Aeeshah

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West End

And then it was back to West End where we picked up a mooring amongst many other cruising boats. We had dropped in to await calmer weather, lower seas to cross to Utila and to get to Eldens to stock up – mainly on cat food.

 We found several boats that we knew in the West End, notably First Light, who were getting ready to cross to Cuba. We decided to rent a car as we had a number of places to visit, the dentist for my crown, the opticians for my new glasses, ACE for boat necessities and of course Eldens. So off we went one day, stopping at each to get what was needed. I was very happy with my new glasses from: The Optical Center at the Mega Plaza, my crown again is perfect, from Dr. Grant at: Roatan Dental Center and we are fully stocked with foods and cat food not obtainable in Rio Dulce. Roatan is excellent for services and supplies! 

We also snorkeled while in the West End and again it was excellent. John wanted to dive but I had been feeling unwell and did not feel up to a dive…. 

Utila

Then it was off to Utila. We had a fast but lumpy sail across to Utila. This was our last Honduran Bay islands stop. We had intended to spend more time exploring, but now time was short. We checked out with the authorities, had a walk around and then went exploring by dinghy.

When checking out I had acquired a map of Utila. It showed a few canals, one of which went right across the island. So off we set, along the anchorage to Marschall Lake, where we crossed this inland bay and finally found a canal, aptly named “Canal”. 

This turned out to be the longest and in places the narrowest canal we had ever explored. The beginning was quite normal, average width, with mangroves on both side. As we proceeded the canal got so narrow we were squeezing the dinghy ahead with the mangroves catching and scraping the sides. There was no room to turn around nor change our minds, we were committed by circumstance to continuing.

Finally after quite a ways the canal widened a bit but became shallower so we really needed to stay dead centre. After coming so far we decided to finish the canal. The end came out at Rocky Bay, we managed to just about make it over the bar at the entrance, did a short look about of the bay and then set off back along the canal homewards.

The reason being, it was later in the afternoon and we didn’t want to be stuck in the canal at night. As it turned out it took us 1 hour 20 minutes to get there and 45 minutes to get back, practice makes perfect.

It was just such a crazy canal, I can’t imagine how they had managed to dig it out.

On to Belize

The following day was our day of departure, but as we had several hours beforehand we set off to explore the waterway that lay under the bridge at Upper Lagoon and according to the map leading to a small lake/pond. Again we were really surprised by what we found.

Firstly there was a wooden bridge and short walkway leading into the mangroves to a few homes. After going under the bridge we ventured around several bends and found that in areas the sides had been cleared and there were homes on stilts in the mud sitting along side the mangrove canal.

They were obviously only accessible by boat as there were only wooden walkways over the mud to the canal. The canal went further and finally reached the Big Bight Pond, which was huge. There were two big areas of the pond where there were just mangroves still waters and water birds. Utila seemed full of surprises.

Off to Belize we sailed at 15:00, a short overnight sail. It was an easy crossing, arriving off shore at 7:00ish we crossed the reef at Ranguna and proceeded to Placencia arriving mid morning. There we dropped anchor, I tidied up while John slept for a few hours, he was exhausted.

2 nights were spent in Belize, basically biding time till we could head to Cabo Tres Puntas to get ready to cross the bar. During our day in Belize we had a walk around Placencia to stretch out legs, bought a few items and indulged in wifi from Yolli’s. Belize is still as lovely as ever.

Cabo Tres Puntas and across the bar to Livingstone

At Cabo Tres Puntas we spent the first night in the large sheltered bay of Bahia la Grasiosa. A norther was due and we have found from past experience that winds can be threatening at times in Cabo Tres Puntas, twice there we had strong reverse winds in the middle of the night. The large lagoon like anchorage was really lovely. Absolutely huge in size we found there were even a large pop of dolphins playing and fishing in the lagoon. The night of the norther proved to be no threat at all in this bay, but the next day was overcast and mostly rainy.

We moved to CaboTres Puntas to be in place for our crossing early the next morning. The evening was quiet, 5 other boats were there with us awaiting the morning crossing.

The morning dawned a rainy, misty day, not the weather we preferred for crossing, but off we went. As it turned out we hardly had a problem crossing, the lowest depth shown was 0.01 under the keel and we could feel the drag, but we crossed!

Livingstone is always an experience. We give our agent Raul our documents and then have over an hour till he is ready, so we wander around. After checking in with Raul we quickly headed up river, it was noon and we wanted to be at Catamaran for the evening.

The rain persisted off and on so we had our first rainy up river trip. There were dozens and dozens of pelicans and laughing gulls at the mouth of the river.

The river is always beautiful and magnificent. We arrived by 4:30 at Catamaran and were helped in by friends. 

Since arriving we have enjoyed catching up with friends and have managed to get the boat ready for our departure. Chico is very happy to be back at his land home!

“True happiness involves the pursuit of worthy goals. Without dreams, without risks, only a trivial semblance of living can be achieved.” – Dan Buettner

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Roatan tour 

I flew back to Roatan where John was awaiting my return. He had hired a car for a few days to enable us to get a few supplies and to be able to tour the island. We set off the following day towards the eastern end of the island.

The main roadway is for the most part paved but when you branch off for the smaller lanes they are all dirt, rocky and in some cases washed out.

We bumped our way east to just past Camp Bay Village where we encountered gates and a private sign. Assuming that was the end of the road we made our way westward stopping along the way at various settlements and beaches. 

Our main problem was that signs are practically non existent, so we had to just guess if the small turn offs were for certain places by looking at the gps on the phone.

I believe we visited Camp Bay village and beach, Paya Bay, Diamond Rock, Punta Gorda and Pollitily Bight. All of these settlements and beaches were very scenic, quiet and friendly.

We then headed westward to view the lighthouse on top of Difficulty Hill and drive back via Flowers Bay.

It was a lovely tour of Roatan.

Cayos Conchinos

A few days later we headed back to Cayos Conchinos. We had a lovely sail over, were relieved to see 2 sailboats leaving – which meant a mooring should be available – and our friends on First Light at anchor there. 

The Cayos Conchinos or Cochinos Cays are made up of two small islands – Cayo Menor and Cayo Grande, and 13 more small coral cays. They are situated 30 kilometers northeast of the northern shores of Honduras. They are reputed to be exquisite! 

“The two Hog Islands, the 13 tiny coral cays and the seas around them comprise a marine reserve – it’s illegal to anchor on the reef, and commercial fishing is prohibited. Consequently, the reefs are pristine and the fish abundant. Diving and snorkeling are excellent around the islands, with black coral reefs, wall diving, cave diving, seamounts and a plane wreck. The islands are also known for their unique pink boa constrictors and the strength of the local Garifuna culture.” – Lonely Planet

As we had previously purchased a month pass to the area we didn’t have to pay the parks folks when they arrived. They didn’t seem as friendly this time, and again told us the park regulations.

The next day we went in the dinghy to circuit the island adjacent to the anchorage – Cayo Menor. This is the isle where the Smithsonian has an institute situated to study the area.

-“Cayos Cochinos are one of the most important parts of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, and its environment and waters have been protected as an ecological marine reserve since 1994. There is a very rich flora and marine life that cover an area of almost five hundred square kilometers. Commercial fishing, as well as fish trapping, is forbidden within the marine park. However, local Garifuna inhabitants have permission to fish only with hand lines. In some specially designated areas qualified local Garifuna fishermen can also catch lobsters.”

 However they had allowed the TV Survivor series to set up camp and play their games on this isle. (Apparently there were 10 contestants left).

As we started to round the first rugged point we saw a lovely beach and spotted a “survivor” wading in the shallows while others lurked in the palm trees.

The island’s reefs looked lovely, the scenery was rugged and wild but it was windy so the seas were quite rough. We passed another Survivor camp area, where they looked to be restocking and then a palm thatched construction which was where they do their tribal councils.

The institute was at the other end of the island which we just saw from the distance on our way back.

Off to the Lighthouse

The next adventure was when we set off on the main island to find the trail to the lighthouse and along the ridge line. We had a general idea of where the trail started and so leaving the dinghy on the beach we walked towards the area where the water carriers went.

The water carriers are men who came daily to the area with many plastic bottles to fill with water from the well. They then load the water into their small canoes and paddle the full load out to the outer cays where they live with no water source. We had been told that the trail head was near the well. 

Upon arriving at the well we met one of the water carriers filling his many containers. John helped him carry some of the heavy jugs to the beach and then we set off. 

Well we looked and looked, followed all sorts of paths and did not find the trail head. Returning to the beach we met Bill and Bunny, who said they were visiting and that Bill knew where the path was as he had already been up to the lighthouse. 

So off we set again following Bill. Anyway long story short, Bill didn’t find the trail, so John set off ahead to bush-wack and find the trail. Bill set off on a slightly different route, I was really struggling on the steep, rocky, slippery slope that was covered in all kinds of foliage and goodness knows what else.

Bunny was sort of following me, but finding it very hard going too. In the end John said he found the trail, but we had lost him and each other and had to shout just to go in the direction of his voice. I finally made it to where John was and collapsed with my water bottle vowing to never do that again.

Bill finally emerged and John had to head off to find Bunny. She says he saved her life, she had slid backwards, done head plants into the earth and was done in, but with John’s help she made it to the trail. She also confessed to having a heart condition! We also found we had overshot the trail by 100s of feet, and had to back track to the lighthouse!

Finally we made it to the lighthouse, John and I climbed to the top. Now it’s not an ordinary lighthouse climb, it is just a cylinder shaped metal tube with enough room for an attached metal ladder to the top, where you climb out the hole at the top and down onto a rusty platform, then around the platform to another short ladder up to the final platform at the top.

The climb is really tiring as all you have are your arms clinging to the ladder and there’s no resting place, but the view from the top was well worth it. You can see all around the beautiful Cayos Conchinos. Now the lighthouse also sways so I took my shots and did not hang around up top. 

Once back on the path we took the trail heading to where Bill said they were staying, he assured us it was a wide and much easier way, so off we went….

We emerged just above a few of the small homes and followed Bill and Bunny to where they were staying. This was a beautiful home, which was apparently owned by a group of business/property investors. There we had a cold drink and said our good byes.

Wonderful snorkeling…

Most of the days we were in the Cayos Conchinos we snorkeled in different areas and once John dove.

The reef all around the Cayos Conchinos are spectacular.

The corals, fish, and sea life is plentiful and the water just crystal clear.

The outer cays

We went one morning to visit the outlying cays of which there are 13, but we only passed 7. We started with the one where the water carriers come from everyday. I believe it is called Chachahuate and is a Garfuna settlement whose inhabitants come from Nueva Armenia, Jutiapa. Some say they were exiled out there others say they choose to be there. Anyhow the Garfuna live in small thatched huts on the small sand cay with a few palm trees.

They are allowed to fish with hand lines but otherwise rely on what comes over in the supply boats.

The next cays we passed in the dinghy were small too, but most had trees, some had grass and homes which were fancy and I imagine owned by the wealthy. All in all the cays are lovely too.

We were invited to the home which Bill and Bunny were staying  for dinner. There we enjoyed a very nice dinner a few drinks and the company of the visitors.

The correct trail to Lighthouse

Practically our last adventure was to head back to the lighthouse via the route we took to get down. Then to find the path we “missed” the first time around. It was just a matter of the steep uphill to the ridge line, then along the same path which leads through some attractive forested slopes.

This time I actually saw lizards and hermit crabs, unfortunately we still never saw the famous Rosy Boa that is resident. 

At the lighthouse we didn’t climb just continued passed and followed the wide pathway down the steep forested slope to the beach.

We found that the path came out on the other side of the well from where we were looking, so we missed it from lack of scouting about.

It was a very pleasant hike, took just over an hour as opposed to our 4 hour thrashing about up the steep forested slopes the first time.

The week in the Cayos Conchinos went quickly, we both fully enjoyed ourselves and vowed to return someday.

“Your life is your story, and the adventure ahead of you is the journey to fulfill your own purpose and potential.” — Kerry Washington

PHOTO LINKS:- Album Guanaja  Part 1 https://photos.app.goo.gl/efrubyz28RSPu6VC9

                                                 Part 2    https://photos.app.goo.gl/94QhUxrb6jHuMmJr9

Our visit to Guanaja two and a half years previously had been quite brief, but at that time we were intrigued by the island. They say Christopher Columbus “discovered” Isla Guanaja on July 30, 1502, on his fourth and final voyage of discovery, so legend says. Columbus was met by large dugout canoes carrying 25 Mayan Indians in each and was quickly welcomed ashore. He found excellent water and noted that he had, “never tasted water of better quality.” The island was so covered in pine trees that Columbus initially named the island Pine Island.

We had a lovely sail from Port Royal to Guanaja, arriving in the mid afternoon we found just 2 other sailboats there and they looked like permanent residents. We went ashore to Hans’s place which was ahead of us in the anchorage. He seemed friendly and granted permission to us to use his “dock” to leave our dinghy the next day.

The Blue Dot Trail

The following day we left the dinghy and set off to find the blue dot trail which apparently would lead us towards the top of the island, past the water dam and around in a circuit of about a 3 – 4 hour hike.

As we left from Hans’s place we were joined by a very cute little brown dog, who we later found out his name was Bobby.

This cute little fellow accompanied us for our entire adventure often taking off to chase what ever he spied along the way. Well to start we had to find the trail, this took some hunting and some asking of the few folks we saw on our way.

Finally we were off uphill, on the blue dot trail. It was a lovely, but steep and rugged uphill climb. At stages ropes were tied to help pull oneself up the steepest, slippery party, but the way was shaded and the views downward were wonderful. 

Once up the steep side we reached the dam. This is the dam for the main water supply to the island. Guanaja is an unusual island as it has natural water springs. The water bubbles and flows from springs in the highland and supplies the people with wonderful, natural, pure water.

Onward and upward we were basically walking the ridge line from one top to the next and the next. We had to really hunt for the blue dots as the trail was very over grown from not being over used.

I found that the grasses that were covering the trail were a kind of razor/sedge grass and soon my bare legs were covered in fine cuts. So what with all the no-see-um bites from lower down and the razor cuts my legs were quite a mess – note to self – wear long socks or pants in future.

John was often way ahead as I would be distracted by the views and taking pictures at every turn. It was our first good hike for a very long time, and just so enjoyable scrambling about on the slopes. 

The trees on Guanaja are very unusual for the region as they are pine, a special pine that grows on Guanaja.

The whole island used to be thickly forested until hurricane Mitch blew through in 1998 at reportedly 200mph for 2 hours, when quite a number of the trees were stripped bare and lost. However the slopes have more or less re-forested and the pines are very much there again. 

After 2 hours we were at what was or seemed to be the highest point around. We had a choice either to continue and have faith that the trail would be a circuit as we had been told, or to retrace our steps. I chose to continue following the trail so onward we went gambling we were on the homeward route. 

Sure enough, we soon found that the route did swing towards the correct direction and we started a steep, downward slope arriving at the dam from the other direction.

Once at the dam we dangled our feet in the cool water and rested for a while. Once we were at the bottom we found the whole venture had taken us just under 4 hours which was a good time seeing as we had quite often lost the trail and had to hunt for it. 

Off to the waterfalls, La Casscada

The next big venture was to the waterfalls. To get there we had to travel by dinghy towards Bonacca where there is a canal that cuts from one side of Guanaja to the other. This canal is quite deep and lined by mangroves. Once through the canal we travelled up the shoreline towards Michael Rock.

Past Michael Rock we proceeded to hunt for the correct landing spot. We actually ended up nearly at Mangrove Bight at the other end of Guanaja. So we back tracked slowly along the shoreline looking for an outlet from a river as where there are falls there has to be a river and a river has a mouth. We spotted the small river mouth and believe it or not a rare sign announcing La Casscada – waterfalls. 

Off along what we took for the path beside the river we headed towards the falls. It was a lovely riverside trail, slippery in places, not very well marked and often we had to cross to find a way forward.

I just waded as trying to keep my feet dry seemed silly. We did reach an area which I believe they call the lower falls, but there we were confronted by huge boulders to get around with a drop below onto other boulders.

There was a line attached to use, but we both decided that the risk of injury out weighed the necessity of reaching the big falls. Maybe if there were others with us we would have ventured on, but we were a long way from the boat or help. So we enjoyed the lower falls and the adventure and headed back. 

On our way in the dinghy along the shoreline we enjoyed the scenery and stopped off at an old dock near the Columbus monument to walk the shoreline for a stretch and a snack in the shade of a tree.

You need to be careful where you sit in the wilds of Guanaja as we found out – there are ticks. John had spotted one on the little dog the previous day and then we both found a few on ourselves. 

Along the canal to the Western end.

Another great venture was when we again travelled through the canal to the other side and explored along the shore line of the western end. 

We firstly locked the dinghy to a tree of the first beach of the western end. Here we spotted a pathway and a sign announcing that the area was a reserve. Off along the path we trod, first facing a very rugged way up a washed out hillside path.

Finally at the top we found beautiful views, but another sign saying that the way ahead was private property.

John really wanted to continue, but in the other direction up to a ridge line along the top of steep hillsides to the highest point we could see in the distance. I just felt that as my legs were so beaten up from the razor grass that I did not want to go. Plus the whole plan had been to explore the shoreline. So back to the dinghy we headed. 

The shoreline here is very rugged in places and just beautiful. The reefs looked to be excellent for snorkeling, the water just crystal clear and turquoise blue.

Once we were further along the  West End Bay we walked along the 2 mile beach enjoying the sunny day.

Afterwards we had a snack lunch and returned down the canal to Aeeshah. 

Savannah Bight?

One of the days we tried to get to Savannah Bight via a pathway we had been told ran along the shoreline. We managed to walk as far as a small farm and then the pathway was blocked by the farmyard and rubble.

So we doubled back to the peninsular, past some very nice homes and looked along the shore for an alternative route, asked a local and concluded there is no path to Savannah Bight. So we decided to go in the dinghy along the shore to the settlement.

The dinghy ride was very lumpy as we were going into the wind, but after about half an hour we were there. And what was there? Not much, mainly fishing boats and large supply boats which were in the process of docking on the shoreline.

We decided to just cruise around and leave, there was just nowhere to land the dinghy anyway.

We cruised back along the shoreline enjoying the scenery.

Mia Cassa Too:

                         is a restaurant on the hill above the bay where the anchorage is located.

This restaurant serves the most delicious food and has wonderful views over the anchorage. We visited twice and both times had the Lion fish.

The view form there in the evening is lovely too, plus they have a hummingbird feeder. Unfortunately the hummingbirds proved to be quite camera shy.

Our second visit we were in the company of a number of other cruisers. 5 of which were off a boat that had just arrived. They left the following night and wrecked the boat on the reefs off French Cay…….but thats a story for the next blog to follow…….

Bonacca

Supply shopping is always an adventure because you have to take the dinghy across the anchorage to the town/island of Bonacca.

This is one of the strangest islands of all, most of the population live on it and it is a maze of buildings, sometimes compared to Venice.

There are no streets, and no cars or scooters, even bicycles are prohibited. Everyone walks along sidewalks, pathways down narrow alleyways. Many of the homes and businesses are on stilts out over the water some being three stories high. Just about everything you might need can be found in Bonacca if you are willing to look or ask. The locals all speak English, so it is easy to interact.

 Now why would the majority of the population live on this small island while there is a huge main island? Well, in days gone by the locals found that the no-see-ums, the biting bugs were just too vicious and plentiful on the main island.

And so they mainly inhabited the little sister island. And if you ever experience the bites of the no-see-ums that are on the main island you would agree.

Walking around Bonacca is like a test of directional navigation, it is not large, but set out like a winding maze of alleyways and water ways through and around the buildings. Supply boat day is the day to shop and the island is busy with the men using carts to deliver the goods and shoppers getting supplies while they last. 

Earthquake

One morning I arose around 6:30 or so, went into the head, just sat on the toilet when….. The whole boat sounded like it was hit by something. There was a rumbling sound and a sensation of a shaking. I went as fast as possible to the cockpit to see what the heck had happened …… there was nothing there. I was really puzzled, what had happened?

A while later I heard from a fellow cruiser that they had felt it and thought it was an earthquake. Sure enough when John awake and looked online he found it was a quake, not far from us, under the sea.

 Pelican Walk

Our last venture was to walk the shoreline from the anchorage to the other small settlement at Pelican Walk. This was a really fun walk.

We started following small pathways along the shoreline, past homes and abandoned buildings, sometimes even through a property. The pathway then climbed up at slope and continued along a shelf of a steep hillside above the water, one slip and on the rocks below you’d find yourself. 

Once down the path we were at the beginning of the settlement. Along Pelican walk we passed homes on the seaward side standing on stilts, guessing to avoid the bugs.

On the landward side we saw children and youths in uniform having left a school on the hillside.

We stopped to chat to folks and continued to what we think was the end as we could not continue any further without passing through gates.

On the way back we stopped along the pathway amongst some mangroves to chat to a fellow. Within all of 2 minutes we were slaughtered by the no-see-ums. 

Guanaja really is a beautiful, unspoiled treasure which I would happily visit again.

A Guanaja sunset

Go back? He thought. No, good at all! Go sideways? Impossible! Go forward? Only thing to do! On we go! – JRR Tolkien

Like all explorers, we are drawn to discover what’s  waiting  out there without knowing yet if we have the courage to face it. – Pema Chodron

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We arranged for us to go back to West End to meet up with Carol and Derick for a few days of snorkeling and such.

So off we left from Jonesville Bight using a strong westerly wind for a very swift sail through rough seas to West Bay. As it turned out Derick and Carol never ventured out that day as it was so rough and windy, but arrived the following day in nearly equally windy easterly winds.

West End

After we arrived we enjoyed a swim in the bay that was protected by the reef. However with the wind blowing into the bay we had some real rocking and rolling through the night. 

Another big reason for getting to West Bay was to get cash, groceries and laundry done. So first off we dropped off the laundry then we got a taxi to Elden’s to do a restocking. With chores out of the way we had a few fun days with Derick and Carol. We enjoyed a lovely lunch at a local restaurant and an evening together on Aeeshah catching up with news of mutual friends.

Walking to West End Bay

Off we set in the morning to walk the entire beach and waterside from West End “town” to the West Bay at the very end.

It is shady in the morning as it faces west and the scenery is lovely in the morning light. Plus the fun parts are scrambling over the rocks and trying to avoid getting wet feet. Past resorts some shuttered, some very modern all very well maintained with raked beaches. About two thirds of the way there you find a bridge that goes over a private boat canal. As the bridge is quite tall it affords quite a good view of the bay.

After the bridge you cut through various smallest  resorts along a small broad walk and then there you are at West Bay the hub of tourism.

This beach is just dedicated to making the average cruise ship passenger happy. It is enjoyable strolling along looking at everything on offer.

Derick was checking out the fly fishing opportunities, stopping every so often to watch the fish, or so he said. We had a grand time. 

Snorkeling was another fun afternoon. The reefs there are just lovely and the water very clear. Unfortunately I forgot to load my card in my go-pro so no photos that time

Off to Port Royal area

At the Eastern end of Roatan are a couple of very large bays: Old Port Royal and Port Royal. After them there are a few islands too, but we were bound for the bays. Our choice of anchorage was actually a mooring buoy off of Mango Creek Resort.

We did as usual and ran our own check to make sure it was secure and then doubled up with lines to the chain too. The other bonus of being off the resort and paying for a mooring is security. There is security both day and night. We could tell they checked us at night by the light that would regularly sweep across the boat. In such a lonely area this is very comforting.

This lovely resort is only accessible by water and when we arrived it was “shut” as the owners were away. However the friendly staff let us wander around and stretch our legs.

The large, manicured grounds were enjoyable to wander around, plus there were trails leading up into the highlands above – next time we will walk them. 

Dinghy trips around the bays

We spent each day we were in the anchorage traveling by dinghy to the far reaches of each bay. In the bay we were in we travelled to the end of Lime Cay Bight

where we found a trail at Conch Cay Point.

Following this we walked a distance along the shoreline – never saw another person, however there were some fancy homes looking down on us. 

Around Jenning’s Point and into Port Royal

we travelled the shoreline, again there were a few homes, some derelict, some for sale and a couple seemed occupied, but nobody about. The majority of the slopes were forested and we had planned to find a trail or 2, but everywhere looked very overgrown and bush hacking was not for us.

At Fort Cay where the old British fort is located we were unable to go ashore as it was posted private. 

The Cow and Calf islands are lovely rugged outposts where the water was crystal clear.

From Port Royal again in the dinghy we were able to pass through a canal into Old Port Royal.

This again is a massive bay however with even fewer signs of habitation.

There was a dredger that looked to be stored at the end of the bay and a very interesting looking wreck on the reefs.

A number of water taxis were crossing the bay taking folks to the next canal that actually leads to the very end of the island, the other side and the next island. We wanted to explore it , but felt it was time to move on. So we were off again ….

The flower is aware of the fact that it contains everything within it, the whole cosmos, and it does not try to become something else. – Thich Nhat Hanh

Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars and see yourself running with them. – Marcus Aurelius

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French Cay area 1st

Aeeshah returned to French Cay area in the second week of January to meet friends Derick and Carol on Latitude who had sailed from the Rio. It was also about time we did some boat chores, stocking up and such. Derick and Carol arrived with no problems despite the higher winds and seas. We had a very nice evening aboard Latitude catching up.

Old French Harbour

John and I dinghied into Old French Harbour in search of a fuel dock. We also toured the Harbour while there. We both really like the traditional fishing boats of which Roatan seemed to have many, new and old.

The homes in Old French Harbor and the ones around the back area where we go to get to the grocery store are also quite a sight. On stilts over the water, built of wood and tin sheeting they often look unsafe lying at angles that suggest they are in need of greater support.

Many are gaily painted but surrounded by trash and grunge in the yards or under the wooden stilts they sit on. People sweep it off their porches, old cars, toys, ships just lay where they were last left rusting and decaying.

Anyway the rustic homes and fishing boats derrick and new make for interesting sights and photos as we pass by.

Snorkeling off Little French Cay

We went on the dinghy to the off reef side – outside of Little French Cay where we tied to mooring buoys and went snorkeling. To say the reef is really, very, beautiful, is an understatement.

The corals are numerous and healthy, the fish are abundant with a wide variety of sizes and species. The water is very clear with great visibility. The reefs slants from the shore downward dropping off on a wall of several hundred feet not far from shore so the temperatures of the currents vary. 

We both enjoyed the different snorkels and Derick came along on one too. After which we stopped off shore from the tiger’s cages to visit with them. On Little French Cay they have a number of exotic animals, some of which are tigers. They look to be in good health, but must be bored in their empty cages.

In French Harbour 

we were able to take the shopping bus to Eldens, plus get our laundry done, then it was time to move on………..

Jonesville Bight 

We set off for new adventures, first stop being Jonesville Bight, just up the coast, bay that we were told was a popular destination with cruisers. A bight is an old English term for a long bay – as in wide at entrance and going in quite a distance.

It was just an hour away, we negotiated the entrance, between the reefs and anchored up on the northern side off Dry Point. In the afternoon we had a dinghy ride around the bay looking at the various areas and then stopped at the small marina/resort/bar across the bay called Trico. 

Trico Marina

This turned out to be a lovely place, quite new with guest accommodation, docking, a bar and restaurant plus excellent wifi. We met the folks running it, had a few drinks and information about the area.

Hiking around Jonesville Bight and Bodden Bight

For our first day we set off from Trico’s Dock through the property to the road for a good long hike. The roadway wound steadily uphill past areas where the foliage was being cleared for development.

The homes that had been built were lovely with brilliant views downhill looking out towards the sea. We really enjoyed the walk with the views changing to forested slopes and rugged farmland all steeply sloping downward.

We reached the main road and walked half a mile in both directions to gain views of the other shore. Most of the walk was somewhat shaded by the large trees that grew along the roadway. 

Dinghy ride To Hog Pen Bight and further

In the afternoon we set off in the dinghy to explore the bay’s/bights eastwards along the coast. We found that there were canals connecting the bay’s so you are able to stay inside the reef for an easier, less rough passage.

We passed inside of Jonesville Cay to the next bight Hog Pen Bight where there were homes, a few bars and small tiendas. The bight itself was quite similar to Jonesville with forested slopes and the structures mainly along the shoreline.

From Hog Pen Bight we followed another Chanel passed Carter Point on the inside and shallow reefs on the outside. This was a very scenic area with a few small resorts. 

Along further we passed under a small bridge, along a narrow stretch which was lined with homes, some of which were literally over the water and just held up with wooded posts.

The homes are again wooden gaily painted, very rustic, most having laundry hanging underneath along with trash. We were wondering about the waste water and sewage when suddenly someone must have flushed, or emptied the drain as a large amount of brown dirty waste water was expelled from under the home to the shallows below.

The end of the channel was Oak Ridge Harbour. Oak Ridge is one of the few towns in Roatan. It is the center for the shrimp boats and trade. There were many shrimp boats docked, both the old and the new. We had a quick look around the Harbour and then headed back.

Oak Ridge for groceries?

On another day we ventured back to Oak Ridge and went grocery shopping.

Leaving the dinghy at the water taxi stop we literally visited every tienda/grocery store. Yes, we did find most of what we needed, and it was very pleasant wandering around.

The town is mainly situated just along the shoreline, very rustic, the streets are kept clean of trash, and the locals are very friendly and helpful.

Dinghy to Calabash Bight 

On yet another venture we passed through Oak Ridge and along a canal to Fiddlers Bight and then Calabash Bight. Fiddler’s Bight was smaller bight with mainly fishing and shrimp boats while Calabash Bight was huge with a few homes and a small marina.

There were a few cruising boats there which looked like the owners had left them. The slopes are all steep and forested, a good area for a boat to shelter from bad weather.

Jonesville village walk

Our second walk was along the Jonesville village shoreline along a lane with rustic homes, tiny tiendas, and other gaily painted wooden buildings.

We soon left the village and were climbing the roadway past the forested slopes. This road offered less in the way of views other than the forested slopes and large grassy slopes for the cattle. Upon meeting the main road we had a look around and then headed back. It was a very quiet area and we were warned that there had been robberies.

Jonesville Point walk

This day we walked down the hill to the bay below the Trico marina. The lane heads downhill past homes and surprisingly a cemetery where the graves were all brightly decorated with plastic flowers.

Along further we crossed a bridge and discovered that the canal under the bridge led towards the mangroves and there was a local longboat touring with tourists. This of course gave us the idea of doing our own tour.

Past the bridge we walked following the rough road along the very pretty shoreside. We crossed another bridge followed the way up a very steep hill and then the track just petered out.

On the way back as we passed a construction site the workers called us over for fresh coconut. They topped the coconut so we could drink the water, which was delicious and then when we finished our nuts he chopped them in half, fashioned a coconut spoon so we could eat the white meat. It really was a yummy treat!

The canal to Carrib Point

Our final dinghy exploration was along the amazing canal that has been created between Jonesville Point and Carib Point Bight.

It leads you down a mangrove corridor passed a few homes and empties you into a mangrove lagoon.

From there you join another mangrove corridor which ends at an area the locals call the Blue Lagoon or Blue Hole.

It is an area where the sea filters over the reef and the bottom is sandy thus the water is a lovely shade of turquoise blue. Beyond there we found Carrib Point Bight. This is another large bight/bay. There we found expensive looking homes on one side while the other is just forested. 

We spent nearly a week in this area of Roatan and had a lovely time, met some more cruisers on other cruising boats, many very helpful, friendly locals and had some excellent walks plus we were safe through a strong northerly wind that blasted in for a few days of disturbed weather.

Why not live each day as if it were the first —> All Raw Astonishment!  – Linda Pastan

PHOTO ALBUM LINK HERE–>> https://photos.app.goo.gl/xovLNA2TvRS1pk5r8

AND Underwater photos–>> https://photos.app.goo.gl/6urmdbRr9rc1SjGz5

So what have we been doing during December? After Ethan left we waited for a nice high tide to get us over Porto Stuck the only possible channel south on the inside of the reefs and cays.

We sailed successfully passing over the shallows with the lowest water under the keel being approximately 2 inches and arrived at an anchorage in the Drowned cays. Louise and Gary also came with us and there we sheltered for a few days from a northener that blasted down. It gave us a chance to catch up with getting the boat back to travel mode and cleaning some locker space. 

We then set off for Placencia, stopping over night at Blue Ground Range where it is fairly sheltered from the winds.

Once in Placencia we again waited for another north wind to blow through and then checked out of Belize. We left Placencia and motor-sailed to Ranguna where we headed off to Utila.

Utila, Honduras

Our destination was Utila, Honduras which we reached after a very calm overnight motor sail and a lovely sunset and a brilliant sunrise just off Utila.

In Utila we checked into Honduras and had a walk around reacquainting our selves with the island. It had been about two and a half years since we had last visited Utila, but little had changed.

The streets are exactly the same, the same stores, same bakery, etc…. It is quite a charming islands and very much the backpacker diver destination. 

Helping Island Girl

That 1st evening while chilling in the cockpit with our cocktails we heard a commotion over the radio. Upon recognizing the voices and boat names we realized that there was a boat, Island Girl off shore in difficulty. We responded along with another boat in the anchorage, Haycon. John in our dingy and Brit and Sandy in their dingy set off in the dark off shore, in rough seas to assist. I stayed and monitored the radio while contacting a fellow ashore who raised some local help too. 

John told me that when they arrived at Island Girl she was floundering in rough seas, with no engine and a damaged inner foresail Bert the skipper was exhausted after struggling for many hours and was in real need of help. He and his wife Dorothy had left the Rio Dulce the previous day after crossing the bar. During the passage they had lost the engine, could not restart it and had encountered head winds. With little sleep, heavy seas, no engine and a damaged rig they were in real difficulty.

So Halcyon – Brit and Sandy, plus John boarded Island Girl and set about sailing her with the reefed jib into the entrance between the reefs and to the anchorage. Meanwhile I did manage to rouse some help from the land, a man called Richard heard the call and arranged for a friend to take his boat to the entrance between the reefs. As it turned out the vessel was not needed as John and Brit sailed it right in and dropped anchor with little difficulty. Everyone had just arrived from a day/ overnight passages and so by the time the rescue was over and some dinner was had our beds were just so welcoming.

We had planned to set off for Roatan the next morning, but decided to stay and see if John could do some sort of fix on Island Girls engine. We had a pleasant morning walk along Utilas Main Street this time towards the lagoon and then in the afternoon John set to on the engine.

What he found was what he expected, the fuel tank was full of gunk, that had grown while the boat had been laid up in the Rio Dulce. The seas being rough had stirred up the gunk which had vowel led the fuel which had bunked up the filters and clogged up the system. He cleaned the filters and ran the engine, but warned Bert that he needed to get the fuel changed and the tanks cleaned. Everyone was mighty relieved especially Bert and Dorothy as they had feared their engine was shot. 

Roatan

Off to Roatan we sailed on the 21st …. After a fast passage we arrived and entered French Harbour – the anchorage off of French Cay. There we found other cruisers boats including Halcyon. 

The few days before Christmas we spent visiting the wonderful grocery store- Eldons, where we could buy just about all the supplies we needed and hadn’t had in quite a while.

We explored in the dinghy, had a few walks around Fantasy Island and to the various nearby shops.

Plus we had a lovely Christmas Eve evening aboard Haycon along with other cruisers. 

Christmas Day

Christmas Day was another day of excellent weather. We had arranged with Sandie, Pam and Lynne to visit the iguana sanctuary. This was established years before when the iguana was threatened by the locals hunting them as food….I personally can not imagine being desperate enough to eat iguana meat.

Anyway a gentleman had rescued several species of iguana including the very rare mangrove iguana. Thus the iguana reserve.

We visited from their dock and it was free. We took all our vegetable and fruit scraps to feed them. Arriving at 8:30 meant that we arrived before the visitors and were free to roam around, in fact we were welcomed.

The iguanas were quite incredible, just all sizes and kinds and dozens wanting our scraps. Apparently there are 3,000 of them now. They do breed them and so the real bay ones are kept in a cage till they are safe to roam. We really enjoyed ourselves and it was a unique Christmas morning.

We enjoyed a quiet day and had a lovely Christmas get together at Fantasy Island marina tiki hut.

There we quite a few of us and everyone contributed several dishes to create a wonderful lunch.

After lunch John and I had a walk around the resort and a relaxing evening on Aeeshah. 

West End

We headed to the West End – an area in Roatan famous for its beaches, snorkeling and diving.

The sail was an easy and smooth along the shoreline, arriving in 2 hours, through the cut in the reefs, we went into the anchorage and found that there were no mooring buoys so we tried to anchor.

After 8 attempts we just dropped the anchor, knowing it was temporary and decided to attach our own lines to the mooring screws. We were told by Halcyon that the parks had been in the middle of renewing the buoys, the screws were in place in the few sand patches, marked by plastic bottles, so we attached our own lines, took Aeeshah and tied her up and finally we were secure – one and a half hours later! However it is a wonderful anchorage so the fuss was well worth it.

While in the West End we had a fabulous time. We snorkeled, had a few dives,

walks everyday around the area and along the shoreline to the very end.

Again we got together with Haycon for drinks on their catamaran, and drinks on ours, plus a Sunday afternoon playing Mexican Train dominoes.

The reefs are beautiful so the snorkeling and diving is excellent and just so easy. There are parks buoys one can tie the dinghy to and dive or snorkel from, the fish are plentiful, the corals numourous plus there were giant sponges- we both had a wonderful time. And of course the sunsets were amazing nearly every night we were there. 

We are the only ones who get to decide what our time and energy and our talents go to. – America Ferrera

There are no wrong turns only unexpectant paths. – Mark Nepo

PHOTOS LINK BELOW 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/wNjV4yCsCD2arUcU7 

Returning to Aeeshah and Chico!!

John and I flew into Guatemala on 5th, October. We stayed overnight in the city in order to get the early morning Litegua bus back to the Rio. So by 9:30 we were well underway back to Aeeshah and Chico, both of which we were quite anxious to return to. 

I had been in contact with Chico’s minder Kevin who had reassured us he was “muy bien”. We had been reassured Aeeshah was fine by way of our friends who often shared his company at poolside.

Our dinghy however had suffered some damage. John had left it hanging from the arch, the heavy rain had filled it and a piece of plastic had plugged the drain, consequently the bottom had cracked. Moral of the story: Always haul our dinghy onto the deck and turn it over. Anyway, Kevin had rescued it and arranged for it to be repaired by a friend of his Carlos.

Well, the pictures of the repair looked excellent so we were also optimistically anticipating seeing a perfect repair. 

On arriving in Fronteras at just after 3:00pm we were able to get to the pick up dock for, Sledgehammer, Catamaran’s ferry. (Just a 5 hour bus ride was a record for us). Back at Catamaran everything was perfect, Aeeshah was somewhat moldy, but fine, Chico was lazily happy to see us and the dinghy look perfect.

Aeeshah’s bi-annual facelift

Getting ready for the cruising season was our priority. Aeeshah was hauled at Ram Marina. The workers power washed her and the hull looked great so it was just necessary to paint the bottom. John had anticipated spending his days sanding and then painting, but when he arrived in the morning the guys were already sanding and then the next day painting. It actually is/was so inexpensive to get them to do the work that it wasn’t worth his time. So he supervised, did a few chores and gossiped/shared knowledge with the other guys nearby.

And right at the last minute, just before Aeeshah was splashed our new name arrived and was applied. 

Meanwhile I stayed in our cabana doing canvas repairs. The main ones being the sail cover needing a new zip and restitching the dinghy cover. 

India again….

Our accommodation was once again in “India” a cabana right by the dock and waterside. It really is lovely, the only drawback is the lack of cooking facilities so it means relying on take outs or salads that I can make.

Chico just took full advantage of having lots of space to lounge about. Then he would stalk the lizards in the surrounding foliage with me having to encourage him to catch and release, which he accommodated. Actually he never kills his prey, he just presents it to us for us to return to the wilds. 

Walking…..

We managed to squeeze in a few walks, a couple to the area across the water from Catamaran where there is a track/lane that leads through the rubber and palm oil plantations.

It is a good hike as there are steep rolling hills, its very pretty, the occasional traffic being locals who are just so friendly and some wildlife in the form of water buffalo and pigs.

Another walk was to Castillo de San Felipe.

The castillo was first built in the 1500s by the Spanish and sits on the edge of Lago de Izabal in a lovely park.

The walk there was along the “main” road so there was traffic which made it not so pleasant. The walk around the lake shore was scenic and peaceful.

We then got a launcha back to Fronteras. 

More dinghy issues

One morning on the Revolution public holiday when the waters were very busy with the massive motorboats of the wealthy that were zooming about causing huge wakes, we were crossing over to Ram when we were slammed by one gigantic wake. CRACK!!:(( Was heard and felt by me as the newly repaired bottom cracked at a weak point where the repair had been made….what a pain! It was just a small crack, but a crack is a crack.

So we took the dinghy out of the water and John set about reinforcing the repair, plus putting in a handy bow shelf. He did an excellent job and we are hopeful that our dinghy wows are over. Carlos had done a great job, but it needed to be reinforced, made stronger on inside and outside. 

And then it was time for us to go on holiday to Antigua with a few friends to witness the All Saints Day/Day of the Dead celebrations and rituals, plus Ethan was arriving to join us for 6 weeks.

“Anything we have, we are only borrowing. Anything. Anytime.” ― Janet Fitch

“This world is but canvas to our imaginations.” ― Henry David Thoreau