Friday Jan 8 2010 6:38 am
Since leaving the Rio last week, the sun has decided to go on vacation. While you all up in the States suffer from the cold and Obama, we are waiting for your storm to effect us here on Sunday. This time of year your storms show up down here as northerners. We cruisers take refuge in different anchorages as these strong storms sweep down from the north. Joyce has mentioned our new set of problems.....I'll fill in the blanks. News Flash....the sun just poked through the clouds...guess we will go to the iguana zoo today.....and now you know what will be in Joyce s pictures when she does her next post
Those long time followers of the blog, know about my love hate relationship with batteries. When we got back to the boat in October, we had some dead batteries. Once 1 starts to go, it seems the rest are close behind. I took the bad batteries out, but the others would then start to get hot and gas. So back in Nov I bought 2 batteries (24 volts...so 2 wired in series) and disconnected the rest. I have been in contact with Interstate Batteries back in the States. They have given me a contact in Panama who we have talked with. We are hoping to get 12 new batteries under warranty.....for the 5th time. I was hoping we could live with minimum electric usage and make it to Panama this month. Remember....this is our 1st yr in the western Caribbean.... these northerners can really blow...not unlike the storms we have to dodge if coming down from the Chesapeake to the Islands....remember last yrs 54 knot storm we went through. We were having to run the genset every 4-5 hrs to keep our 2 batteries happy..... that includes at night. So to let us sleep and save wear and tear on the genset we came into the marina here....only 100 bucks a week. We will get ready for tomorrow nights blow..35 knts forecast-ed. Problem #2 showed up 4 hours out of the Rio last week on the way to Utila. The Amel is unique, the engine is mounted backward and Amel developed a U-drive. The propeller comes our of the back of the keel. Well this drive has to be serviced and we did when the boat was hauled back in October. Well we started to hear a strange noise that night...upon inspection I found this drive's reservoir was empty. I refilled it and most of the noise went away. When we got to Utila, the fluid was milky indication water in the drive unit. To repair this means the boat has to be hauled. Ram the boatyard up the Rio has assumed responsibility and we will have to go down to La Ceiba on the mainland to do this. With dodging these damn storms... getting parts ordered and scheduling the haul-out, we will have a hard time making Panama by the end of the month. Hoping to get some slack from the battery guy....we will see
We are enjoying meeting up with friends from the Rio, went to Happy Hour last night at the marina bar. The Marina is part of Fantasy Island Dive Resort. So we have the run of the place including the pool, nice beach,cable TV, free ice and discounted diving. So tomorrow we are going for a dive...supposed to be the best dive site on the island.....so it looks like you pic selection on Joyce s next blog will be lizards and fish.
Last minute things...we were still at the dock in Mario´s...waiting.
So I ran Hugo into town for some last minute fruits and vegetables (I forgot garlic...boy am I in trouble). When I got back there was still a little time so I continued to clean up and get the boat ready. Finally we untied! After fueling up at RAM we anchored off of town so Paul could run to the ATM to get some cash to pay for the last minute things (Ronnie and checking out of the country). Up anchor and went back to RAM and hung around for 1-2 hour waiting on Ronnies´s workers to come pick up the money Paul owed them (waiting on Ronnie...well...Paul can get into that!) So finally, we were headed down the river, 12:30pm...yes, of course I took pictures! 
These little guys wanted rides! 
Some beautiful homes of the rich Guatemalans...
and those that use the river for sustenance..
...subsistence! We actually made good time going down river...
arriving at Livingston around 330pm or so. 
Bill and Trudy (Lenora of the Sark...another Amel) had left earlier and were anchored waiting for the high tide, and three other boats too! 
Anchor down, we called Raul (our check in-check out guy) and he asked that we dingy into town to meet him. I had so much to still do on the boat that I didn´t want to go...but, yes, I went anyway! We got some fresh pan (opps...bread) while we waited...and we didn´t have to wait very long...thank heaven! 
Livingston is not a favorite town of the cruisers...if any boats have to anchor there overnight they are almost always robbed. It is necessary to pass through Livingston th check into Guatemala and go up the Rio, unfortunately. My aside...it is a¨hustler¨town...I don´t really like it either. Cruise ships that dock at Puerto Barrios have their passengers take boats (the only way to get to Livingston) tour the town...of course for extra $$. If I were on a Cruise Ship...I´d say skip the town...Anyway...we were back to the boat with an hour to finish stowing (the compressor, Hugo, and down below) for the passage! The shelf Frank built for the dive compressor is wonderful in the¨garage¨...and the compressor fit right on it...once I got the area cleaned out and re arranged. Then Hugo up on deck. I got down below to get a frsh weather grib for Paul on the computer while he prepared the lines for us to be tipped. 5 15pm came and everyone (Paul) was so anxious that he raised anchor and began a small circle (there is not a lot of depth here...so it was best not too big of a circle). 
Two other boats went out at 5pm ish...one grounded right away, the line was tossed and he was tipped. At first the boat driver didn´t know how to steer while being tipped and we thought there was really going to be some delays...not sure if one of the Livingston guys got on the sailboat to help or not...but it was figured out. The other grounded...was able to use patience, a little wave action...and power through, then followed without any assistance. 
The Amel boats (Bill and Trudy´s and Paul´s) are 7 foot drafts with a wing keel. 
Bill and Trudy were to go next and they hit the mud first thing too...
line was tossed...and a helper came onto their boat. 
These are all pictures of their boat...
Paul took the navigation way points from the Chisme website and began to motor along while Bill and Trudy were being tipped. 
We would touch the muddy bottom and motor through...with the wing keel plowing a nice little path I´m sure. 
We were abreast of Lenora and at one time a little ahead....just using patience, consistent power and the slight wave action that there was. Paul stated that we may be the first Amel to ever make it over the bar without being tipped...and we almost got to that buoy too!! We had to be only a football field and a half away! Translation, yes, we too got stuck in the mud and were making no headway. Paul put the engine in neutral and waited for the fishing boat to finish getting Lenora over the muddy bar. They came back for us, tipped us the remainder of the way, we paid them the going rate, $50 USD...$400 Q, and continued our motor. BOTH of the handheld radios were not working well...so our goodbyes to Bill and Trudy were short! We had ham sandwiches for dinner, Paul with a beer and I had a juice that I had bought at the store earlier. For the first three hours with the full moon and calm seas it was a great motor! Then I went down to try to sleep a little...tossed and turned for the first hour and then maybe got an hour sleep...woke up...wide awake...the boat was bouncing around pretty good but I was ready to roll over anyway and try to sleep more when....the engine quit. I got dressed and went up to see what was going on. No fuel...Paul switched to the other racor filter...primed...and...the engine started...But I as really wide awake by then...so we both stayed up for about an hour and then Paul went down to sleep...in the salon. Sleeping in the salon is usually the most comfortable ride. By that time the wind (from the east) and the waves (from the northeast) had picked up so much that it was a pretty bouncy ride. Waves would slow us to 2 knots from 6 knots heading into the wind. Within hours it became a washing machine with themain wind waves up to six feet and the smaller ones one to two feet. I will spare you the intimate details...but I became sick...using the head in bouncy seas when you are not feeling well...well, I´ll spare you those details too. Now we are not sure if it was because I was so tired from preparing the boat all day and not drinking enough water...the juice drink...or if after being a Marina rat for 6 months and being on land, plus our leaving at night, gave me seasickness for the FIRST time! But I was miserable! Paul woke up around 1 30am...I told him I wasn´t feeling well....and I went and laid down in the salon too. Early evening while we were having dinner, I had mentioned a noise that I had not remembered to Paul. He shrugged it off at the time. But, it was at this time that he went into the engine room and check the Amel u drive...there ere no fluids! He came out of the engine room...turned the engine off...opened the locker looking for oil of ANY kind...and then came the THUD...and a lot of swearing...the locker lid had fallen on top of his head. I stayed below...then ANOTHER THUD...more swearing...I got up. Yes, his head was bloody...but not gushing...so I left it alone (the note to this...he stood about an inch taller for a day...and hit his head at least three more times...not ducking quite enough down below from cabin to tunnel). The search started for a flashlight...and thn while Paul was in the engine room holding one end of th hose...I poured oil into the funnel...GREAT...another boat problem!!! This u drive was just replaced when Paul was hauled at RAM and when the worker put it on...he must have broken a seal...and oil is slowly leaking! (A note to this...this will impact where we go...perhaps to La Ceiba to get hauled and have it repaired BEFORE we go to Panama). I maybe got another hour of sleep between using the head and feeling just plain miserable...before Paul tapped my leg at 4 30am...down he went and up I went...still not feeling well. I made some tea and continued with my watch. The sun rose. We were still in rough seas but not as much as during the night (the waves would only slow us to 3.9 knots...but the wind on the nose was keeping us only in the high 5 knot range. The main sail was flapping so much (Paul had put it out to try to pinch...and also for some added stability) that I decided to get the preventer out and put it on...while doing that...I will admit that for THE FIRST TIME EVER...I spilled over the side!!! Didn´t have much there ...so ENOUGH of that! To make a much longer (it is always longer when you don´t feel well) sotry shorter...the winds and waves finally did calm down forthree hours or so...I continued to not feel well...then 15 miles out of Utila the wind picked up from the east...the direction we were going...to 15 knots...so on the nose again...the waves were 4 to 5 feet...again slowing our progress. There was no way to make it to Roatan before nightfall!!
So here we are in Utila...
New Years Day...January 1st 2010...music has been going non stop since our arrival...I am feeling a little better...
but we are resting for a few days...
waiting for a weather window to motor on to Roatan...
First greeter as you go up the steps to the iguana farm...
He enjoyed playing with Paul's cane...and his tail was VERY sneaky and strong when grabbing it! He even tried to grab the camera once with his tail until I got wise to his long reach!
Isn't he cute?
Not sure if this guy would be considered cute!
There are certainly a lot of them at this place. Apparently the green iguana had been considered endangered because people ate them.
Not here though...
There seems to be plenty of them here...
Thankfully, they are vegetarians, so they were not after Paul's ankles...just the leaf that he had...
They certainly were not shy...
These were in a small pond too...they were a lot bigger than the one that I use to have when I was a kid!!
Back to the Fantasy Island Marina...and these little guys that are everywhere...
This is one of Paul's favorites...
It is a small marina...mostly built around the hotel/restaurant/dive shop...
Sunrise....
The calm before the storm....oh...did I mention that there is a northerly right now? Gusts over 30 knots...
Outside the restaurant...
Paul discussing not sharing the banana bread (in his hand) with these two geese...
Sunset over Roatan with the Lady H side-tied to the Fantasy Island Marina...
Dingy dock is inbetween these shrimp boats! 
Then a walk up a dirt road...to a great grocery store!
The homes across from the shrimp boat docks....
And, a morning dive to Mary's Place...calm morning before the storm came...seahorse...
Mary's Place is know for it's crevice diving...
Barrell sponges...
Lot's of this fan coral...
With Paul's claustrophobia...I almost expected him to dart out of these crevices...but he did very well!
Pillar coral...
More pillar coral....
And, staghorn fire coral...synopsis of the entire dive?? Visability not the greatest...not a lot of fish...so while it was GREAT to be in/under the water again...call me a scuba snob!!!
