Capturing the Moment

We Made It! Braving a non functioning auto helm, vicious headwinds, the electrical navigation system dying, and awe inducing lightning storms Heidi, Jim, and I sailed safely from Roatan, Honduras to Bocas del Toro, Panama. We stopped for two nights at the offshore Columbian island getaway San Andres to rest up and take a look at the auto helm and chart plotter. We left on Tuesday May18th, and arrived at the jungle clad islands of Bocas del Toro this morning, Monday May 24th. To understand our mindset as we left Roatan you need some background. First, Heidi already has a plane ticket out of Bocas del Toro on the 26th so we have a time table. Also we tried unsuccessfully to leave twice already, being beaten back to the island both times with engine failures. (really a gremlin in the fuel lines). We checked the weather, and the idea of beating into the wind for half the trip wasn’t inviting, but we had to get moving. The third time is a charm. Hearing the engines purr contently f...

Well we tried to head out from Roatan, Honduras to Panama Saturday afternoon. The boat did fine at first, headed nicely into the waves. Took some big ones over the bow but we stayed dry once we found all the different windows to latch down. Then inexplicablly the engines started cutting out again. So I was down in the engine room again and again bleeding out the lines. Finally we had to turn around. Only problem was we were gone long enough to make it night by the time we would return. There are no lighted channels on roatan into the anchorages, the wind was blowing right onshore (not good if you lose your engine), and once you are in the anchorage there are still treacherous shallow shoals (invisible unless you have a high sun). I was worried most about getting close to shore and then having the engine cut off. The waves and wind would dash up on the reef in no time. So I had Jim on the bow (ready with the anchor in case of dire emergency), heidi at the helm (following our last path ...

I am beginning to see a pattern with sailboat cruising, you about as likely to end up at your planned destinatin as you are some alternate place you may or may not have considered as a backup. This time we were headed for Cayo Vivarillo from Isla Mujeres. We headed east about 30 miles to get out of the effects of the fast moving north Yucatan channel current. Then we turned south by southeast to try and make it to Vivorillo, a deserted dry reef off the horn of Honduras on one tack. We were pinching a bit (headed a little too into the wind) so we had to motor. Unfortunately the engines kept shutting off. So I had to go time and time again into the engine compartment to change filters and bleed the fuel lines before getting the engine started up again. Guess having 18 month old diesel will do that to an engine. Eventually we started seeing better fuel but it took awhile. In the meantime another problem showed itself. Our alternators and generator weren't charging the batteries. Havin...