Guatemala - 6 weeks in Rio Dulce

Our main reason for going to Rio Dulce, was that we had a couple of tears in our Main Sail, and costs in Miami to do the repair and reinforce all the seams on the Main was huge. In Rio Dulce, there is a Sailmaker, Chloe in Cayo Quemado and she is very competent with staff to help with the moving of large sails for sewing purposes. As it would have it, when visiting her, she was busy with work for 2 weeks before she could take delivery of our Main and begin our work. So we hung around Cato Quemado doing little chores aboard. Taking off the Main and lifting it into Chloes Loft was quite a procedure, but all went well with her staff and Nicholas.

Chloe said the repairs and resewing of all seams would take about 2 weeks, so we headed up river to Fronteras to stock up on Fresh Supplies, and I wanted to visit the excellent dentist Cledente for Teeth Cleaning. I also recently discovered a spot on my Face which I was not happy about and wanted to see a Dermatologist about.

Sailing up through the Golfete Lake and to Fronteras

We anchored close to Catamaran Marina where we’d berthed last season

Catch up dinner with Ben of SV No Cry at The Shack

Excellent Pina Coladas

And excellent The House Burgers with Fries

Friendly House Cat

You might recall we brought some boxes from Miami for a Fellow Cruiser. Well we met them and they were kind enough to Thank us with a dinner at Dreamcatchers with Chef Lizelle.

Nicholas had an excellent Pasta dish with Shrimp

I had Rib Eye Steak

Meshugga at anchor, boat to the left in the photo.

We decided to try sell some of the huge amount of equipment that Nicholas has upgraded on Meshugga, so we took a table at the bi-weekly Cruisers Swop Market. NO luck…….

Off to the Dentist for an excellent Teeth Cleaning

To go to the Dermatologist it’s a half hour ride away in the town of Morales. Even though Nicholas said I should take a taxi, I was most happy on the local Litequa Bus. I met Horst, who sat next to me. A 85 year old German sailor, who was also going to visit the same Dermatologist. 

We kept each other company and chatted about our sailing lives.

Walking around Morales, whilst we waited for the bus back to Fronteras

Whilst at anchor near Fronteras, one night during a Huge Thunderstorm we Again got a Lightning pulse and it took our out Wind instrument. We rushed to order not One but Two Wind Instruments from Hodges in Miami and had them AirFreighted in.

 

Chloe messaged us to say our Main was ready for collection so we Motor-Sailed the 10 miles to Cato Quemado where her loft is, to collect our Main, and deliver our New Gennekar which Nicholas wanted slightly cut as it was a bit long and low when flying it.

Installing our Main

The local fishermen are Very proficient at throwing their Throw Nets

I got stung/bitten ( I think by a spider), the welt was huge, red and inflamed. Antibiotic crème and no scratching helped it along and a week/10 days later all was back to normal.

We delivered our Gennaker to Chloe, and here’s Nicholas marking where Chloe should cut the Gennaker to his specifications.

Main installed, we went back to Fronteras to again stock up with Fresh Produce and collect our DHL Airfreight Wind Instruments. This time being more prudent of a possible Lighting Strike, Nicholas did not isntall it, and thought he’d only do it as we left Rio Dulce.

Nicholas decided to try a Faraday Cage around the Wind Instrument. Hopefully it’ll deflect another Lightning strike.

Final dinner with Ben. No idea when or if we will see him again. This time at Ah Wei, which tonight specializes in Margaritas and Tacos

My Shrimp Tacos

Carne (meat) Tacos

Houses alongside where we were anchored at Fronteras.

Back to Cayo Quemado and collected our cut down Gennaker, 

Leaving Fronteras

The wind looking favorable for our voyage, we motored the final 10 miles to Livingston to clear Customs and Immigration.

Stunning Ravine of the Rio Dulce

Heading to go under the Dreaded Power Lines again. But this is our 6th time, so getting used to it, although we still hug the Left bank where the Lines are higher.

A quick visit to Raul, the Agents, office we were all legit with a Zarpe and stamped passports and free to leave Guatemala.

The tides showed that High Tide all week was in darkness, so we took the Bull by the Horns and crossed the bar at 3am, following our previous incoming track, sailing 10 miles across the Bay to anchor in the lee of the headland, and getting a few hours sleep.

Morning gave us a sloppy swell, which was not great for Nicholas to go up the mast to replace our Wind Instrument and lift our 8 foot VHF aerial which gives us VHF and AIS comms, but there was no alternative.

Final prep to sail to Panama….

Bahamas - Ragged Islands, Meshugga’s Trail @ Hog Cay, and Goodbye Bahamas

Having walked the Trail cut by Jerry and Karen of Persephone, to the Dilly Trees, I decided that it was a relatively short distance to continue the Trail to House Bay on the Southern side of Hog Cay. The other trails to House Bay are either over a very rocky hill, or through a Salt Pan, which has been full of water the past few years, making us walk on very sharp rocks through the scrub alongside the Pan.

So I set off, with my iPhone for a Compass, Google Maps and my Apple Watch to Track my Path. The first day I crept though trees, shrubs etc on Goat Paths where possible (and getting very scratched!), and marked a possible trail with blue rope. Looking at my Tracks (from my Watch) back at Meshugga, I could see a couple of areas I was making big loops. So the following day went with Google Maps open and rectified my Path to be as straight as possible.

And then the Cutting started.

I have a Stihl Chainsaw, which unfortunately has only one battery, so my work mornings were dictated by how long my Stihl battery lasted, and my energy for clearing and dumping all the cut foliage off my new path. It took me 6 days, each session 2-3 hours long, and I finally have a Trail I’m proud of.

The Start of my Trail from House Bay

Marker on House Bay Beach to alert Hikers that a New Trail Start is nearby

A view from the Trail looking to the end at House Bay

The Trail, cut wide and raked

My Trail ends at the Dilly Trees. Here is what the Fruits look like.

Map of Persephone and Meshugga’s Trails

Goats along Persephone’s Trail

Marker at the Start of the Trail to tell Hikers where the Trail leads to

Notice buoy on Lobster Beach to tell Hikers that there’s a Trail to House Bay nearby

At low tide, this Ray was ever present in the very shallow water near my dinghy

We decided it was time to start heading up the Chain on our way to Miami, and I attended to some chores

Laundry

We have a small section of seam on our Main Sail where the stitching has disintergrated. The Main Sail is far too big to take off and use my sewing machine, and as the section is only a foot long, I climbed up into the Canoe Boom and spent some time with a heavy duty needle, PTFT thread and a palm hand, sewing the section. Not a thing of beauty, but sewn strong.

My view from up in the Boom

View over our FlyBridge roof with Solar Panels

On my chore list was going ashore to burn our paper trash

Despite a sign over the Trash Burning Pit that clearly says, “NO METAL / GLASS in FIRE”, some Cruisers think that ‘Someone’ will clean up and dispose of their Trash

Bucket of Metal Tins and Glass from the Trash Pit…..

We had a light Westerly wind, and Meshugga is only Just Floating at Low Tide

A final look around the Hog Cay Yacht Club

Meshugga’s sign is still up, and hasn’t faded over the past 4 years

Final night with a stunning Moon Rise

A last look at one of our favorite anchorages.

Main up, and ready to go

The yachts still at Hog Cay

Exiting the Bahamas bank into the Ocean at Nurse Channel, hopefully to catch a Mahi Mahi…..we did not even get a bite!🙁

In the afternoon, the sun disappeared, and we sailed through huge Sqaulls with 30 knot winds and tons and tons of Rain. Meshugga got a good wash down

We spent our first night at Flamingo Cay, and left at first light for the long sail to Black Point via Coakley. Along the way we were treated to dolphins around Meshugga for about a half hour

Unfortunately my video of the dolphins is too large a file to upload…

As we’d only arrive at Black Point around 9.30pm, I made Pizzas whilst sailing. Big Mistake! The wind kept blowing the Gas BBQ fire out, and instead of a 15-20 min bake, it took almost an hour, with constant relighting and then the bases of the Pizza were rather hard. 

Note to Self: Scrap that idea of Pizza dinner underway in future! 🤪

Whilst at Black Point, we received an email to say that our Additional Lithium Batteries that Nicholas had ordered were now being delivered to us in Miami on 18 April, and not 1 May as previously advised. Suddenly our leisurely sail up the Chain has changed into a hurry to get to Miami, 250 miles away. 

We quickly prepped Meshugga and left at first light for a continuous passage to Miami over the Banks, through the Tongue of Ocean, and to cross the Straits of Florida Gulf Current prior to the Winds going Westerly on Monday 17th, early morning.

Our Last Bahamas Sunrise, having just sailed onto the Bank from the Tongue.

I’m going to miss the Bahamas Blue water

Into the Gulf Chanel, a big Cruise Ship

Just prior to sunset we had a little bird come aboard, midway across the Channel. He just tucked up and waited for land to be sighted

We fished the whole way across we fished with No bites

Our last sunset leaving Bahamas

 

Ominous clouds heading for the Florida

In the Dark of the night, a Huge Cruiser with Lights….

We anchored at 12.30am amongst 20 other Yachts outside of No Name Harbor, Key Biscayne. All sails stowed, we went to bed, only to be awoken at 3.30am by Rain and Huge winds. 50 knots, as a Massive Front passed over us. Meshugga’s anchor held well. The yacht behind us did not, dragging until he was able to get it set again.

Back in the US of A ………