Puntarenas | Captain, who's driving?

Following our transit and as we paralleled the coast, my intention was to have a quiet day after the 15-hour day prior. The challenge of course is that, having been nowhere near one’s desk for almost a day, the emails pile up. Having slept ‘the sleep of the dead’, feeling refreshed, I sat at my desk and flashed-up the PC; hmnn, I shouldn’t have done that, not good for one’s sanity…..a whole host, over 100 messages, all of which had to read, prioritised and dealt with one way or another (and yes, the ‘delete’ option used too) 😉

Our track from Panama to Puntarenas

It is some years since I called at Puntarenas; it lies in a long bay and depths shallow as one nears the coast. The berth is purely for Cruise ships and extends at a right-angle from the shore. It is notorious amongst we seamen for its potential (natural) conditions. One can experience a very large swell and one always experiences a strong tidal current. Many a prudent Captain has fallen foul of these conditions and, through no fault of their own, have had challenges while actually berthed, (lines breaking, wind blowing them off) and while arriving or departing. The pier looks akin to a can-opener at its southern end and one conducts docking and undocking with the utmost prudence.

Today we are fortunate, timing our arrival off the pier just before the ‘turn’ of the tide, thereby removing the current out of the equation and the wind? Light, I’m pleased to say. Now, 4 hours later, the flood tide is screaming through, pushing and keeping us on the berth, (intentional); large eddies are swirling around the ship. We back down onto the berth; with the tide range (rise and fall) we have to use a high deck door for the gangway, when we arrive it is almost horizontal, at high-tide it will be at 35-40° and we have to put it on a platform.

Approach into the bay

At the northern end lies Puntarenas, our track in green.

Our docking; track in green, a 90 degree pirouette and back in .

(Click on the picture to view larger images).

I have been berated for not including K1 and Hazel’s photos on the blog, (by them); so in order to placate them and restore my sanity, I oblige.

They both went on a tour today, to the Pura Vida Gardens and Waterfalls, K1 being my roving photographer. She took many, too many to post here, however here are some of the more interesting ones.