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February 1, 2007, Port Royal, Honduras

Started my Thursday off with being net controller on the Northwest Caribbean net and I do believe I am more comfortable with this role than I was before: I don't get as nervous as I used to, so have I conquered another fear? Fear of what? I guess of screwing up and making a fool of myself, so what.  I do that quite often; so what if it's broadcasted to lots of other fellow boaters. Screwing up and being foolish is a reality out here. And it's cheap entertainment.

Aaron and I, along with Damon took a dinghy ride to check out the northern side of the island.  There is a canal in a bay just east of us about 2 1/2 miles, that with a shallow draft boat one can easily get to the north side of Roatan. It's a pretty cool canal about 1/2 mile long, narrow in some places and winding curves.  Damon spotted a baby spotted eagle ray.  He was so cute.  The north side has a reef protecting it about 1/2 mile away, so we dinghied out there and stopped whenever we saw coral heads and snorkeled.  I spotted Mama spotted eagle ray and swam behind it for awhile.  They are so graceful in the water as they swim by and their heads are shaped like dolphins, but with a very blunt nose.  The fish life was less, and my hopes of spotting crab never came to fruition.  But I did spot a lobster of legal size and showed Damon, who with a pole spear, successfully got him.  We took him back to the dinghy and Damon with a huge smile said that was his first lobster.  Way to go!  Official lobsterkiller he now is.  Damon with a new found enthusiasm was ready to go find some more and Aaron spotted another but smaller one and Damon once again speared him.  Guess who is having lobster for dinner?

We decided to go back thru the canal and snorkel the other side as the current and waves were a bit much after awhile.  So why have to deal with that when the south side is much calmer and provides a better variety of fish?  Old Port Royal has a old wreck of a shrimp boat that has been there awhile, so we checked that out.  It was a grunt haven and not much else.  Back to the reef and the wall since no fishkilling has happened yet.  I was in the dinghy when I noticed Damon swimming rather quickly back.  He actually jumped out of the water into the dinghy, and stated that he had spotted a shark, about 8 ft. long and fat.  A bull shark possibly.  Aaron was still in the water oblivious to this fact, so we motored the dinghy closer to him and got his attention.  And after telling him, he said thanks and continued to hunt fish.  He never saw it and he didn't spear any fish. But he missed one of the biggest groupers he has ever seen.  And after voicing his frustration about being the worst shot in the world later drowned his sorrows in rum-n-cokes. A zero day. Very unusual, so we had hamburger tacos for dinner.

Luven, the local mechanic, came by this evening and took another look at our outboard since it is not running properly anymore.  The top bearing is not getting oil, so he believes the bushing needs replaced again.  He took it back with him to his shop, so, we are without a motor once again and relying on friends to be our chauffeur.   

February 2, 2006

Last night the winds blew practically all night long, with gusts of up to 30k, but I slept like a log. I guess it was all that exercise snorkeling (6 hrs worth) yesterday. 

Doug and Mary stopped by for a visit along with their dog, Tuesday.  We had a nice visit while sipping the famous BMA's bloody mary's.

The afternoon was perfect for another snorkeling session, so Damon picked us up and we went to Fort Cay, an island that is close by in Port Royal bay.  Each place that we have snorkeled has been different: different in that the coral and it's formations change, and the fish are either abundant with a variety or none at all.  But this afternoon,  Aaron redeemed himself as first rate fishkiller by winning the Trifecta, spearing each a grouper, hogfish, and a mutton snapper.

  We invited Damon and David over for dinner, a smorgasbord fish fest.  Aaron made a sauce that was delicious, (garlic, onions, pineapple-coconut chutney, and white wine) not only does he spear the fish, clean the fish, but cooks the fish! Multi-talented and lucky am I.

February 3, 2007  

With Damon as chauffeur, the foursome decided to check out the old fort ruins that Doug told us about.  So, with our shower of Deet on, we walked up the hill.  We unknowingly passed right by them and ended up at a beautiful home situated in the middle of hill.  The owner smiled when we said we were looking for the old fort ruins, and replied that there were just 5 mounds left and some ruins over at Fort Cay.  But what was left of the fort was down below a ways and over to the right.

So on we walked back down the hill and came across a flat area then noticed 5 mounds of dirt out towards the water.  These mounds were all that was left of the fort built back in 1675 by the British.  These were the buttresses where the British would fire off their cannons.  The view was beautiful overlooking the bay where BMA was at anchor and of Fort Cay.  Later that evening, Aaron hailed Doug on the VHF and asked him if he had a dictionary handy so that he could look up the definition of "fort".  Doug being quick witted and with a great sense of humor replied that fort means bumps and buttresses; not the John Wayne type of fort that you are thinking of.  These were British forts.  Well, all we know is that this type of fort falls short of our definition of a fort.  But it was interesting to note that history and definition.

Luven, the local mechanic, brought back our outboard motor promptly at 4pm.  He said that the machine shop guy who had made the bushing used an inferior metal and that is why it didn't last long.  So, he made sure that it was made properly this time. We would recommend Luven to anyone who needs outboard repair in this area.  He is knowledgeable and provides great service.  Where else could you get the mechanic to make a house call? (or I mean boat call)

February 7, 2006      Finally onwards to Guanaja 

With parting farewells to Doug & Mary, we slipped the mooring at 7am and followed Bruadair out of the cut of Port Royal and headed east. Yeah, we were finally getting underway and moving eastwards to a new island.  Guanaja lies east of Roatan only 10 miles from the most eastern tip and is the third island of the chain called the Bay Islands.  The first one being, Utila, and since we had heard of the spree of crime and robberies there, we decided against visiting that island and headed directly to Roatan.  Guanaja was first discovered by Columbus during his fourth and last voyage to the Americas in 1502. Now as we set our course, the winds were out of the northeast at less than 10 knots, so the iron genny (motor) was at work.  The skies were cloudy and gray, and a squall was directly east of us.  We had spotted the makings of a waterspout  (water tornado) earlier and now it had truly begun to form and reach downwards to the water. What is it about being from Kansas, known for its twisters, and having to deal with Honduras kind of water tornados?  Bruadair with their radar located it about 4 miles to the south from us.

We didn't feel any effects from it, but kept a close eye on its whereabouts and we eventually moved further and further from it as it disappeared. We spotted a total of five waterspouts, but this one was the only one that reached down to the water. The Pidgeon Cays, a beautiful idyllic cay, located close to the most eastern tip of Roatan,  we were told was a great place to snorkel, but since the weather wasn't cooperating, that is, cloudy and a chance for rain not being the best conditions to snorkel plus having to try and anchor and look out for coral heads in doing so, we made the prudent decision and headed on.  The swells in between the two islands gave us a good rockin, crashing items not stowed properly on to the cabin sole, but once we were in the lee of Guanaja, the swells lessened.  As we neared the entrance into the bay, with Bruadair leading the way, we set anchor right off of the settlement on Bonacca Cay.  The population of Guanaja is approx. 10,000 people, of which the majority live here on this little cay.  I don't believe you could build another house or squeeze another building on the cay.  Narrow walkways and bridges over canals make for the pedestrian "streets" since there are no cars.  Access by boat is the only mode of transportation.

We hung out here most of the afternoon getting ourselves acquainted with the town.  Damon and David had to visit the "authorities" which consists of the port captain and immigration officials.  They had to recheck back into the country, since their 90 day visa had expired, and their plans of leaving for Provendicia, Columbia didn't pan out due to weather and mechanical problems, they were having to deal with Honduras bureaucracy.  The 90 day visa is granted upon your arrival, and after the 90 days you must leave, either traveling to Belize or Columbia for three days, then you can return.  If you have not obeyed this rule, you are subjected to pain and harrassment of the worst kind of Honduran hospitality.  So, unfortunately, in the six hours it took for Damon and David to recheck in, the port captain had no problem with them,  but the immigration official did.  Frustrating negotiations were underway. The immigration guy wanted $400, but settled on a fine of $150.00 US and an extension of 30 days.  The official said that it was just between Damon and him, no one else needs to know.  Padding the pockets of corrupt officials is indeed frustrating, and little recourse can be had.

We upped anchor and motored over to the anchorage called El Bight and as Damon and David drowned their sorrows in vodka/sprites, we sympathized with them with rum/cokes as we watched the sunset.   

February 11, 2006      El Bight Anchorage, Guanaja

Relaxation has been the major thing on our list these last few days.  As we sit at anchor, a dolphin, (Bruadair named him Fred) has been swimming around both of our boats.  He stays all day, just hanging out with us, and as I take pictures of him he swims on his side and looks up at me.  I try to talk dolphin talk to him and tell him to do some more tricks like jump out of the water and do a flip, but he just keeps smiling at me.

There is a restaurant/bar here called "The Manati" with owner Hans, and the managing couple, Anetta (bartender) and her husband, Klaus, (chef) who are from Germany.  We haven't ate at a restaurant this year, so decided that we were due for a night out.  We met a few of the locals, a few couples who have moved here from the States, and a few cruisers.  I found myself talking to Barbara (s/v Revery), who has just come up from Panama, and telling her about our adventures so far and where we have been and I couldn't help but be in awe of ourselves.  I felt quite like the world traveller as I explained that Mexico was tough sailing, since we were headed south against the current and winds, Belize where the waters were the prettiest we've seen, Guatemala was a class in Mayan culture, and Honduras, the Bay Islands, have been unique in that English is mainly spoken, the beauty of the islands is incredible, and hardly any tourists. It is simply undiscovered, but there are changes a coming.  Soon the condos, timeshares, and hotels will discover this gem and spoil the natural beauty of the shorelines.

Dinner was exceptional.  I had the wahoo and Aaron went with the typical German dish, brats and sausages.  It was a fun evening and Aaron had a great time being the king of the pool table practically all evening.

February 14, 2007   Happy Valentines Day!

The weather has been fantastical lately.  Beautiful days, sunny, 85 degrees, and a nice breeze at night, makes this truly paradise.  We've been exploring the island by dinghy these last few days and taking advantage of this excellent weather to go snorkeling.  And we haven't been disappointed. 

We've been here for a week now and truly enjoy the feel of Guanaja. It is an odd sort of place, different in that the people we have met are strange in some way, most of the population lives on an island, Bonacca Cay, the size of a football stadium while the large island of Guanaja is virtually uninhabited. There is a hotel built upon a large rock in the middle of the bay and even out further is a house built in the form of an igloo. And daily visits from the dolphin named Fred, that hangs around the harbor every day and comes by to say hi.
   

There is a man made channel that small boats can take to get to the north side of the island.  You can definitely tell that Hurricane Mitch was here back in 1998.  There are no trees on the hilltops on the north side.  We did this trip along with Damon and snorkeled there. It is absolutely beautiful. White sand beaches and the reef breaking about 1/2 mile or so from shore. I watched as a large eagle ray swam by me and then followed it a while. They are the most graceful creatures underwater.

Every Friday is market day on Bonacca Cay, which means the supply boat arrives in the morning from the mainland laden with all kind of goodies. Thruout the day, since there are no cars, carts roll by 2-3 layers tall with fresh produce and supplies for the grocery stores and veggie stands. Between the hours of noon and 2pm, everything shuts down for siesta, and when they reopen, they are stocked then with the rest of their supplies. It's fun trying to find the best buys and I was thrilled to find fresh grapefruit and avocados.  It's amazing these days what I get excited over!

For Valentines Day, we motored over to Josh's Cay, an island owned by a man named Graham, originally from the Cayman Islands, who moved here 13 years ago, and built a truly beautiful tropical island paradise.  He is very accommodating to cruisers offering free water, free ice, free mooring balls, and free trash dropoff.  But to do a load of laundry, just the usage of the washer, is $10.00 US per load.  That is not cruiser friendly prices, so I believe I will be washing clothes onboard. Dread the thought!  I haven't seen a dryer since leaving Belize.  Most people just hang up their clothes to dry since electricity is a precious commodity with steep prices. I hang our clothes on the lifelines of our boat that being our only option.

An organized party of cruisers, yes it happens sometimes, met at Graham's place for a get together to celebrate Valentine's Day and to swap books. (not mates!) Book swapping is a good way to get rid of the paperbacks you have already read and get some new reading material.  We met up with the catamarran flotilla of Dragonfly, Paradox, and DejaVu and Sausal whom we had met at Port Royal in Roatan.  It was good to see them again and to swap information (swapping books, swapping info, that's as far as it goes!)  They have been cruising Guanaja in years past so they gave us  a few tips on where to go and where to anchor.     

 Graham has built a bit of a water zoo.  In rather large caged areas, he has captured sea turtles, a huge jewfish,(which is actually a huge grouper) barracuda, groupers, cowfish, and in a separate area, he has conch and lobster.  As the sunset, the lobster came out of their hiding places and marched around.  These lobsters are lucky as they are not what's for dinner!  Ever.

February 20, 2007    Fat Tuesday, Beads, Beans and Boobs!

Since we are big fans of the city of New Orleans, having attended the Jazzfest many times, we love to celebrate the New Orleans way, and since we were seasoned Jazzfest partiers we had acquired quite a lot of beads over the years. (you know how to earn them?)  .  So, we invited all in the anchorage over for happy hour, a pot of red beans and rice on the stove, beads handed out to everyone that came aboard, and with zydeco music playing and the pirate flag waving above we celebrated Fat Tuesday, Blow Me Away style.                          

February 27, 2006  Happy #55 Anniversary to Mom & Dad

We have been here now for almost three weeks and it has gone by fast.  We have met quite a few of the locals who have moved here from either the USA or Germany many years ago.  Any prospect of change is met with disapproval.  No roads here, mean no roads ever! 

Every Friday, Gringo Friday as it is called,  many of the gringos meet at the Pirates Den, a local bar on Bonacca Cay (which locals call "the settlement") , and chat while drinking a few beers waiting on the boat to be unloaded.  We have learned that arriving around 10AM gives you two hours to find the items you are searching for, since all the stores shutdown between noon and 2pm.  Being first to the stores means you get first pick, and the favorite items such as bacon, ham, and romaine lettuce go quickly.  I have been told that Fritos Scoops are new to the island, so grab a bag or two when you see them. And the little grocery store close to the dinghy dock called Zapata's sells the best fresh french bread on Fridays.  But get there early as this delicious treat disappears rapidly.  Getting the picture? Bonacca Cay is a busy place on Fridays with everyone scurrying down the sidewalks.  And the vegetable stands are full with locals and gringos.

When you ask the locals here the common phrase of "how are you?" the local custom reply usually is their position, "right here". This is probably as useful an answer  as somebody telling you they were fine when they obviously weren't, but it does take getting used to.  So, How are you? Right here, you say.

Another local custom that takes you offguard is when you say hello to a local as you pass them by on the sidewalk, you will here the reply "goodbye".  This isn't meant to be rude, it is just another local custom greeting. Or that is what I have been told!  You say hello and I say goodbye (isn't that a beatles tune?)

We celebrated our 19th year of being together on the 17th, and Aaron surprised me with a fresh crab dinner.  One of the local boats had come by earlier in the day while I was off the boat and he bought 2 huge crabs from them, for the special price of $5.  I had read in a book about adding 2 Tbsp. of vinegar to the water that you steam the crabs in as this will make getting the crab meat out of the shells easier.  We are happy to report it was a success.  It was the best crab dinner ever!