After sailing for 30+ hours from Vivorillo Cays, we finally arrived to Roatán on Wednesday at 1:30 PM. The winds were light (5-10 knots) and came from our port quarter or from behind for the entire passage and we motor-sailed (more motoring than sailing) the 185 miles to French Harbor in Roatán. This is the most we have motored in our entire trip around the Caribbean. This is also the most relaxed trip we have had as Kikuyu was fairly leveled, the waves were the shortest we have seen (1-3 feet at most) making the sea look like a nice round pancake. For most of our passages around the Caribbean we have encountered good winds, but more often winds that are in the '20s.

The Bay Islands (Islas de la Bahia) which are about 50 kilometers off the north coast of Honduras are primarily 3 islands: Roatán, Guanaja and Utila. These islands are known for their spectacular dive sites and marine life. Our first destination is the island of Roatán which lies nearly 400 miles from Providencia. Roatán is said to have some of the best diving in the Caribbean - some cruisers we have met have said that they have found the west end of Roatán to be better for diving than Belize. Daniel and Kim have been preparing to dive here and continue their PADI certification. They are hoping to take the advanced courses which would allow them to dive at night. Maria is happy snorkeling and has not yet felt the urge to plunge into the diving experience.

The Bay Islands have a fiery history. Ruins indicate that Roatán was inhabited at around 600 AD perhaps by Mayan Indians. Columbus discovered Guanaja in his 4th and last voyage in 1502. The Spanish took over the islands, enslaved the indigenous people and sent them to work in the plantations in Cuba and to the gold and silver mines in Mexico. English, French and Dutch pirates took over the islands soon after, with Morgan establishing a base here as well. It is believed that the islands had at least 5,000 pirates by the mid 17th century! After many unsuccessful attacks by the Spanish who wanted to stop the pirates from stealing their galleons, they finally made a successful attack in Roatán's Port Royal, either killing or selling the pirates off as slaves. Another notable event in Roatán's history occurred in 1797 when the Black Caribs from San Vincent were literally dumped by the British in the island. The Caribs settled in the island and mixed in with the local Indians. Some migrated to the main land setting up fishing and farming communities from Nicaragua to Belize. These people are now known as the Garífunda people.
We plan to write more about the Bay Islands after visiting them and spending some time in this interesting place.