Dragon's Toy is currently on a mooring in Bahia del Sol, El Salvador. We arrived here the 21st of April as part of the El Salvador Rally from La Paz to El Salvador. This is a low key rally with no set departure date or arrive date, just a party on the 1st of May for anyone that made it by then.
Bahia del Sol is a river estuary with a bar crossing. For some pectacular pictures and details of the rally go to
elsalvadorrally.blogspot.com/.
The estuary is located on the ack side of the half mile wide, 10 mile long bar that make up the beach on the ocean side. Getting to the best beach in Central America is only a 10 minute walk away. The beach is just in the beginning stages of being developed. There are a number of low rise resorts and a few 5-6 story condo's along it, but they are all set well back. THe flat beach is wide enough with sufficient vegitation to protect the estuary, but the waves come up a few 100 yards during the storms so nothing i scloser to the water than that.
The small marina in the estuary is owned by one of the resorts. Taking a slip at the marina entitles you to full use of the pool and an account at the bar. If you anchor out, you can access the resort for $14 per week. The bar at the resort has $1.00 beer and happy hour daily from 4-6. The fee for a 40 ft boat is approx. $300 per month.
There are two boat yards in the estuay. One with a 30 ton travel lift. Both offer moorings. The going rate for a mooring is $100 per month. The moorings are new either 2010 or 2011. They are made with a 500# block of concrete and 1/2 Galv. chain coming up to a swivel. 3/4" nylon bridle secures the boat to the chain. We added a 3/8" chain to the swivel as a safety
While we have been in El Salvador we have used this as a base to travel around Central America. We have gone to the Mayan ruins in el Salvador, Guatamala, and Honduras. We have visited the colonial cities of Antigua, Guatamala and Leon and Granada in Nicaragua. We also made it to the rain forest in Costa Rica. Travel here is cheap and easy by premium bus between major cities and the local buses from there.
Security in the marinas is tight with armed guards and regular patrols. When we were at the dock, we along with most of the other boats left out dingies with outboards attached in the water at night and there was never an incident. In the mooring field, the worst theft so far was two gerry cans of fuel that were not tied down (they left the two empties). Security when travelling requires the usual awareness of your surroundings. Sneak theft and the occasional knife point hold up of single people are the most common. None of these incidents have been out here at the beach, but in the bigger cities.
We are planing on leaving Dragon's Toy here for the rainy season and spend the time split between San Francisco and sailing between Tonga and Fiji with some friends. We will be back in the fall. Technically El Savador is in the huricane box defined by most insurance companies, but they have not had a hurricane here in the past 150 years.
Tom Kohrs
s/v Dragon's Toy
Freeport CA
IP37-32
Currently in Bahia del Sol, El Salvador
