The forecast for our upcoming passage, westbound, around the Azuero Peninsula of Panama was not ideal. But during the winter months, it never is. Winds blow strong and steady from the south, and ripping currents in the opposite direction can churn the ocean into chaos. Add frequent thunderstorms that build with frightening speed south of […]
Posts with the Beach tag
Boat Blocked!
At the end of 2023, we returned from France to Panama to civil unrest. Main roads were shut down throughout the country, and some regions were paralyzed as illegal, semi-permanent blockades completely stopped vehicular traffic. Nothing could get through by land – not people, goods, or even emergency vehicles. Some roadblocks were emplaced for just […]
Our Cruising Quinquennial
August 9, 2015 was a regular Sunday in New Orleans. It was expectedly hot, humid, cloudy, and the summertime sluggishness had settled over the city like a smothering blanket. It did not feel like a special day for us, yet it was arguably one of the most momentous days of our lives. After our morning […]
We Will NEVER Be a Dog Boat!
Five years ago, when we set sail from New Orleans, we made a vow to ourselves that ¡Pura Vida! would be dog free. We love them all, but made the difficult decision based on reading about the complications and expense of clearing into new countries, the need to ferry them ashore several times a day, […]
Back for Seconds at the Buffet
After over four years of wandering through the Caribbean and exploring dozens of islands and hundreds of anchorages, you would think we are used to the excitement of arriving at a new locale. The thrill, however, never wears off. Each place can be so dramatically different in culture, landscape, language, food, customs and immigration procedures, […]
The Pura Vida Life
After two months living in the mountains of Cartago, Costa Rica, at an elevation of 1,200 meters (4,000 feet), we changed scenery for the hills west of San Jose with a magnificent view of two volcanos from our backyard. We chose the new rental house for its location offering us a relatively short drive into […]
A New Continent
We arrived in South America! After three years of island hopping, we made landfall in Colombia. Our first reaction was “Woah, this place is huge!” The city of Santa Marta, on Colombia’s Caribbean coast, was founded in 1525 by the Spanish, and is the second oldest non-indigenous city in South America. It is a contrast of […]
One Happy Island
Seven years ago, we visited Aruba for the first time on a brief dive vacation. We would look out at the beautiful, calm anchorages and proclaim that one day we would arrive on our own boat. After more than 7,000 sea miles, we made good on that promise to ourselves. Unlike the other islands of […]
The Land of Reefs
Carriacou lives up to its original Kalinago name, Kayryouacou, meaning “the land of reefs”, with spectacular clear waters, and some of the most pristine underwater flora and fauna we have seen in the Caribbean so far. Combine the underwater beauty with friendly locals, gleaming white beaches, and protected anchorages, and you get a sailing cruisers’ […]
Antigua’s Bottom and The Shirley Heights Death March
We thought we were, pretty much, done with Antigua after exploring the north and west coasts of the island over a three week period. We thought wrong. We knew there was much more to enjoy, both in and out of the water, but our goal was to get to the south coast where we could […]