The El Salvador Bar

A post by Julie

I am writing this as we’re leaving El Salvador, cruising past Guatemala, and heading northwest towards Mexico…

When we first saw the Bahia del Sol bar in El Salvador (think lots of big waves in lots of different directions with a moving slot to go through–not $1 extra cold beer) we were all a little intimidated. Not to mention, our starter motor on our starboard engine died somewhere between Costa Rica and this bar of sand which requires full steerage as you enter over a shallow shifting sand bank within 30 minutes of high tide and only during daylight hours and with a pilot boat….Mark and I both thanked Mike from Marathon for giving us the advice of “buy spares for anything that is bolted onto your engine”. Thanks to Mike, we had our spare starter motor on board. What should have been as simple as undoing 2 bolts and 3 wires ended up involving 2 sets of wrenches, a few screwdrivers, a Dremel tool, about 10 grinding wheels, and worst of all – the boat repair ‘bible’ which only comes out when things look bleak. That all being said, after battling a good 6 hours, Mark was able to claim victory!

Luckily, we had plenty of time to get to the right spot to meet up with our pilot boat at the right time. We watched as a schooner was coming out with the pilot boat that would be taking us in. We were cheering them on, thinking this would be us in about a week. They were right on track coming out until they got a little turned to one of the waves and then they were bouncing all over the place. They then got pounded with a set of three waves that came a bit from the side–water everywhere and the boat was rolling so that both gunwhales were hitting the water. The captain reported the waves were about 3 meters. Heidi and Sally both jumped out of their seats exclaiming “We are not going in there. Turn around!”

Luckily, cool Lucy and calm Fenton said, “It will be fine. That looks like fun!”

It was our turn to wait for the right timing with the waves. Wait, now gun it. Straight ahead we go, waiting for the wave to boost us from behind. Mark caught the wave perfectly square and we surfed all the way in over the sand bar and beyond. We hit 14.8 knots which is quite fast for our boat, probably as fast as it has ever gone. Hello El Salvador!

We were welcomed by the marina with ice cold drinks for all the crew and dog biscuits for Willie. Customs and immigration were a breeze. And, we had our kid boat friends, Utopia, waiting to see us. Yay!

The most unique spot in El Salvador for me was a little town up the river called Herradura. You take a 15 minute dinghy ride through the mangroves. You will pass by fishermen in their dugout canoes collecting conches–a local shellfish similar to clams or oysters. You will also pass by men standing next to their canoes shoveling in dirt to fill the canoe which they will use to build up their land back at the house. Then, you will approach town–thatched roof restaurants line the bank of the river. A friendly villager guides you in and watches over your dinghy as you explore town. You can find nearly all everyday items you need here and everyone is happy to help point you in the right direction. The market is full of fresh fruits and veggies, juices, and the bakery is amazing.

For the not so everyday items, San Salvador is about an hour and a half drive. It is a bustling city with American style malls, fast food restaurants, starter motor repair, etc.

We ended up spending nearly a month in El Salvador. We celebrated Lucy’s birthday, experienced Holy Week, and did a trash pickup on Earth Day. We had a slight timing issue leaving as scheduled, but ended up with a smooth passage out of the bar, and are now happily heading towards our next adventure in Mexico.