28 August 2011

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28 August 2011 - Been one great trip, the only time we were really worried was when tropical storm, cat 1 hurricane, tropical storm Harvey was coming at us. When we first took notice it was a tropical storm about 350 miles away then it was upgraded to a cat 1 hurricane so we decided to take shelter as all indications were a direct somewhere between Placencia and Dangriga, Belize.

Dinghy dock at Placencia, Belize

At that time we were anchored offshore at Placencia.  We decided to try to run back into the mangroves in Mango Creek but the water was too shallow, so we headed out into Placencia Lagoon which was our second best place.  As the storm got closer it was downgraded back to tropical storm status, winds less than 75 mph.  As it got closer the wind were sustained at 60 mph and was headed 30 miles north of us at Dangriga. 

Mango Creek, Belize

We were on the southern side so the high winds we would get would be coming from the west.  I set two anchors, the primary to the west and the secondary to the south.  The storm hit us around 1500 hours that afternoon; thank God we didn't get the brunt of it.  In fact Belize was pretty much spared, a tornado hit Dangriga and destroyed two homes and killed 50 chickens, some flooding, but nothing major.

Caribbean side of New Haven, Belize

I made up my mind then it was time to get down to Livingston, Guatemala and up the Rio Dulce and quit playing chicken with the storms.  What makes being up the Rio Dulce around Fronteras so hurricane proof is that you travel up the river through the canyons about 8 miles to El Golfete, a small lake about 9 miles long and 4 miles wide, then back in the river another 6 or so miles through the canyon to Fronteras.  We are protected from the Caribbean by mountains to the east that the major force of the storms can't get through.  We do get storms here but nothing like hurricane force.

Mia checking out the shoreline

Every night the thunderstorms come into the mountains from the Caribbean putting on the most beautiful light show, and yes it is the rainy season so almost every day we get a shower that last a half hour or so, but it cools everything off.  You just have to plan your day so that if you are going to Fronteras, the only way to get there is by dinghy you do it in the morning so you can get back before the daily showers.

Freighter entering Big Creek

The life here is not as bad as all the "talking heads" that have never been here say it is.  Before we left the states, we heard all sorts of horror stories about murder, thefts, ppricey, drugs and the like.  Yes it is a very poor area and if you leave something lying around it will be gone in town.  According to those that have been here for years there hasn't been a theft at this marina in years, for that matter there hasn't been any crime.  That is not to say that I wouldn't be walking around at midnight in Fronteras, but for that matter I wouldn't do that in San Antonio.

The worst of the storm season lays ahead of us for this part of the world, September and October is when it really gets active, but while my daughter Jessi is visiting I'm going to make a weather check and if nothing is brewing we will go out to Sapodillo Caye and the surrounding cayes, a long day sail back into Belize for a few days.  We have only been at dock for 4 days and Rose and I both are getting itchy to travel.

Mountains of Guatemala behind the cayes of Belize from New Haven, Belize

Due to the location of Sapodillo Caye the Belize government allows cruisers from Guatemala to visit those cayes without checking in with customs. Immigration and the port authority.  It is a nice break from being in a marina.

Hard Luck Charlie's "marine railroad", New Haven, Belize

This morning I got up had my coffee and re-tied the mooring lines, and continued putting away stuff we don't need tied up and just basically turning a sailing vessel into a dock side cottage.  Rose finished catching up on the laundry; she had almost a month’s worth.  We had brunch and lay around and watched the movie Patton from beginning to end that is one long movie, 172 minutes, almost 3 hours.  When it was over the sun was setting.  Retirement is hard work!