River boats
The river boats are fibreglass, flat bottomed and long.
About 7 or 8' in length they have huge 115 hp engines on the back. On attaining
a certain speed they rise up on the plane. Sitting just a third of the way down
and you see large sweeping arcs of water like lace curtains running down each
gunnel. You are inches above the waterline. It is exhilarating stuff although I
do get concerned about bankside erosion. On the other-hand, there is so much
floating vegetation before you get bankside that it acts as a protective
cushion and a river in flood does far more erosion I suspect!
River boats deliver everything from Gaz cylinders for
cooking to bottled water and toilet rolls! They also act as water taxis between lodges and Tortuguero village itself.
They are well looked after, each skipper meticulously cleaning his boat before and after every trip. They control them with astonishing dexterity, reading currents, underwater obstructions and depths with precision. They can ferry glide, hold steady in a raging current, allow the boat to be moved sideways……it is skilfully done and goes unnoticed by most tourists. You have to be a ‘boaty’ to really appreciate how talented the Tortuguero boatmen are!
They are well looked after, each skipper meticulously cleaning his boat before and after every trip. They control them with astonishing dexterity, reading currents, underwater obstructions and depths with precision. They can ferry glide, hold steady in a raging current, allow the boat to be moved sideways……it is skilfully done and goes unnoticed by most tourists. You have to be a ‘boaty’ to really appreciate how talented the Tortuguero boatmen are!
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