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We have been back in Guatamala for just over 3 weeks now. In that time we have made great strides towards getting the boat ready to leave the Rio Dulce.
Leaving Ram Marina
Our first week back saw us readying Aeeshah to go back in the water. The finishing touches were completed to the rudder bearing/stock by Caesar our welder. John finished putting most of the hardware onto the mast and boom. I unpacked, cleaned and sorted the inside all over again.
We splashed on the Tuesday February 2nd and were tied to Ram’s dock for the night to check all the systems. Surprisingly after nearly 7 months out of the water there were no issues, everything ran well.
On the Wednesday morning our mast was very, carefully lowered into Aeeshah. The stays were temporarily attached to their positions and we finally set off from Ram.
I must say that Ram Marina did an absolute magnificent job with the work done to Aeeshah. They are the best!!
Off to Cayo Quemado, Tom the rigger’s workshop
Our next stop was down river across the lake at Cayo Quemado, Tom the rigger’s workshop. We anchored outside of the bay for the night.
The scenery being as stunning as always. The cormorants and egrets were busy nesting on the island behind and we could hear their chatter late into the evening. That evening we visited Mike’s for dinner. It was a very pleasant evening out at anchor.
Tom requested we be dockside of his place at 7:30, and so we were. He and his assistant had our mast and rig out and off Aeeshah in record time.
Tom has a very unique method using a mast and rig to remove masts and rigs. When you watch and calculate the weight involved it is actually quite a genius method of manipulating the weighted a full mast.
The mast was laid across the workshop and the roller furlar laid next to it. For the rest of the day they worked away doing their magic. The two of them are like a well oiled machine, hardly a word was spoken, great music played and they harmoniously labour to complete an almost completely new rig of standing and running rigging. So by the later afternoon the job was completed.
Next morning Aeeshah’s mast was reinstalled and Tom and his worker attached all the rigging.
Tom made us a new mast boot using an old tire inner tube and sewing up a blue cover. By noon we were back out of the bay again anchoring on the outside.
Bright and early we left Cayo Quemado and headed back up the rio where we anchored out in front of Catamaran Marina.
Chico rejoins us
We then sped ashore to Gillian’s Casa to get our Chico. As soon as we arrived he spoke and came over as if to say, “ok, I’m ready to go home now”. We were very grateful to Gillian for caring for Chico while we were away. Back at the boat he behaved as if he had never left.
Into Catamaran Marina we went the following morning. Just after we were dockside Chico was down the docks and away to walk the familiar island home he has enjoyed for many past years.
Back to our usual rhythm of life:
Since being back at Catamaran we have slipped back into old habits. We walk the old pipeline trail every other day. Often we have the company of Derick and Carol.
Along the trail we see many of the old faces, the children are bigger, but much is the same. Pigs and dogs roaming with the chickens, children playing outside their homes, ladies sweeping, cleaning and washing, men off to the fields. Life is as normal.
Catamaran itself is very quiet. There are a few folks living on their boats, but many slips are empty and most boats are closed and abandoned. We can go full days without really speaking to anyone else.
John has been able to “play” with his drone at the tennis court. And I still enjoy walking around the wonderful grounds.
In town….Fronteras, life is as usual, bustling, busy, buying, selling, hustling, some folks are masked, most aren’t. We stay masked, the risk is real and great even if the numbers are low.
The few of us still at Catamaran and the few still connected to the marina, went out for a very nice dinner at Vista Linda. It was a fun evening and good to catch up with friends.
On Sundays we have been playing Mexican Train dominoes with a few others. We have the main sail back on Aeeshah and are emptying our bodega of our possessions. Slowly, slowly we are getting close to the time to leave.
