30.May2010. Underway

Slowed The Fox down to less than 5 kt. so as to stay well offshore Golfo Dulce entrance until sunrise. Still 20 mi. offshore when we encountered a couple of local fishing boats: wood, ~45', unlit or with non-regulation lights, not picked up by radar. No mishaps. Sunrise: entered Golfo Dulce, anchored off Puerto Jimenez on N side of gulf. Very irregular bottom but good holding & flat seas. Town looks nice but we chose to sleep after our 265-mi. passage from Bahia Culebra.

31.May: At low tide slack & on a rising tide, crossed the Gulf 10 mi. to enter Golfito. Entrance has fewer ATONs (Aids TO Navigation) than advertised but entrance is negotiable in good daylight visibility. Anchored across channel from Marina Land/Sea (aka Tierra/Mar) in 19' without incident among 4 other sailboats. Golfio is a very pretty, very rainy town.

1.June: Tim at Marina Land/Sea is THE MAN TO MEET. Generous with time & info. Land/Sea cruisers' hangout is The Place To Be in Golfito. 1st foray into town was to Customs (Aduana) in Duty-Free zone (Deposito Libre) to get permit for duty-free shopping. Goal: re-fill precious gin tank w/ Tanqueray @ US $10.21/bottle, buy the best rum ever = 4 y.o. Nicaraguan Flor de Cana @ US $8.66/bottle, & replace GB's Proctor-Silex Crock-Pot (R.I.P.). Replenish fresh produce at 1 of 3 Golfito markets. Also, 2 giant avocados bought from truck vendor for US $1.60. Bakery stop for 8 dinner rolls, 1 small loaf bread, 2 large breakfast turnovers = US $4.25. Lunch was shrimp & fish ceviche & beverages for 2, total including tip = US $11. Nice town, Golfito. Got back to The Fox just as daily downpour began: 2-1/2 hrs. light rain followed by 2 hrs. very heavy rain w/ gusts to 17 kt. Steamy inside closed-up boat but cooler at 88F than sunny part of day at 91F+.

Protip: do not enter Golfito's right-angle channel in heavy rain - you might find visibility reduced to <100'.

The entire Golfo Dulce is still darn pretty.

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