Sailing Catalpa · video

What this video covers

The crew of the 11-year liveaboard vessel Catalpa experienced multiple incidents of small crabs entering their ear canals while cleaning the boat's hull in a shallow Pacific coast bay near the Nicaraguan border.7:45 After Lee and Bella both discovered crabs inside their ears, the crew used olive oil to flush the ear canals, successfully removing the crustaceans.9:05 The crew reports that they typically wear earplugs while cleaning the hull but neglected to do so during this session.11:13 Following the incident, the crew performed precautionary oil flushes on the remaining members to ensure no other crabs were present.19:48 The vessel subsequently departed the bay under 18–20 knots of wind, maintaining a speed of approximately eight knots while sailing toward Talamantau.14:25 The crew notes that the coastal waters in this specific region of Costa Rica experience cold-water upwellings that support high levels of marine life, which likely contributed to the presence of the crabs.6:06

More from Sailing Catalpa

29 days sailing Panama to French Polynesia the whole passageAug 2026what did we learn from a month at seaAug 2026at sea no land sailing across the pacific oceanAug 2026Life aboard sailing across the Pacific Ocean..Ep 502Aug 2026

From Sailing Catalpa — see the channel’s boat, crew, and every analyzed video.

The Sailing Directory Newsletter

One email with the fleet's best finds — the moments, boats, and stories worth your watch time. Enter your own address to get your own copy.