Third-World Yacht Repair

Yacht Repair in Nicaragua

Anyone who has spent any time offshore with me knows some of my more bizarre yacht-repair stories, especially the one about painting the 98-footer in the water in the USVI. This image, taken outside of Marina Puesta del Sol, in Nicaragua, might just top anything I’ve ever seen. In our brief visit to this excellent marina we didn’t have a chance to determine whether or not this boat was being actively worked on, but the driftwood scaffolding looked secure enough.

Marina Puesta del Sol, Nicaragua

When I say that Puesta del Sol was an excellent marina, I mean it. The service was outstanding, the staff exceptional, and the overall cleanliness and beauty of the entire facility is terrific. We were only there for about 20 hours, but we had the chance to have both lunch and dinner, a swim in the pool, and a run through the washer/dryer room.

Tucked up well inside an inlet behind some of the nicest surf spots we saw on our trip, this little slice of heaven is far off the beaten path (it took two hours for officials from the Nicaraguan Government to arrive to check us in), and there’s nothing but a rural village and a school (founded by Robert, the owner of the marina) nearby. A mile or so down the road is a surf camp/hotel that takes advantage of the miles of excellent breaking surf.

I am seriously considering going to visit Marina Puesta del Sol sans boat, with the family. The hotel looks great, and in addition to the pool by the docks and the hotel, there’s another by the beach and a huge grass-thatched roof building where it’s possible to get served food and drink by the incredibly attentive hotel staff. It’s inexpensive ( a huge afternoon of beer and a big diner was $172, including tip and a whopping 15% VAT), safe, and beautiful.

The beach “hut” and pool at Puesta del Sol