Sweet River

Rio Dulce, or Sweet River. This has been the first time that Boto has been in fresh water and she along with her crew really liked it. The Rio meets the Caribbean Sea at the town of Livingston then winds its way into El Golfete and on into Lago de Izabel. The trip along the river is through steep cliffs and wild jungle with occasional settlements along the banks, it is truly a visual treat, to that end we hope you enjoy our trip along the Rio.

welcome to Livingston

 

first leg up the Rio




navigating the jungle

 

the welcome wagons [or canoes]



full of joy

the beautiful colors

We’ve mentioned the shopping, but we just can not resists revisiting the market.

Rio Dulce 

Then there’s people you meet along the way, this trio is a long way from Boise.

If you think you’re commute is no fun, try hauling the days firewood.



the entrance to Lake Isabel

 

is guarded by Castillo San Felie
























We couldn’t have a photo session without a diva, so let us strike a pose.



this is Lake Isabel



so is this

Denny's Beach Bar, Lake Isabel

'still life'

Of course our trip into Lago de Izabel was peaceful and calm, we were chased off the lake shortly after sunrise by high winds and big waves, hey we’re seasoned ocean sailors, but a lake squall is scary. Then Captain Butthead snagged a fishing net, now there’s a good time, untangling an underwater net from the rudder and keel at 0600.

ah, sunrise

sunrise with some nasty weather

back on the Rio, with clear skies

I too had a POS to get around in back in the day, note that one can see the folded cuff of the drivers jeans through the gunnel, that’d be a hole in da’ boat, but she still floats.

 

this house is for sale



hook em'



back on Texan Bay

the calm waters of Texan Bay

these folks deliver fresh bread to the boats

got an old tire

turn it into a Tucan

the yellow building is a school

this is the school bus

farewell to Livingston

Well, it’s now May 10th and we have put Guatemala astern and worked our way through Belize. We had been on the fence with regards to visiting Belize on the boat as we have heard many negatives from other sailors and there has been an increase in crime, including attacks against boaters. We can tell you that all went well for us in Belize and we were pleasantly surprised by our experience. Guess that goes to show you. Well, hope you enjoyed the tour of the Rio, we’ll get back with our visit to Belize shortly, for now adios.

Life on the Rio Dulce

N along the Rio

NE along the Rio

As everyone likely knows change is never an easy thing. Even harder is making a drastic change such as tossing off the dock lines, leaving everything behind and sailing off into the sunset. Rather poetic, sailing off into the sunset. Even harder for us, than the initial departure are the subsequent departures from marinas. Leaving an anchorage, even after several weeks is no big deal. Simply stow everything away, pick up the anchor and set the sails. However, even a brief stay dockside connected to land is difficult to break from. Why is that Captain Ron?

nobody knows



Boto at Mar Marina

 We’ve been tied to slip #13 at Mar Marina, Fronteras now for two weeks, we had planned to depart this past Monday for points further up the Rio Dulce. However, the weather forecast called for very hot weather coupled with thunderstorms for the week, so we’ll stay put for a few more days. Although we always make our voyage plans with an eye on the weather, this decision to stay dockside came very easy almost with relief. The upside is with the thermostat and humidity both in the 90’s we’ll have air conditioning. The winds will likely pick up along with the thunderstorms; we’ll be safely tied to the dock. While it does get bumpy dockside we have no worries about the anchor letting go and Boto ending up aground or worse, hitting another boat or being hit.

Perhaps for the sailor, land is a security blanket. Although we venture to sea we know that one day we’ll return to shore and the safety of terra firma. Is this a false sense of security? On board, even in the worst of weather we have never felt that Boto would let us down, she is most seaworthy. Perhaps it’s the boat bites*.



why do we like to be shore side?




boat bite

 *Boat bites are administered by a boat to careless humans. While not all bites draw blood, many do. In order for a bite to be recognized the human must be able to recount how it happened, if the human is unable to recall how the bite happened, then it did not happen. So stop your whining. Remember, No Sniveling!

Dockside, we can simply step ashore and walk, whereas when at anchor we must use the dinghy to take us ashore. However, while tied dockside we lament the loss of our ability to simply dive over the side and go for a swim to cool off. Chula certainly enjoys the ability to leap from the deck to the dock and to run through the trees, although she will admit that she really misses the run along a beach and the refreshing dip in the sea.

Perhaps it’s the readily available food items. On shore we can visit the grocery or a pub, at anchor we usually cook aboard, which heats up the cabin making us go topside to dive over the side to cool off. Perhaps it’s the company of others, on board there are the three of us, a book or movie or perhaps the radio. Ashore there is live entertainment and the chance to sit and chat with others, maybe even someone famous?


is that you Lefty?

 



just a little pickin' and singin'

Whatever the draw of being ashore, we must be wary of the critters. On the water we obviously have all sorts of marine life.  There is also a good deal of avian life.  It is amazing to find a bird in the middle of the ocean.  Obviously on shore there are many birds, there are also many other species, including snakes.  Snakes are Vicky's new obsession, ever since her run in with a green tree snake on the dock.  The Green Tree snake is not poisonous, the two to watch out for in Guatemala are the Coral and the Fer-de-Lance.  Although Vicky ran into a harmless Green Tree Snake, Pedro the dock hand here at the marina dispatched it to the great beyond non-the-less.  A word to the wise from Pedro, all snakes are bad.

Vicky's snake is ok





Enroute to the Rio Dulce



We wish we would have taken some pictures during our crossing from Utila to the Rio Dulce (we borrowed this one from online) however, during the overnight portion of the crossing we were otherwise occupied with a storm.  This picture does give an accurate representation of the storm off the coast of Honduras and Guatemala.

In preparation for the 110nm voyage from Utila to the Rio Dulce we checked the weather and the tides. The toughest part, so we were told of getting to the Rio Dulce is picking the appropriate high tide to cross from the Caribbean into the river. With a mean depth of 5.6’ we figured we would not have a problem with our five foot draft, however it is always a good idea to have a fudge factor. After checking the tides we decided that we could make it across on April 4 at 0630 when the high tide would be plus 1.32 feet. This coupled nicely with the weather forecast for the Utila westward to the Rio was: afternoons and evenings NE/SE winds 10-15k, morning winds would be variable and less than 10k. Granted the offshore forecast for Belize and Honduras was: afternoons and evenings SE 15-20k, with the overnight winds kicking up to 20-25k. Somewhere in all of the forecasts we consult there was a mention of “unstable atmosphere which may cause isolated squalls”. Of course this was all for off shore, we would be within spitting distance of the coasts of Honduras and Guatemala, so things looked good for us.

Leaving Utilia at the civilized hour of 0800 on April 3, we even checked the weather once more that morning just because we plan carefully for our crossings. The day was wonderful, we started off motor sailing with light winds from the SE that promptly swung to the SW (first hint of bad things to come, we paid little attention). By noon we are still motor sailing as the wind is almost behind us and less than 10k, oh the wind is now from the NE (hmmm, that’s strange the wind keeps clocking around us, oh well).

Well, in keeping with the photo above the lightening began shortly after sunset and continued well into the following morning. The real fun started about 2130 hours on April 3 (we were later told of a tornado that went through the Texan Bay anchorage at that time) when the winds still behind us began to increase, 10-15k, 15-20k, 20-25k, 35-40k etc…. We reefed all sail, but along with the increase in strength the wind kept clocking around the compass. Fortunately for us we were in deep water, 2,000 feet + and the wind was strong enough to knock down any waves so although an annoyance the increased winds were no big issue. The thunder and lightening were very much an issue, of course what fun is thunder and lightning without rain, thankfully we had our foul weather gear at hand.

Livingston's welcoming committee

Well it took 24 hours but we made it to Livingston, Guatemala tired but otherwise unscathed. The check in process is simple, get on the radio and call Raul. Raul shows up to the boat along with the Port Captain, Immigration, Customs, and the Health Official. Multiple copies of our passports and boat papers are taken and they all leave. An hour later and Raul has our papers to enter Guatemala all set to go. We are officially on our way to the Rio Dulce.

Fresh water! Boto has never been in fresh water before, she runs well. The first several miles up the river takes us to Texan Bay where we drop the anchor in six feet of water and relax. We haven’t been in so shallow water since leaving Galveston Bay. It is simply wonderful to jump off the boat into fresh water, take a bath in the warm water, do laundry and wash the boat.

After a few days exploring and cleaning in Texan Bay we are ready for a little vacation so it is further up the river to Frontera and the Mar Marina. Putting into a marina is always fun, we have AC power which means we have air conditioning, we have laundry facilities (although we still do ours by hand, safer that way) unlimited fresh, pressurized water, a restaurant and bar, movie night, volley ball … you get the idea. We plan to stay put for a week before heading further up the river to explore. We hear of hot sulphur springs and waterfalls, there are Mayan ruins and numerous river arteries to explore, so stay tuned. Well, it looks like we have finally caught up to ourselves, it only took three years.

Bay Islands

Guanaja

Thursday, March 15, 2012 (well it’s really April 11, but we’re getting closer) we have dropped our anchor in Sandy Bay, Guanaja one of the Bay Islands of Honduras. A sail of 150nm from the Vivarellos taking us 29 hours. We are ready for a nap. Upon arriving at Guanaja we first head to the Settlement to check in. The Settlement is the main town of the island; actually the Settlement takes up most of a smaller island a stones throw off the main island. Way back when the folks that settled here set up their settlement on the smaller island to give themselves a sense o safety and protection, from then the name stuck. This is one of the centers of the Bay Islands fishing fleet and not a location to spend a night at anchor, there is far too much boat traffic. We quickly drop the dink and head into town to visit Immigration and the Port Captain. The Port Captains office is at the town dock, however before visiting him you must first find your way to the Immigration office (bring copies of your passport as well as a copy of your zarpe from the last port of call, two copies of each should do it). From the Port Captains office head up the alley to the “main road” and hang a right, keep walking until you find the Immigration office on the right; it’s a five minute walk. Also, be sure to have the entire crew come ashore, otherwise a trip back to the boat to gather them up will be required. After finishing up with Immigration, we head back to the Port Captain for our entry papers at a cost of US$ 10. 

sunrise Sandy Bay

After so much stress we stop for a refreshment at a local establishment and catch up with some cruisers who call Guanaja home. It is from this group that we learn of the anchorage at Sandy Bay, a short hop east of the Settlement. After nearly two months of rockin-n-rollin at anchor or underway we have found PARADISE. With not a ripple across the bay and a clear night sky we crawl into the v-berth for a good afternoons/nights rest. The evening proves to be cool requiring the addition of a blanket to the bed, allowing for a wonderful twelve hours rest.

fishing fleet

Our first order of business is to resupply the fresh water tanks to allow for showers and laundry. For this we head into the Manati Bar and Restaurant, a short few hundred yards off the stern of Boto. Claus and Annette run the Manati and offer fresh water at their dock gratis; of course we felt the need to be hospitable so we joined them for a nice liter of Bavarian Dark beer and some onion pie. Claus and Annette are from Germany and have been in Honduras and the Bay Islands for a couple of decades; however they still manage to import some of their favorite gastronomic items from the fatherland.



chillin' at La Giralda

 With water topped off and chores done for the day we are ready to relax, but first a visit from the folks at the La Giralda resort (www.bayislandhotel.com). They’ve stopped by in their run-about to invite us to the Friday Night bonfire complete with coupons for a free drink and to offer us a complimentary bag of ice. The folks at La Giralda know how to get our attention. Guanaja is quickly becoming one of our favorites.

the local highway

a side street

We mentioned the resorts run-about, this needs further explanation. Other than the pedestrian walkway on the Settlement, the island of Guianaja has only one road. That road is a one mile stretch between two of the villages on the north side of the island, otherwise there are no roads. The primary mode of transportation is water craft, followed by foot power.

beach combing



While the south side of the island boasts most of the population, if heading to Guanaja we suggest spending some time on the north side as well. Although the north is fringed by coral reef a nice clear day with good visibility makes it an easy trip. We take the 20nm trip around the island to drop anchor off Michaels Rock. Here we find excellent hiking and snorkeling as well as simple beach combing. The north side offers a great expanse of white sand beach in and of itself worth the trip. Of course we also went for the waterfall (well more of a junior waterfall, but fresh cool water none the less).

With a week’s rest behind us it is time to carry on heading west to the island of Roatan. The weather these last few months have been ideal for sailing, actually using the white hankies that make us a sailing vessel. The trip to Roatan is no exception; we cover the 30nm in five hours sailing downwind in 15-20k of breeze.

the falls

Bubba at the falls

Our first stop is Jonesville Bight. As we approach to cut into the bight the wind calms down as does the swell allowing us to make out the channel through the reef quite easily. The cut requires us to put a little “English” on our entrance in order to avoid the shoals to either side, of course just as we make our turn to head through the cut the wind kicks up to 20k pushing the swell over the reef making for a fun filled surge into the anchorage. We make it through with the depth rising to ten feet before dropping off again to fifty; always have enjoyed entering a new anchorage. Jonesville is a nice introduction to Roatan, a little busier than Guanaja but not quite so much as French Harbor. Next up for us is French Cay Harbor, for those heading this way make your way into French Cay Harbor rather than French Harbor, the later is primarily commercial in nature. There are some buoys in French Cay however we opt for our anchor as a known quantity. There is a beautiful marine park off our anchorage which offers some nice snorkeling and there is always the resort ashore for volleyball, BBQ, WiFi, Happy Hour, Pot-lucks (reminds us of the Bahamas).

Jonesville Bight

Jonesville school bus

 After three years cruising we rarely just go sailing, actually we never do. However, we met a couple from Colorado at the resort who expressed an interest in sailing so we invited them aboard. With little forecast for good wind we head out of the anchorage for a few hours tour. To our surprise the wind picked up we shut off the engine and just sailed for two hours with now destination in mind, just following the wind. What a great day we had, just enjoying the sea and sun. Odd how even life on the water can become routine after a while, it was great to be reminded of how much we enjoy being on the water.

the end of a day sail

Once again we are off, this time to Utila the last and most westward of the Bay Islands and our jumping off point for Guatemala. Although we had planned on staying in the Bay Islands for a while longer the weather window for heading west is too attractive to pass up. Planning a few days stopover in Utila before making the overnight passage to the Rio Dulce we bid Roatan farewell on March 29. If asked and we were, to rate the Bay Islands we would have to put Guanaja first, Utila second and Roatan third. Keep in mind that the three islands have very different environments. Guanaja being remote and relaxed, while Roatan offers more of a tourist/city destination (however keep in mind this is still the Caribbean) and Utila is somewhere in the middle.

While on Utila we manage to take in a few dives with the folks at Parrot Dives while also enjoying some very good meals ashore. The Driftwood Grill on the west side of East Harbor offers Texas BBQ. As the bar/restaurant is owned by a couple of expatriate Texans the dry rub ribs are the real deal. However, the fish sandwiches are awesome.

Diamond Cay

With a good weather forecast and the urge to get going again we relocate ourselves to the west side of Utila and an anchorage behind Diamond Cay. Once again we have to thread the needle between reefs, this time we were able to follow a couple of dive boats through the cut. After the music and parties of East Harbor, the anchorage at Diamond Cay is a welcome respite. We’re able to get a good night’s rest and are off for Guatemala the morning of April 3. With a forecast of NE/SE winds in the afternoon and evening of 10-15k and light and variable in the mornings we figure to have a nice days sail on Tuesday the 3rd, likely having to motor the last 10-20 miles on Saturday the 4th of April. Ah, the best laid plans….



Diamond Cay sunset