After much deliberation and hemming and hawing we decide to join our friends on Hooligan (Tim, Paula and Dog Nigel) and Footloose (Doris and Tom) for a 200 mile sail to the little islands/cays off the northeast coast of Honduras for a couple of weeks of snorkeling and hunting for our dinner but mostly just to go and explore somewhere new. So after getting a weather report which stated that Wednesday would be an excellent day to start the 200 mile passage going due East. East means that we hard on the wind and uncomfortable, so from a sailing perspective we don’t do east. (Karen always said that is why Cruisers sail around world, so they don’t have to go east.) Back to the weather, the definition of excellent passage weather to go east is: light winds and very flat seas as we are going to be motoring or if we are lucky the winds would be light and slightly south of east so we could put up those white things we have on the boat and sail.
So off we went at first light (5:00 am), but of course not before coffee. We turned the corner of Roatan and where greeted with 5 foot seas…that is okay because we expect that for about the first 6 hours…..but not for 24 hours. Hooligan called Footloose and us to say their new cutless bearing was making a lot of noise so they may have to make a detour in to a harbor, but after a little while everything settled down and all was good on Hooligan.
We had arranged to have regularly scheduled radio check-ins with each other, just in case we lost sight of the other boats. As we continued to be bounced around and we mean bounced, Doris radioed and said “is this ever going to calm down!” We had heard from another boat that was coming our way that they had no wind and flat seas, so with that information we all hunkered down with visions of flat seas ahead and maybe visions of sugar plums too! Then we see our fishing line start to jump, we have a fish…we have fish!…as we bring it in we see it is a beautiful Mahi Mahi about 2 ½ feet long. We get it close to the boat and just at the last second it breaks free with our brand new fish hook. Tom had given us the hook and the line and some instructions on how to catch a fish and did say that this hook would catch a fish, unfortunately he didn’t mean we would keep the fish. By the way that was the first fish we have ever hooked.
Okay all is well, Karen’s asleep and Otto (our third crew member, Otto Van Helm, our Ray Marine Wheel Pilot) is working hard and Cheryl is on watch and what do we hear but an alarm on the engine. So we spring into action…Cheryl turns off the engine while Karen goes off to investigate the problem. As Cheryl sails along Karen pops her head up out of the engine room to say our fan belt came off. So with the problem identified Karen launched into action while Cheryl radioed the gang to tell them we have a little problem but not to worry we have done this before, replaced a fan belt under way, so no worries. Footloose who was beside us slowed down with us to make sure we were okay, Hooligan, which was about 5 miles behind us was standing by on the radio for moral support. After 20 minutes we were back in business. We radioed that all was well and off we went.
Then not long after as we are looking off in the horizon we started to see things leaping and jumping in the air…yes a pod of dolphins are coming our way. They came right to us giving us an amazing acrobatic show of cork screw jumps and synchronized swimming.
With a beautiful sunset to finish the day and the memories of our first fish and our friends the dolphins we headed into the moon lit night with, … yes flatter seas.
With sunrise and our morning Latte consumed we enjoyed flat seas and winds from the southeast so we throw up the head sail and pretended to be sailors again. Since we did not get the expected seas nor did we go the speeds any of us predicted we decided to go another group of islands/cayes that are closer and easy to get into at night. So with our new waypoints given to us over the radio from Hooligan and the course plotted off we went but then “Otto Van Helm” decided it was tired and was not going to work anymore. What, we have to hand steer???? We have not done that in two years….
Around 5:00 p.m. we started to see on the horizon some palm trees, Cayo Vivorillo ‘home’ for the night. But what do we also see? Our fishing line is jumping again…this time we catch and keep a Cero about 14 inches long, perfect size. With the sun setting at our backs and a fresh fish in a bucket we arrived at the anchorage at 6:35 p.m. after a 37 hour motor/sail and dropped the hook for the night. A quick radio call to Footloose and Hooligan to say we have the anchor down and will keep the lights on to guide them in. An hour later Footloose arrived and Hooligan 2 hours after that. After a wonderful dinner with fresh fish in our stomachs, we crashed for the night.
We woke up to a beautiful setting, 2 small islands nearby and a reef ahead to protect us from the seas and just the 3 of us anchored. Morning wakeup call from Tim with a plan to go snorkeling which really means hunting for lobster and conch.
So how do we go snorkeling and catch lobster and conch…well one person ties themselves to the dingy and floats with it while the other person goes hunting. After finding a million conch we decided only to keep 5. We get a quick lesson from Tom on Footloose on how to clean the conch, we even got to use a catfish skinner, which made the task of skinning the conch so easy… Another thing to buy for Interlude. The question is where do you buy a Catfish skinner? According to Tim, at a Catfish store! The afternoon snorkel was for lobster, Footloose gave Cheryl a spear gun to try so with some practice of firing into the sand Cheryl was ready. But Cheryl didn’t know what to shoot at so she decided to go back to her lion fish spear and find lobster.
Eagle eyed Karen (the one towing the dingy) spied a lobster and Cheryl with her lionfish spear went in for the kill. First shot… success! One lobster, Yeah!
Appetizers of all of our catches of the past couple of days on Hooligan and another wonderful day away from everything ….Off the grid in Paradise.
After 3 days at the Virvorillo’s all 3 boats lifted the hook (aka the anchor) and off we went to make the long trip….20 miles to the Hobbies (Cayos Cajones) which was our original destination. We all tried to catch a fish along the way, but Tom was the only lucky one. We arrived at just past noon and went for a quick snorkel off the boat to check out the hunting grounds. It looks promising.
Since we all had a freezer full of couch, it was dinner on Footloose were we made conch and fish balls with shrimp cracker on the side. Hooligan made bread to soak up all the great couch chowder Doris had made. In case you have not noticed we are hanging out with some amazing foodies...in fact that is mostly what we talk about, after all, you need to know what to hunt for!
For entertainment one of the local fishing boats came into the anchorage asking for cigarettes to trade for lobster from Hooligan but they did not have any but Footloose did, so the guys went over or tried to go over to Footloose after almost running over the reef and having the chase boat crash into the mother ship. Footloose was the now in possession of the biggest lobster tail any of us had ever seen. So of course dinner plans were made for the next night on Hooligan, Lobster risotto.
So what do you do every day without internet in an anchorage with only 3 boats, well, pretty much every day we went hunting for lobster or fish. We have become pretty good at catching fish with Footloose’s speargun, which means that Karen shot one fish and so did Cheryl. But that was all we wanted because every other night we are having wonderful meals on each other’s boat in rotation, two night in a row, then a night on your own boat, with recipes begin experimented with, because you often don’t have all the ingredients so you make it up as you go along. Sometimes we will call out to the other 2 boats for a potato or an egg or whatever of to fill the pot. It might sound like all we do is eat so why are we not 300 pounds? Because it is a lot of work hunting! Into our busy schedule we had to fit in a garbage burning days with a bocce ball game thrown in for fun.
The Interlude nights were eggplant parmesan (a ship special made while we still had fresh vegetables) and chicken and shrimp Phad Thai. Interlude’s next night was a challenge thrown out to have a stuffed green pepper cook off, mostly because the peppers where going bad. Needless to say, not only where the peppers stuffed so where we!
After 2 ½ weeks of beautiful snorkeling, sunsets, fresh fish/seafood and most of all great friends we had a sendoff dinner on Hooligan to say “so long” for now with a super couch chowder, amazing appetizer and a scrumptious Key Lime Pie…okay food again. We even had a green flash at sun set and dazing red sky (sailors delight). Ok yeah we forgot to mention we did learn some new board and dice games and not to be too competitive but you know we are ….we won. Big hugs and kisses where passed around and a big sloppy kiss from Nigel Hooligan’s dog, as Footloose and Interlude prepare to leave Hooligan for our trip back to Roatan. The trek back to the land of civilization began with a beautiful sunrise with Footloose leading the way. As we looked back and saw Hooligan still anchored waving goodbye and sing our gangs signature song on the VHF radio we know we will see them again soon but we still felt sad to leave this amazing place and the time we spent there with the gang.
We were visited by 4 different pods of Dolphin who entertained us with jumps, and an occasional dolphin spit just to cool us off… okay it really was a splash. As we headed off into the sunset and into our night passage hand steering all the way (Otto Van Helm is still on strike), the seas flattened out and the winds were around 10 knots so we had one sail up and were motoring along at 6 knots making great time. Footloose radios over and said they had decided to go into Guanaja, to get diesel and then head off to Mexico from there instead of leaving from Roatan. At 3:18 a.m. just as we are making our shift change we hear the engine start to slow down, both of us ask each other what the other person did….the response was not from us it was from the engine….it stopped. So Karen went down and had a look while Cheryl took the helm….no visual reason so we started it up again…but it sounded like it had run out of fuel. We know that you can get dirty fuel around here and as much as you take precautions to filter it you can get a clogged filter…so Karen put on her mechanic’s cap and went down to change the pre-filter… it was dirty…good sign. So we go and start the engine again and off we go….it ran for about 10 minutes then the same thing happened….now we need to change the internal fuel filler….okay no problem….WRONG…!! the fuel filter is on so tight it won’t come off, after 45 minutes and much sweat and a few choice words said, it finally came loose. Okay, 2 new filters, so with fingers crossed we start the engine…nope this time it ran for 2 minutes. We have run out of ideas. So we radio over to Footloose at 4:30 a.m. to say we have no engine….and explain the problem to Tom, he offers some suggestions on what the problem may be and how to fix it….so off Karen goes to try and fix the problem with Tom standing by on the radio with words of wisdom and encouragement. We tried everything but ‘no worky’.
Since it is a downwind sail and now the sun is up we decide to throw up our Gennecker and debated whether to cut our passage short by 20 miles and follow Footloose into Guanaja. The problem is we know Roatan and some local business people, but we don’t know anyone in Guanaja. So knowing that we will need assistance to get into Port Royal, Roatan we phone our friends at Mango Creek Lodge (Terry and Patrice) to see if they can give us a hand to come into the anchorage. (Terry and Patrice circumnavigated on their 61 foot boat Mango Tango.) Terry made some more suggestions on how to fix or identify the problem. Karen disconnected the fuel line and blew into it to clear it, then sucked some fuel back into the hose, but the engine still didn’t run. Terry said “No problem” and if the wind dies they will come out in their big powerboat and come and tow us in…okay that is one worry off the list. We radio over to Footloose and tell them our plan…they still offered to help us get into Guanaja….and as we hem and haw but stuck to our original plan with the knowledge that our buddy boat is leaving us but we knew that Terry from Mango Creek would come and get us if the wind died. Unbeknownst to us Footloose had relayed our situation to Hooligan and others and suggestions where coming from afar…plus people we didn’t even know where offering help and suggestions on how and who to contact in Guanaja. Doris relayed the suggestions on some troubleshooting on the engine with no luck and also said that along with themselves there would be help in Guanaja….but if we were still thinking of heading to Roatan they will go pick up the diesel they needed in Guanaja and follow us to Roatan and make sure we are safe and sound. As Doris said “in for a penny in for pound”. What can we say, the cruising community is amazing. So with the gennecker up and a bit of wind we continue to sail to Port Royal.
Footloose radioed over to say they have the diesel and are heading to Port Royal and will be on the radio waiting for our call and will be out at the entrance to the anchorage to offer assistance….second worry over. We are sailing along fine, the wind shifts so we have to Gybe the gennecker. We did this by dowsing the sail and putting it up on the other side…..no problem….WRONG AGAIN!! It could not happen in a million years but the lazy sheet (rope/line) got caught under the boat….so don’t forget right now Karen is trying to pull down the gennecker and Cheryl is at the helm trying to keep the boat somewhat stable and dealing with the line that is caught under the boat. Then we get a gust and Cheryl looks up and sees the sail taking Karen overboard…..we have often said that lifelines are a misnomer because it just a piece of wire but this time we had to eat our words, Karen hit the lifeline, but did not go over. Okay with sail down and Karen still on board we decide we really do have to throw her overboard to untangle the line….the seas have calmed down enough and we made sure we have a safety line out and over Karen went…The line was only wrapped around the propeller 8 or 10 times! With Karen back on board and cooled off from her little dip we stowed our gennecker and put up our head sail and gave each other a big hug and off we continued to Port Royal…with 2 bottles of Champagne in the fridge cooling. The wind had picked up and we were now doing 5 to 6 knots and could see the opening to the anchorage…Footloose now anchored called and said they are so happy they can see us and they will be waiting in their dingy to help us in. We shorten sail as we now have 25/30 knots and are moving at over 7 knots! Terry from Mango Creek came out to tie his dingy with a 25 Horsepower engine to our boat to provide the motor assist we needed to get into the anchorage as it is a narrow channel and we could not sail in as we would be heading straight into the wind. Terry added a calmness and confidence and a bit of humor, he offered to make vroom...vroom noises so we would think that our own engine was running!! We are not alone, Footloose is on the other side at the ready and we made it in…the first attempt at the mooring didn’t work but the second we had it all coordinated with Footloose handing the line and Terry providing the vroom vroom…We are here and safe and sound…Yeah!!….Beer and Champagne was out within seconds of the lines being secured. What a relief and what an experience…You know this sounds bad but we learned a lot, plus a lot about ourselves and how special our cruiser friends and our friends that we have met on the islands along the way are. After a couple well-earned drinks Doris went back to her boat to tell Hooligan who was standing by via radio from afar that we were in safe and sound. Whether it was just a bad day or Murphy decided to be with us this day who knows but we do know for sure we do know some amazing people and we love them all dearly. A big Thank you to all!
It was a wonderful 2 ½ weeks off the grid and yes we would do again in a heartbeat but with hopes of a few less adventures!
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Will's Visit to Interlude
I arrived in Roatan on Monday, Mar 28 after an extra long Canadian winter. This was the first time that I had seen a tropical jungle island. It is very green here with tall palm trees and dense forest. Much greener than other Caribbean islands that I have seen.
On Monday we went for a walk on the West End beaches, past some resorts and over the public beaches. At night Karen, Cheryl and I went with a group of other cruisers to do a night snorkel on the reef. With our under water flashlights we could see squid, shrimp and lobster.
Karen and Cheryl have become fearless Lion (fish) hunters. We did some dives on Tuesday and Wednesday from the dingy. Karen and Cheryl both caught several Lionfish. (I think that Cheryl is ahead by a few.) We also saw turtles, Spotted Eagle rays, many Parrot fish and others including a rare Sargassum Pipe fish. The town at West End looks very authentic and not manufactured for wealthy tourists.
Thursday we did two drift dives from a boat with 6 other cruisers. The current was very strong in the first dive. In 30 to 40 feet we only had to float as we moved over the ocean bottom for 50 minutes. At the end of the drift, we floated over a steep wall and then lost site of the bottom. Only the blue of the ocean for as for as we could see. That night many of the people whose boats are moored at the west end met at an empty dock and had a birthday party for one cruiser. The cruisers here are very friendly, people on boats here know their neighbours far better than I know the people on my street at home.
On Friday I got to help polish the stainless steel on the boat. (It gets rust spots, looks bad) On Saturday I helped clean the hull of Interlude. (All part of the cruising experience) We also did some more dives those days and on Saturday afternoon we did a zip line ride. That was fun to see the jungle while hanging from a cable. The zip lines took about 40 minutes and there were no other tourists around. A great time. We also went out to a restaurant near the beach on Saturday night. Good dinner, but too much food.
On Sunday we went to a brunch at a restaurant with some other cruisers, it was very good. We also had a rental car for 11:00 AM which finally arrived at 1:00 PM. We went to a grocery store, a big one by Roatan standards and then for a drive to the east end and the higher points on the island. Some good views from the lookout points. We also went to a resort called Fantasy Island where we saw some monkeys and other wildlife.
Overall, a very good trip. Warm weather, good diving, a good boat and great hosts. Winter should be over when I get home.
On Monday we went for a walk on the West End beaches, past some resorts and over the public beaches. At night Karen, Cheryl and I went with a group of other cruisers to do a night snorkel on the reef. With our under water flashlights we could see squid, shrimp and lobster.
Karen and Cheryl have become fearless Lion (fish) hunters. We did some dives on Tuesday and Wednesday from the dingy. Karen and Cheryl both caught several Lionfish. (I think that Cheryl is ahead by a few.) We also saw turtles, Spotted Eagle rays, many Parrot fish and others including a rare Sargassum Pipe fish. The town at West End looks very authentic and not manufactured for wealthy tourists.
Thursday we did two drift dives from a boat with 6 other cruisers. The current was very strong in the first dive. In 30 to 40 feet we only had to float as we moved over the ocean bottom for 50 minutes. At the end of the drift, we floated over a steep wall and then lost site of the bottom. Only the blue of the ocean for as for as we could see. That night many of the people whose boats are moored at the west end met at an empty dock and had a birthday party for one cruiser. The cruisers here are very friendly, people on boats here know their neighbours far better than I know the people on my street at home.
On Friday I got to help polish the stainless steel on the boat. (It gets rust spots, looks bad) On Saturday I helped clean the hull of Interlude. (All part of the cruising experience) We also did some more dives those days and on Saturday afternoon we did a zip line ride. That was fun to see the jungle while hanging from a cable. The zip lines took about 40 minutes and there were no other tourists around. A great time. We also went out to a restaurant near the beach on Saturday night. Good dinner, but too much food.
On Sunday we went to a brunch at a restaurant with some other cruisers, it was very good. We also had a rental car for 11:00 AM which finally arrived at 1:00 PM. We went to a grocery store, a big one by Roatan standards and then for a drive to the east end and the higher points on the island. Some good views from the lookout points. We also went to a resort called Fantasy Island where we saw some monkeys and other wildlife.
Overall, a very good trip. Warm weather, good diving, a good boat and great hosts. Winter should be over when I get home.
Friday, March 25, 2011
What have we been doing?
Well since our last guest left we have mostly been: playing with the fishies, visiting other boats for dinner, watching amazing sunsets and yes an occasional green flash thrown in. Of course there is some boat work too like cleaning the stainless steel and charging the boat batteries, engine checks and making water, even a little bottom cleaning.
Time to boast. We are card carrying lion fish hunters, and we even have our own spears. We know, why we would want to kill such a beautiful fish, well lion fish are very prolific and also very veracious eaters of other fish. They can decimate a reef of all the little fish in less then a month and to add to problem, lionfish are not native to the Caribbean so they have no natural enemy. So with our little spear and along with most of the dive shops on the island and some other cruisers in the anchorage we are out trying to make a dent on the lionfish population. By the way a 2 year female lionfish lays 2 million eggs a year. Anyway Karen to date has killed 15 and Cheryl 13 (Cheryl is behind because she was sick for a week but she will soon catch up….no we are not competitive on Interlude). We have noticed that there appear to be a lot less lion fish compared to say a month ago so maybe all of us are having an impact. One boat (Hooligan) has killed over 300 lionfish so they are our heroes.
When we are not growing gills, we have had a few terra firma get togethers on an old dock by us for a potluck with all of the boats in the anchorage, a night of great food and banter, but mostly of our days are filled with diving, reading and occasional water pole game thrown in….of course water polo is only at it best when there are high winds and seas, just to add some fun and lots of exercise.
Just a side note. Cheryl went to the doctor because she had a stomach bug, she got into the doctor in 45 minutes got some amazing drugs and was out in 5 minutes and the total bill including drugs was $35. Cheryl is all fixed up and ready to start the hunt again. For excitement next week we are off to get our teeth checked and clean all for $35. By the way the dentist cleans your teeth.
Well it back to another amazing sun set and time to get ready for our next guest who will be arriving at the end of the month.
Time to boast. We are card carrying lion fish hunters, and we even have our own spears. We know, why we would want to kill such a beautiful fish, well lion fish are very prolific and also very veracious eaters of other fish. They can decimate a reef of all the little fish in less then a month and to add to problem, lionfish are not native to the Caribbean so they have no natural enemy. So with our little spear and along with most of the dive shops on the island and some other cruisers in the anchorage we are out trying to make a dent on the lionfish population. By the way a 2 year female lionfish lays 2 million eggs a year. Anyway Karen to date has killed 15 and Cheryl 13 (Cheryl is behind because she was sick for a week but she will soon catch up….no we are not competitive on Interlude). We have noticed that there appear to be a lot less lion fish compared to say a month ago so maybe all of us are having an impact. One boat (Hooligan) has killed over 300 lionfish so they are our heroes.
When we are not growing gills, we have had a few terra firma get togethers on an old dock by us for a potluck with all of the boats in the anchorage, a night of great food and banter, but mostly of our days are filled with diving, reading and occasional water pole game thrown in….of course water polo is only at it best when there are high winds and seas, just to add some fun and lots of exercise.
Just a side note. Cheryl went to the doctor because she had a stomach bug, she got into the doctor in 45 minutes got some amazing drugs and was out in 5 minutes and the total bill including drugs was $35. Cheryl is all fixed up and ready to start the hunt again. For excitement next week we are off to get our teeth checked and clean all for $35. By the way the dentist cleans your teeth.
Well it back to another amazing sun set and time to get ready for our next guest who will be arriving at the end of the month.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Michelle's Wet Stay
Day I
Rain! Did I mention it was raining? The flight from T.O had to detour via Belize. We made it – eventually. Two hours late. The girls must have either loved me or wanted their goods because they waited for me. After a quick tour and roadside pee, we ventured off to provision. It seemed that we needed just a little! Unfortunately, I felt a little under the weather, and we had to postpone the Lobster/Champagne dinner until later.
Day II
It was still raining! We played games – Mah Jong/Sequence/Dominoes. And we chatted. It was still raining. We took a quick tour of town – the rain had done it’s damage. Finally, we had a break in the afternoon. We took the chance, and went snorkelling. We saw blue tangs, squirrel fish, grouper, banded butterfly fish and all kinds of coral! Wonderful! Then I took off my fins – not even blisters as there was no skin left! Yikes!
Day III
It was still raining. We got a break, and Cheryl and I walked the beach to West Bay. We saw a rainbow, a rickety old metal bridge, an ant hill, and lots of garbage along the shore. Cheryl let us play Mah Jong in the afternoon, as my feet were too sore to snorkel.
Day IV
It was still raining. Cheryl cleaned the boat in her underwear! We got to play Mah Jong again – thanks Cheryl. The evening brought appetizers and drinks at Somerset 33. What a great group of cruisers.
Day V
Off to town with Niki Wiki to see the Botanical Gardens. What a hike. Good thing we had our guide Scout. The view was great from the top. Back down to see the medicinal plants. A quick trip to Anthony’s Key – dolphins, gift shop and back in the collectivo to town. Slippery Sues offered good burgers and company. Thanks girls!
Day VI
A lazy day. It rained again in the morning. Have I mentioned the rain? We really did not do much. Cheryl was off – out and about and Karen and I had a great chance to catch up.
Day VII
Last day. It rained again, and then the skies opened. The sun came out, and what a beautiful sight. Plus, it was Daytona 500, so a trip to town to see the race was required! The girls went for a snorkel, while I caught the last of the warm sun before heading home. What a great visit. Thanks Interlude IX.
Rain! Did I mention it was raining? The flight from T.O had to detour via Belize. We made it – eventually. Two hours late. The girls must have either loved me or wanted their goods because they waited for me. After a quick tour and roadside pee, we ventured off to provision. It seemed that we needed just a little! Unfortunately, I felt a little under the weather, and we had to postpone the Lobster/Champagne dinner until later.
Day II
It was still raining! We played games – Mah Jong/Sequence/Dominoes. And we chatted. It was still raining. We took a quick tour of town – the rain had done it’s damage. Finally, we had a break in the afternoon. We took the chance, and went snorkelling. We saw blue tangs, squirrel fish, grouper, banded butterfly fish and all kinds of coral! Wonderful! Then I took off my fins – not even blisters as there was no skin left! Yikes!
Day III
It was still raining. We got a break, and Cheryl and I walked the beach to West Bay. We saw a rainbow, a rickety old metal bridge, an ant hill, and lots of garbage along the shore. Cheryl let us play Mah Jong in the afternoon, as my feet were too sore to snorkel.
Day IV
It was still raining. Cheryl cleaned the boat in her underwear! We got to play Mah Jong again – thanks Cheryl. The evening brought appetizers and drinks at Somerset 33. What a great group of cruisers.
Day V
Off to town with Niki Wiki to see the Botanical Gardens. What a hike. Good thing we had our guide Scout. The view was great from the top. Back down to see the medicinal plants. A quick trip to Anthony’s Key – dolphins, gift shop and back in the collectivo to town. Slippery Sues offered good burgers and company. Thanks girls!
Day VI
A lazy day. It rained again in the morning. Have I mentioned the rain? We really did not do much. Cheryl was off – out and about and Karen and I had a great chance to catch up.
Day VII
Last day. It rained again, and then the skies opened. The sun came out, and what a beautiful sight. Plus, it was Daytona 500, so a trip to town to see the race was required! The girls went for a snorkel, while I caught the last of the warm sun before heading home. What a great visit. Thanks Interlude IX.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Deb and Jim's Week
We arrived in Roatan on Saturday 3 Feb 2011 and finally realized after multiple trips that life really revolves around Trouble (the dingy).
Trouble needed help with the luggage including 2 dive bags, 1 camera bag, 1 clothes bag, and 2 computer back packs along with Cheryl and Deb so the dingy from Highland Light provided assistance. You will learn that people's names are secondary to boat names. Karen and Jim along with the fruit from the local market – a guy selling out of the back of his pickup arrived in Trouble. From there, Trouble was our center of entertainment. Interesting facts about Trouble:
• Trouble is a frequent participant in dingy roundups (not nearly as disgusting as it sounds). A roundup is when dingies from a variety of boats tie together to share snacks and conversation somewhere toward the end of the day. The whole thing in Roatan was supervised by a Hooligan named Nigel (I think he is an American).
• Cheryl and Karen must alternate driving and it creates interesting banter when someone drives out of turn.
• Each trip ends with “another safe trip” which, by the way, is a good thing.
• Trouble is really fast with two people aboard but she doesn’t plane out when you have 4 divers, 4 tanks, and all of their dive gear aboard.
• Diving is easy from Trouble. There are multiple methods of entry from the back roll, the back flip which usually only occurs when Karen falls out of the dingy, or toss your gear overboard and get ready in the water but Cheryl occasionally needs help with a mask that falls to the bottom. Finally, the giant stride is not recommended.
Deb’s been on Interlude 3 times and Jim the last two and we’re progressing as Cheryl and Karen have finally come to the conclusion that we will continue to show up, so they might as well enjoy it.
The first trip in Trinidad the boat was on dry dock so Deb had to climb a 30’ ladder to get on board and her only opportunity to get on the water was going from one side to the other of the marina, of course, in Trouble.
Last year in Belize the boat was (you guessed it) docked. When we had the opportunity to go on the water, again, it was in Trouble. There was not enough wind to sail. By this time, we are convinced is that Trouble tows Interlude from place to place as Trouble is the only boat we had seen actually moving.
This year we’re progressing as Trouble secured our mooring ball while Interlude, yes, that’s right, Interlude, was detached from the mooring ball and was allowed onto the open ocean for 3 hours. There was not enough wind to sail (apparently Interlude requires a hurricane to push the sails). Our trip was really just to charge the battery but we did learn there is an engine on board and, more importantly, the sail went up for 5 minutes so there really is a sail. Not the Main, of course, but we have it on reliable authority that the Main is rarely seen. We’ve also been told we will sail next time which we believe is just a ploy for them to avoid paying shipping on boat parts but the aft cabin head is now repaired and there is an extra water tank on board for a future leak.
We had a great trip. Karen and Cheryl are terrific hosts, doing dishes every day is not all bad, we learn more about the boat every trip and Roatan is a nice place to visit. Thanks again!
Trouble needed help with the luggage including 2 dive bags, 1 camera bag, 1 clothes bag, and 2 computer back packs along with Cheryl and Deb so the dingy from Highland Light provided assistance. You will learn that people's names are secondary to boat names. Karen and Jim along with the fruit from the local market – a guy selling out of the back of his pickup arrived in Trouble. From there, Trouble was our center of entertainment. Interesting facts about Trouble:
• Trouble is a frequent participant in dingy roundups (not nearly as disgusting as it sounds). A roundup is when dingies from a variety of boats tie together to share snacks and conversation somewhere toward the end of the day. The whole thing in Roatan was supervised by a Hooligan named Nigel (I think he is an American).
• Cheryl and Karen must alternate driving and it creates interesting banter when someone drives out of turn.
• Each trip ends with “another safe trip” which, by the way, is a good thing.
• Trouble is really fast with two people aboard but she doesn’t plane out when you have 4 divers, 4 tanks, and all of their dive gear aboard.
• Diving is easy from Trouble. There are multiple methods of entry from the back roll, the back flip which usually only occurs when Karen falls out of the dingy, or toss your gear overboard and get ready in the water but Cheryl occasionally needs help with a mask that falls to the bottom. Finally, the giant stride is not recommended.
Deb’s been on Interlude 3 times and Jim the last two and we’re progressing as Cheryl and Karen have finally come to the conclusion that we will continue to show up, so they might as well enjoy it.
The first trip in Trinidad the boat was on dry dock so Deb had to climb a 30’ ladder to get on board and her only opportunity to get on the water was going from one side to the other of the marina, of course, in Trouble.
Last year in Belize the boat was (you guessed it) docked. When we had the opportunity to go on the water, again, it was in Trouble. There was not enough wind to sail. By this time, we are convinced is that Trouble tows Interlude from place to place as Trouble is the only boat we had seen actually moving.
This year we’re progressing as Trouble secured our mooring ball while Interlude, yes, that’s right, Interlude, was detached from the mooring ball and was allowed onto the open ocean for 3 hours. There was not enough wind to sail (apparently Interlude requires a hurricane to push the sails). Our trip was really just to charge the battery but we did learn there is an engine on board and, more importantly, the sail went up for 5 minutes so there really is a sail. Not the Main, of course, but we have it on reliable authority that the Main is rarely seen. We’ve also been told we will sail next time which we believe is just a ploy for them to avoid paying shipping on boat parts but the aft cabin head is now repaired and there is an extra water tank on board for a future leak.
We had a great trip. Karen and Cheryl are terrific hosts, doing dishes every day is not all bad, we learn more about the boat every trip and Roatan is a nice place to visit. Thanks again!
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Bruce's Replacement aka Janice
I arrived in Roatan on January 3, to lovely warm weather and blue seas. It was great leaving the big city behind me. I had met a lovely couple on the plane as well as a fellow who had just bought a boat and was staying at Fantasy Island as well. Small world.
Karen met me at the airport and we had a bit of a tour around the island while Cheryl was cleaning up the boat. We almost ran out of gas searching for a gas station. What a relief when we finally found one. Picked up a few groceries and wine then it was time to get to the boat and relax. So good to see the girls as it had been a while.
Tuesday we went snorkelling met the other boat people who were there and while Karen and Cheryl played a bit of volleyball I watched while the monkeys came down to try to get any goodies (including beer left in cans).
Wednesday found us snorkelling again but with Annie, Linda and Terry who were from 3 of the boats. Saw lots of lion fish amongst many others and feather dusters (a type of coral worm) which when you stir up the water close to it, it disappears. Volleyball was played and a sing a long at happy hour.
I am now officially known as “Bruce’s replacement” wherever we go.
Thursday we motored to West End and they let me “drive” the boat all the way there. Even though we couldn’t sail as there were no winds it was a lovely ride. Once we got there I was introduced to more boat people. Doug and Lisa from Highland Lights and Tim and Paula from Hooligan. Lovely people. More snorkelling was done and saw a green moray eel amongst the many corals and sea creatures. Doug and Lisa invited me to their boat for drinks (not the girls) and said they would pick me up. HAHA but we all get in the dingy and went over for nibbles and drinks.
Friday it was into town for a looksee around. Highland Lights and Hooligan were invited over that evening for a get together and gossip. A lovely time had by all. I also booked my first diving session at Roatan Divers.
Oh boy, Saturday and time for my Discover diving lesson while Karen and Cheryl rented tanks to go off to dive themselves. My instructor Richard was great and was very calm. I actually went down 50 ft. HOLY. It was amazing. Schools of blue tang, fabulous corals and array of fish. The weather couldn’t of been better and you could see everything so clearly. I was only supposed to go down 40 ft but he thought I did so well and we went a little deeper. I loved it. Time to book again for tomorrow. Now its back to the boat to watch the Saints game on the computer, a mandatory thing for the girls. It was a hoot even though they lost. (we lost contact as wifi was intermittent and we couldn’t sing our rooting song to continue to help them along). You had to be there for that one.
Sunday, more diving (yea). Went to the Blue channel this time for our dive. Down to 50 again but water not quite a clear. Richard told the girls he would take me anytime and that I was pretty good at it. His girlfriend Melanie took some pictures of me in my gear for me. Then it was time for a Champagne brunch with Doug, Lisa and John and Sharon from Sunbow. Then on to another place to watch the Greenbay packers play. Good game and they just managed to win it.
Monday, Wow a week has gone by already. Time sure flies by when you’re having fun.
Received a diving certificate from Roatan divers. How nice of them. Proof once again that I actually did it. Now it’s off to Coxen Hole, the capital by local bus to pick up a few trinkets. On the way back we stopped off at the butterfly farm where there really wasn’t too many butterflies but had some birds (Toucan’s, McCaw and few other animals). Was interesting but overpriced.
Fed our new found friend the ballyhoo (a local name) which is a type of gar. He really liked the chicken skin.
Tuesday we met up with Doug and Lisa again for lunch and to get gas. First place we hit was a Mexican place however the waiter didn’t remember our order or us so after a good 45 minutes when asked him if we could have our drinks. Guess what, he didn’t remember that either so we order them again. Poor Doug never did get his and we opted to pay for the drinks we did have and go elsewhere to eat. Good idea and I’m sure better food. Then it’s back to the boat for a water polo game with everyone. Another lovely day, what a hardship.
Wednesday found us walking the beach, again with Doug and Lisa, towards the West Bay where all the people from the cruise ships come in for the day. Wow what a crowd but the beach is lovely. Back to the boat for dinner and had an impromptu dance. What fun.
Thursday and Friday found us boat bound as winds and rains came in and prevented us from going anywhere. However reading and games kept us going. It’s always good when you’re with friends no matter what the weather. Looking forward to tomorrow when it’s supposed to get a little better by the afternoon. Will keep fingers crossed as it will soon be time to leave again, but at least I have great memories and hopefully new friends.
Saturday we thought would turn out nice but the weather forecast was wrong and we had another very breezy and turbulent water day, so it was another day inside .But by dinner time we were fed-up and since I had promised Karen and Cheryl a couple of meals out, we got a hold of the gang and said to heck with it. So despite the crappy weather and since everyone was sick of being boat bound for too long we all headed out for a lovely dinner at the Argentina Grill. It was unfortunate that Hooligan couldn’t make it as they got soaked from a earlier ride into town. Once our tummies were full we headed off to Rick’s Place to watch the Packers game since Lisa is a BIG packers fan. Had a fun time as usual and the Packers won big time. Didn’t get back until 10:50 pm way past the girls bedtime.
Sunday, the last whole day before I head back to Toronto and the cold. Boo. Headed back to Fantasy Island which is closer to the airport. Low and behold the weather actually got better and the seas flatter. A good sign I hope. Will be taking the girls out for my last night with them as a thank you for all their kindness during my stay. I will miss them as usual but know I will see them in the future. I say thanks to all their friends they introduced me to who treated me like one of the bunch during my time here. They made my time here even more special than it was. So adios amigos for the time being and may fair winds speed you to all of your new destinations.
Karen met me at the airport and we had a bit of a tour around the island while Cheryl was cleaning up the boat. We almost ran out of gas searching for a gas station. What a relief when we finally found one. Picked up a few groceries and wine then it was time to get to the boat and relax. So good to see the girls as it had been a while.
Tuesday we went snorkelling met the other boat people who were there and while Karen and Cheryl played a bit of volleyball I watched while the monkeys came down to try to get any goodies (including beer left in cans).
Wednesday found us snorkelling again but with Annie, Linda and Terry who were from 3 of the boats. Saw lots of lion fish amongst many others and feather dusters (a type of coral worm) which when you stir up the water close to it, it disappears. Volleyball was played and a sing a long at happy hour.
I am now officially known as “Bruce’s replacement” wherever we go.
Thursday we motored to West End and they let me “drive” the boat all the way there. Even though we couldn’t sail as there were no winds it was a lovely ride. Once we got there I was introduced to more boat people. Doug and Lisa from Highland Lights and Tim and Paula from Hooligan. Lovely people. More snorkelling was done and saw a green moray eel amongst the many corals and sea creatures. Doug and Lisa invited me to their boat for drinks (not the girls) and said they would pick me up. HAHA but we all get in the dingy and went over for nibbles and drinks.
Friday it was into town for a looksee around. Highland Lights and Hooligan were invited over that evening for a get together and gossip. A lovely time had by all. I also booked my first diving session at Roatan Divers.
Oh boy, Saturday and time for my Discover diving lesson while Karen and Cheryl rented tanks to go off to dive themselves. My instructor Richard was great and was very calm. I actually went down 50 ft. HOLY. It was amazing. Schools of blue tang, fabulous corals and array of fish. The weather couldn’t of been better and you could see everything so clearly. I was only supposed to go down 40 ft but he thought I did so well and we went a little deeper. I loved it. Time to book again for tomorrow. Now its back to the boat to watch the Saints game on the computer, a mandatory thing for the girls. It was a hoot even though they lost. (we lost contact as wifi was intermittent and we couldn’t sing our rooting song to continue to help them along). You had to be there for that one.
Sunday, more diving (yea). Went to the Blue channel this time for our dive. Down to 50 again but water not quite a clear. Richard told the girls he would take me anytime and that I was pretty good at it. His girlfriend Melanie took some pictures of me in my gear for me. Then it was time for a Champagne brunch with Doug, Lisa and John and Sharon from Sunbow. Then on to another place to watch the Greenbay packers play. Good game and they just managed to win it.
Monday, Wow a week has gone by already. Time sure flies by when you’re having fun.
Received a diving certificate from Roatan divers. How nice of them. Proof once again that I actually did it. Now it’s off to Coxen Hole, the capital by local bus to pick up a few trinkets. On the way back we stopped off at the butterfly farm where there really wasn’t too many butterflies but had some birds (Toucan’s, McCaw and few other animals). Was interesting but overpriced.
Fed our new found friend the ballyhoo (a local name) which is a type of gar. He really liked the chicken skin.
Tuesday we met up with Doug and Lisa again for lunch and to get gas. First place we hit was a Mexican place however the waiter didn’t remember our order or us so after a good 45 minutes when asked him if we could have our drinks. Guess what, he didn’t remember that either so we order them again. Poor Doug never did get his and we opted to pay for the drinks we did have and go elsewhere to eat. Good idea and I’m sure better food. Then it’s back to the boat for a water polo game with everyone. Another lovely day, what a hardship.
Wednesday found us walking the beach, again with Doug and Lisa, towards the West Bay where all the people from the cruise ships come in for the day. Wow what a crowd but the beach is lovely. Back to the boat for dinner and had an impromptu dance. What fun.
Thursday and Friday found us boat bound as winds and rains came in and prevented us from going anywhere. However reading and games kept us going. It’s always good when you’re with friends no matter what the weather. Looking forward to tomorrow when it’s supposed to get a little better by the afternoon. Will keep fingers crossed as it will soon be time to leave again, but at least I have great memories and hopefully new friends.
Saturday we thought would turn out nice but the weather forecast was wrong and we had another very breezy and turbulent water day, so it was another day inside .But by dinner time we were fed-up and since I had promised Karen and Cheryl a couple of meals out, we got a hold of the gang and said to heck with it. So despite the crappy weather and since everyone was sick of being boat bound for too long we all headed out for a lovely dinner at the Argentina Grill. It was unfortunate that Hooligan couldn’t make it as they got soaked from a earlier ride into town. Once our tummies were full we headed off to Rick’s Place to watch the Packers game since Lisa is a BIG packers fan. Had a fun time as usual and the Packers won big time. Didn’t get back until 10:50 pm way past the girls bedtime.
Sunday, the last whole day before I head back to Toronto and the cold. Boo. Headed back to Fantasy Island which is closer to the airport. Low and behold the weather actually got better and the seas flatter. A good sign I hope. Will be taking the girls out for my last night with them as a thank you for all their kindness during my stay. I will miss them as usual but know I will see them in the future. I say thanks to all their friends they introduced me to who treated me like one of the bunch during my time here. They made my time here even more special than it was. So adios amigos for the time being and may fair winds speed you to all of your new destinations.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Bruce's Christmas Vacation
December 20
Even before I arrived I knew the vacation was going to be good as the plane had to be de-iced twice even before we left Toronto. Then in Roatan security wanted to check my bag, it turned out they weren’t sure about the dark chocolate covered cashews, or at least that was the only thing they looked at.
Much driving and provisioning ensued, not necessarily in that order. How they expect to get up some of those streets when the snows hit I don’t know - or the rains. Banking the next day required turning off cell phones as ordered by armed guards, luckily I still don’t have a cell phone.
December 21/24
A short sail to Cayo Chochinos and my first snorkel. It is fascinating just watching the fish going about their own business. In places there are cleaning stations where larger fish get parasites removed by smaller ones. One of the animated films seems to have gotten their animation spot on.
Christmas decorations go up: icicles, snow globes (which were kinda neat) and Cheryl’s Ikea tree with the GrinchTM ornaments. We also were “forced” to watch the Grinch original. We tried to watch the Jim Carrey A Christmas Carol that I had brought down but for some reason it wouldn’t play on the DVD player. I’ll have to try at home which means I’ll have to watch a Christmas show before December 2011.
Tourtiere was excellent as usual. The banana ketchup (yes there is such a thing) was good too. Karen and my attempt at Mom’s shortbread fell short of our memories but we will try again in the future. Christmas Eve we had great appetizers’ at Lori and Hoss’ house on the hill with a great view of the bay and sunset.
December 25 Christmas Day
Santa arrived!!! Stockings are stuffed. He even wanted Cheryl to throw me off a cliff (Pirates of the Caribbean zip lines). I can finally showed Karen and Cheryl why my bags were so heavy coming down. Going home will be light by comparison.
Christmas dinner was great. Turkey cooked on a smoker basted with juices of a chicken, celery casserole, creamed spinach, ham, corn bread stuffing and other things too numerous to mention. Twelve people are there: Karen, Cheryl and I, Greg & Judy (our hosts), Lori & Hoss, & others. There was also a lot of wine (not too much I hope, if there is such a thing).
December 26 Boxing Day
We wake up to higher winds coming from precisely the wrong direction so we get everything ready for passage back to Mango Creek in Port Royal, Roatan. It was a very confusing passage (the waves not the crew) although my shins might not be the same for a while. No nausea but I wasn’t allowed below decks due to an incident on our passage out.
December 26 to 28
Some great snorkelling : a whole herd of jellyfish, lion fish and some amazing colours. A great dinner ashore at Mango Creek. Lobster/shrimp, key lime pie and chocolate cake.
December 29-Jan 1
An uneventful passage to French Harbour and we are back where the sailing adventure started!! Cheryl acted on the promise to throw me off a cliff. Actually I jumped, we were so high up it didn’t seem that bad an idea until the last zip. At the start you could see both sides of the island (sorry Isla).
Before the celebrations Jamie’s boat developed hydraulic steering problems and then engine problems. It was nice to see everyone pitching in to help out a fellow sailor. As a result of this we had to dingy in for shopping but I then got the adventure of being driven in a panel van back to Fantasy Island.
New Year’s celebration itself was disappointing but I don’t think I would have been able to stay up anyway as I had missed both my morning and afternoon naps!! The food was great – crab, shrimp etc. Due to rough seas we changed on shore into our good dud’s and stowed the wet stuff.
January 2
Getting ready to go into West Bay for supper at the Argentine restaurant but first I am being forced to write this blog!
Even before I arrived I knew the vacation was going to be good as the plane had to be de-iced twice even before we left Toronto. Then in Roatan security wanted to check my bag, it turned out they weren’t sure about the dark chocolate covered cashews, or at least that was the only thing they looked at.
Much driving and provisioning ensued, not necessarily in that order. How they expect to get up some of those streets when the snows hit I don’t know - or the rains. Banking the next day required turning off cell phones as ordered by armed guards, luckily I still don’t have a cell phone.
December 21/24
A short sail to Cayo Chochinos and my first snorkel. It is fascinating just watching the fish going about their own business. In places there are cleaning stations where larger fish get parasites removed by smaller ones. One of the animated films seems to have gotten their animation spot on.
Christmas decorations go up: icicles, snow globes (which were kinda neat) and Cheryl’s Ikea tree with the GrinchTM ornaments. We also were “forced” to watch the Grinch original. We tried to watch the Jim Carrey A Christmas Carol that I had brought down but for some reason it wouldn’t play on the DVD player. I’ll have to try at home which means I’ll have to watch a Christmas show before December 2011.
Tourtiere was excellent as usual. The banana ketchup (yes there is such a thing) was good too. Karen and my attempt at Mom’s shortbread fell short of our memories but we will try again in the future. Christmas Eve we had great appetizers’ at Lori and Hoss’ house on the hill with a great view of the bay and sunset.
December 25 Christmas Day
Santa arrived!!! Stockings are stuffed. He even wanted Cheryl to throw me off a cliff (Pirates of the Caribbean zip lines). I can finally showed Karen and Cheryl why my bags were so heavy coming down. Going home will be light by comparison.
Christmas dinner was great. Turkey cooked on a smoker basted with juices of a chicken, celery casserole, creamed spinach, ham, corn bread stuffing and other things too numerous to mention. Twelve people are there: Karen, Cheryl and I, Greg & Judy (our hosts), Lori & Hoss, & others. There was also a lot of wine (not too much I hope, if there is such a thing).
December 26 Boxing Day
We wake up to higher winds coming from precisely the wrong direction so we get everything ready for passage back to Mango Creek in Port Royal, Roatan. It was a very confusing passage (the waves not the crew) although my shins might not be the same for a while. No nausea but I wasn’t allowed below decks due to an incident on our passage out.
December 26 to 28
Some great snorkelling : a whole herd of jellyfish, lion fish and some amazing colours. A great dinner ashore at Mango Creek. Lobster/shrimp, key lime pie and chocolate cake.
December 29-Jan 1
An uneventful passage to French Harbour and we are back where the sailing adventure started!! Cheryl acted on the promise to throw me off a cliff. Actually I jumped, we were so high up it didn’t seem that bad an idea until the last zip. At the start you could see both sides of the island (sorry Isla).
Before the celebrations Jamie’s boat developed hydraulic steering problems and then engine problems. It was nice to see everyone pitching in to help out a fellow sailor. As a result of this we had to dingy in for shopping but I then got the adventure of being driven in a panel van back to Fantasy Island.
New Year’s celebration itself was disappointing but I don’t think I would have been able to stay up anyway as I had missed both my morning and afternoon naps!! The food was great – crab, shrimp etc. Due to rough seas we changed on shore into our good dud’s and stowed the wet stuff.
January 2
Getting ready to go into West Bay for supper at the Argentine restaurant but first I am being forced to write this blog!
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