Sailing down to Costa Rica...?

Question

I'm curious about sailing down the coastline from California to Costa Rica...I want to know what size boat is needed and how much it costs to actually do it (permits,food etc..) ..Also, how long a trip like that usually takes and when the best time to go is. I'd appreciate answers from people who have actually done it but any intelligent answer is welcome. Thank you. Pura Vida.

Answer 1

it takes about 5 weeks to sail down to costa rica on a 30 foot sloop.

multihull vessels sail faster.i have difficulty figuring why would anyone sail in th ewiode open ocean in anything less than 30 feet, as most sailboats under 30 feet are not meant for ocean use... the typical duration of trip for a sailing boat is about 5 weeks.  there are many provisions you will need, depending upon your tastes in foods and drinks.  

permits are required  when you wish to anchor or use a marina---checking into the country will usually require a visa, passport,fishing licenses, any mordidas the locals wish to request of you----i am not certain how much it is to check into costa rica, but you might also consider the other countries on the way down---where do you wish to stop or do you intend to sail straight through....you will  require crew to help sail the boat and food and water and fishing licenses and any import taxes the countries require on yachts/boats entering the country....there is a group within yahoo called the southbound net.com......these nice sailing people will be able to answer the questions regarding entry and costs of things in costa rica and other countries on the way down.

the best time to sail south is from the end of october, after the hurricane season ends, until mid to end february, when the high winds begin.

Answer 2

sorry, i know nothing about sailing, but i had to tell you how jealous i am.  ever since i was young i've wanted to sail- it sucks growing up in the midwest.

Answer 3

Get the cruising guide.  It's a regular route, so there is a lot of information on it, in print.

Answer 4

As one reply said, get a guide, there are tons of books.  Another great resource.  www.latitude38.com  They are a west coast magazine, I subscribe here in CO, but they are available on line.  This month and last you will find plenty of stories about people who are down in that part of the Pacific, look in the changes section, and the letters sections.  As for schedule, you typically do not sail that neighborhood in hurricane season (June - Nov).  So you leave the north before the bad winter hits, and you sail on the north side of the equator during winter.  Yes someone can do it in a 25 or 30 foot boot but only if they were amazing.  Typically your smallest blue water cruiser is going to be 36', sorry.  There are some older trustworthy ones that are affordable, but a super cheap sail to Costa Rica is improbable.  Of course the editor in Latitude38 (for 20 years) has always recommended, buy the boat you can afford -  and go sailing!  How long? We only made it half way down the mexico coast and we took a year there and back, it really depends on what you want to see, how big a hurry you are in, and if all the stuff on the boat that breaks matters or not (yes things always break).  Do some math, if you could average 4, 5 or 6 knots (in a 35 foot boat) how fast could you get there?  You do not have trade winds, so you cannot depend on putting up the sail, sailing at hull speed and going straight through.  Shopping for a boat? try www.yachtworld.com, latitude38, craigslist, www.sailingtexas.com.

Answer 5

Interesting...never done it but I bet it would be great. Pack 2-3 weeks worth of food. Permits?...contact the Costa Rican Consolate. Go in Summer. Pick an able boat 25ft or larger...the longer the water line the greater your speed potential.

You'll get more info from others.

Good luck.

Answer 6

If you don't know how to plan a passage, you need to read up on what to do. Speed will be dependent on weather and sea state, you need to plan accordingly. Knowledge of rules of the road and basic seamanship (as opposed to yachtsmanship, which is as useful as  hair on a tree) will be the only thing between you and 7 years of waiting for your family to get your money.

Based on the level of the questions here, you need to do some weekend sailing first.