Atalanta

Friday, June 10, 2016

Belize: The Ups and Downs of Cruising

Pico putting rudder back in

Putting on the finishing
touches

We loved our stay in Mexico but knew we had to be in Guatemala by hurricane season so we set sail for Chetemal Bay to check out. The decision to do so would turn into the disaster we described in our previous blog. Squall . . . damaged rudder . . . expensive tow . . . repairs.

Obtaining repairs in Belize City was challenging but there were also positive aspects to the experience. The management at Cucumber Beach Marina was supportive and helpful.

Pico performed the repair work and is as good (better) than we hoped for. And so, a disaster was resolved, sanity was maintained and a mere three weeks after the squall we resumed the journey south.

Sting Rays at Tobacco Cay

The reef by Tobacco Key is magnificent, vast and healthy. It teems with fish including spotted drum, rays, and shark. We came upon a large sting ray spanning at least five feet across. Lionfish are plentiful here but harmful to the reef. Eric, the dive master, speared them during our dives and we saw them again in the evening on our dinner plate. Delicious. We planned on just passing through but opted to stay for three days. George, the self-appointed harbormaster, has lived on this postage stamp size island for 30 years and Eric for 20. What a special and unique life they have.

Placencia, Belize

The weather was beginning to turn so we sailed inside the reef 15 NM to Northeast Cay in the Pelican Cays. We happened upon a sheltered lagoon with three mooring buoys – two were just waiting for Atalanta and Argosea. There are about 10 small mangrove islands in the Pelican Cays sitting on top of columns of coral that rise 60-70 feet from the bottom. On shore we discovered the Hideaway Cay Restaurant owned and operated by Dustin and his wife Kim. They moved to this little gem of a cay from Key West several years ago, have a 3-year-old daughter, and have made a life fishing and running a restaurant/guesthouse among the mangroves.

Off the town of Placencia we found our next anchorage. Finally, fresh fruits and veggies! It’s mango season so we stocked up on mangoes, tomatoes, squash, avocado, lettuce, ginger, pineapple and more. It’s also the beginning of the rainy season and squalls frequently pass by at night. They are brief but intense. We have experienced several nights sitting in the cockpit on anchor watch. Yoli’s is a great little waterside bar, Rick’s restaurant serves yummy shrimp ceviche, there are Chinese grocery stores where we can provision, and we used the bank and post office. We also found an ice cream shop and highly recommend the carrot/orange/lime flavor. It’s a lovely little town and our last port of call in Belize.

Anchored at Placencia

Tomorrow we haul up the anchor again and by Monday we expect to enter the Rio Dulce at Livingston, Guatemala. We anticipate being there for 3-4 months, waiting out the tropical storm season in a well-protected area. A significant community of fellow seafarers will be there doing the same thing so we are looking forward to meeting new friends, exploring Guatemala, visiting family and friends in the US, and maybe even getting in a side trip to Columbia or Peru (without Atalanta).

Stay tuned as the adventures continue.

Richard and Kay

More Pics

Eric the dive master preparing
Lionfish for dinner

These straps lifted Atalanta!!

After the repair.....good job PICO

Saturday, May 14, 2016

Trouble in Paradise

Atalanta in Tow
on the
Hip of Argosea

As we reflect on our most recent challenge at sea, Rachel is in Burlington defending her Ph.D. thesis, Caitlin and Jason are both starting new jobs, and Tara & Chad are beginning construction of a new home. We recognize the challenges they face are far greater than those we are contending with. We are so proud of each of them.

On Thursday night S/V Argosea and Atalanta were anchored in 9’ feet of water off of the remote Belizean fishing village of Sarteneja. With winds picking up we decided to take refuge there and found a small, picturesque fishing village tucked into a cove. In the evening a squall developed on the horizon and quickly advanced from the north. Although the anchorage has good holding and is protected from the south, it is wide open to the north and northwest. After dinner aboard Atalanta, Tony and Anne hurried back to Argosea ahead of the storm. The squall arrived promptly and brought at least

Mexican Coast Guard

40 knots of wind and large swells. Given that water everywhere in Chetumal Bay is “skinny” we found ourselves in a precarious position. The anchor dragged for 20-30 yards before resetting but put us in only 7’ of water. With the swells building, the wind howling, and rain beating, our rudder and keel banged repeatedly on the bottom. Needless to say, 35,000 pounds of boat striking bottom was a jarring experience. Damage to the rudder stock made moving the rudder impossible. Tony risked life and limb in his dinghy to help us attempt to advance the boat by setting a second anchor and pulling forward. After an hour the squall subsided and the next morning, Argosea towed us into 10’ of water where we sat for days trying to figure out how to deal with the situation.

Belize Coast Guard

The dilemma is simple to describe but complicated to solve. We were on a boat that could not be steered in a very remote part of a developing country where no services were available to help. Communication by cell phone, internet or satellite phone was extremely limited and we realized how isolated we really were. In addition, we were physically in Belize since it was on the route to Chetumal where we planned to officially checkout of Mexico. The next days only served to illuminate just how difficult our problem was and how challenging it would be to solve. Our saving grace was that we were sailing with our friends Tony and Anne on Argosea, a 47-foot Moody.

Day two of the ordeal was spent at anchor in Sarteneja where we found a wifi cafe so we could contact our insurance broker to get the wheels rolling. We were assigned a surveyor, Bill Casey, from Fort Lauderdale who quickly became the primary resource person for our rescue plan. His efforts on our behalf have been exceptional and we are most grateful for his support, reassurance, and advice.

It soon became apparent that there was no way to move the rudder into a neutral position or to obtain repairs. The only travel lift in all of Belize is located at Cucumber Beach Marina in Belize City, 90 miles away. Bill contacted dive boat companies, sport fisherman, commercial fisherman, and the Coast Guard to no avail. On Saturday, with no other option, a towline was connected to Argosea and off we went toward Nesting Bird Cay. Towing on the hip turned out to be too risky for the boats and we decided that unless there was dead calm, it would no longer be an option.

Being Towed into Belize City

Sunday we decided to stay put at anchor and develop a new plan. A Belize Coast Guard boat was dispatched to assist us. The Belize CG arrived in a small dory powered by single small outboard. They had more firepower in their automatic weapons then they did horsepower on their boat. They informed us that they could not be of assistance since we were .5 miles into Mexican waters. We pulled anchor and Argosea towed us a mile into Belize waters but the CG then informed us that they could not help anyway.

Frustrated, Argosea resumed towing us. Although Atalanta pulled hard to port, Argosea was able to maintain a heading and stay in the 10’ deep channel. We motored the entire afternoon at the blazing fast speed of . . . 2 knots. At sunset, we anchored in open water and settled in for the night. The four of us shared dinner and we enjoyed their company immensely despite the fact that all of our nerves were frayed.

With Bob’s support, a tug was finally located and hired to tow us the rest of the way to Belize City. We waited another day, anchored in shallow but open waters, for the Henry Travis to arrive for the journey that would take 12 hours and cost $14,500.00 USD. Ouch!

By 10 PM we were just offshore from Belize City. A larger tug arrived to take us to an anchorage for the night where we bounced in strong winds and moderate seas. After yet another sleepless night, the George Two arrived for our final tow down a very narrow entrance into Cucumber Beach Marina. The 3000hp tug skillfully guided us between two rocky breakwaters before leaving us right in front of the lifting well.

In the next bit of good fortune, we hooked up with Pico, a Swiss expat who shipwrecked in Belize 20 years ago and never left. He assessed our damage, met with Bill who arrived from Florida, and developed a plan that we have been systematically working on. As of May 14^th, the rudder is removed and ready repair at a Mennonite community in central Belize. The 20º bend in the rudder stock needs to be pressed and straightened, the shaft re-rounded, and a bit of fiberglass repair on the hull completed.

We found that Belize has very limited services and supports for cruising sailors. Nevertheless, everyone at the boat yard is knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful. Hopefully, in a week’s time we will be repaired and ready to move south. And we remain grateful to each and every person who provided us assistance.

Thanks for following.

Richard and Kay

Bent Rudder In

Bent Rudder Out

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

A Moment of Reflection

We have lived aboard Atalanta, our Little Harbor 44, since the summer of 2013. We are about to enter our third year and want to share a few reflections about our “lifestyle” experience. We have a safe and seaworthy boat capable of cruising the ocean, a body of specific knowledge (seamanship, weather, basic first aid, navigation, etc.) and a partner to share it all with.

We have visited over fifty island and mainland countries, explored places we had never heard of, and met so many amazing people, natives and travelers alike. Our particular (or some would say peculiar) way of travel enables us to discover places and people in a most special, unique way that is fundamentally different than the experience derived from a week at an all-inclusive resort or via cruise ship.

Each island and each country has a unique history and culture waiting to be investigated. Guid books, internet sites, tourists and locals all help us to learn as much as we can. Upon our arrival to a new country we usually have three missions: First, we have to negotiate our way through the customs and immigration process and pay the appropriate fees. Next we must figure out how to acquire the goods and services we need including propane, food, diesel fuel, boat parts, etc. The process of finding such items can be simple and familiar or challenging and a bit out of our comfort zone. A different currency, different language, unusual forms of transportation and unfamiliar items can conspire to turn a trip to the market into an adventure. Finally, we explore. Most often we take the dinghy to shore and then walk. And then walk further. And walk some more. We have worn out many pairs of shoes and sandals. Taxis, buses, rental cars, bicycles and scooters have provided our feet with some relief.

While the cruising life usually feels like a dream, it is grounded in a few realities that cannot be viewed as benefits. First and foremost is the maintenance of the boat. Boats require constant attention to remain safe, seaworthy and comfortable. Since many of the places we visit are not equipped to serve the yachting public, we have learned how to do much of the repair and maintenance work ourselves. Every nook and cranny in Atlanta is crammed with spare parts and we have learned much about the repair of diesel engines, electrical and plumbing systems, sails and rigging.

Another challenge for us is passage-making which is defined as a cruise that extends for more than a day nonstop. We have not talked to many sailors who claim to actually enjoy multi-night trips. The first three are the hardest because we have not yet adjusted to the rhythm of 3-4 hour watches. One of us is always awake and at the helm, night or day. We often feel “out of sorts” if not a bit seasick, preparing and eating food is challenging if the seas are rough, and so is sleeping when the boat is tossing. Often passage-making is necessary given the distances we travel and the speed (or lack there of) of the boat.

While we would not trade a minute of the time we have spent traveling aboard Atalanta, we are feeling the call of family and land. Children, grandchildren, and family members are deeply missed. We are spending more and more time discussing what the future looks like for us. Will we own a home? Where will we keep Atalanta? What new adventures are in store for us?

Pic from the Past Three Years