Galapagos Islands

Check out our Galapagos Playlist for our adventures:

On July 15th, 2020 Ecuador opened its ports to private vessels, this started our discussion on heading South to see the country and if possible, cross to the Galapagos to see the Islands. On August 1st it was confirmed the Galapagos were now open! After long conversations and hours of research, we decide to sail south to the Islands to spend the next two months waiting out hurricane season in the Caribbean.

After completing a list of requirements to enter the Galapagos such as a negative COVID test, pest and COVID fumigation of Gargoyle and an extensive hull cleaning that, if not scrubbed perfectly would result in a $300 cleaning fee and a full day delay in entry, we were ready to cast off our lines. 201 days after we cleared into Nicaragua, we were once again free to explore this beautiful planet.

At just over 830nm as the crow flies, our course, considering the various currents, winds, and storm tracks, laid out at just under 1,200nm. On September 4, we set sail on what would turn out to be a 9 day and 7-hour upwind passage. Lightning, torrential downpours, squalls and strong currents were all a welcome challenge after being landlocked for so long. Finally, on Sunday evening, September 13th, we sailed into Wreck Bay, San Cristobal, Galapagos and dropped our anchor.

The following day we hosted a literal parade of officials as we were cleared into the country. First up, a water taxi pulled up with a diver aboard to conduct that much feared hull inspection. Fortunately for us and thanks to the amazing work of Juan from Marina Puesta del Sol, we were given two thumbs up and the next boat quickly arrived to continue the process. This time it was a translator as well as a local doctor. In the age of the pandemic, it is not enough to have a negative PCR test in hand. She proceeded to take our temperatures, blood pressure and all the basics of a medical checkup. Again, we passed!

A clean boat and bill of health completed, let the party begin. The next water taxi to arrive was completely full. We had our agent, translator, two police officers, representatives from the Navy, the local harbormaster, customs, immigration, and environmental officers. Gargoyle has a rated capacity of 14 people and this was as close to capacity as we have ever been. You would think this large a crowd would mean chaos, but it was all well-orchestrated by Carmela, our YachtGala agent. She had all our paperwork in advance and was clearly well prepared to answer all questions. An hour later and it was down to just the Navy and police, playing with Samantha. We were cleared to explore this amazing place.

We spent our first two weeks in the Galapagos anchored in Wreck Bay off Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, San Cristobal. It was a rather busy anchorage with anywhere from 5 to 15 of the large 100’+ luxury tour yachts anchored awaiting the return of the tourists. Other than the constant flow of tenders and water taxi’s serving the crews still aboard the yachts, it’s a good anchorage with excellent holding in sand and water so clear you can see the anchor in 30’ of water. The swell does make its way into the outskirts of the bay, so we found that tucking up as far as possible between the local boats and the larger touring yachts is ideal.

Our stay was focused on touring and we had the pleasure of having Edison as our local land guide. Edison provided us tours of the local tortoise breeding program as well as the beach at Puerto Chino. Beyond those sites though our favorite moment on San Cristobal came when Edison invited into his home in the highlands for a glimpse into the lifestyle of a multi-generational inhabitants of the islands. His lovely wife made a wonderful lunch of ceviche, plantains, rice and the Ecuadorian staple, popcorn. While she was preparing this gourmet treat, Edison toured us around his gardens, designed to make his family self-sustaining. What a treat and the day was made even better when they sent us home with a big slice of Banana cake.

After exploring all the nooks and crannies of San Cristobal, we decided to make Isabela, 84nm distant, our next stop. Based on the distance, we mistakenly assumed we would need more time to sail there than daylight permitted so we planned an overnight sail. Unfortunately, we had underestimated the speed boost of the local currents and Gargoyle made short work indeed of the distance. We arrived off the island in the middle of the night and spent the next 4 hours coasting under a wee bit of a main sail to maintain steerage while we waited for dawn to light our entrance. As the sun came up we steered between the entrance buoys and with the aid of fellow cruisers Russell and Kate aboard Kathryn del Fuego via VHF, we quickly set the hook in the rock-ringed but protected anchorage. After a quick nap, we greeted the port captain and then headed to shore.

Due to the impact of COVID, to secure entrance to the island, the local officials had made a few “special” requests. They asked that, as sailors, we book a minimum of one night in a local hotel and eat at least two meals a day in the local restaurants to support the tourist industry, heavily impacted by the COVID closures. We had no issue with these requests and we quickly checked into the lovely Hotel Coral Blanco. The owner was pleased to have us, and we had our first hot showers in over a month. Due to having the cats aboard Gargoyle, we slept aboard though we returned early the next morning to enjoy another shower and partake in an amazing homemade breakfast, included in the price of the room.

Over the next two weeks we would take several tours including a horseback tour of Sierra Negra, one of the largest shield volcanos in the world. We also made the stop at the island’s tortoise breeding center, which we found to be one of the better centers in the islands. Our favorite tour though was a bike ride to the Wall of Tears. For $9 we were able to rent two mountain bikes in Villamil and then we simply followed the road and then sandy trail along the shoreline to the historic site. The wall was constructed by prisoners in the 1940’s and 1950’s and marks a sad period in the island’s history. The wall itself serves as the turn around point for the ride and while it makes for an interesting stop, we found the ride itself was the true attraction. For the first time we passed numbers of tortoise in the wild, not in breeding centers. In addition, you have to keep an eye out for marine iguanas as the Galapagos largest marine iguanas feel that Isabela is theirs and tend to lounge anywhere they can find a sunny spot to recharge for their next feeding dive. We made numerous stops on the way back to explore lava tubes leading into the ocean, candelabra cactuses and even Playa del Amor with its beautiful natural pool where local children were playing. After a good 2 hours of riding and exploring we returned the bikes and headed out to find a restaurant.

As mentioned we had committed to eating ashore while visiting the island and we found this to be the best part of the adventure. On our first day Russell and Kate introduced us to the local dining scene and we quickly found our favorite. Royal Rock, on the town pier, is a wonderful place to spend hours watching the sea. Marine iguanas swim amongst the rocks and the sunset view is perfection. Pair the view with one of Chef David’s creations and you have a winning combination. His Pan del Yucca paired with a frosty cold beer is a treat on a warm afternoon.

Finally, after 2 plus weeks and a few extra pounds from all the great food in Puerto Villamil, Gargoyle weighed anchor on a sunny morning and headed for Santa Cruz island. Only 46nm away, we had planned this to be a nice day sail but a delay in receiving our ZARPE due to a change in procedures put us behind schedule and we arrived in Puerto Ayora after sunset. Navigating a well-marked anchorage entrance is a nerve-racking challenge so imagine an anchorage with few if any working navigational aids paired with many yachts and boats pitch black and secured with multiple unmarked bow and stern anchor lines. It would remind us of trying to pull the car into the garage from the street through a scattering of children’s bikes, blindfolded. That is, if we had ever been foolish enough to try a stunt like that. As it was, we slowly worked our way in with Carla on the bow with the walkie talkie and Kevin driving. In addition, our agent Javier was watching our progress via AIS and guiding us as best he could to a more sheltered area in this very rough anchorage. Finally, at 9:00 PM local time we had dropped the hook and were able to grab a much-needed cocktail to celebrate another successful passage. The next morning, we decided to emulate our larger surrounding yachts and we set a stern anchor, with the help of a water taxi, to hold Gargoyle against the swell and winds.

Firmly secured, we set off to explore Santa Cruz and Puerto Ayora. We had managed to book a newly reopened tour of Espanola Island for the following week that was leaving from San Cristobal, so we only had a few days to explore this stop. First off, we headed for the Finch Bay Resort and Spa to treat Carla for her birthday. After a much-deserved round of pampering, we headed into the town to check out the nightlife. Puerto Ayora is the largest town in the Galapagos and the main street hosts many restaurants, bars, and stores. While many remained closed from the COVID restrictions, most had reopened as tourists were once again starting to visit. We found a great little bar and sushi restaurant and sat back to watch the nightlife. After spending the past 7 months in small fishing villages, a town of 12,000 seemed like Times Square to us though we were surprised to see that by 8:00 PM everyone seemed to have gone home to bed. Which is exactly what we did.

In researching our trip to the Galapagos and Ecuador, we had watched several documentaries as well as an episode from one of our favorites, the late Anthony Bourdain. He had visited Ecuador and during his stay, he had sampled the local dish of Cuy. Cuy, or guinea pig, is a traditional dish usually eaten in the highlands of Ecuador and Peru. Since we were in Ecuador, we figured we should follow in Tony’s footsteps and try to eat like a local. Our agent supreme, Javier, was able to locate a chef on the island that prepared the dish and off we went to try this “delicacy”. Along the way our guide Alberto stopped so we could hike through the amazing 2.5km lava tube Tunel de Amor (lots of Amor happening on these islands!) and then we headed up for lunch. Perfectly prepared, Kevin swore it tasted like chicken. Another experience in the books!

Our final tour on Santa Cruz was a boat tour that left the main island for Bartolome. If you have ever seen ads or the movie Master and Commander, starring Russell Crowe, you’ve scene Bartolome. Pinnacle Rock in Sulivan Bay is the iconic landscape that has come to represent the Galapagos visually. Javier had managed to book us on the Finch Bay Resort’s touring yacht, Sea Lion and based on our experience at the spa, we knew we were in for a treat. The crew, guides, chef, and yacht did not disappoint.

A 45-minute bus ride to the North side of Santa Cruz is followed by a 2-hour boat trip but the luxury accommodations aboard the yacht make it a joy. We enjoyed fresh juice and snacks with a naturalist providing us an overview of the island. Finally, when the boat turned into Sulivan Bay and Pinnacle Rock graced the view, we were fed and ready to head out.

The tour was split into two portions, first a hike up the Martian-like landscape of the volcanic island followed by a snorkeling trip at the base of Pinnacle Rock. The group divided into two groups of eight and we headed first for the volcano. A boardwalk leads the way up the lava fields and our guide made this a most interesting tour. Reaching the peak, we had 360˚vistas and the view from Master and Commander came to life. After a quick ride in the tender to pick up our snorkeling gear and check out a large pod of frisky dolphins in the bay, we headed to the beach beside Pinnacle Rock to explore the underwater seascape.

If we had thought that the volcano was spectacular, then we need to invent new words to describe the marine life that greeted us. Large schools of brilliantly colored fish were immediately offshore and within the first minute we had sighted and captured on video our first shark of the day. This would prove to be the way the next two hours would pass as we encountered numerous reef sharks, rays and even penguins basking on rocks on shore. Finally, we were overwhelmed by it all and simply floated above the reef, watching this amazing underwater world unfurl below us. As our toes started to get a bit numb from the cold water, we waved down the tender and were whisked back to the Sea Lion. There we were both handed hot water showers to warm ourselves followed by an ice-cold beer to rehydrate and relax while Chef prepared our gourmet lunch. A three-course meal followed and after a dessert of warm brownies topped with ice cream and caramel we settled back on the bow for the ride home. The chef was not done though as after an hour one of the crew came around with coffee and small bowls of cookies, still warm from the oven. Truly a 5-star day and one that has now set an extremely high bar for any future tours.

It was now time to make our final passage amongst the Galapagos Islands as our final stop was back to where it had all begun, San Cristobal and Wreck Bay. Only 40nm away, we were prepared for a long day sail against the currents, but we were not prepared for what lay ahead. To begin what would prove to be one of our more challenging days at sea, we hit a snag right at the beginning. In pulling up our main anchor we found our anchor had hooked an old, abandoned anchor chain from a larger vessel. Luckily, Gargoyle is fitted with an oversized windlass which was able to easily bring this chain to the surface but neither of could lift this large chain off our anchor. As always seems the case in these friendly islands, several of the nearby crews noticed our plight and we quickly had two dinghies to assist. We made short work then of the extra chain and motored out of the bay with only a short delay. Our elation though was short lived.

Immediately out of the bay we unfurled our main and then rolled out our genoa, a 130% sail that is the main “engine” for Gargoyle and one which would easily power us to 8 knots for this passage based on the current winds. Gargoyle quickly powered up to speed and as Carla stood on the windward deck admiring our sails on a sunny day, she quickly noticed that we an issue. A serious issue. Our forward sail is furled or wrapped about an aluminum foil that allows us to shorten sail quickly and easily as needed. This foil is made up of 7’ sections of tubular aluminum and unbeknownst to us, the two set screws that held the sections halfway up the furler had backed out, allowing it to separate. To make matter worse, these sections then pulled apart and began to split our huge front sail from front to back. With a shout Carla pointed out the issue and we quickly but carefully proceeded to wind in or furl the sail, effectively putting two reefs in to protect the sail from further damage. With an engine that has been overheating now for 10 months when pushed beyond 5 knots, we decided we could make better time under a reefed front sail and we settled in for a much longer than planned sail to San Cristobal. While the sail was safe, we were now slowed down to the point where once again we would be entering an anchorage in the dark. This time though we were confident in our ability as we had been there before and we knew the lay of the land, so to speak. Or at least, we thought we did.

An hour after sunset we had lined up the entrance to Wreck Bay, again lacking all but one of the lit navigational aids promised on our charts. Several large touring yachts remained at anchor, but most were without lights on this rainy and overcast evening. Using radar and Carla once again calling out directional changes from the bow, we slowly picked our way into our remembered anchorage. Just as we were about to clear the last of the yachts at anchor, Carla called for a hard stop and then immediate turn to port. Her instruction was to go around the stern of the yacht at anchor, not the bow as we had begun. One does not argue with a lookout under these conditions and we quickly pivoted to port aided by our bow thruster as were within a few boat lengths of the large 165’ yacht Galapagos Sky, that loamed above as we glided past her. After a careful turn around her stern to avoid her tender, we crept past her and anchored off her bow. As Carla came back to the cockpit, she was not sure what she had seen on the other side of the yacht but thought it was an unlit boat in the water, hence the emergency maneuver in tight quarters. It wasn’t until the next morning that we would learn that we had narrowly avoided a collision with a drug runners boat, recently stopped by the coast guard and mysteriously sinking at her anchor at the time of our arrival. By the next morning she was nearly completely underwater, and the locals quickly put a containment ring around her to protect the bay from fuel spills. Over the next few days, we had a front row seat as local officials sealed the mystery leak, pumped out the water and refloated the boat. Drug runners, torn sails, and anchor mishaps, all in a day’s work for the crew of Gargoyle.

Now that we were back on San Cristobal, we had one remaining tour, a trip to see the nesting grounds of the Waved Albatross as well as various Boobies. This trip did not disappoint as we boarded a dive boat for the high speed run out to Espanola. Our guide was brilliant, and we spent hours walking the path on the island in the company of baby albatross that resembled prehistoric birds the size of a medium sized dog. In addition, we literally had to step over Boobies nesting on the trail. Neither of us is really a “bird person” but we found this tour to be well worth the wait and the trials of our passage to get here. A trip to Espanola should certainly be on any visitors list of sites to visit. A quick ride back to San Cristobal and one last sushi splurge at Midori and it was time to say goodbye to the Galapagos Islands. After 6 weeks in the wonderful but chilly waters of the Galapagos, the warm waters of the Caribbean and a much-needed refit to fix Gargoyle’s growing list of issues, was telling us it was time to move on.

Next stop, Panama. We mapped out a route based on winds and current that could have been done with a straight edge. 800nm as the crow flies and 800nm as the winds were blowing. This straight passage would be proved to be a slow one as we were only able to sail with a reefed front sail, but Gargoyle still made the journey in just 7 days. Generally, it was a quiet and smooth downwind sail with perfect winds of 12 to 20 knots, right in Gargoyle’s sweet spot. Only three events stand out from our passage.

First, our course would take us near Malpelo Island, a Columbian Island renowned for its huge schools of sharks. Unfortunately, Malpelo may only be visited with a permit issued by the government and during the COVID era, that was not something we were able to secure. In addition, one must be sure to let the Columbian Navy base on the island know when passing within 40nm as shark poachers are a serious problem for the area. We would pass within 70nm of the island, so we did not need to report into the navy, but they decided to check us out anyway. Just after noon on a sunny day, a small military helicopter overflew Gargoyle’s mast and then proceeded to circle us as they checked us out with binoculars. Our friendly Canadian waves seemed to reassure them or perhaps they just got dizzy but eventually they banked back to their home base.

Our second event was the largest pod of dolphins we have ever encountered. Carla was on watch when she first spotted these energetic swimmers cavorting in the waves and for the next 5 or 6 hours we sailed through this enormous pod. We have seen these huge pods on documentaries before but never in person. The sea continues to amaze and instill a sense of wonder in us.

Our final event came on our last 36 hours of the passage. At the time that we had set sail, the winds had promised a week plus of 10 to 20 knots and seas from 1m to 2m. Perfect conditions. Unfortunately, weather forecasts beyond 3 to 4 days tend to be suspect and the forecasters had not seen Hurricane Eta developing in the Caribbean. Now we were 100nm to the West of Panama and on the opposite side of the country from Eta, but she still managed to gift us with heavy rain, winds of 30 knots sustained gusting to 45+ and 3m seas. Luckily for us the winds and seas were on our stern, but it still made for a ride requiring focus and care. We rode this roller coaster all the way into Vista Mar marina and after a few harrowing minutes in 25 knots of wind inside the breakwater at the marina, we were able, with the help of the amazing team at Vista Mar marina, get Gargoyle safely tied to a dock. Vista Mar is a superyacht marina and as such has a main dock that will accommodate any private vessel all the way up to 1,200’. The slip they put Gargoyle in was large enough that we could have parallel parked her on a less windy day.

So, now we are in the process of completing our refit and adding a bit more electrical power for our next passage. But that we will save for our next update. Until then we have wonderful memories of our visit to the Galapagos Islands and the amazing people that call those islands home. Thank you for sharing your home with us.

Visit our Galapagos Islands playlist on YouTube for more on our journey -