Fuel Stop in Central America

[perfectwave57]

While we are on facts and good news for Cruisiers here is a great reason to put Barillas on your stop list if passing through El Salvador.
Duty free parts and service to deliver from Miami. The folks at Barillas have offered this service to anyone hanging on the mooring ball. They have family in Miami and can fly things in and or pick them up directly at the airport and deliver to boat. Hieberto told me he needs 4 days after parts arrive in Miami to have items on the boat. We had some friends spent 6 weeks and $600 dollars getting a windlass into El Salvador. So one can use this as a baseline when considering parts at Barillas in 4 bus. days. Spread the word.

[donradcliffe]

I was going to stop in at Los Suenos on the way up from Panama to Hilo this month, but that ended after I called them on the radio on the way in.

"We can't sell you fuel unless you are checked into the country. Our agent will check you in for $450, but he can't get here until tomorrow". So much for the Rains guide "free for slip renters, nominal fee for others..." BTW, slips were $3.75/ft +18% tax per nite.

I told them no, thanks and flagged down a fishing boat a few miles out. They were happy to sell me some fuel, and threw in some fresh fish.

[John A]

*I had a very enjoyable stay in Barillas El Salvador. The owner gave up his large dairy operation to the land reform that occurred after the revolution shduring the days of the Contr Iran thin. The owner owns a plane at thre airstrip outback and flies up to Florida all of the time. Hieberto is a former emloyee of Shell oil hence good clean fuel.

I was ther in 2001 three or four months after a huge earhtuake and all of the cruisers worked all summer building several homes for the locals with supplies furnished by the Red Cross.

Do take the guided tours offered! It will be an interesting insight to the days of Ollie North. The main highway was used as a runway and the US embassy grouns are some of the largest in the world. As wel as visiting Myanian ruins, people with wooden wheeled Ox carts and much more..l