Cayos Cochinos, Guanaja!

I was beginning to think we would never leave Roatan again, but we're proud to say that we have left the "dock" and then we WENT SAILING!  Yep!  We actually did it!  Guanaja was where we wanted to visit first, but the weather was just not cooperating.  So we went to Cayos Cochinos, an island off the coast of mainland Honduras, about 20 nautical miles away and all systems worked!!!!  Yeh! 

Cayos Cochino is a really a beautiful place, the water was very clear, and there is a nice local dive resort, with good moorings. We didn't stay long; no other boats in the mooring field.  We're a little skittish these days because the local crime has been very high and didn't feel comfortable being so alone. Once the season begins and others are about we will return to do some more exploring.

 

One of the friends we made at Brooksy Point this season left and was single-handing his boat enroute to Panama.  The following is official account of his harrowing story. Certain information has been omitted for confidentiality.


"I was at anchored on Varillas Bank, Honduras. The Fuerza Naval Honduras boarded my vessel, to examine my documents. I asked for assistance in obtaining a quantity of transmission fluid (ATF Type A). They had non on board their patrol boat but agreed to inquire of fishing boats in the area. The following day they returned to indicate that none of the boats in the area carried the transmission fluid I required.. They advised me to go to Catarasca Lagoon where I would find a store to buy the fluid.

I broadcast a "Pawn" advisory concerning my intentions to enter Catarasca Lagoon. I arrived in the evening and not wanting to try the entrance in darkness I anchored nearby. That night a squall occurred. High winds, stormy seas. I was blown off my anchor about five miles westward and deposited on a shoal bank.

I immediately broadcast a distress signal. "Mayday" giving my name, name of my vessel and position. I continued broadcasting a distress signal each fifteen minutes. There was no response although I sighted three unidentified vessels nearby. Direct calls to the Fuerza Naval Honduras went unanswered.

A small open boat approached to offer assistance. The outboard he used for propulsion was insufficient to tow me off the shoal. He left and said he would contact the nearby authorities. He left aboard my boat a crewmember who manned the VHF and presumably was in contact with the Fuerza Naval Honduras or other authority. I could hear the conversation but was unable to actually translate under the circumstances.

A group of men boarded my vessel and began to disconnect the anchor rode. I restrained them and ordered them ashore.

In retrospect they wanted to assure themselves that I was alone. They returned later in force, about fifteen men, bound me and began to remove everything from my boat. The identified "crewman" was with them. The man in the small boat also.

 

I went overboard to the beach with the clothes on my back. My two computers, three GPS units, cellular phone, four hundred dollars in US money ,ship batteries, 150 gallons diesel fuel, sails, Compass, four anchors, clothing, three months provisions…the inventory is extensive…gone. I was told that the naval station was five miles away to the east. The beach ended at the jungle. I turned back in despair. A torrential rain began. I could see the "pirate" boat standing a bit offshore. Some of the men had come from there. The remainder had appeared out of "nowhere".

As I returned to the scene I watched as load after load was removed from my boat and disappeared into the jungle. I was quite exhausted. I prevailed on them not to leave me to perish on this uninhabited beach. A young boy was chosen to lead me out through the jungle to a"house". He sympathetic, handed me a billfold, small, containing a life saving Debit card and Passport.

Two hours through thick underbrush. Swampland. At times wading through chest high water we entered a clearing with several houses. I looked around and saw the contents of my boat strewn on the ground with a long line of bearers coming through the jungle loaded with more.

The owner of the settlement was the man who had arrived that morning to query me.

They gave me a glass of water and bade me wait on the raised porch of the main dwelling. Four hours later I was urged into a small boat for a two hour journey to Lempira.

On the way to Lempira we stopped at a station of the Fuerza Naval Honduras. They were conversant with each other. I saw no real possibility of appeal. Miles away a different world.

One curious aspect though. ..I was walking through the streets when a man called out "Capitan, Capitan" there’s a phone call for you. The pirates apparently being friends locally had used my cellular phone to call my Chief Mate in the States. It was her, tearfully looking for me. She had been given the number of my captor."

He is probably very lucky to be alive.  Now back in the US, he has been trying to initiate help from the FBI to possibly retrieve what's left of his boat, but this is well out of their jurisdiction!  Scary, sad story. He has been cruising and living aboard for over 30 years, so he has not only lost his home and all his possessions, but lifestyle as well.  It is sad that this so far seems to go unnoticed by any of the authorities in Honduras.  Just another casualty; we have learned of only one robbery that actually resulted in a trial and jail sentence, which actually happened in Guanaja last year.

The Gracias Adios area is a most remost area of Honduras. It is a primary trans-shipment point for drugs coming from Columbia/Mexico.  The area has always been dangerous, but in recent years has become more so due to the efforts to control the drug cartels.

 

This area, Cabo Gracias Adios is Spanish for Cape Thank God and is said to have been bestowed by Christopher Columbus on his last voyage in 1502 when the easterly trade winds calmed as he turned south.  The moment also gave the name to Honduras which means depths in Spanish, since the complete phrase is said to have been Gracias a Dios heos salido de esas honduras, or "Thank God we have come out from those depths".

Well Tropical Storm and predicted hurricane Ernesto was like  a figment of our imagination.....we spent a lot of time preparing, but ultimately all we got was a day of rain; actually it was pretty disappointing!.  All the shrimp boats came into the harbor, so it was pretty crowded. Our little ship could have been crushed by the big shimp boats if one had broken away and drifted. One large shrimp boat did go right over our anchor pulling it out. We thought our anchor was lost forever, but with the help of a local young man and Mike (the owner of Brooksy Point Yacht Club) we we're able to retrieve it from the prop of the large shrimp boat.

Recently, we experienced the "perfect" weather conditions to go to Guanaja! You wouldn’t think it would be so difficult to go roughly 40 nautical miles, but Guanaja has eluded us since arriving in Roatan in 2010.  Most often the winds are out of the east/ northeast in Roatan, so heading to Guanaja is unpleasant; kind of like riding in a washing machine.  I am happy to report that we finally did it! Our good friends on Adagio helped to show us the wa;y it was great to have a buddy boat.

On the way to Guanaja, east of Roatan is Santa Helena, and further east is the small island of Morat and a few miles beyond that is the island of Barbareta. Barbareta, while only about three and half miles long, is the fourth largest Bay Island. Barbareta is privately owned by a Corporation, and has only one settlement, the Barbareta Beach Club. The island and reef around it are protected as Barbareta Marine National Park. Just off Barbareta lie the very small, very picturesque Pigeon Cays.

Bonacca

There are well over 10,000 people living in Guanaja, but most live in the area called Bonacca, Sheen Cay, much of it built on stilts; encompassing only 100 acres.  The homes may be two or three stories high.  This area has also been referred to the Venice of the Caribbean, due to the canals. Not necessarily Venice, but none the less a very interesting town. No cars trucks or bikes. Everyone travels by boat or walks. The city is a maze of streets. Once again our friends on Adagio showed us much of the way through town and the local stores. Bonacca is one of the most unique places we have ever visited. The town has a new (one and only) bank and recently got a communication tower so internet and cells phones are now available. The people seemed very nice and most speak good English, but like any town you need to stay out of cerian areas. Despite it's remote location we were able to find excellent fuel, good water, and propane.



Dunbar Rock

We anchored in El Bight, adjacent to Dunbar Rock. and a bit west of Bonacca. The villa at Dunbar Rock is one of the Caribbean's most unique dive resorts; truly one of a kind.

Dunbar Villa operates as a well known dive resort, with excellent diving and fishing right off the dock. The coral reef is 100% private and the island lends itself to the intimacy of a private island as the picture shows is is a BIG rock.

This beautiful historical landmark was once used as a mooring for the famous pirate Blackbeard. Local legend has it that there is buried treasure on the island. When the owner was constructing the villas, he discovered a hidden cave on the island. He found many pieces of pre-Colombian pottery, but sadly no treasure.

Guanaja is the most mountainous of the three islands off the coast of Honduras that are The Bay Islands. Guanaja has many year-round fresh water springs, creeks and even waterfalls and is known for its spectacular diving and Caribbean pine trees. Columbus aptly named it "Isle of Pines".  Of the three islands, Guanaja is the most undiscovered and pristine. Guanaja is about 3x11 miles of lush and mountainous landscape; the highest peak rises to almost 1400 feet.  The native islanders of Guanaja are descendents of the original immigrants from the Bahamas and Cayman Islands in the early 1800s.

Manati Restaurant

As compared to Roatan, there is only one stretch of roadway between Mangrove Bight and Savannah Bight, so most sightseeing is done via boat.   After anchoring in El Bight we went ashore to the Manati Bar/restaurant for cervasa and dinner.  It is managed by a German couple, Annette and Klaus; they are very entertaining!  They have several guitars, bass, keyboard, etc. and if you're lucky "let the jammin' begin"!  I didnt' get a picture, but one evening David played "lead" guitar for a few songs.  It was great fun!

Klaus and Annette came to visit a friend in the mid 1990's and settled in La Ceiba and began a cycle touring business, but were wiped out by Hurricane Mitch.  Now they manage the restaurant for a German friend.  In addition to managing the restaurant, they provide tours to Michaels Rock and the waterfall.  They love the peacefulness of Guanaja.  It is very "tranquilo" here!



Graham's Cay

Yesterday, we visited Graham's Cay, which formerly had been known as Josh's Cay, about 45 minutes via sailboat from El Bight. They have probably about 40 or so rooms at about $100 US per night, per person.  Nice beach and room to roam.  They appear to be raising Logger Head Turtles, but weren't able to confirm that with anyone.  Gladly, turtle soup is NOT on the menu! We had planned to spend the night, but the weather changed and so we went back to El Bight.  It is a nice place, but pretty desolate now, but definitely deserves a return trip.



Michael's Rock



We also visited Michael's Rock.  I tried and tried but couldn't find any info as to "why" it is named Michael's Rock, it just is!!  There aren't many living on the north end of Guanaja, but a few.  There is at least one dive resort and the Green Flash Bar and if you look real hard you might see a home or two tucked into the forest.  We beached the dinghy's, snorkeled and snacked; it was great.  I was disappointed I didn't see more wildlife; matter of fact, I hardly saw any birds while in Guanaja, weird!  We did get visited everyday though by a dolphin while anchored in El Bight.  Apparently he has lived here for years and years.  I wish I could have swam with him.

Of course we had a beer at the Green Flash Bar and took some pics of a very fancy home being built next to the dive resort.  Then we met up with Eric from the Dive Resort and he suggested we go to the waterfall, not the big one, just a small one.  David hopes to return to Guanaja and take a tour to the "big" waterfall, which means hiking up the mountain; Klaus was going to take him but he and Annette are headed back to Germany to await the birth of their second grandchild and visit with other family.

We would have liked to have stayed longer in Guanaja, but after all it is hurricane season and with a good weather window, we returned to French Cay after only a week.  French Cay, almost feels like home now.  We've gotten to know Roatan well, but are still anxious to move on to new places.  Looking forward to possibly heading to Panama in the fall.

Stay tuned!



 

Bittersweet Memories

May brought the anniversary of my mother-in-laws' passing. On the bright side, I had found an old camera chip and found some pics of her that I thought had been lost. She had flown down to Orlando with our niece for Jon's graduation from UCF. We were so happy that she agreed to go for a sail with us even though "boating" was not her "cup of tea".  Jon wasn't able to join us that day and sadly this happened to be the last time the boys and I were with Memaw.  We miss her dearly.

Little Maria turned 8 and Brooksy hosted a party for her.  Sorry, Lilo and Mike don't like pictures of their children posted.  Take my word for it, she's a doll!

Well, while we have been waiting for our transmission, David has been helping to re-rigg the Green Hornet Mike's boat.  He gets to be the one they hoist up the mast.  I'm sure it's a lot harder that it looks, even though he is in better shape than most of the fellows around here. LOL!   In addition to rigging, David keeps busy ~ he helped Excellent Adventure into the harbor and into Brooksy Point.  That's him in front of the catamaran.

We enjoyed getting to know the folks on Excellent Adventure, Jason, Loreen, children Roan, Kestral and Aurora, along with "Bamma" and crew Chip and Angela.  They are from San Diego and recently transited the Panama Canal.  They stayed at Brooksy Point for about two weeks doing repairs and provisioning.  Jason is opening a new West Marine Store near Galveston, TX and Loreen will be working "online" as an editor. 

 

I found it interesting that they make their own "sauerkraut", almond milk, pickles, etc.  The family is allergic to gluten so they bake their own bread and create many other gluten-free recipes on board.  The kids eat the sauerkraut as a snack!  Wild!  I had the pleasure of tasting the bread and I don't think I would miss wheat at all.  We shared a lot of recipes.  They left the dock yesterday enroute to Cozumel.  They plan to go to Tulum to visit the Mayan ruins and purchase some hammocks then get back on the "road" again to Texas. 

Well the transmission finally arrived in early June.  However, it took time to arrange for a mechanic to help with removing the last engine mount and subsequent install of the new transmission.  Ultimately, David had to finish the job and John on Free Spirit was a good helper.  David had to re-drill the armiture for the linkage. We are very happy to report that it's in and it works!!!!!

Not to be an alarmist, but acouple of our friends were robbed near the mid June while at anchor in Port Royal, which is about 7-8 nautical miles east of Brooksy Point.  They have a steel boat and the companionway operated like a "dumb waiter".  Three guys boarded them at 1 o'clock in the morning, indicating they were the "policia".  Unfortunately, the Captain being half asleep did open the companionway and soon got the butt of a shotgun to the forehead.  They stole phones, computers, frozen meats and $1500 USD.  Other friends with them were anchored 50 feet away, but were not robbed. The Captain suffered a concussion and needed five stitches; First Mate just shook up.  They have since left Brooksy Point and are now in Providencia.  Their final destination is Bocas del Toro, Panama. 

Well my "working" days are over at Brooksy Point.  There just are not enough of us to warrant keeping the bar open after 5:00pm.  No fear, Capitan Dave has been keeping me busy varnishing and polishing!  He doesn't pay much though, LOL!

We are hoping that Guanaja is our next destination.  We need to extend our visas for another 90 days with immigration or get a "zarpe" and just go back to the Rio Dulce.   So that is the current dilema, stay or go!  New Horizons bottom hasn't been painted since we left in 2009.  The weather has been sort of strange lately (we had gusts of over 40 knots at Brooksy Point last night) and ultimately we may not get the weather window we want. So we may just be staying in Roatan until after hurricane season.  There are worse places to be!

Guanaja

Stay tuned!

Sailing, We Want To Go Sailing! NOT!

The puppies have grown to over 10 pounds! Yikes! They are so cute; too big for our boat though! So far, the family doesn't have plans to sell any of them.

So a few changes to my daily routine, I'm tending bar, not teaching. Jean Piere needs more help in Math and unfortunately, my knowledge in Mathematics is limited. I took Business, and Accounting as opposed to Algebra, Geometry and Calculus. So Lilo and Mike have hired a “real” teacher. It is best for all, especially the children. I am very happy that I had a chance to help out.

Maria, the youngest is not speaking to me; I think she feels I deserted her, but I am sure she will come around. Lilo told me today that the new Teacher is doing a Review of the last several chapters in all subjects and Maria keeps telling her “Susie explained it all very good. I understand, I don't need to study again”! LOL! She is very smart! I will certainly miss interacting with her; she is just a doll!

Our friends on Moonshadow, Bruno, Isabel, Nicolas, Paula and their crew member Deb, left today for Calabash Bight. Bruno is from Austria and has been in and around boats since he was a teenager. He certainly has a lot of stories to tell! LOL! Isabel is from Columbia. Their children having been cruising almost since infancy and have met other cruising children all over the world, including the US, which is where they purchased their CSY 44'. Check out their blog www.moonshadowkids.wordpress.com

The children, Nicolas and Paula are about the same age as Maria and Jean Piere. It was so nice for them to meet and hopefully they will stay in touch online. Nicolas and Paula went with their parents and a bunch of the cruisers to the Karaoke at Frenchy's 44 the other evening and won 1^st place. They sang "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star " and "Leaving on a Jet Plane" and won a ½ hour on a jet ski! They were ecstatic!

Deb, their crew member is quite the world traveler herself, though this is her first stab at actually cruising; something she has been wanting to do for a very long time. She is from NY City, but has also lived on the west coast in California and has traveled and lived in London, Malaysia, Latin America and now wants to tour Central America.

Deb is a writer. At one time, while working in NYC, she had the pleasure of writing copy for Jerry Stiller and Ann Meara! How cool is that? For those of you younger folks, they are the parents of Ben Stiller, Actor. They were regulars on the Ed Sullivan Show and others for years as comediennes. More recently, Jerry Stiller was the father of George on Seinfeld and Jerry (Arthur Spooner) played the father of Carrie Hefferman on The King of Queens.

Moonshadow plans to tour the rest of the island, then possibly go to Guanaja and eventually hope to make it to Panama before hurricane season. I really hope we will be able to join them along their voyage or in Panama. They are really nice people.

Lucky, the only male pup

I was able to get a couple of shots of the only male puppy, Lucky. He is so cute! I wish now I had taken a close up of the pads of his feet cause they look just like the paws of a bear! He is going to be a big boy!

Motu

Here's another interesting story.   Our friends Reini and Petra, from Vienna, Austria just sold their boat, “Motu” to Sergei from Russia. He is a Nuclear Physicist / Buddhist! How far removed is that!!!? We haven't had many opportunities to talk with him, at least not me. David has talked with him a little. Hank on Sunyata is helping to teach Sergei to sail. They made a trip to La Ceiba for a couple of days to tour a little and to do some shopping for boat stuff. They got hit with 35 knots of wind on the nose and I hear that Sergei was somewhat “green”!  

Hank told us that he plans to repower the boat with a nuclear reactor so that he doesn't have to worry about fuel because he WANTS TO SAIL TO ANARTICA! That's quite adventurous for a novice sailor! Good Luck Sergei! In the meantime, Sergei is selling his RV. A 30' Winnebago that is powered totally on propane fuel! Smart guy! He left on Sunday, May 6th, with his Suziki motorbike attached to the stern.  LOL!  I'm really hoping Hank will be able to keep in touch with him. 

We had recently decided that the cutlass bearing might not be so much of an issue. For those that don't know, this is what turns the shaft on the engine that moves the boat, that powers the batteries that powers the refrigeration that powers the lights that powers the head. On our particular boat to repair this problem means that we have to haul out, which means that we may have to go to the Rio Dulce, Guatemala.  Anyway, we decided we needed to take the boat for a "test drive" and so on Monday, May 7, we left the anchorage on our way to Guanaja. Yeh! 

The sky was blue, the surf a little rough, the wind on the nose, which makes for big waves . . . but we were off the dock, off the hook and on our way to new adventures, heading to Guanaja. . . .free at last!   We were bucking into the waves, a little worried that it was going to rough and uncomfortable going for a while, but the winds were expected to calm down in the afternoon and we were committed.

THEN the worst happened . . . no propulsion forward. David had the engine revved to about 2200 RPM, and we were moving at about a 1/2 knot. Didn't take long for David to determine we were in trouble. Our worst fear, the transmission. We turned the boat around and headed back to the harbor. Once we got past the markers we didn't know what we were going to do. David quickly deployed our anchor to keep us from running aground; we were in only 6 ½ feet of water and our keel is 5 ½!

It was early and it seemed as though all the boats at anchor were “asleep”.   Jonesy on Niki Wiki called on the VHF radio and asked if we were in trouble . . .ROGER! He quickly came to our rescue and about 5 other boats soon followed, we had George from Silver Sea at our stern, Jeff and Miles from Eclipse on our port side, Jonesy and Craig from Teal Sea on our starboard. Lenny and Sue from Wind Dancer hung around to watch the antics. Jeff did have a slight malfunction and flew into our hull, but luckily no one was hurt nor any damage. They towed us back to our old anchor spot and waited till we dropped the hook again.

About an hour later, our buddy, Mike from Brooksy Point came by to say hello and to tow us into the marina as the winds were expected to kick up in the afternoon. We were no sooner tied up do the dock when Lilo hollered to me to be at the bar to work at 4:00 pm as usual. . .back to normal, like we never left. Mike jokingly told us that they had put a curse on us! There is a feeling of “family” here at Brooksy Point. No better place to be if you're going to be stuck at a dock! With Mike's help so far, we have been pretty successful on our other repairs so hopefully this event won't be any different, though it is even more involved.

Needless to say, David is depressed. He spent a good bit of the morning trying to determine whether it was possibly a linkage problem; it isn't. So that means either rebuilding or replacing the transmission. It's an expensive job, not to mention, very difficult to do; not to mention it will takes weeks to get the transmission from the states.  So I'd say our plans to go ANYWHERE this season are pretty much out of the question.

The first mechanic we met with wanted $800. US to take out the old transmission and re-install the new one. That's a bit pricey; especially since David has done a lot of the grunt work!  We had "appointments" with two other mechanics, neither of them showed.  Then Hank on Sunyata gave us the name of his mechanic.  After several missed appointments, "Smiley"  and a couple of helpers showed up today (May 26).  They broke a neumatic drill trying to get the bolts off, but they finally after a couple of hours got it out and worked out how they will lift the engine!  Now we have to order the new one from the states.   

Needless to say, it's becoming pretty quiet at Brooksy Point as many of the boaters have headed to the Rio Dulce, the states or to Panama.   This evening is probably our last "potluck" too.  

Well stay tuned for the unfolding story of the transmission, exciting stuff, eh???

Beans, Beans, The More You Eat the More You Toot!!

Brooksy Point had a Bean Cook-off and I took third place!! Yeh! I made a Tuscany Garbanzo Bean Soup. The first place pot, Paul's, Lady H (his third win) was a Black Bean and Chicken Soup. Mike (Brooksy Point) prepared his Mom's recipe for Black Beans (Progresso brand enhanced) and Rice. Mike was tickled that he had spent about 15 minutes making his dish and Paul spent at least two days making his stock! Mike's dish came in Second Place! We had nine entries in all, even a vegetarian bean soup.

We have also since had a Rice Cook-off. We had nine contenders. Lilo, co-owner of Brooksy Point Yacht Club took 1^st place, but she disqualified herself, so Paul won again!!!! Lilo had prepared a traditional Venezuelan dish with chicken, rice and vegetables. It was very good. Paul prepared a Jambalaya. Second place was Barb on Wind Whisperer for her Rice and Black Beans. Third place went to Sandy on Sapphire for her Rice Krispies Treats. They were awesome!. I was working or I may have beat them all with my Mom's Stuffed Cabbage recipe!

Check out Brooksy's web page to see the pictures of the St. Patty's Day Dinghy Parade. It was a hoot! Jerry on Czech and Mate prepared the turkeys Cajun style and fried them. They fried 4 -15lb turkeys, and prepared green mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, and coleslaw. We served 53, but ran out of everything but turkey in the end. All the servers (me and the Brooksy family) only had turkey. David missed out too, but he insists on waiting to be the last in line. I think this will definitely be a repeat event! I have never injected herbs and spices into my turkeys before frying them, but I have to say they were very good.

We've been quite busy. I have been teaching the children, but last week they were on Spring Break. So Lilo and Mike asked me to tend bar, as they were installing a new computer system and needed Osman, the regular bartender, to help with the installation.

I came up with a signature drink for Brooksy Point. It's called a Brooksy Breeze, though I can't take credit for the name, that was Elda on Big Fun's idea. It is basically limeade over ice with a light beer. Ladies that don't like beer, may like this; it's like a beer cooler! We have also served it with vodka and ginger ale, or rum with a splash of coke. They still sell more beer and wine, but it was fun to come up with something different. Jean Piere (the owners' son) loves it and has a couple every day, he's even learned how to make it.

David has been helping Mike tend to the boats, moorings and boat maintenance.  He, Mike and some of the guys removed our generator about a week ago. David used wood to make a ramp over our engine and then it took five guys and a “come along” to get it off the boat. Our generator weighs about 250 lbs. It was pretty much the same for Mike's Perkins. It was quite a sight of them moving it them. The Mechanic will repair them and then send them back on the ferry. The mechanic is going to rebuild the engine and has quoted us a price of about $469. US, plus shipping. Can't beat that! The hard part will be for David to re-install it, since he had to cut all the wiring to get it out. It was to arrive yesterday, Saturday, but apparently they didn't have room on the ferry as Semana Santa (Easter celebration) has begun.

Some of our good friends have left French Cay and are heading to the Sapodillas, (Jerry, Debbie and Michelle on Czech N Mate, Elda and Wayne on Big Fun, and Kathryn and Enrique on Pelican), the Rio Dulce and the states. We have had a blast with them! Elda and Kathryn just love to dance and (entertain). They have recently made a video, "The Sarong Sisters"! I think they could have a permanent gig in Roatan and have suggested that their Agent call me!!! These girls could go to the TOP! LOL!

Hopefully, we will all meet again next season, though that is questionable right now. The Roatan Mayor has evicted the cruisers from the mooring field in West End, effective the end of March. Apparently, he owns a hotel in West Bay and feels that the cruisers are damaging the reef, poaching, etc. etc. Jerry, former Dockmaster at Fantasy Island has posted the unfolding story on the Cruisers Net. He is also trying to get the word out to the local business owners and media, so many of us have sent him our opinions. It is sad that someone can do something that will affect the livelihood of the locals without a thought. Of course, the income from the cruisers cannot compare to the money spent here by tourists from cruise ships and those that fly here to dive, but we do make a contribution to the local economy.

Since the story first broke, we have it on very good word that French Cay will not meet the same demise as West End. However, everything changes and I don't think anyone knows for sure how this will all play out. We're all just hoping that we will be able to come to French Cay and anchor in the future and enjoy Roatan.

We had yet another Cook-off. This time it was a Casserole Cook-Off. Ellen from Patience won First Place with her Eggplant Parmesan. Second and Third went to Lauren from Tachikaze Maru; she presented a very good Chicken and Vegetable Casserole and a Pineapple and Cream dessert casserole.

Paul, Lady H, prepared a very good Tamale Casserole, but the judges passed him by this time. I made a Mexicali Chicken Shepherds Pie. I hadn't planned on entering, but David said I should since at about 4 pm, Paul was the only one that had prepared a dish. We ended up having about 6 dishes! We're all looking forward to next Tuesday, but haven't come up with a theme yet.

Mike and Lilo, Brooksy Point, have a male and female German Shepherd and the female gave birth to 5 puppies the other day! They are so cute! They are planning to keep all of the puppies. That's a lot of dog pooh! I was teasing the children about this. They said, “It's okay Susie, we just dig a hole!” LOL!

Our new friends, Lauren, Floyd, and Archer, Tachikaze Maru, left this morning for Isla Mujueres, Mexico. They will then move onto St Petersburg to haul out and store the boat. Then they are headed for Washington State. Several other boats, Southern Mist (Faye and Kent) and Chanticleer (Roberta and Stephen), and Foreigner (Jan and Bill) are leaving for the states as well on Friday or Saturday. We are sad to see them go. It's going to get pretty quiet around here!

Brooksy had an Easter Dinner and Egg Hunt on Easter Sunday. It was a lot of fun. Lilo and Mike invited some of their friends with small children. They could hardly contain themselves waiting to eat dinner so they could get to the candy!! We hope all of our family and friends in the states had a nice day planned as well.

It's taken longer than expected, as usual, to get the generator installed. But I am happy to report that it is in and IT WORKS!!! Hallelujah!! Now we can finally put this on the back shelf! David worked so hard to make this happen and I am so happy he can add it to his list of successes!

Cliff and Jessica - Amistad

Brooksy Point hosted a Calypso Party last night, aka Surprise Birthday Party for Jean Piere (Mike and Lilo's son and also for Cliff on Amistad who turned 75!!  He is one interesting fellow. He actually designed the motorcycles for Easy Rider back in the 60's! I am writing a book about the people we have met cruising and he is definitely a contender!

Jean Piere turned 13! He got lots of gifts, most of which was cash! I'm sure he is a happy camper today! It was a great party complete with a Limbo dance. Manuel (crewing on Positive Latitudes) won a bottle of Rum for winning the contest! It helps to be 20 something and limber! Ellen on Patience gave him a challenge though! LOL! 

We have definitely met some interesting people this time in Roatan. Suzanna traveled from the Czech Republic to Roatan to crew on a boat.  Sadly, that didn't quite work out for her and she is traveling in Guatemala right now.  Suzanna, in particular, was also fortunate to meet Jerry and Debbie on Czech and Mate.  He is a turkey farmer from the midwest, but is also Czech!  We have met people from Rome,  a family from Austria (Bruno, Isabel, Nicolas and Paula.  We met Reini and Petra from Austria last season.  There is also a guy here from Russia.  He came here to buy a boat, supposedly to sail it to Anartica??? He isn't the friendliest person we've met, so I doubt I will ever hear his story.  I have been collecting email addresses from everyone in hopes of getting their stories. 

The picture posted on the blog cover page is from French's 44 (don't know what the 44 is about).  Cavi (the owner) has a restaurant on one side of the harbor.  On the reef side of the harbor (picture) is his own island, where he lives and plays.  He brings tourists from the cruise lines over by boat to spend a day snorkeling, sunbathing, visiting the monkeys, parrots, macaws at about $35 US a head!!!!  It is just lovely, but bring your bug spray!  He graciously allows the sailboat cruisers to partake free of charge on the weekends.  It has become our Sunday ritual.  Come join us!!

Yesterday when we went on the weekly grocery run to Eldon's we ran into our friend Betty from Punta Blanca and she told us that the Policia actually caught the bandito that robbed us!  That is great news!  Mucho Gracias to the Policia!!  I wonder who has our laptop??!

The last of the cruisers in West End arrived at French Cay yesterday and it was due to rough weather and not because they were evicted!  The "mooring balls" have been removed, but the lines have been left and so the cruisers had just attached their own floats.  Ballsy!  Apparently the mayor got so much heat from his decision he has backed off. 

We want to test our rigging, so we may just take off for next weekend and go to Guanaja. Sounds like a plan!

Stay tuned!

We have a new bowsprit!!

It's taken a while since we first determined that our bowsprit was rotten, to actually get into the dock and begin the removal and replacement.  It took pretty much a full day for David, Miguel and Donaldo to remove the windlass, the roller furler on the genoa and the stay sail, etc.  Luckily they were able to remove it in one piece, but then while trying to remove the end cap for the rigging, they hit it will a hammer and it broke in half.  It was infested with termites!  Yikes!

The new wood was prepared with a several coats of a wood preservative first.  I have to tell you that we were more than a little leary about Mike's workers being able to take a 6 x 8 piece of wood and carve it into a bowsprit.  What Miguel and Donaldo accomplished in two days was unbelievable; since they did most of the carving by hand.  Once they had the dimensions and drilled holes for the wiring, they prepped it with several coats of epoxy and then finally white paint.

It was installed a couple of days ago and now David has been fine tuning the rigging. Since our camera is no longer working some kind friends took these pics and our friend Gus took a video.  It was a community project, LOL! Just try to find a cruiser who doesn't have an opinion!  I dare you! Anyway, I guess the real test will be when we take her out sailing again, albeit, scary too!  We'll be sure to let you know how it goes!

Anyway, we sure can't complain about the price.  It cost only $380. US for the labor and prep components.  In the US, it probably would have cost somewhere in the range of $2000. US.  Miguel and Donaldo certainly have made believers out of us.  We have no more doubts of their expertise.  A special thanks to Gus from Windswept for taking a video and some pics of the event!

Brooksy Point hosted another "cook-off".  This time it was chili.  My loving husband added my name to the list of contestants.  I know he likes my chili, but I don't think on a national level it is award winning!  There were eight contestants, two that were "mystery" chili's.  The judges selected Wayne's (Big Fun) Texas Style Chili as the winner, Paul (Lady H) won 3rd place and second place went to one of the mystery pots, Wendy's!   Wayne's was really good.  He used pork, with molasses, beer, cayenne, etc.  It was so hot, it momentarily took my voice away.  (David said get that recipe!) LOL!

I tried my best, slaved all day, though I really didn't expect to win, but let me tell you, it was really tough being beat out by Wendy's!  I actually got compliments from some of the cruisers that attended; which was nice to hear. 

We had a "spaghetti" cook-off last week.  It went well; I didn't compete. None of our previous winners made the grade! Fred on Makai won, and we were all surprised to learn that he used Newman's own with added garlic and onion! How sad is that! I think it's time to find some new judges!! Next up (tomorrow evening) is Beans. I imagine we may have rice/beans, or bean soup. I have a really special soup that I may enter.  Can't mention the details, we have to keep these things a secret! LOL! There are at least 8 contenders, including Mike from Brooksy Point.  He and his wife Leylo are from Venezuela.  So they know beans!

Reini (Motu) came aboard and tried to get our generator started the other day without success.  He told David (what he already knew) that it just has to come out and be serviced by an experienced mechanic as the cylinder is probably cracked.  Hopefully, we will be able to attend to that soon.  (Reini flew back to Vienna, Austria the other day.  We really enjoyed his and Petra's company.  They have invited to come and visit them.  They have a home above the Danube River.  How cool is that??!)


Our new friends Debbie and Jeff on Sailor's Run, left this morning.  They can really do some sailing, we were treated to a video of Jeff's voyage from Lima, Peru around Cape Horn and onto Buenas Aires 1600 miles, 45 days at sea.  He's our new hero!!!  Anyway, we are all sad to see them go.  They were so much fun!

Debbie had been teaching Mike and Leylo's children (Maria,7, Jean Piere, 12 and Stephanie, 14,  in addition to many sewing projects for Brooksy Point.  The children are very well behaved and very nice.  I am going to take over the teaching while we are here.  The studies are through the Calvert School and it is a full curriculum.  I have been working the last four days to help with the transition; the children have become quite attached to Debbie.  She is fluent in Spanish as well as English.  The children speak English, but Spanish is their language of choice.  So it will be a new challenge for them to speak English exclusively, since my Spanish is "poco".  Hopefully, I will learn a little more Spanish and it will be a pleasant experience for all of us.  So far it's been a lot of fun!!!    ''

Ok, new bowsprit, now it's on with the generator!  Then hopefully, we'll be on our way to Guanaja!  Yeh!

Stay tuned!

Roatan Life. . . .Tranquilo

Over the last couple of weeks we've had some not so good weather, cloudy, rough seas, up to 20+ knots of wind in the anchorage at French Cay Harbor. But it has cleared up nicely over the last week or so and is just beautiful; blue skies, a nice breeze, and sunshine! It doesn’t get any better than that!

Well except for a major setback, we're enjoying our stay in Roatan and realize more now why we keep coming back here. Unfortunately, David, upon checking our anchor determined that our bowsprit is rotted and cracked!! Not good news. So we will be grounded for a while. Mike from Brooksy Point Yacht Club took David to a lumber yard and was able to get the wood we need for the replacement. A 4 x 8 block of wood cost $65.00 US!! I can't even guess at what it would have cost in the US. We're a little concerned that it may be a little on the heavy side for the bow. The wood here is very dense; it is difficult to nail into it.

With this new problem we may have to put the generator repair on the back burner. Although, we may be coming into Brooksy Point Yacht Club some time this week, so we're hoping to coordinate the generator repair at the same time.

It's been great seeing old friends, though we miss others that are still in the Rio Dulce, Guatemala. I think there actually may be more cruisers here this year than last, spread out between Roatan (French Cay harbor, West End, Calabash Bight, and Jonesville), Guanaja, La Ceiba and Cayos Cochinos.

We're realizing that we spend way too much time doing chores instead enjoying what Roatan has to offer. Diving and snorkeling! They are the main attractions here in the Bay Islands. We're told, Roatan is without a doubt one of the best places to dive. What makes it really special is that you can use your own dinghy to dive, so it's free! The French Cay Harbor is adjacent to the reef, so all you need to do is anchor in the sandbar and go diving!

David is certified to dive, (he may be certifiable too!) I'm not, but have recently been considering becoming certified. Rege on Pea Soup is my age and recently got his dive certification, so I am hopeful that I may still be able to conquer it. I think I need a one on one dive instructor and Joyce from Lady H, may be my best bet. No time like the present they say!

Believe it or not, we are able to get our dose of daily news on the “tube” and I was so, so sad to learn that Whitney Houston has died. She had such a gift. I still get chills when I hear her sing “I will always love you”, as well as the Star Spangled Banner. She, as many, many other entertainers succumbed to drugs.

One of Roatan's legends, Bob Lee (Hole in the Wall Bar) who had settled in Jonesville has passed. He had moved his family onto a 40' trimaran in 1990; setting sail from California in search of “utopia”. They broke down off the coast of Roatan, were rescued and towed into Oakridge by a local lobster captain, who became a life-long friend.

Bob and Rhonda found jobs and settled in Jonesville. They found a 12 x 12 shack on the water, that subsequently became “The Hole in the Wall” Bar/Restaurant; living in a small room at the back. By 1997 they invited friends for an “opening day Sunday BBQ. It's “All You Can East Surf and Turf” every Sunday and cruisers come from all over the world to check it out.

They eventually built one of the most unique homes on the island; made of hand cut Blue Rock stone. Tragically, after moving in (2004), Rhonda died due to a tragic fall and died. In 2005, “Hole in the Wall” had to be rebuilt in 2005 after it burned in a July fireworks display.

The “Hole in the Wall” is definitely a unique place. Unfortunately, many locals weren't able to afford the $19.95 all you can eat Sunday BBQ, but we're told Bob was very generous with the “locals”. At this point, it's uncertain whether Bob's children or a new owner will continue on with the “Hole in the Wall”.

Bob is remembered lovingly as the “Tom Sawyer of Roatan. Clever, smart, mischievous—with a heart of gold”. “He saw humor and adventure wherever he looked. That was Bob Lee”. (Taken from an article in the Bay Islands Voice magazine; see the link on the blog.)

You may remember pictures of the yellow seaplane at Fantasy Island on our blog. We also read in the Bay Islands Voice about the plane crash. Apparently, shortly after taking off from West Bay, with 3 passengers, one of which was a 4 year old boy, the seaplane lost an engine and then was hit with a strong gust of wind. The pilot lost control and after flipping several times, and landed in the water, upside down, trapping the pilot and passengers inside. Bystanders on the beach ran to help. The mother handed her child to someone's before she passed out. A Utila dive boat arrived shortly thereafter to help in the rescue, but by this time the pilot, Bob Brown had rescued his passengers. Everyone survived and only the mother had sustained broken ribs. The passengers were then flown by private plane to San Pedro Sula where they were treated. All expenses, the flight, ambulance, and hospital stay ($14,000. US) were paid by the pilot, Bob Bodden. Sadly, he and his daughter and son-in-law have lost their livelihood.

Every Sunday morning is the "Swap Meet" at Brooksy Point.  David should not have to spend one more sleepless night worrying that we will drag anchor.  Our friends, Petra and Rene have decided to sell Motu and sold us their anchor.  It's a 55 lb. anchor, very similar to a Manson. 

Last night, in commemoration of “Fat Tuesday”, Brooksy Point Yacht Club hosted a “Gumbo Cook Off”. The winning Gumbo was made by Paul on Lady H. Congratulations to Paul and honorable mention to Bob from Adagio and Lorenzo from Arlene Farrell. After dinner some of the cruisers stuck around for Karaoke. Debbie from Sailors Run and employee Osmom, sure can belt out a song! We all had a grand time. Wish I had a picture of David performing “Mustang Sally”; it was a hoot!! I think maybe he missed his calling in life and should have been an entertainer!!!  Too bad he left his guitar back in Orlando.

Hopefully, sooner rather than later, our repairs will be completed and we will be on our way to Guanaja.

Stay tuned!

♫On the road (boat) again. Just can't wait to get on the road (boat) again♫!

We spent the better part of five months ashore in Orlando visiting with family and friends. It was fun, exhausting (trying to keep up with our boys), expensive and disappointing too. It seems as Orlando is suffering more economically than other cities. There are whole strip malls closed down and the unemployment rate exceeds the national rate. Both David and I attempted to get part time  jobs, but it just didn't happen for us. All that being said, if you have $$ you can certainly get some “steals” in the real estate market right now.

Anyway, we are happy to be back on the boat; a change of scenery is always good for the soul. We flew into San Pedro Sula, Honduras. Unfortunately, things didn't go as smoothly as we would have liked. We had made arrangements with Hotel Villa Nuria for a shuttle, but somehow they left us behind. (When we finally arrived we learned they had picked up another guest, but left before we connected.)

If it weren't for the kindness of a local, we may have been in a lot of danger. San Pedro Sula is no place to be at 1 am in the morning especially out side the airport security. A man approached us and offered his phone (I guess we looked pretty bewildered. The Night Manager at Villa Nuria didn't seem to understand our peril. So the man offering his phone also offered to drop us at the hotel. We were a little concerned to accept his offer, but the alternative seemed to be worse at the time. He was accompanied by his sister-in-law, two nephews and his brother. They were headed to Tegucigalpa. Luckily we incurred no issue and gratefully thanked him for his kindness, he refused our $$ gesture, but we insisted. It's so nice to know there are still some good samaritans out there!

As we were checking in at Villa Nuria, David determined that our Visa card was missing (here we go again). We had had a drink on the plane. I saw the Flight Attendant scan our card, tear off the receipt, wrap it on the card and place it on the table next to David. Not sure, but we think when he tipped the table up it may have slid into the sleeve on the back of the seat. (When we had left for Orlando in August we had just missed the shipment of our Visa that had been sent Fed Ex. Luckily, we were able to pick up that card and Wells Fargo has graciously activated it for us; O happy day!)

We got settled in our room and slept a few hours. We were up early to take the shuttle to the bus station where we boarded a bus to La Ceiba, Honduras. We thought it would be a nice alternative to flying into Honduras; although we didn't see very much on the bus as we got some much needed sleep. What I did see reminded me a lot of Guatemala; rolling hills and valleys, livestock roaming close to the road, the mountains in the distance, and of course, a lot of poverty stricken Hondurans.

In about three and a half hours we arrived at the Gran Paris Hotel; which had been recommended by fellow cruisers. It was very nice and the staff very courteous and English speaking. The rooms were clean and comfortable.

We walked around the town a little. Supposedly La Ceiba is a “party town” and it was busy. There were a good many “unsavory” looking characters so we didn't venture far. We had dinner at “Pizza Hut”. We really wanted to see the beach, but were warned by Hotel personnel that it was not safe. I was too tired to do much else. We watched a couple of playoff games and turned in somewhat early.

Early the next morning we took a taxi to the ferry en route to Roatan. Again, there was some confusion about our arrival date, but we worked it out and Mark from Turtlegrass Marina eventually picked us up at the ferry terminal.

Though we were warned by Mark and Lori, I, personally was not prepared for the condition we would find the boat. Every surface, including our cushions in the salon were covered with mold! Apparently they had had a lot of rain, like five days straight and that coupled with the humidity made it a petri dish!

I have had to throw out pillows, sheets, clothing, canned goods, herbs and spices, etc. David's tools are rusty and corroded. I had to wash all clothing and linens left on the boat, even if they were in plastic bags and wash all the teak and vinyl bulkheads, clean out all the cupboards, hanging lockers and storage areas. After two weeks it is finally beginning to feel comfortable again.

We bid farewell to Mark and Lori and Calabash Bight on Sunday, January  28th and headed to French Cay Harbor. It felt so good to be on the water again. We put the sails up, well at least for a little while. It turned out to be a squally day, so before long we were dodging raindrops. Then a full blown squall was upon us. We got hit with a gust a wind that nearly took our whisker pole; it totally tore one strap to shreds! So we just hunkered down for a while and waited for the weather to calm down so we could enter the harbor. Lady H and Sound Effects answered our calls on the VHF and helped to direct us to the new channel markers.

We dropped the anchor and settled in. After awhile we got the dinghy down to search for the new Brooksy Marina, the talk of the town. I had been sick, and confined to my tasks on the boat for five days and I was anxious to get off the boat and see old friends.

Mike and Lilo whom we met about the time we both received bad fuel from Fantasy Island are the new owners of Brooksy Marina. They had left Fantasy Island and went to Panama. Ultimately, they sold their boat, but not before they had to replace their Perkins engine due to the damage from the bad fuel.

They returned to Fantasy Island, and after attempting to collect what it cost for his new engine, was labeled an “unwelcome customer” and told to leave the property. So they purchased the property across the canal from Fantasy Island and opened a marina.

It is very nice and most importantly is very “cruiser friendly”, which Fantasy Island is not. I personally gave Mike a “high 5”! I think it's a great thing. There are only 3 boats left at Fantasy Island! Revenge can be sweet!!!

Brooksy Marina is technically a “club”, as they have incurred difficulty getting a liquor license. For $15 US per week you get free wifi, showers, washer and dryer, and discounted beverages. They also serve hotdogs on Tuesday, order Pizza on Thursday, Fridays is appetizer night, Saturday is the run to Eldon's grocery (also offering a 5 % discount for purchases at Eldon's that may be used toward your bar tab at Brooksy); and also Saturday evening is the Potluck. Mike and Lilo are very nice people and very anxious to make your stay comfortable. So if you're headed to French Cay Harbor, be sure to stop by Brooksy Marina.

Besides that another resort has opened a new restaurant around the corner from the Iguana Farm, Frenchy's 44. They are getting a lot of business from the cruise lines, and taking more business away from Fantasy Island. They have two restaurants, one on the west shore and the other on the east shore. If necessary you can take their ferry to the east shore or just dinghy on in. We had lunch there. It was very nice and the help are English speaking. David had a fish sandwich and I a steak sandwich, both $8.00 US. We would recommend it.

Brooksy Marina hosted a Superbowl party for the cruisers. Way to go Giants! So happy they won!

Apparently, 48 Hours Mystery aired (on Superbowl Sunday at 10pm EST) a story about Don North.  He was a long time cruiser and was killed after he had taken on a crew member (a stranger to him) in Panama.  Many of our fellow cruisers knew him though David and I did not.

It has been good to see some old friends and make some new ones.  We have learned of a lot of changes on the Rio Dulce.  Sherry and Mike no longer own Texan Bay; and now it has been sold again to our old friends Maurits and Mavis!  How cool is that?  Honah Lee has opened a marina around the corner from what was Texan Bay.  A lot of "gringoes" are buying property in the Rio Dulce, for obvious reasons.  We're hoping at some point to go back to the Rio, just not sure when that will be.

For the time being while we continue to do odd jobs on the boat. If all goes well and we are able to get the generator fixed, we would like to go to Guanaja, Cayos Cochinos and then who knows. We have friends going to Cuba and then possibly Panama in early March.   So we'll see how it goes!

Stay tuned!