b.c.bound

Things didn't start well for us as I lost a good deal of our fishing gear just as I was letting line out. Another knot tying issue! This time, however, I let go of the tail before I had finished tying the knot!
Little to no wind so motored until mid p.m. when we could finally move along without the engine. We had sat for a week in hemingway with strong e. winds blowing like clockwork. Murphy is lurking somewhere!
A day is not quite long enough to get through the reef system in good light so we had planned a night stop in Bahia Honda. As we entered through the well marked channel there was a great deal of excited babbling on the radio, which was clearly directed at us. The guarda frontera shack was a hive of activity with people running in all directions, waving arms and even what looked like a fist fight. Perhaps the new years eve festivities had already begun?
Not a word of endlish was spoken on the radio but we eventually gathered that they wanted us to pull up in front, anchor and complete to dreaded formalities. More excitement on the radio as we launched the dinghy. This meant, 'don't put your dinghy in the water 'cause we are coming out to see you'
Eventually a very shaky rowing tub emerged from behind the crumbling dock with two uniforms aboard. A couple of hours later with dictionary well used and darkness fast approaching, we were allowed to proceed around the corner to a well protected bay. Two fishermen arrived wanting 'cervesa', but sadly for them, my humour level was at a low ebb by now and I explained to them that we only drank water as I crossed my chest several times. I don't think they bought the Morman routine as I heard them laughing as they rowed away saying, agua.....agua....agua....
T'was a very quiet new year for us, think we were in bed by 9! Early start next morning with a short run of 20 miles to the reef opening. Bahia Honda is full of rotting hulks. Ships that are past their 'sell by date'. Possibly a breaking yard with a crane, some broken steel buildings and old patrol boats littered around the area. No signs of life however.
No babble as we motored stealthily past the guarda compound out bound, hooray!
Again little or no wind. (I must say more prayers to the wind gods).
Our arrival at the cut through the reef meant that we were on full alert with all our previous experience of shallow water travel out front and centre. Charts in this area are iffy at best and we had been warned not to trust them as hurricanes had altered the contours quite a bit. We were flying V.F.R. in the mountains with a low ceiling!
Slowly we crept along with jen on the bow, and I watching the depth sounded and the chart. Luckily it seemed there was little, or no coral heads, but the bottom was covered in grass which made it hard to read.
Before we were able to anchor at cayo paraiso, we had traded 6 cans of pop for 3 nice lobsters and had offloaded a barracuda which we had caught earlier.(even these guys were reluctant to deal with this potentially poisonous fish). There were two craft that managed to intercept us and a third with a green patchwork quilt sail that wasn't quite quick enough and missed out. Amazing catamarans based on two inflated tractor inner tubes flattened out with a grid of woody bits strapped across to make a place to sit a stow their catch. Two man crew, each with a rowing station which when both were occupied propelled the raft at a good clip.
After a week with security guards walking past the boat all day and night at marina hemingway, the relief to be anchored in a secluded tranquil bay was huge and we ended up staying for 3 days, swimming, snorkelling, beachcombing and generally being lazy. Rumours of lobsters crawling all over the place were overdone and I only managed to bag one decent sized one the whole time we were there. A turtle washed up on the beach and I was thinking I might be able to salvage the shell but the thing was so putrid and the shell so soft , it broke apart when I touched it, so I decided it wasn't worth it. Always wanted a turtle shell for the wall!
We decided to leave on my birthday and for a special treat we ran hard aground, not following our inbound track precisely! Tried everything to get unstuck without success so had to don sandles, mask and bailed over the side.
I had left instructions with the chief engineer to maintain propulsion in slow astern, and was surprised at how much force I was fighting just to get to the front of the keel. I did my best second row forward impression and began to 'heave'. the boys at Twickenham would have been proud! To my surprise it took little effort and as soon as the boat lifted slightly, she was sliding backwards at an alarming rate and I surfaced to see her speeding away.
I uttered a few helpful suggestions to the officer on watch and eventually the ship came to a halt and I was able to rejoin. Navigation was resumed without further incident! Stay tuned, more travels coming soon.