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| Fishermen at anchor |
After a 2-month hiatus, it’s about time I picked-up this blog again! I’m back on the boat (in Panama) while our California family starts their long road to partial recovery. To Ace, Strength, brother; to all of you who own a motorcycle: get rid of it!
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| Leaving the Hobbies on the 90 degree course |
The Hobbies (Honduras)
16° 01.85N – 083° 06.18W
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| Capt. Chris, a veteran fisherman |
Bliss… Ten days of absolute bliss. If snorkeling 5 hours-a-day and never diving twice the same spot is your thing, this is the place.
If not, there is still plenty to enjoy: the company of the 2 boys who guard this sand spit and its towering stacks of lobster crates; the trade with local fishermen who anchor for the night before going off to their fishing grounds (a jerrycan of water for a couple of vermillion snappers, some fresh produce and rum for a few conch, lobsters or snappers); the happy hour in company of an occasional cruiser; swarms of frigate birds--these pirate birds-- descending on the island’s boobie colony; and, above all, the stunning color palette of the shimmering reef, at any hour of the day.
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| Flounder |
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| Catch or trade.... spiny lobster time! |
The Iridium SMS jolted us back to the cruel world: our son-in-law was in a coma and we had to get to Bocas del Toro, Panama, and back to the US in a hurry. As soon as weather permitted (2 days of still nasty weather) we decided to exit directly into the Nicaragua Bank, leaving the island on the 16°01.500N line, going straight East. The rest of our route south through the Nicaragua Bank was as follows:
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| Enchatment, safe behind the reef |
16°01.5N - 82°49.8W - Change to 129°
15°44N - 82°21.7W – Change to 152°
14°38.6N - 81°53.4W – Change to 187°
But at 0300, something happened… both engines died. BOTH of them, within seconds of each other. What stupid thing did we do this time??? But, that’s a story foranother day…
Until then…
dominomarie
