Sailing Catalpavideo
Getting a crab out of a ear Episode 474
December 27, 2025 · 22 min · 14K views · Pacific coast of Costa Rica near the Nicaraguan border
Sailboat heels hard as crew manages sail offshore
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
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