Slip Sliding Away

     

Time is Slip Sliding Away

The last blog ended in May of 2021. We’d been back aboard Wahoo since February of that year, still at Tortugal Marina and with countries closed due to Covid there had been no sailing at all. In May Belize opened to vaccinated tourists so we set sail.  It was wonderful to see the sails fill and move off of the river into the Caribbean once again. 

Sunset at a mangrove cay-nice to be in blue water again

Stealing Breadfruit

We stopped in Placencia. It felt so odd to see no other boats in the harbor. Our favorite spots had few people. The sidewalk vendors were just sitting around talking to each other, if they were open at all. So different from the normal bustle of the Village. We spent a week finding friends and catching up. Roy being Roy found a breadfruit tree. The fruit were young but by climbing into the bed of a trash truck he managed to reach one that was just right!

Ama's gift shop

Soon we set sail for the cayes. Our first stop was Hideaway Caye, a little 2 room resort and restaurant set on a mangrove cay. Charming with wooden boardwalks connecting guest rooms, landing dock and restaurant. Dustin, Kim and their daughter, Ama, make you feel totally cared for.

Kim turning out delicious meals

Ama helping serve

Moonrise

Our next stop was Ray Caye. This is a coral Caye, far from the mainland, near where the reef and the Caribbean meet. It's long been one of our favorite stops. You can snorkel right off the boat. The restaurant is wonderful and the staff as helpful as possible. Plus great Wifi, always a plus so far from the mainland.

               Restaurant and Reef                                      Tiny Wahoo on the horizon

The stay at Ray Caye was cut short by the death of our friend and tenant. We hauled anchor and sailed to Cucumber Beach Marina near Belize City and the airport. Faye had no close family so we wanted to do what needed doing in these dreadful circumstances. Our New Orleans stay was a short 10 sad days. We were grateful to those who helped in this difficult time. 

By the time we returned to Wahoo hurricane season was getting close so we needed to head for the safety of the Rio and Tortugal. Our trip to Belize had indeed been too short.

Going back to Tortugal on the Rio Dulce in Guatemala is no hardship. But the absence of our “sailing family” due to COVID made us lonely. We decided to haul out at Ram Shipyard for some needed work. While there Hurricane Ida paid New Orleans a visit so another short emergency visit ensued. This time we stayed long enough to visit friends and enjoy a little NOLA life. With Wahoo still on “the hard” at Ram we couldn’t stay too long. Back to Guatemala we flew but not before we got our 2nd booster. We finished the work and were soon back in the marina.

Beautiful again!

Wahoo at Ram "on the Hard"

  

With a 2nd booster in our arms we felt comfortable heading to Antigua Guatemala to meet up with New Orleans friends, Ella, Roger and Felicia McCulloch. Each time we have visited Antigua, the old colonial capital of Guatemala, it has been magical. This time was no exception and sharing it with friends made it even better.

Iconic, Santa Catalina Arch

Tartines rooftop restaurant, my favorite!

  

And one of the eeriest displays in a museum at Casa Santa Domingo

 Returning to Tortugal we found things weren’t going too well. COVID was actively in the marina. First two staff members were mysteriously away for a month. No word from the marina owner on why. She had resisted encouraging the staff to be vaccinated and also resisted most COVID precautions like enforced mask wearing. The worst came when two unvaccinated cruisers who had done some traveling around Guatemalan were hospitalized. Sadly, the captain died and the mate, while recovered, has long Covid. Needless to say we stayed aboard most of the time. We had COVID tests aboard and used them for ourselves and any staff that requested a test. Luckily no one else got sick.

We continued to think of heading back to the Eastern Caribbean. Lots of to-ing and fro-ing on that decision. 

Happy Hour at Tortugal 

As Thanksgiving approached many cruisers returned to boats they hadn't seen in 18 months due to Covid. Tortugal was once again the scene of boat work, Happy Hours and friends. Among those spending Thanksgiving on the river were John Edward and Laura, our son and daughter in law. Such a happy time. We wanted to give them a taste of life on the river so sailed to Lago Izabal for a night and enjoyed a hike to the Aqua Caliente water fall. Then took them down river to Cayo Quemado for a look at this unique water village on the river. We returned to Tortugal for a splendid Thanksgiving feast.  

Steam rising 

 

Breakfast at Las Amandas in Fronteras with our personalized napkin holder

We enjoyed this time together even more so, as it was becoming obvious that many of us where opting for a change. Selling up or moving on, for this close-knit group of friends, life going forward would surely be different.

Tortugal Marina Thanksgiving 2021

Thanksgiving passed, John Edward and Laura returned to Houston, and aboard Wahoo we watched for a good weather window to head East. At least as far as the Bay Islands of Honduras, we were still trying to decide what to do and where to go. We had spent 4 months locked down on Roatan during COVID and now wanted time to do more exploring. In the back of our minds we also knew this was the path to the Eastern Caribbean should we decide to go. 

SV Wahoo and SV Ten Years After traveled together for the 27 hour passage in plenty of time to enjoy Christmas at Fantasy Island Marina. Eventually we were joined by friends on Kooky Dance, AltaMae, Fandango and Minx. Our niece Angela and her husband Dave came for a visit. As we remembered, the Islands were both fun and beautiful. 

Passage from Rio Dulce to Roatan-A short video 

Fabulous snorkeling 

above "schooling blue tang" right a spotted eagle ray

Despite the great times without realizing it the decision that had caused so much a angst and discussion seemed to have been made. We had crew to help and departure was to be early March. As happens with life the thought of change brought both sadness and excitement.

Our last view of the beautiful Rio Dulce.
What wonderful memories we carry with us.

Tortugal Dreaming

 

Quarantine Over!

Wow, its been over a year since I blogged! What's happened in a nutshell is we were locked down during early covid when Guatemala closed its seaport. After several months they figured out a way to let in the 100+ boats that normally call the Rio home. We came in a few at a time and quarantined at our home marina. Wahoo, AltaMae and Patience (best friends to go through lockdown with) arrived at Tortugal July 2, after an overnight sail from Roatan. We were out of quarantine on July 16th and flew back to the states on July 24. We were in New Orleans doing our Covid thing until we left on January 31 to fly back to Tortugal February 1. Oh and did I mention I have blue hair!

Garcia

Pablo

Tortugal Pups, just over 1 year old. Replacement for our beloved Jefe. This is a breed found in Guatemala which is a Boxer-Dalmation mix. They sure remind Roy & I of all the Dalmatians we owned.

While we were away two hurricanes blew through Central America. The Rio Dulce is a safe hurricane hole, but even so the rains raised the river so high it was more than 3ft above the docks! Through it all the marina staff kept our boats safe. We couldn’t ask for a better marina. The water is clean enough for swimming. It’s both on the river and sort of in the jungle. The wooden docks where our boats are berthed give a great river view and terrific breezes in the afternoon. But nothing beats the staff here, from the dock team to the restaurant crew and let’s not forget to mention the hotel ladies. The staff seems to think that caring for their visitors is paramount. A nice change from when we’re out sailing and are often on our own.

The jungle walks at Tortugal

Wahoo at home

Roy and I arrived back at Tortugal on February 1, 2021. This was our longest stay in the US since we left New Orleans in early 2012. Due to COVID we spent just a few hours in Houston with John Edward and Laura. It’s been way too long since we’ve had time with them. Normally our return to Wahoo means a month or less of boat chores and then we’re off to do some sailing. This year we’ve been in the marina for nearly 4 months. Most cruising friends either are not coming to their boats or popping in for a short time to check on things and then returning to wherever home is. We’ve spent the time getting lots of ongoing and deferred maintenance done.

Of course, fun times have ensued. New Orleans people have to celebrate Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest. There was a great group at Tortugal for my King Cake and Jambalaya. We even managed a few costumes. We had Pot Luck in the work shed, nightly happy hour gatherings, a trip to the city to meet up with Shelley and Kent (AltaMae) while we went to the dentist and did a little sightseeing. Roy even arranged a lovely Mother’s Day event, and Dreamcatcher Restaurant owner, Liesel, provided the champagne. There were innumerable hellos and goodbyes as friends came and went.

"Festing in Place" on Wahoo

Dinghy drifting under a pink moon

All the mothers at Dreamcatcher's

Happy Hour & Cruisers 

The absolute highlight was the boat-billed herons that we watched for over a week. Our uninformed decision was that we had 3 nesting pairs. It was a Happy Hour ritual to take our drinks and walk to where we could usually see them.

Here's a professional picture

Boat Billed Heron at Tortugal

Lots of maintenance issues where addressed. A "hanging locker" that was only fit to hang infant clothes was  refitted and is now great, a new mattress for the V-Berth was installed and another for the Aft Cabin is ordered. The interior is now completely re-varnished (thanks to Byron and his dock team).  Wahoo got hauled out and had her packing gland refurbished, ouch! Also seacocks got checked. Don’t want those guys to fail when we’re out sailing the ocean blue. She also got her stripes redone and her sides washed and waxed. A complete bottom job will wait until later this summer.

While others exercised more, Roy and I did have our M-W-F routine of boat exercise and stretches. We also walked on the marina trails and through the cocoa and teak plantation that adjoins it. My favorite exercise will always be noodling at sea, thank you to Willie Haskins on SV Liahona-she wrote the book on that, lol). The river is perfect for all kinds of noodling! 

fields of bird of paradise

Cocoa Trees

Teak Mill

Finally we decided to shake out the sails and take the old girl out for a bit. We needed to change out the radar cable which meant a trip downriver to Cayo Quemado to see Tom the rigger and sailmaker. Tom had to pull the mast for that job. We wanted him, rather than the local boatyard to do this. Tom is an expert rigger and we’d certainly rather have him putting everything back together than anyone else. And… now we’re so close to Livingston why not cross the bar and spend what little time is left before hurricane season sailing around Belize. 

The mast is off!

Tom's Shop

When we left it was our turn to say Hasta La Vista to friends and to Tortugal. 

Quedate en Casa

Sunrise arrival, West End Roatan

Stay Home our phones say. We are staying home. Home is aboard Wahoo here in Roatan, the largest of the Bay Islands of Honduras.

The Bay Islands are very different from mainland Honduras. Their different culture, predominantly English, has meant that the government corruption, drug lords and wars which resulted in a near collapse on the mainland did not happen here. Their economy is tourism related and incomes are higher. More stability all around.

The three main islands that constitute the Bay Islands are Utila, Guanaja, and Roatan though there are numerous other small islands in the group. The estimated population is 71,500 with a majority being on Roatan. These islands were initially settled by the Pech Indians, independent from the Maya. They were hunters and fisherman who traded, by means of well equipped boats, with the immediate mainland and as far away as Yucatan and Jamaica. 

Columbus arrived on his 4th and last voyage around 1502. He, naturally, claimed all he saw for Spain. Despite the fact that Spain opposed slavery, Queen Isabella had no problem authorizing the capture of the islanders. They had been described as “cannibals and opposed to Christianity” so she was probably right. Diego Velasquez, governor of Cuba, organized ships to capture and sell the Indians into slavery. From 1516 until 1536 Cuban and Spanish ships attacked the islands and captured the natives. Only in 1525 when Hernandes Cortez marched to Honduras did this begin to stop, when he offered his protection to the Pech Indians. Today about 3500 Pech descendants live in the Northeastern area of Honduras and try to retain their language and culture. 

in Punta Gorda, Garifuna settlement

Garifuna crafts

Like in Belize, the Bay islands became home to English pirates waiting to attack the Spanish gold ships. The Spanish tried to disperse them but failed. For several hundred years the islands were left to whatever natives had survived and the “Freebooters” (pirates). The first permanent settlement was by these Englishmen in 1742. Not until 1782 did the Spanish take notice that there was an English colony directly supporting pirate activity. A battle was forced and the Spanish succeeded, sort of. Not too much changed but in 1788 England abandoned support of all these settlements from the Miskito Coast through the Bay Islands retaining only what became British Honduras. However, when they needed a place for the 5000 or so Black Caribs they needed to get rid of from St Vincent in the Eastern Caribbean they thought of the Bay Islands. So the fiercely independent minded Black Caribs who could never be forced into slavery on sugar plantations in the Eastern Caribbean were dumped on the beaches of Roatan in 1797. The Black Caribs, descendants of Africans who escaped from a slave ship and married into the Carib islanders from the Windward Islands, became the Garifuna of Honduras and Belize.

England paid no attention but eventually more English from the Cayman Islands immigrated. The Bay Islands were administered through British Honduras (Belize) but mostly left to themselves for nearly another century. A bit of a ruckus went back and forth between the short lived Republic of Central America, the US and Great Britain but the people of the Bay Islands considered themselves British and even after an official handover to Honduras in 1861 it wasn’t until 1902 that they began to realize they weren’t British after all. Today some people still refuse to say where they belong. We were talking to a gentleman about wood. Thanks to Walter we love talking about different woods. Anyway, he referred to the tropical hardwood we were discussing as coming from Spanish Honduras! Loved it!

Stormy day in French Harbor

So how did we end up here you ask? Since our arrival back in the Western Caribbean in 2017 we have divided our sailing seasons between Guatemala and Belize. Lots to enjoy in both places. This year we decided to venture beyond the reef. So together with our buddies on Alta Mae we set sail. We left Placencia, Belize around noon and had a lovely star studded overnight sail to West End Roatan. We were anchored and ready for a nap by 10am on February 26. On the 27th, while New Orleans was celebrating, we cleared in with the Port Captain. No thoughts of what was about to happen. Severe weather with high Northwest winds made us sail “around the corner” to the more protected anchorage in French Harbor. We weathered two Northers there and saw winds hitting 40 knots for many days. Slept well with our new, last year, Mantus anchor holding firm. 

 Scenes from French Harbor where we celebrated birthdays, visited an iguana refuge and saw an entire island complete with caged white tigers developed for the benefit of cruise ship passengers.

By March 13th we'd enjoyed the sights in French Harbor and Fantasy Island Marina enough. Time to start our Bay Island Adventuring.

Wahoo & Alta Mae at anchor

The plan was to continue visiting the many inlets along the Southside of Roatan intending to make our way slowly to Guanaja. HaHa the gods laughed slyly. By the time the two hour sail from French Harbor to Jonesville Bight was done the Bay Islands was under a lock down order and cruise ships were being turned away. Tourists started scrambling for flights to their home country and the world had changed. Our next decision was whether to stay put or immediately head back to Guatemala where we keep Wahoo for hurricane season. The information we were receiving was that the Guatemala border was closing in two days to European Passports and a few days later for those with U.K. passports. Canada and the US to follow shortly. It seemed so strange as we cruisers had all been in either Belize or the Bay Islands neither of which had any cases of what was now named Covid 19. We waited a few days as informed sources were saying that new orders would soon reach Raul, the port captain in Livingston, Guatemala, allowing us entry depending on where we had been, not country of our passport. Many, many discussions followed on the Northwest Caribbean Net over SSB, over Facebook and over the local VHF nets. But new orders never came and we were now locked down in Roatan and locked out of Guatemala. Some boats stayed put, some left for Isla Mujeres, Mexico, the last remaining open port in the entire Caribbean; and eventually some boats left for their home countries. So here we are among the boats that stayed put.

Our new harbor - view from the hills above Jonesville Bight

gibnut

bananas, Yea Mon!

If we could have chosen a place to be, I think it would still be right here. To begin with, we were, and still are very well provisioned. Because things are less expensive in Guatemala, especially booze, we fill up Wahoo’s freezer and wine cellar before we even left The River (as Rio Dulce is fondly called by us who stay there). Then in Belize there are things one must get like tamales, meat pies, Dis Da Fu We chicken and Running W bacon, so we tuck a few more things away. By the time we arrived in Roatan our freezer was groaning. But once in French Harbor and again in Jonesville, Warren, a local fisherman, enticed us with yellow tail snappers, grouper filets and lobster tails. Oh My! Darryl, another local guy, brought us stalks of native bananas and coconut water. At one point after swimming a guy came up and offered Gibnut, a delicacy in Belize. Roy couldn’t possibly refuse, so Gibnut was added to our menu. 

grocery shopping in Oakridge

Kent getting fuel

Jonesville Bight is one of the inlets that connects to other inlets and small villages by a series of mangrove tunnels. Created either by the Pech Indians or the pirates, maybe both. These are lovely and they allow safe waterway travel inside the reef. So when the major grocery store, Eldons, is closed we can scrounge around at the little markets each town has. We’ve been able to find all the staples you use up regularly like flour and eggs. Basic veggies are also around if we look hard. Tomatoes, onions, potatoes and green peppers are easy; cabbage, carrots and cucumbers are more challenging. Best of all there’s a small marina here that will sell us RO, reverse osmosis, water to fill our tanks. We haven’t had rain in a month and neither our boat nor Alta Mae has a fresh water maker aboard, so an absolute must. Luckily diesel, propane and gasoline for the dinghy engine is available in one or another of the villages. 

Reflections in a mangrove tunnel 

Before I forget let me say how wonderful the governor of the Bay Islands is. He quickly locked everything down and tested those most vulnerable. We have no cases on any of the Bay Islands and no one is allowed to go from one island to another. No one is allowed to arrive at all. The Governor gives a daily briefing in Spanish and English. It is reasoned, calm, efficient, consistent and effective. What a concept! There is a 24/7 flotilla of volunteers and coastal guards circling the islands with an extra boat stationed in each inlet overnight. 

Ellen, Roy. Shelly & Kent out to watch the full moon.

Today, April 22, mainland Honduras has 510 cases and 46 deaths (5 deaths/million) but they too are keeping everyone at home. Belize hasn’t had a new case in 8 days. They have a total of 14 cases and 2 deaths (5 deaths/ million). Guatemala is doing the best if you look at deaths per million. They have 314 cases and 8 deaths, 77 of the cases arrived when the US sent back sick immigrants. (.4 deaths/million). All of these countries are well aware that their health systems cannot handle what could be coming so they all moved on containment as soon as it became an obvious threat. Should they have moved sooner? Yes, but with the US downplaying what they knew of the virus and the way these countries have been taught to look to the US, it was a foregone conclusion that they wouldn’t have acted sooner. But I can't help but ask who's the s#*thole countries now, who's 3rd world now?

newly painted steering pedestal

clean clothes

Walks, swimming, boat projects fill our days so not very different from regular life aboard. Well other than we can’t sail. It's thinking of the future that's hard. As, it is for everyone, we wonder what kind of world we will find when we learn to handle this crisis. What will our financial life look like? Will we, our friends and family survive? The US seems to be shattering before our very eyes. Definitely, the world order established after WWII will end and something else will take its place. This has happened before but it makes for a very insecure future and many sleepless nights. 

They mean it - stay out! Here villagers from Oakridge and the Coast Guard make sure no one leaves a supply boat.

Here in the harbor at Jonesville there are four boats, all from Rio Dulce. Tulum lll plus another boat from Tortugal Marina, Patience, with Ellen aboard. Now that Eldon’s grocery can open on a limited basis Ellen has volunteered to go once a week for whatever we can’t find locally. Best of all are Kent and Shelley on Alta Mae, sharing problems, small triumphs and happy hours with them has kept us all sane. We couldn’t have better friends to go through a pandemic with!

Come on. 

Take a little trip through the mangrove tunnel.