As of 0909 today the Training Ship Patriot State was under way from her anchorage in the port of Caldera, Costa Rica, and bound for Flemenco Island, Panama, and her northerly transit of the Panama Canal. The weather remains beautiful; sunny and bright with an air temperature of 86 degrees and a water temperature of 83 degrees.

Captain's log

It was with regret that we picked up the hook today and sailed out of the harbor . Patriot State greatly enjoyed the hospitality of the people of Costa Rica . We are now heading to the Panama Canal and will soon make our exit from the mighty Pacific Ocean. Caldera turned out to be a great port of call by most reports. I went to the capital, San Jose, yesterday. The two hour drive could have been accomplished in less than an hour had the roads been good. Two lane roads winding their way through mountains 2000 meters high will slow you down enough, but to be behind trucks heavily laden with coffee beans causes all traffic to slow to a crawl on the frequent steep grades.

San Jose was abuzz with activity and emotion. Yesterday was national election day and the presidency of Costa Rica was up for grabs. The streets were awash with cars and trucks constantly honking their horns. People hung out of windows frantically waving the flags of their respective political party. Not knowing anything about either party or any of the candidates did not diminish our enjoyment of the carnival atmosphere and the palpable excitement of the streets