The Roatan Story

Mark writes:

Damm Damm this traffic jam! Yes, an old song, but one that I think of every day when I marvel at the hummingbirds around the feeder. 

 I forget I am on my way to feed the chickens as the allure of the battle catches my attention with the clash of beaks and the fight for a spot at one of the four feeding stations.  With nothing urgent to do, I lay back in my hammock and experience this phenomenon of color and vibration.  This friends, is the kind of traffic jam I can handle!  I really tried to get all of them in the same picture.  But if you have ever tried to catch an opportunity with one of those cheap, slow, digital cameras you know it’s darn near impossible!

Today I went snorkeling with Graham, Sue, Steve, and Myra (they are staying in Calabash aboard Chandrika). 

  We had a great time, until I got around to checking on the red marker buoy I installed, and found that someone dropped a battery on top of the ledge that my big block was jammed under, and broke the block and ledge loose!  Now the block isn’t enough to hold the buoy in place so I have to scramble and come up with another anchoring system or this buoy will float off to Cuba!  And, to top it off, metal here has become so valuable that recycling junkies are stealing it and finding an old anchor for sale is near impossible.  Gee thanks China!

Lori and I have been enjoying Chandrika’s visit and we are making the most of it.  

When Graham and Sue move on, they intend to go to Panama, then through the canal, and up the west coast or South to the South Pacific and beyond.  So, we won’t see them come to Roatan by boat again.  What a bummer that is going to be!  This young couple has the “right stuff” for cruising in the minimalist style and has the moxie to handle most anything the sea can throw at them.  Boy, do I wish I was that young again!

I received a phone call today from the Zolitur (Duty Free Zone) folks; they said my certificate will be issued this week (March 24^th, 2008)!  This is good news (if really true) and we can finally get on with it! I do hope they are telling the truth because I want to get the lumber on order and start things rolling so we can get the house done and moved into by July.   Okay, now it is four days later and still no certificate….figures.  Okay, now it’s been another week and a half, and I was told today on the phone it will be ready on Tuesday… It happened! I don’t believe it!  Today I actually obtained the coveted Zolitur Certificate.  Of course there is another hoop or two before I can actually use it, but I have it in my hands and it is April 16^th, 2008. Halleluiah! 

Yankee, a local scrap man informed me that he could build two anchors I needed for the moorings I am putting in. After asking me for 500 Lempira in advance for welding rods, he brought over an older anchor two days later (it was obvious he didn’t make this one)

 and asked for more money for materials to build the next one.  Stupidly, I gave him an extra 500 Lempiras forgetting that I had already advanced him 500 for the welding rods.  So now I have an adequate anchor (about 350 lbs of ½” steel construction) but only one for 3500 Lempiras instead of the agreed price of two anchors for 2500 each.

   Will I see the second one from him? I doubt it!  He called me again and asked for another 600 Lempiras for materials at which time I had smartened up just a bit and told him in no uncertain terms that the only way he was getting any more money in this venture is to deliver my second anchor and get paid for it then, PERIOD.  So as I said, I doubt if I am going to see the second anchor but I have vowed that every time I see him I am going to ask for my welding rods or my 1000 Lempira back.  I will just have to realize that I bought the first anchor (and most likely only one) for 3500 Lempiras instead of 2500 as agreed in the first place. Lesson # 501 and counting, DUH on me!

So, we installed the one anchor and hooked a 1/2” chain to it, ending at the mooring buoy.  About a week later I moved Aeolus (our CSY44 sailboat) onto it for testing.  I had a sleepless night since the wind was gusting pretty hard (30 to 40 knots!) and I hadn’t gotten the distance from the dock right yet.  The next morning, I put Sue (A very large fender that is about the size of a good friend Lori and I have in Tampa, hence the name.) on the dock in case the boat is blown into it. I need to pull Aeolus out a bit more to keep her from just touching the dock/Sue but otherwise it should work.  This move accomplishes a few things.  First, the boat will ride much nicer in the wind and the few occasional wakes produced by the traffic of small “Bouncers” (little boats like our Gremlin).  Another advantage is, it will free up room on the dock for another boat our size to “Med Moor” (tie up stern to). 

Chandrika Med Moored next to Aeolus

  Also, in a storm from the South, I can pull the boat off of the dock entirely saving both dock and boat from damage.  Speaking of storms, if a cold front comes from the North, the water is smooth as glass at the dock because it is behind the point.  From the South, the wind pipes up at times but there are never any seas or swells in Calabash Bight.  The entrance and the reef/land configuration shields us from really bad weather.

Now the Red buoy is well anchored (I hope!).  I found an old steel 55 gallon barrel in good shape, had Darcy cut it in half and pour concrete in it with a ½” chain (and rebar to hold it in place) for a tether arrangement.  I then had Charles (a very nice dory driver who is strong as heck) pick it up the next day and carefully drop it in place as not to damage any live coral. 

A successful drop to a bare location on the edge.

Note that the chain has a "snubber" and that the buoy pin is strapped twice with one longer than the other so I know when it is worn out before hand. Double safety and keeps chain off of the coral!

This should suffice nicely for at least a year until I have to replace the chain.  Regular inspections will still be done which is a good channel marker maintenance practice you know!  I guess that makes me the Calabash Bight Marker Dude now.

We also had a couple of visiting cruisers in Calabash this past week. Bill and Susie on Skol are interested in becoming Roatan Island residents and are busy looking at property on the East end.  It will be great if they become neighbors as Lori and I found them very nice people!  We also had Mi Ishmael (Bryan) and Sea Dragon in here. We unfortunately didn’t meet anyone from Sea Dragon as they pulled out the very next day to sail Eastward to Port Royal and beyond.  Getting a weather window to head east is difficult here with the East to South Easterly trades being strong and very consistent. So when the opportunity arises, boats head out. Maybe next season we will meet them.

In Chapter 5 “Aeolus Goes Home”, we wrote about a sailing vessel named Red Cloud and their roundtrip voyage from Texas to Belize. The captain of Red Cloud told Lori and me that at the conclusion of the trip, a story would be published in a sailing magazine by February of this year.  We have been watching for this supposed article because we thought maybe Aeolus would be mentioned.  I was just cruising the internet and found a newspaper piece written at the outset of their voyage explaining that the purpose was to bring school supplies for kids in Belize and return with 10,000 lbs of coffee to Galveston, Texas. I then found a story about them being rescued 200 miles south of the Texas coast in 35 knot winds and 20 foot waves, with the boat taking on water.  The Coast Guard rescued them by helicopter.  It appears they sailed into an oncoming cold front in the Gulf of Mexico.  It produced gale force winds in a pocket of about 200 square miles that drifted towards the south and through Mexico/Yucatan to the Pacific.  This is typical behavior for fronts when they hit this area.  I feel for them but also wonder what possessed them to attempt a crossing with a front heading their way?  Anyway, it seems their venture was not fully realized.  However, I think the idea of using a sailing vessel to transport cargo may be more common in the future as fuel costs keep rising.

Did I mention a hoop or two to jump through before I could use our new “Zolitur” Certificate? Well I finally used it for the first time to get two water tanks out of Jackson Shipping’s freight yard in French Harbor.  They arrived in Roatan from Tampa as a surprise a couple of months ago when Jackson was emptying their Tampa, Florida yard in preparation for moving the business. We weren’t quite ready for the tanks so I asked the customs agent in attendance if there were any fines or such if I let them sit there until my Zolitur was complete.  He replied that it was not a problem.  So, when the time came to spring them out of jail, so to speak, I was informed there was a 17,000 Lempira fine for them sitting there!  What?!?!?  Even though I had previously asked, I was told there was a penalty.  After 20 days, Aduanas (Customs) fines you the total of three agent’s salary per day.  I was told this has been the rule for quite some time but wasn’t enforced until recently.  Recently?  Why?  Because now I have a Zolitur, they are enforcing it?  That couldn’t be, could it?  I went to the customs office and argued the point and managed to get the fine reduced by a third but they would not budge past that point.  Oh well, at least now I can take the water tanks home!

Way back when, I had this bright idea to buy our water tanks in the U.S. because of the space restrictions where we are placing them under our house.  I looked at Roto-Plast here in Honduras and could not find any tanks that would hold 2500 gallons that were less than 9 to 10 feet tall.  So, I bought these which fit perfectly under the house at 8’ diameter and 7.9’ high.  Since our property is water access only, I trucked them on my little Hyundai (two trips) from Jackson Shipping to Diamond Rock landing at the head of Calabash Bight.  Then, I called a friend to float them across the harbor and get them up the hill into place in the concrete foundation.  During this transport, two out of five guys went swimming (unintentionally) and we almost lost one tank when it tried to roll back down the hill uncontrolled!  Once we had the first one in place, the next one was going to be a breeze, NOT!  The guys got it to the top of the hill but could not get it through the concrete framework of our foundation because the opening was about 2 inches to short.  One brilliant worker said he would go get a sledge hammer to break away the concrete on the overhead beam while the other two workers nodded in agreement.  Okay, at this point I was saying to myself, “Thank God I am here for this!  I stopped the guy from getting the sledge hammer and suggested that they all take a break while I dug the DIRT down the required two inches instead of them taking hours and ruining the concrete beam doing it their way!!!!  Yes folks, this is how it goes time and again, hence the suggestion from everyone that has been there and done this: never, NEVER, NEVER leave the site while they are working! In this case I would have had a ruined support beam when all that was needed was to dig a little dirt!  Lesson #559 re-learned, again.

Finally the water tanks are in place!

I am still waiting for my purchase orders that I had to get printed and also sent to La Ceiba to get signed and stamped by the DEI (Executive Directorate of Income or Department of Finance) before I can make new purchases under my Zolitur status.  It has been two weeks now and I am still waiting which brings an old acronym to mind, “SNAFU” (Situation Normal, All Fuc@#d Up). 

The next project I am starting, while waiting for the stamped purchase orders to buy lumber and build our house (minor detail, hah), is the digging of a well for the Reverse Osmosis machine to draw its water from. 

Jose' digging for water

 Our neighbor, Roger, has this talent for “witching water”.  I’m sure most people don’t believe in this ability but I have seen him do it at five other locations and he has been right every time.  So, I figure, why not!  We did a cursory sweep a couple of months ago and found a likely spot right next to the Turtlegrass Pequeño (guest house) where the RO machine is located.  After I drill and find water (it doesn’t matter if it is salt, brackish, or fresh except that the less salt or solids in it, the faster the machine produces pure water), I will run the plumbing for the machine and also connect and create a manifold so I can control which tank to feed to and from, etc… Heck, I could also plump the pump in too except that my equipment room is full of windows, doors, electrical, plumbing, nails, screws, water heater, ac units, all the stuff it takes to build a house!

Just the other day, I finally got word that my License plates are in for our “New” one year old truck! 

When we purchased the truck in May of 2007, we were told that Honduras had run out of license plates!  Over the course of this past year, I have been responsible for keeping the provisional circular (three month temporary permit) current. Each time my circular was close to expiring, I would request a new one.   It became such a battle that I finally had to get my attorney involved.  After finally getting contact information for the Manager at Excel Automotriz where we bought the truck, things began to happen rapidly.  The manager explained the delay in sending my plates was due to a fine that had to be paid since the application for the plates was so late. I told him that the application had been submitted and paid for when I bought the truck.  So, I was emailed and asked for my receipt of payment for the plates, which I was happy to find, scan, and email back.  Then, there was a further delay as the dealership went through the process of absorbing the fine for the misplaced payment I made over a year ago!  Let’s not give this one a lesson number as this just doesn’t warrant one (and they say you can’t fix stupid!).  Actually, I really like the crew at the dealership in Ceiba. Esteban is one heck of a nice manager and smart too, but he can’t do it all himself.  Anyway, I HAVE THE PLATES!!! 

Another milestone!  It’s amazing how simple accomplishments can make your day here.  Funny thing is, they expire in two months since they sat for so long waiting for this fiasco to get cleared up!

Lori and I have made a decision I do hope we don’t regret.  We have decided that we like cruising, cruising sailors, and the general community of cruisers so much, that we are going to expand our dock and offer three slips in addition to ours. We will also offer RO water fill ups, clean diesel at a good price, and some parts and services in addition to our present WiFi.  Also, since we have the mooring buoy all set up, it will accommodate another boat and we may install one more.  Now that we have our Zolitur Certificate we can help yachts in transit with importing needed parts and supplies duty free.  We will still be required to charge sales tax but at least the duty will be a thing of the past.

I had better shut up so the Wife has room to put her two cents worth in, or maybe three this time.  

Lori writes:

The quantity of input I will add to this chapter is probably more like one cent’s worth although the quality, as always, is priceless.. ha-ha.  Since Mark described just about everything we have experienced this past month and a half, I only have a few things to add, including one anecdote and one memorable event.

The humorous story I want to share happened in Eldon’s grocery store.  We had just met Bill and Susie on Skol the day before when they anchored in Calabash Bight and dinghied over to meet us and buy WiFi service.  In the course of conversation Mark mentioned we would be driving out west the following day and invited them to join us to see the sights and do some shopping.  So, that is how it happened that Bill, Susie, and I were together at Eldon’s (Mark had gone down the road to the feed store).  My first shopping priority was to visit the medicine counter as I had been feeling the symptoms of a yeast infection coming on.  I searched the shelves in vain and then tried asking the girl behind the counter only to discover she didn’t speak English.  I had learned earlier in the day that Bill spoke Spanish and not knowing what else to do, I found him in the store and red faced with embarrassment, explained my predicament to him.  He and Susie followed me back to the medicine counter as Bill muttered, “I don’t think I know the Spanish word for that female part…..hmmm”.  As he tried to communicate with the clerk, Susie offered to pantomime the process for using the medicine and I almost died laughing.  As it turned out, their efforts were successful and we found what I had been looking for. I hadn’t laughed so hard nor been so embarrassed in a long time and I am certain the clerk thought we were a bunch of crazy gringos.  Thank you Bill and Susie! 

A few days later, Skol left Calabash Bight as Chandrika pulled in and tied up to our dock.  I truly enjoyed Graham and Sue’s visit.  Mark gave a great description of their character and enthusiasm earlier in this chapter.  They are wonderful people to spend time with and I will miss their company.  As it turned out, I had to say my good-byes to them prior to their departure as I had a plane ticket to fly home for my youngest sister’s wedding. So, I left them in Mark’s care, promising to stay in touch and then flew off to Fort Meyers, Florida.

My sister’s wedding was an unforgettable event. 

Dad walks Lynn down the aisle

  The location was breathtaking, my sister, Lynn, was stunning, and I even like my new brother-in-law!  I spent time with relatives I hadn’t seen in years and my eighteen month old nephew, David, was the most adorable ring bearer ever.  Afterward, I traveled to Tampa and stayed with my parents, visited with my kids, and checked off a long shopping list Mark sent back with me. 

  My son, Alex, just finished his freshman year at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida and I was relieved to find out that he will be returning in the Fall (living so far away, I often worry how he is doing in college!).  My daughter, Savannah, is 4 ½ months pregnant with her first child and is excited and apprehensive about having a baby girl. I will return to Tampa in September for that event.  Somehow, I managed to buy everything on my list and had two suitcases that weighed just under fifty pounds each.  After two weeks in Florida, I returned home, traveling through five airports on a cheap Taca ticket and was amazed to find that my luggage arrived home with me.

To wrap up my one cent’s worth, our progress here is a never ending learning experience, yet we always find time to laugh, relax, meet new friends, and spend time with family we love. Last of all, I think my wonderful husband did an amazing job revamping this website!