Tall-Ship Ceiba project ~ Sail Powered Marine Freight

I think it was sometime last winter while doing some online research concerning sailing and Costa Rica that I came upon the Ceiba project. SailCargo.org I thought it was pretty interesting so I decided to invest..although at a minimum level. I just wanted to be a part in supporting the project. Obviously with my traveling to Costa Rica this winter I wanted to visit the shipyard. I asked about volunteering for a couple weeks but was told they have all the volunteers needed at this point. Also, I think a longer than 2 weeks period is much preferred. I camped at the shipyard 3 nights. My visit coencided with the winter solstice with a full moon and an end of the year party. I even got a Christmas gift. There are about 18 people living here and working on the project. It’s amazing the high degree of wooden boat building credentials and experience the volunteers have. The team is made up of people from Canada, France, Germany, Denmark, Netherlands, Argentina and the U.K. I think that’s it...but I’m actually not sure?

I arrived on December 20 just in time for breakfast, which was great as I’d left Santa Elena well before any chance for breakfast. I had a banana and found a place for a coffee and pastries near the bus station.

Punta Morales is not very big and is not really a tourist destination. There are a few cabinas and a small store is fairly close with a bigger store a bit further. 2 local woman from the neighborhood prepare breakfast for the crew and food for lunch. A guy on a motorcycle with a cooler on the back delivers ceviche daily it seems? Dinner is prepared by the volunteers. It’s a holiday break now.. 3 or 4 volunteers took off before the party for the beach at Santa Teresa on the outside of the Nicoya Península...more are heading there as well. I’m headed south to Jaco for 3 nights.

The company has leased the property for 5 years with about 3.5 remaning to hopefully complete a Ceiba enough to launch. The site was picked for its launching capabilities. They hope for a longer term situation and plan to build other cargo sailing vessels. A wooden boat building instructional non profit is also about to begin. This would be about building smaller boats (about 7 meters I think?) suitable for the locals to learn how to build and use. Construction of the structure to build and store these smaller boats will soon begin. This is separate from the Ceiba project.

The photos below are the lofting floor and expandable building site... The Tamarindo keel is about to be laid on the blocks. Additional ballasted keel will be added underneath this Tamarindo keel, replacing the blocks somehow.? Fascinating ! First staging must be built on both sides as work scaffold and support for the hull as construction progresses.