Sailing Catalpa · video

What this video covers

Catalpa sails from El Salvador to Costa Rica over four days with crew including Ali, covering roughly 400–500 nautical miles along the Pacific coast past Nicaragua and Honduras.15:11 Wind was scarce for the first three days — speeds as low as one to three knots forced motoring and left the boat barely moving — before building to 15–25 knots on day four, when Catalpa hit six to nine knots and made her best run.16:19 The captain used PredictWind to cross-reference a friend's real-time wind data via the PredictWind Data Hub 2 and AIS, confirming 17-knot conditions ahead.8:48 The most serious moment came off Nicaragua when a squall with lightning closed in; the captain spent 30 minutes identifying a gap in the storm cell and threaded through it, with lightning visible on both sides.5:13 A second squall 102 nautical miles from Costa Rica brought 28-knot winds and sent a box flying in the engine room; a reef put in five minutes before it hit kept conditions manageable.13:24 Fishing lines ran throughout but produced no keepers.6:53 The crew arrived at a protected anchorage in Costa Rica at dusk — not the official check-in bay — and noted that Costa Rica customs requires visiting multiple offices unless an agent is hired.18:26 Reefing early before a visible squall, even one with a rainbow, proved the right call.11:51

More from Sailing Catalpa

Life aboard sailing across the Pacific Ocean..Ep 502Aug 2026What's broken? Sailing across the Pacific Part 2Aug 2026Sailing 4000nm across the Pacific Ocean PART ONE Episode 500Jul 2026Safety Upgrades we made to SAIL across the PACIFIC OCEAN Episode 499Jul 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.