9 58.948 N, 84 47.603 W
Puntarenas
On Friday we did some provisioning since we still had the rental car until Saturday morning in preparation for departure. We had emptied the freezer and refrigerator and turned them off before we left for the road trip and it was time to fill them back up. We found a great bakery next to the Mega Stop which sold coconut macaroons and cinnamon rolls. In the evening we went out for dinner.
Saturday we needed to check out with the port captain to get our national zarpe for Golfito. Easier said than done. Idalie, who manages the yacht club told us where the port captain was on Elaine's iphone. Rich drove, I rode shotgun and Reg was in the back. We arrive at the address. No port captain, no sign that this is where we shoud find the port captain. Hmmm? We drove around the adjacent blocks, asked someone on the street. No joy. We went over to where the cruise ships dock. There was a large painted sign that said Capitan de Puerto in front of a building next the dock. We asked a security guard where was the port captain and he directed us to the ferry dock. Hmmm? So back in the car and off to the ferry dock. A gentleman directing traffic asked us in English, where are you going? We replied we want to see the port captain. He told us to park our car and to go see his frined, Marvin, who speaks English. Marvin, who owns the restaurant across from where we parked, spent some time in Trenton, New Jersey and speaks excellent English. It turns out that his friend who was the port captain 10 years ago was visiting. Between the two of them, they tried to contact the current port captain but just got an answering machine. But, Marvin agreed to get in the car with us and help us find the port captain. So off we go in the car again right back to the building next to the cruise ship dock. Upstairs was the port captain's office but it was closed. It turns out that the office that Idalie had directed us to was destroyed in the earthquake in 2011 so this was the new location. Some mysteries are solved but still no port captain. We drove Marvin back to his restaurant and he made a few more phone calls. The response was that port captain does not work on weekends, so we will have to wait until Monday.
We drop off the rental car but they can not drive us back to the yacht club so we take a cab. When we arrive back at the yacht club, Idalie had managed to get ahold of the port captain. He was visiting his mother in the next town but agreed to meet us at the yacht club in the afternoon and provide us with a national zarpe for a fee. Yes!
So we hung out at the restaurant at the yacht club, having lunch, surfing the web, waiting for the port captain and our laundry. Phoebe was having problems with her mac computer and had to backup and restore but now it seems to be good to go. The port captain arrived, we did our paperwork and he graciously declined to accept the fee. Thank you Idalie and the port captain.
By this time, we had missed the high tide so we decided to stay another night instead of leaving a day early. No problemo.
Our laundry arrived and we got a panga ride back to the boat, just before the rain started in earnest.
This morning, Sunday, we will prepare Windarra for transit, taking down the sunshades, the sunscreens and the sailcover after they dry in the morning sun. High tide is this afternoon, so shortly before we will leave, weaving our way back out the 4 miles to the entrance.
We have enjoyed our time here but it is time to go.
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