A Bit of Drama
21 January 2016 | Gibson Bight Marina, Roatan
Susan / mostly sunny, 80 degrees F
Just as I was posting the last entry a sport-fisher enters the bight and approaches Vida Dulce. They appear to want to get pass us to haul-out however they're a bit too beamy to do so. "Can we pull you up and dock behind you?" the Captain asks - although he's clearly in charge, he's standing on the dock... Sure, I reply. And so the drama begins.
Dock hands (several of whom appear out of nowhere) untie our lines and move us forward. Slowly. They are clearly adept at docking, tying us off bow and stern then the spring lines when the Captain thinks their boat has the necessary space. The "Suzie Q" approaches the dock bow-in. I suggest that with the expected swell, stern-in (to our stern) is best for both boats. Discussion between the guys quickly confirms this is likely the better solution. The Suzie Q turns around and approaches the dock again, this time backing. Just then the dock-master arrives and speaks to Jerry (in Spanish) and calls it all to a halt. He wants to move us back far enough for the Suzie Q to pass in front and to tie them to the dock in front of us. So all of our lines are released again, the dock-hands move us back, way back, and the Suzie Q eases by. Once she's secure we're moved in and secured at a safe distance from her stern. Four men, all speaking English, step off the Suzie Q. One, I'd guess the owner, calls over his Thank you!. He says he usually docks over there - gesturing to across the bight where there are several large homes with docks - but with the expected wind it's not safe there. Wow are we happy we chose to come here; when the locals take a storm seriously, you know it could be bad. "We won't be back until Sunday." he says, and then all vanish.
Storm readiness continues. A chain cordons off the ramp. A line from our bow and one from our stern are then tied off across the way to mangrove trees to keep us from banging onto dock. No boats in or out this way until Sunday.