Guatemala - Cayo Quemado

It’s been a quiet week.

We’ve been aboard at Cayo Quemado. I’ve done normal yacht chores, and I’ve also started with my bulk storage Stock-Take, which I’ll now keep meticulously updated so that I can do proper Victualing before we leave USA headed for Panama and French Polynesia later this year. This is just one of my bulk lockers. 

Every day meals have to be prepared; tonight is BBQ grilled chicken and baked potatoes with salad and beans.

Stunning sunset with hardly a breath of wind

Nicholas has been continuing with various repairs and maintenance and new Projects.

Here he is running electric cables to install 110V electricity sockets in the workshop, as we are a 220V boat.

Our view into Cayo Quemado inner anchorage, where Chloe the Sailmaker and Frederic the Raymarine chap reside.

He has also begun with the task of un-installing all the lightening damaged instruments.

A pile of uninstalled equipment is piling up on our cockpit table

The Nav table station is beginning to look quite bare with all the instruments uninstalled and wires pulled out.

We had a couple of neighbors arrive, this yacht is quite pretty. 

Today, Sunday is quite cool. With misty conditions on the surrounding mountains and a mizzel all day, we find this weather wonderfully cool - it’s 25C / 80F.

Guatemala, Rio Dulce & Cayo Quemado

I had another week of dentistry issue. First with one of my molar crown implants coming loose, and I was able to go to a local dentist, about a 20 minute dinghy ride to have him remove and re-tighten the crown onto the implant abutment.

Cledent has a dock, as most people, Cruisers and Locals travel on the Rio. 

Secondly, the Implant Bridge I had made in Guatemala City had been the wrong color, and now with the lab open after the festive period, I had to return to Guatemala City for the new, correct color implant  bridge to be made and fitted.

I took the midnight Litegua bus to Guat City, and was astounded that it only took 4 hours, with no traffic.

Walking thru the parks between appointments to get some fresh air and exercise.

I spent 2 days in Guat City, and then straight back home to Rio Dulce, this time a seven hour ride, with two accidents causing delays.

Hopefully that’s the last of dentists for me

Back at Meshugga, Nicholas has had the Volvo Penta service agents G&M Servico servicing our engines which they started mid December. Not 100%, as they did not have a few spares, but have furnished Nicholas with a comprehensive list so that the next mechanic in Miami does not have to do diagnostics first.

Meanwhile Nicholas finished installing the new Depth Sounder and AIRMAR Wind instrument. In checking electronics, he found that most of our instruments would not switch on, and spent hours trying to activate them. Eventually he had to admit defeat and we reached out to Frederic Ramiere a Belgium National who is a Raymarine Agent, and lives and works in Cayo Quemado, 20 miles away from us at Catamaran Marina. Luckily that’s downriver, as Meshugga cannot get under the vehicular bridge at Fronteras which is only about 80’ high.

We made an arrangement with Frederic, and on Friday we left our Marina berth, motored, and hand steered the 20 miles to Cayo Quemado. Frederic spent numerous hours both on Friday and Saturday trouble-shooting our issues.

Whilst in South Africa in July/August Meshugga was struck by a Lightning surge, and it blew out both our Chart plotters (Salon and Flybridge), the Auto Pilot, the old Wind Instrument, the Lagoon Explex which drives everything, the VHF, and the ITC5. So we’re pretty much stuffed, and cannot safely sail to Miami without these instruments.

Guatemala has some weird rule that Cruisers cannot Air freight anything over $1000 into Guatemala, and hence the items have to be Sea Freighted taking 6 weeks from the time it reaches the Freight Forwarders from the Suppliers. OUCH!

Our plan hence, as I have a BioMetric appointment the week of 22 January, which is why we’ve been in a hurry to get going, is now to fly up to Miami. We’ll pre-order, and get all the instruments sent to our Key Biscayne UPS postal box address, and I’ll fly back with all the sensitive instruments in my hand luggage.

So, we’re stuck here in the Rio for a few more weeks. Once we have the instruments on Meshugga we’ll return to Frederic for him to do a Professional Compliant installation thus ensuring all the warranties are properly effective.

Fun with Ben of Sv Rendevous, our neighbor from Catamaran Marina, also down here in Cayo Quemado. We went to Texas Mike’s restaurant for a night out. 

Not the best photo, but one of Texas Mike

Nothing more Frederic can do for us, until we get our new instruments, we left their dock this morning.

Frederic and Pascal

Very cute Dock and Workshop

Guatemala - Rio Dulce, New Year and Mast Drama

 Happy New Year to Everyone

Although I did not make midnight, I was awoken by all the fireworks, the closest about 100 meters away at a resort abutting Catamaran Marina. I got up and sat on the transom steps enjoying 10 minutes of fireworks, a ring of displays around the Rio Dulce bay.

Repairs, Maintenance and Projects continue.

We replaced Running Rigging for our Genneker. First up was a new Halyard. Second was new sheets. Lovely new rope!

The stripped out old Halyard

Then Nicholas went up the Mast to uninstall equipment at the very top of the mast. Above the second spreader at about 110 feet, his Bosun Chair failed, first one strap and then immediately the second strap. He was able to grab the mast. Below, I did not know what happened, and he shouted for me to release the halyard. He was able to hold onto the halyard, to which he had tool buckets tied, and his butt sank down onto the bucket and he sinked/slid down the mast to the spreader.  I called for help to our neighbor Ben. Unfortunately he did not have a Bosun Chair, but my shouting for Ben, raised the alarm to the Cruisers playing Volleyball about 50 meters away from Meshugga. A few came down to Meshugga to see if there was a problem (Cruisers don’t usually shout on their boats). Yoga friends Marty and Annie came, and I asked them if they had a Bosun Chair we could borrow to send up to Nicholas. They did, and a couple of Cruisers came onto Meshugga to help out with sending up the Chair and attaching a Tag line.

The incident ended well, with Nicholas sporting a few bruises and a cut on his stomach from sliding down the mast. Afterwards Nicholas was pretty unfazed, but I needed a stiff whiskey as I realized how close things could have gone pear-shaped struck home. At 120 foot, or 8 floors, Nicholas would have either died or be paralyzed. 

Broken straps of our Bosun Chair.

We borrowed Marty’s Bosun Chair, and Climbing Harness, and decided to start being ultra cautious, Nicholas going up on two halyards, with 2 totally separate systems, so that if one failed, he would still be attached on the other.

We had a few must-do jobs. Below is our new AIRMAR wind speed unit with new cabling, as our previous Raymarine wand had failed.

Next was new cabling for our existing VHF / AIS aerial unit, as we had some crackling and wanted to improve our reception.

Next was a new 8 foot VHF / AIS aerial with new cabling for even greater communication range.

Not shown is a new Masthead Tricolor and Anchor light, also with new cabling.

Nicholas also had to replace the lamp in our Steaming light.

All, except the Steaming light was at the Very top of the mast, 120 foot up. I think he did 6 trips up the mast, each trip 1-2 hours. 

So as not to shout to each other, we used our Sena Headsets, which work on an Intercom system and is voice activated, ideal as it leaves your hands free, both for Nicholas to work, and me when I’m hoisting or lowering him. Without the Headsets I find it difficult to hear Nicholas shout for me to stop or hoist above the noise of the electric winches, and creates a lot of anxiety. I love the Headsets, as I can hear every little word, both for hoisting and lowering and I can monitor him working to anticipate when he needs to move. 

At the first Spreader installing our second, spare Radar.

HUGE thanks to Marty and Annie of SV Anchor Management for the loan of their brand new Harken Bosun Chair, and Climbing Harness.  We were not able to buy either in Rio Dulce at any of the Boating or Hardware stores.

A new Bosun Chair and Climbing Harness is in our Shopping Cart, and as soon as we’re on our way to the States, we’ll pull the trigger on that, so that we’ll have it ready for our collection on arrival in Key Biscayne, Miami.

Our weekly binge on 2.5Lb/ just over 1kg of Camorones (Shrimp/Prawns) with Garlic, Chillie spice and Lemon.  No fresh lemons at the markets, so had to make do with bottled.

Guatemala - Rio Dulce, Guatemala City Trip, It’s Christmas

With all the rain and cloudy skies, and being mid December, ie winter, the temperatures have finally begun to cool down and most mornings are a cool 20 deg C, enough to make me get my slippers out as the wood floors are chilly underneath foot.

Nicholas’ days are filled with repairs, maintenance, upgrades and new projects. My days with normal boat household chores and cleaning. Not much to report.

Shopping in our local village of Fronteras is fun, and for my Cruiser friends in Bahamas, this veg haul cost me a whopping $9.  👍

I’ve baked some yummy Christmas Fruit Mince tarts, and tried a new bread recipe in my bread maker with disastrous results

Great Chicken pie for dinner

We often hear the Howler monkeys in the trees, however whenever I’ve seen them I never have a camera ready. So here are some shots my friend Michele of Reach took. 

Our local crane has become very accustomed to us and does not budge from his fishing post on the end of our walk on, whilst we move around outside on Meshugga

Meshugga still in her same berth

The Sunset is now beginning to show itself. It was further north and behind the hill to the right during Summer.

Sunday 17 December, Another Cruisers Swop Meet. Nothing of interest to buy this time.

And then immediately to the Litegua Bus Station in the Fronteras village for me to travel to Guatemala City. I had an ideal seat, no 3, front right window seat on a double decker bus. Birds Eye view for the 7 hour journey.

Going over our Rio Dulce bridge at the start of the trip.

This was an interesting sight. We sat behind this cattle carrier for about a half hour

Arriving in Guatemala City to heavy traffic

Beautiful church decorated with tinsel

The reason for my Guat City trip was to see a Periodontist to get the second half of an Implant done. I’d had the surgery done in Cape Town in July, and now that the post should be settled in the bone, needed the gum cut open, torque tested and a bridge of two implants and one hanging tooth to be fabricated.

I went to Dental Experts where Dr Alan Antillon, who speaks excellent English, does much Implant and Oral Reconstruction work for Dental Travelers from USA and Canada. Prior to my first appointment Dr Alan imported the Implant Abutment, as the type/brand used in Cape Town was not readily available in Guatemala. 

I stayed at a lovely BnB, which is owned by Dr Alan’s mother Ursula, and offer the service to Dr Alan’s patients of collecting them from the airport and ferrying them to and from Dental Appointments. Amazing arrangement, in a stunning location in the best area/zone in Guat City. I had a double room with en-suite with a huge shower. The BnB and bedrooms are also serviced/cleaned daily.

Between Dental appointments I walked the neighborhood and to the various Malls, all within a 1 km radius 

The huge Christmas tree in the Las Américas Mall

Inside one of the many Christmas Stores.

Spoiling myself, I had a Facial, Manicure and Pedicure.  

I spent 5 days in Guatemala City, and was glad to get home to Meshugga and Nicholas.

Back at Meshugga, it’s Christmas! The quietest one we’ve had in years. We had a small feast of a 4.5 Lb Lobster salad, and roast chicken with fixings. Too stuffed from the rich food, we never made it to Dom Pedro’s for desert. They’ll keep for tomorrow!

Merry Christmas to our family and friends 🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲🌲