Papagayo Winds

Posted 20 February 2011

Apologies to all our friends and family as the blog is not up to date as yet, I do keep 'Our Current Position' up to date by doing a position report as soon as we drop the anchor or every 24 hours if on a longer sail. We are currently in San Juan Del Sur in Nicaragua, arrived yesterday afternoon 19 February. That trip will be another posting.

I would just like to explain the terminology 'Papagayo' Winds. The Spanish word papagayo means parrot. Sailors adopted this term from the strong winds that blow in the Gulf of Papagayo in Costa Rica, but since these gap winds are not limited to the Gulf itself, papagayos have come to represent the gap winds in southern Nicaragua and northern Costa Rica. The driving force for these winds is the Caribbean Trade Wind pouring over the narrow and low land and into the Pacific. The Papagayo winds can be felt as far north as Guatemala and as far south as Panama.