Hazard spot
Gulf of Papagayo: Strong katabatic winds
Gulf of Papagayo: In the winter half-year the same offshore squalls occur as further north, shorter but sharper. Anchorages empty quickly then.
- Cause
- Strong katabatic winds
- Main season
- December to March
- Position
- 11° 00,0' N 087° 00,0' W
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Gulf of Papagayo: how the place works
The same pattern as Tehuantepec, only further south off Costa Rica and Nicaragua: trade wind air is forced over a gap in the mountain chain and falls onto the Pacific as the Papagayo. From December to March it often holds for days, with calm water close inshore and a gale twenty miles out.
Gulf of Papagayo: what breaks there
Boats anchored in the bays of Guanacaste drag when the wind sets in at night, and sail and rig damage arises beating north. The anchorage that looks calm in the evening is a different place at three in the morning.
Gulf of Papagayo: what this means for your policy
The same applies here as with all katabatic winds: whether anchor damage is covered depends on the ground tackle and on whether anyone was aboard. In this area an anchor watch in season is standard.
Read this in full: At anchor the policy is awakeCruising range
This spot lies in the cruising range the calculator lists under this step: Worldwide
Calculate a premium for this cruising rangeNearby
And what applies right now?
This page shows what holds at a spot at any time. Whether an official warning is out for it this minute is on the warning map, by your position and updated hourly.
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