Sailing Gargoyle Archive – Page 3

When we replaced our old trusty Yamaha 6hp outboard with a new Mercury 15hp 4-stroke we also needed to replace the old rail bracket to hold the outboard during passages and when not in use. We selected the popular Edson bracket as they are rated to handle ...

This week we venture off the beaten path and gunkhole our way around the many mangrove cays of the beautiful Bocas del Toro archipelago. Using a combination of Eric Bauhaus’ guide to the region and our incomplete electronic charts, we plot our way back t...

We complete our month on the anchor with a gunkholing exploration of the remote cays of the Bocas del Toro archipelago. Snorkeling and paddle boarding in heaven are only interrupted with the occasional squall and one truly unwanted visitor. Check it out as...

As we wrap up a month at anchor Gargoyle sails back to marina. In this episode we fuel up, dock and head out to try and get our second COVID vaccination. Then it is time to see if we can find one of the islands more reclusive residents, Polo. We get lost, ...

This week we take a brief sail over to Dolphin Bay, where we spend an afternoon at anchor with a pod of playful dolphins. Then it is time to row the dinghy to shore to meet Gary Mitchell and Carlo Rios. They have owned the Green Acres Chocolate Farm for se...

We have been in Bocas del Toro for just over five months, and we are preparing to welcome our final visitors for one last grand tour of the highlights of this wonderful archipelago. This time it is the kids visiting though calling Alli and our son-in-law K...

When the daughter and son-in-law come to visit its time to play. This week we are experiencing Bocas del Toro through the eyes of a vacationing couple looking for fun and adventure. We make a list of the top attractions in Bocas and then try to check them ...

"'This week we continue to experience Bocas del Toro through the eyes of a vacationing couple looking for fun and adventure. Our daughter and son-in-law get to free dive off the Zapatilla Cays with rays and a multitude of fish, hike the idyllic island and ...

It is time to get Alli and Kerry to Colon so they can make the flight home to Canada. But first, we make a circumnavigation of Escudo in Gryphon and get is some more freediving amongst the coral. We also make a joint dinghy and drone evening cruise to high...

This week it is time for Gargoyle to make her second transit of the Panama Canal. This time, we are heading back to the Pacific. A canal transit remains a bucket list item for us it is such an amazing event in a sailor’s life. In this episode we walk you...

This week we finish off our canal transit back to the Pacific with a surprisingly relaxing day. After a tortuous night on an oversized mooring in Lake Gatun, our canal advisor arrives bright and early for our long run through the lake and down the Pacific ...

Before we check into Vista Mar marina for our annual engine maintenance and a run for provisions, we stop at John Wayne Island. Gifted to john Wayne by the President of Panama for his long standing support of the return of the Panama Canal to Panama, this ...

It is time. Time for us to tuck into Vista Mar Marina for some much needed upgrades and our annual engine maintenance. This time we are upgrading our Raymarine Autopilot as well as setting up our old unit as a backup. In addition, we need to replace our fa...

If ever a place name was completely accurate, it’s Punta Mala Panama, or Bad Point. This point in Panama is notorious for rough sailing as unpredictable weather swings, strong currents and heavy freighter traffic headed for the Panama Canal make sailing ...

We sail from Isla Santa Catalina to the remote Bahia Honda, home to some of the friendliest people we have met yet. Famed locals Domingo and Kennedy stop by to trade, and we meet local carver and fisher Ishmael. In this episode we meet people were barter a...

Time is running out on our six month visa, so we need to push on even with less than perfect weather. This week has us sailing through never ending squalls off the coast of western Panama. Due to the weather, we have decided to break this into a few legs, ...

After a quick overnight stop, we make the run into Costa Rica through big ocean swells to check in to the country. That will make nine countries. Anchored off Banana Bay marina, we use Gabriela from the marina to maneuver the crazy check in requirements of...

Time to leave Golfito for a bit of sailing up the coast of Costa Rica’s wildest region. As round the point we lose our wind and end up motor sailing the rest of the way to Bahia Drake. Once there we drop our anchor and settle in to explore the region. We...

Some days you just should not get out of bed, one of those bad days saiing. This week we get caught in a bad squall, tangle a line around our rudder and our departure is delayed due to an unforeseen engine issue, all in just our first few hours of the morn...

Our guests from Norway are boarding their flight to San Jose so it is time for us to head into the marina at Puntarenas. This will be our trickiest marina entrance yet as we need to time high tide due the shallow river basin and may only have seven feet of...

The Norwegians are aboard, and it is time to explore. First up, a tour of the Costa Rican equivalent of Alcatraz prison. But before we get to that, it is time for a little skinny dipping in the warm waters of Costa Rica. Then we make the short run over to ...

After three years we have decided it is time to give you a tour of our home, a Beneteau Oceanis 50. Beyond the usual highlights, we focus on what we feel make the Beneteau Oceanis 50 the perfect bluewater cruiser for us. Focus is on the cockpit, deck and r...

It is time to hit the party beach at Isla Tortuga. This hotspot attracts large numbers of boaters each day for the snorkeling, beaches and tasty liquid beverages. Come along as Gargoyle and her Norwegian visitors anchor off this beautiful beach in the Gulf...

Having picked up our family in the Gulf of Nicoya, it is time for us to cruise the tourist friendly coast of Northern Costa Rica. While we stopped at several anchorages, by the far the most memorable was the surf village of Samara. Endless beach, great sur...

Little did we know as we headed out to cross the South Pacific from Costa Rica across the South Pacific to French Polynesia that our trusty Spectra Watermaker would fail us 1,000nm into our crossing. Exiting Marina Papagayo, we settled back to enjoy a trip...

Squalls, doldrums and cinnamon rolls make the second half of our crossing of the Pacific a truly epic life experience. Managing a week in the doldrums, a finite fuel supply and a long passage makes the second half of our crossing such a brilliantly fun cha...

After our thirty days at sea, we are anxious to explore the remote Pacific paradise of Nuku Hiva. We opt for a land tour with a local guide and hop aboard his 4x4 for a full day covering the entire island. We see ancient Polynesian ruins, sacrifice alters,...

It is now time to top up the fuel tanks and head out to explore French Polynesia by sailing to the Tuamotu Islands. After a tense time fueling at the commercial pier, we make a stop at Daniel Bay to wait for a weather window. Then it is time to knock off t...

This week we are going to get an in-depth tour of a pearl farm on the remote Tuamotu atoll of Fakarava. Fakarava and the Tuamotus have long been known for their black pearl farms and we learn just how time intensive this process can be and one of the expe...

The south pass of Fakarava is famous for one reason. Sharks everywhere! Due to the narrow and deep pass with a near constant flow of water, this pass attracts sharks in insane numbers, and they are truly everywhere. So, this means if you are in the water, ...

This week we slow down and explore what may just be our favorite anchorage ever. We explore the anchorage at Hirifa by paddleboard, walk the beach and enjoy the crystal clear waters of this beautiful corner of the atoll. Then it is time to head out through...

Tahiti and the main city of Papeete are one of our favorite stops on the Pacific run, but a hustle and bustle shock after the quiet of Fakarava. Even so, it makes a beautiful place to stock up on foods we have not seen in years and the savings of duty free...

This week we take time to do a bit of exploration on the island of Huahine in search of the perfect tropical cocktail in this amazing paradise. Even once we find it we must fight off a hen who wants that cocktail as well. Then we head over to the islands o...

Starting on the island of Taha’a, we tour a vanilla planation, taste agricultural rum and explore this beautiful island. Then it is off to sail to Bora Bora, known to be one of the most stunning islands in the Pacific. Follow along as we motor out throug...

Our friends from Vancouver, Sharon and Darrell, have flown in for a week of relaxation and adventure aboard Gargoyle. We eat, drink, snorkel and sail our way around Bora Bora. The Bora Bora Yacht Club, Bloody Mary’s and The Beach Club provide the sustena...

As we sail 1,800nm from Bora Bora to Fiji in gale force winds and huge seas, we question whether we are crazy. This is by far our roughest passage ever and it pushes Gargoyle and crew to the edge. Watch as we sail through sustained gale force winds and hug...