3/1/2007March came in like a lion in the Bay Islands of Honduras. The easterly trade winds have blown constantly above 15-25 knots for the past week. We continue to be anchored at Jonesville, waiting to head east (into the wind) when the weather allows.
3/2
Our 90 days in Honduras expires on 3/7, so we are going to take a bus into Coxen Hole today to check out with customs and immigration. Then as weather permits, we will move on.
3/3
There are 10 sailboats in Jonesville harbor, all waiting on weather to head to our next respective port-of-call. There is a cold front coming in Monday. It is the same one that caused the recent tornadoes in GA and AL recently. So, we are going to respect it and stay put.
We dinghied around to the other boaters in the harbor today to see if anyone wanted to park our dinghies at Bob's "Hole in the Walll" and hike up to the highway, then hitch-hike or take a bus the four miles to "The View" for lunch.
We had 8 people that ended up going. We had a lot of fun. And...."The View" is exactly that....a great view, along with great food. We make an adventure out of every day, because it should be enjoyed, fun, and exciting.
We ended up catching a ride in the back end of a utility flat-bed truck with 6" sideboards and all 8 of us got into the back of a small pickup bed coming back.
It was fun. Our kids would be surprised at the things we all do. Karyn's (S/V Suenos) mother saw our website and said we were a bad influence on her daughter. She said she taught her all of her life not to hitch-hike.
Another day of adventure in the life of cruisers.
3/6
We spent the day, with the help of others in the anchorage, of attempting to download our previous tracks from our GPS chartplotter to our computer. Finally, mission accomplished.
The northern came through and we are all freezing, wearing long pants and jackets. The low is in the lower 70's, but, for here, that is cold. We had chili and beans aboard S/V Suenos to celebrate the cold weather.3/7
We received an email today from Ryan, a young man we met while he and his girlfriend, Erin were vacationing at West End, Roatan. A cute young couple, full of life and a dream. His email today said, "Even though it is a long way away, I. know exactly what I want to do when I retire." That is so exciting. You have to have a dream and a plan, or.....you will d Good luck, Ryan and Erin.
3/8
7:00 a.m. We pulled up anchor at Jonesville, Roatan and headed to Guanaja. It is 30 1/2 nautical miles away and it took us 5 1/2 hours to get there. There was not much wind, so we motored. The seas were fairly flat, with the exception between the islands where they were somewhat confused.
Our location is: N16 27.314 W 85 52.158
Guanaja was discovered by Columbus during his 4th and last voyage to the Americas on July 30, 1502. Guanaja is the tallest of the Bay Islands and mostly covered by Caribbean pine, which Columbus originally named Pine Island. On Guanaja, there are no roads, no cars, no traffic, no miles of hotels along beaches and no crowds. There are very few people who live on the island. Instead, the 10,000 locals live on Bonacca Key, which is a small island where every inch is built upon, at least one story. There are sidewalks that twist and turn through the maze of homes on stilts. Very clean, very friendly. A very different.....but, interesting place.
You can buy homemade bread that melts in your mouth The excitement of the island is when the vegetable boats arrives. It arrives (supposedly) on Friday mornings at 11, but this week it did not arrive until Saturday. So, since most of the island are Seventh Day Adventists, their stores are not open on Saturday, so you have to wait to get your vegetables. Also, the stores close daily from 12 noon until 2:30 p.m. for siesta.3/10
Time to explore Guanaja! We got in our dinghy and went about 2 miles to the canal that cuts through the middle of the island to reach the north side. On the north side, is Michael's Rock. It is a huge rock with a white sandy beach nearby. Great snorkeling, but we got cold in the water. Some of the prettiest coral we have seen. Sonny snagged his "first" lobster and a snapper. So our dinner tonight was lobster, snapper, salad, and homemade (melt in your mouth) bread. With....pecan pie for dessert.
3/11
Before we left Jonesville, Kay broke out with a rash on her arms and legs. Then, it continued to spread all over her body. Not sure of the cause, it could be a number of things, but, before we head out to more remote areas, we want to get it under control.
Sherry, on S/V Mystique, told us if we need anything while here in Guanaja, hail Jack from the Lighthouse on channel 16. So, at about 9 a.m. after the morning net, Kay called him to get a recommendation for a doctor on the small cay. He told us they were on their way to church and the pastor's wife is a nurse and she could look at it for us. So, they picked us up in their launcha and off we went.It is a new church on the cay and we enjoyed the service very much. We miss it while cruising. They had a mission team here from Austin, TX. They prayed for Kay and for our journey to Panama. The pastor's wife checked out Kay's rash and after much discussions, thought it was from an ameba in the saltwater or a reaction to "Off", which we bath in daily for no-see-ums, sand fleas and mosquitoes.
Jack and Elizabeth invited us to go to Josh's Cay with their family for lunch. It is a beautiful island, brightly painted and fun. We plan to take the boat there for a few days before heading south.
Bay Islands of Honduras
3/12
We dinghied into Binacca Cay this morning in an attempt to find the local doctor. After winding through the sidewalks, we finally found the clinic. Very primitive, but OK. We waited our turn, then went into the doctor's office. Kay showed him her rash and he was more concerned about talking about sailing and how we got here. Later, he confirmed that he felt it was from the "Off" bug spray and gave her two prescriptions for it. One was for a cortisone shot, which you first go to the pharmacy to get, then bring the shot back to him for him to administer. So we did.When Sonny asked how much we owe him, he said it would be 150 US. Sonny asked him in lymps. It was 30 lymps, but in dollars, it was $1.50. I must say, "It certainly was worth $1.50".
3/13
I woke up this morning a new person. All is not well, but improvement is thankfully appreciated. Even in very remote places, you receive very good care.
We pulled up anchor this morning after the net and went to a nearby island. It is Josh's Cay. Very picturesque. The quaint hotel and all of the buildings, and even the tree trucks are painted in pastel colors and it is very nice. Graham, the owner of the island is very cruiser friendly. He even provides ice, internet, laundry and showers for a small donation.
You know, while cruising, you get to a spot and think, "It just does not get better than this.....then you go to the next island, and it is better!" We love it here and this morning on the net our friends on Blow Me Away and Bruadair said our next stop in Vivarillos is just paradise. So just when you think it does not get better.....it does.
I would think at some point, this would have to stop. God's creation is so beautiful and each island is different, has its own personality, and culture. Need we say, we love the cruising life and are so thankful we are here following a dream together.
3/14
We have always been told the cruising is working on your boat in exotic places. Regular maintenance is so important in the saltwater. Kay is refreshing the varnish on the cap rails while we are anchored at Josh's Cay waiting for a weather window to head towards Panama.
Sonny is cleaning the bottom
of the boat when he had a visitor.
3/15
Today was fishing lessons 101.
When we arrived to Josh's Cay, a local gentleman, Brad Bodden, came up to the dock on a boat with 4 huge wahoos and a ton of barracudas he had caught. Immediately, we both began asking him questions about how he caught them. He lives on the mainland at La Ceiba and a very close friend of Graham, the owner of Josh's Cay and comes here to catch fish for Graham's restaurant.
Sonny showed Graham and Brad our silver RattleTrap that we troll with in Texas and asked what they use to catch fish locally. They both volunteered to make him some lures that will catch fish here. They said our RattleTrap was not good here. So, they sat down, got out some hooks, crochet yarn, and superglue. They made us 9 lures, 3 green, 3 yellow and 3 orange. You tie one of each color about one foot apart on the line, so they trail right behind each other.We were eating lunch and Brad told us he would go out in our dinghy with us to show us where and how to catch the jacks and yellow tail snappers in the anchorage. So we did. It was fun. We caught three jacks and two yellow tail snappers.
Trolling in our dinghycatching fish.
3/21
We are at Josh's Cay but will be moving today back to El Bight. Kay made two pecan pies this morning, as we are having dinner this evening with Jack and Elizabeth, of Lighthouse along with Greg and Judy, (S/V Lone Star Love), Doug and Rayene (S/V Kristiana) and James, Noleen and Nicola (S/V SeaLoon). Jack and Elizabeth (Lighthouse) are locals with a sailboat who have a ministry with missionaries and cruisers who come to Guanaja. Jack assists with emergency calls for boats in distress in the area and has recently applied to be the Honduran Ambassador to Israel and waiting on the response. They would move to Israel for a four year assignment.
We are still waiting for a good weather window to head east to the Vivarillos. Just hanging out with friends.
3/22
Kay still has the rash, but it appears to be getting better. Went back to the clinic and a group of Seventh Day Adventist missionary doctors were here from the states and Canada. We got another prescription for cortisone and bought some long sleeve shirts and pants to keep the no-see-ums away.
Sights and Sounds Around Binacca Cay
On Friday, when the supply boat arrives, it is a busy time for the small island. Everyday, the shops all close from 12-2:30 so you can get your fresh fruits and vegetables on Friday afternoon.
You see this gentleman walking around the cay, sometimes playing a harmonica, sometimes a volunteer policeman.3/25
We are learning patience. We have to remind ourselves, we are retired and in no hurry, but, we thought we had a weather window to head to the Vivarillos this morning, but after the wind howled all night up to 27 knots (out of the east) we did not want to pound into the waves. So, we are hanging out at Josh's Cay. What a great place to have to wait.
But, we just had everything secured on the boat and ready to pull up at the first light, and now we have to un-do....Oh well....we are learning patience. A good crossing is so much better than a hard one.3/26
What a treat we had tonight!
Bill and Martha Pullum are from L.A. (Lower Alabama) who came to Guanaja on a mission trip several years ago and ended up buying their own island (Clark Island). Over the past three years, they have developed it into something so amazing. What nice people !
They were gracious enough to invite the cruisers in the harbor to their home (island) for the evening. They are very down home and friendly, you feel like you have known them forever. Very good people.
Their chef made the most delicious appetizers for us as we toured the small island and watched the sunset.
They are known as the helicopter people from Clark Island. He flies his helicopter around the island and is also developing 500 acres into townhouses and a marina. It will be very nice. He is probably the largest land-owner of Guanaja. He is also developing a training center to teach trades, such as carpentry, electrical, and plumbing to the locals. He asked Sonny if we would consider coming back for a short period, to train the instructor plumbing skills, so he can, in turn, train the locals. We told him we would consider it. It was such a nice treat for us.We are watching, yet, another window to head east so if I do not update the web, be sure to check our current position on the "Where is Valentina" tab on our home page. We always update our current position through the SSB and it automatically links to our website for real time position. We will not have access to internet until probably San Andres, which may be a week or two. We will still check emails at our winlink address twice daily.
Check you later.....hopefully, we are out to sea.
It is 140 n/miles to the Vivarillos, so it will take about 28 hours at 5 knots.
3/27
We woke early and were free from the mooring ball at Josh's Cay at 6:15 a.m. to find out our other boaters were waiting yet another day. But, we decided to go ahead. The weather appears to be good through the weekend.
We had a good crossing. Waves were 4-6 feet off the port bow and wind was about 9 knots the whole trip, off the bow, of course. There were squalls all around us most of the way, that we watched and tracked their movement on the radar. But, we only received two rain showers the whole time. : )
It took us 28 hours and 17 minutes to get to the Vivorillos. We were ready for a good shower, good meal, and a good nap after getting the boat cleaned up and salt-free.
The Vivorillos is:
32.9 miles to nearest land on Honduras - Laguna de Carasca
60 miles from Nicaragua
180 miles to Providencia - our next stop
219 miles to San Andres - our second, next stop
392 miles to Bocus del Toro, Panama - our destination for hurricane season
1,251 miles from Dallas - as the crow flies - a long way from Waxahachie
Since we left Kemah in December of 2005, Valentina has safely carried us 3,241 n/miles.
We caught a big, huge Mahi-mahi on our way. The seas were pretty rolly and we had two lures out the back. All of a sudden, we heard the line screaming and we jumped up to see what it was. I was reeling in the second line and Sonny was trying to reel in the fish. He was jumping high out of the water, just like on the movies. He jumped several times and Sonny could reel him in a little with each leap. We had to stop the boat so we could make some progress. He kept taking line out and we would try to bring some in, keeping tension on the line and holding on to the pole with all our might.Finally, we got him near the boat and Sonny was trying to gaff him while I kept trying to reel him in.
Then, he would run again.....whew!
Finally, we got him on board. We lifted him up through the gate on the port side and poured the rum in his gills to settle him down. We measured him and that little man was 55" long.
That is as tall as our daughter, Stacie!We trapped him on the walkway and Sonny attempted to clean him on the deck in the rolly, rolly motion. We took a few pictures with him on the deck. We regret now, not getting some with Sonny holding him up, but we were just exhausted and almost sick, and that was not an option at the time.
So, we may hang out here a week or two before heading down to Providencia. There are three very small islands, a fisherman on one, booby birds hatching on another and an old abandoned ice house on the third. But, there are a lot of fish, so we are getting the spear gun ready.
3/29
We woke up, after some much needed rest, to our buddy boats coming into the anchorage. There were a total of six boats that came in today from Guanaja.
We went snorkeling and spear-fishing. Sonny shot five good fish today. The water is 84 degrees and jelly-fish free. It is so nice. We may stay here a week or two (or three), until we get tired of eating fish and need groceries.
3/31
Well, March came in like a lion, but went out with a full moon and a waterspout
.
We were sitting in the cockpit this morning, it was very windy, and I told Sonny to look on the eastern horizon, it looks like a waterspout. We had never seen one before, but it looked like a tornado, but over the water and stirring up the water. Sonny got on the VHF radio to alert the other 10 boats in the anchorage and I turned on the radar to track it. It was moving very quickly east of us but got within 2 miles of our anchorage.
Since it was so windy, (30.8 on our wind gauge), we didn't want to play in the water, we just stayed on the boat today, watched a movie and played Mexican Train dominoes. Someone came on the VHF wanting to talk to the sailboats about trading some fish. So, Sonny talked to him. He said the name of his lobster boat was Endeavor and he was about 30 minutes out.When he came to the anchorage, he called us on the radio and said he would come tie up to us behind our boat. "What? That huge lobster boat next to our boat, I don't think so." Sonny told him to just anchor out and we would come to him in our dinghy to see what he had. So we did.
Our adventure of the day, aboard lobster boat Endeavor trading for lobster, crabs, and fish.
We climbed aboard the huge lobster boat, Endeavor and Calbert had a big bag of lobster, crabs and snappers that he wanted to trade for rum, cigarettes, or tobacco. We had the rum and cigarettes for trading, so we got our goodies and Calbert got in our dinghy with us. We went around to some of the other boaters in the anchorage asking if they wanted to trade.
They had been out for almost 6 months and were on their way back home to Guanaja and very anxious to get there.
Every day cruising, is a new adventure.
"The ocean has always been a salve to my soul...the best thing for a cut or abrasion was to go swimming in salt water. Later down the road of life, I made the discovery that salt water was also good for the mental abrasions one inevitably acquires on land."
- Jimmy Buffett
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