rest of it glossy white to the hight of the counter. I also painted the well where the stove hangs white. all inall it looks alot better, and the boat is one step closer to being complete.
The other day I did some welding on the bowsprit to be able to have wood planks to walk on, instead of net. Sense i will be goingback to panama with the bus how ever, I think i will wait to finish it up when i get back. primarly because i will be able to get better material there.
I still have been unable to get the sat phone to hold a signal long enough to send an email, or to receive weather information. I moved the antena onto one of the backstays, but it seems no better, maybe a bit worse accually. So that is another thing i have to work on.
I got some food from the super marcket today. Those are always interesting trips. One good thing about these store over pricing the food is tht it all does not normally sell before the expiration date. The stores are then forced to put alot of the food on discount before it goes over the date. :D you can imagine that that is where I will normally be found! MUAHAHA I love a good deal!
That is todays update, now to check the weather and see about a good day to depart for the Ilas Tortugas!
Cheers, and good deals!
Josh
Live Your Dream!
Today I did some more work in the cabin. TheGalley to be specific. I had a uncomplete deep shelf behind the stove that was not finished, and was looking pretty bad. So today along with afew other projects I got out the hard wood, tools, screws, and paint. The Galley looks alo better now that I have that part nearly complete. II got some food from the super marcket today, put a nice thick piece of Almond wood as trim, and then paineted the rest of it glossy white to the hight of the counter. I also painted the well where the stove hangs white. all inall it looks alot better, and the boat is one step closer to being complete.
The other day I did some welding on the bowsprit to be able to have wood planks to walk on, instead of net. Sense i will be goingback to panama with the bus how ever, I think i will wait to finish it up when i get back. primarly because i will be able to get better material there.
I still have been unable to get the sat phone to hold a signal long enough to send an email, or to receive weather information. I moved the antena onto one of the backstays, but it seems no better, maybe a bit worse accually. So that is another thing i have to work on.
I got some food from the super marcket today. Those are always interesting trips. One good thing about these store over pricing the food is tht it all does not normally sell before the expiration date. The stores are then forced to put alot of the food on discount before it goes over the date. :D you can imagine that that is where I will normally be found! MUAHAHA I love a good deal!
That is todays update, now to check the weather and see about a good day to depart for the Ilas Tortugas!
Cheers, and good deals!
Josh
Live Your Dream!
Bodged up Oars
Hello,
Well I got my oar fixed for the moment so can go ashore. I had to take a chunk of wood I had on he boat, and turn it into a dowling with my Machete. Then taper the end to fit inside the broke blade. All in all, it worked alright, and passed the surf test yesterday. So I am slowly getting the boat provisioned up, and shoulg be sailing to the Tortuga Islands soon. Provisioning takes a little time sense I can only take what I can carry for the mile walk back to the beach. but it works out alright. but at least it does not require going up and down a mountain like the place I was at near quepos.
I finished the owrk on the Autopilot yesterday, and it seems to be working fine. We will see how it handles with the day and a half sail.
so thats the update,
Cheers, and coconuts!
Josh
Live Your Dream!
Well I got my oar fixed for the moment so can go ashore. I had to take a chunk of wood I had on he boat, and turn it into a dowling with my Machete. Then taper the end to fit inside the broke blade. All in all, it worked alright, and passed the surf test yesterday. So I am slowly getting the boat provisioned up, and shoulg be sailing to the Tortuga Islands soon. Provisioning takes a little time sense I can only take what I can carry for the mile walk back to the beach. but it works out alright. but at least it does not require going up and down a mountain like the place I was at near quepos.
I finished the owrk on the Autopilot yesterday, and it seems to be working fine. We will see how it handles with the day and a half sail.
so thats the update,
Cheers, and coconuts!
Josh
Live Your Dream!
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