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Griffin's Ship's LogsNovember 2006July 27: Rio Dulce, Guatemala C.A.Once again lots of time has passed between updates! You must think I lead a very boring life, what with nothing to report. Well, it has been pretty routine on the Rio Dulce, but I did have a very good visit to Texas in late September and early October. The beginning of the trip was bumpy as I learned at the ticket counter in Guatemala City that I was NOT booked on the flight. Egad, what now? Fortunately the flight was delayed and only about 2/3 full. I just barely made my connection from Dallas to San Antonio, but my baggage didn’t. No problem, there are flights every hour. My good friend Ron Anderson was waiting at the airport. My Texas driver’s license was expired, so we headed to the DPS office to renew it. Well, two-and-a-half hours later we walked out the door of DPS, back to the airport, picked up my bags and headed for Enterprise rentals. Now I hadn’t driven in 2 years AND it was dark AND the hotel where I was staying was off a very busy highway. What a joy…I’m used to speeds of 5 knots!!!!! Anyway, I began the task of filling my orders for “stuff” along with the orders of others. Then the great journey began. First to Port Aransas where I stayed with Jeff and visited friends. Then back to San Antonio for a few days. Then to Angleton for the highlight of my trip, a visit with my Aunt Sissy and her daughter Lynne, both of whom I love dearly. Also saw cousin Elaine and her husband Patton along with others. Then to College Station where I stayed with my dear friend Karee Griffith whom I have introduced on the first page of the website. Here I got my “Aggie Fix” as I walked the campus from one end to the other and went to the A&M-Texas Tech game. We were outscored, but it was thrilling. I also did some paperwork on an endowment I have established at TAMU in my parents name – Colonel Tom and Sue Mathews. Of course TAMU will have to wait until I make my final voyage before it is funded, but I find great satisfaction in knowing that someday this will help some students enjoy the great opportunity I had to be an Aggie. While at A&M Robert Gonzales, one class behind me, and I had a brief visit. In the area of the Corps of Cadets I introduced myself to a young man who had the same position in the Corps that I had as a senior. While we talked, up walked two guys who each held the same position the year before and the year before that (pictures in gallery). They thought my lifestyle is cool – I told them to stick to it, their turn would come!! Then back to San Antonio to finish up the shopping, eat some reeeeally greasy enchiladas with my sister and her family, have a nice lamb dinner with Lynn and get ready to go home to Griffin. When I turned the car in I had driven almost 1600 miles in 2 weeks. I wasn’t IN any wrecks, but I may have CAUSED a few. One other highlight was an evening get-together with some former workmates and friends from USAA. I had the satisfaction of hearing many of them say how long it had been since they had seen each other – good to be the catalyst, eh? Now it’s life on the Rio, getting Griffin ready to head to Belize. Tami, the wonderful webmaster, is back on the Rio now, so that’s why this is getting done!!!! More later…stay in touch…it is always good to hear from friends and relatives… JULY 2006July 27: Rio Dulce, Guatemala C.A.Well, things are settling down a bit. Obviously there have been some big changes aboard Griffin. Now a new chapter in the adventure begins. We are having much better weather than that experienced over the past month. WAY less rain, and the Rio has dropped about 1.5 feet from a high of about 4.5 feet. Still high, but headed in the right direction. The “H” season has been quiet, but please don’t uncross your fingers! More boats are coming in now, should hit a peak about mid-August. Many of the folks leave their boats in storage at marinas while they return to their home countries for the season. October/November marks the beginning of the return. Lots of bags full of “boat stuff” coming to help prep for the new season. But that is a long time away… Griffin is doing fine, waiting for a chance for a haul-out for new bottom paint and an insurance survey. Getting lots of little projects done, but you have to pace yourself so you don’t run out…ha, ha!!! Looking forward to some travel which includes (in fantasy!) inland travel to Antigua, a possible trip to Cartegena, Colombia and much more. Will probably visit Texas in September for a week or so. All depends on what happens here! Mango season seems to be ending, but avocados are looking good. Hey, that’s BIG news here! Really enjoyed meeting the new owners of Sailabout here at Monkey Bay Marina. They are from Norway (see foto gallery), and we had great fun swapping Texas/Norway stories. They said there are so many Texas boats here that they thought they were there! Unfortunately, as they waited for the bus to Guatemala City for the flight home, they learned that a sister/aunt had passed away. Thoughts and prayers are with them. That’s about all for now…don’t want to bore you with everyday stuff… The invitation is always open, so if you want to escape from reality for a bit, COME ON DOWN…. MAY 2006May 8: Placencia, BelizeOK, we have checked out of Belize and leave tomorrow morning for
Guatemala...hope to be back at sea by Monday week... Last
night was something else...about 12:30 a.m. I went outside to
take a pee-k over the side. I was facing away from the
shore when suddenly the whole cockpit turned bright orange, and
I thought someone had a light on me. I turned around to
see a HUGE fireball on land and then heard and felt an
explosion. We couldn't tell for sure where it was, but had
a general idea. Checked it out this morning and found that
a house behind Jake's Purple Space Monkey had caught fire, set
fire to Jake's, the gas tank exploded and the houses of seven
families and several businesses burned to the
ground...fortunately no one was killed or injured, but they lost
all and many are now without jobs. Had the wind been
blowing in any other direction, a huge portion of the community
could have been wiped out...hope the cruisers can step in and
lend support to whatever relief is established...the closeness
of the community means that everyone is affected in some
way...AND that's the last time I go out in the cockpit at
night!!!!!!!
Other than that, all is well here...hoping for a quick and safe
trip to Guatemala, but we know for sure that it will be VERY HOT
up the river...already thinking of next week!!!!!!!!!!!! :-)
Will have more upon return...after all, it's the Rio Dulce and
TIME TO GOSSIP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
May 6: Placencia, BelizeThe following is our email to the Kinky Friedman for Governor Campaign.
Howdy. We, Hal and Lynn, are from San Antonio/Port Aransas and have been fans forever. We now live on the sailboat GRIFFIN in the northwest Carib (Mexcio, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras). There are about 10-15 other boats from Texas down here, and we would like to be Kinky's Carib campaign headquarters!!! Have been telling everyone about the campaign on our daily ham radio net (my weekly broadcast is the Radio Rodeo Show). We have a website at www.saltysailors.com/griffin. We would like to add a link to your website, post our own info, etc. If ok with you, could you email some graphic that our webmaster could use on our site? See, the Kinkster really is EVERYWHERE! Good luck and we look forward to hearing from you. STAY TUNED FOR A KINKY FOR GOVERNOR PAGE ON THIS WEBSITE! May 5, 2006 Placencia, Belize (Happy Cinco de Mayo)OK, the pigs have come home to roost! Griffin is back in Placencia...spent 3 wonderful days out of here, anchored in a beautiful lagoon among some cayes that will go un-named...it was great, though a bit more water clarity would have made it magic...can't wait to go back...some pictures will follow...had a great sail back here, the best since we left the river, easy 5.5-6 knots in 13-14 knots of wind, small seas. Still haven't caught any fish underway, but it will come. Plan to spend the weekend here, then head south to Guatemala for a quick in-out and back up hereto await LobsterFest 2006!!!!! Have taken up sketching again, will try to foto or something and send along...lots of fun and good for the soul!!!!! Big soccer tournament in town tomorrow, should be fun. Brenda, the macaroon lady, fried some whole fish for us the other day, ooooohweee, I can still taste them-in a good way, that is!!!!!!!! Cleary having toooooooooooo much fun. Scored some fresh corn tortillas, too...this cruising life is tuf, but somebody has to do it!!All for now, more later, wish all of you could be here, or at least the ones who want to!!!! APRIL 2006April 8: Placencia, BelizeIt’s Saturday, and we have to get ice before noon…ah, the travails!!! So, Griffin left Placencia Tuesday, April 8, with a plan to get to the Lighthouse Atoll to meet friends and deliver fresh veggies…didn’t happen! First day we stopped in Blue Ground Range with beautiful weather. Woke up to clouds, rain and adverse wind, but pressed on to Colson Cay to wait for a shot at the Glory Cay cut. Found a nice coral head at Colson with a grouper, a snapper, an eel and a SHARK, all in a head about 15x15. Left next morning for the cut and Turneffe Atoll, about 8 miles away…winds were still high but helped us some. While exploring the west coast we managed to find a small patch of coral heads, which took some of the lead and paint from our keel. Found a nice anchorage in the southern tip and spent several days exploring the reefs. Decided that motoring into wind to make Lighthouse was not attractive, so stayed put.
April 4: Glory Cay, Belize It’s Tuesday, I believe. GRIFFIN arrived inside the mid-Belize reef at Glory Cut about noon. The trip was from Turneffe Atoll, some 8 miles east of here. More about Turneffe later, but right now I’m trying to find words to describe the view here from the anchorage that is about one-quarter mile west of the reef. I thought of a photo, but there is no way to capture the awesome sight. I’ll try in words. If you look east you see nothing but a continuous horizon of blue sky melting into shades of blue water. There are some giant billowing clouds that add some depth and dimension. Looking left and right, you see a line of ever-changing white water as the sea rolls in against the coral reef. The 4-5 foot waves that accompanied GRIFFIN on her trip through the cut at Glory Cay suddenly stop, tipping their white caps to the reef. They have had a good journey, but like ours, it is done. The water inside is like a palette: light brown just inside the reef where the coral is dead or dying, flat as a table; a bit further inside the reef the water turns an aquamarine as the depth increases but the wash of the reef still colors it; next the patches of white sand or sea grass create pools of brilliant turquoise or clouds of brown just below the surface; the wind now begins to reassert itself, causing some ripples and then small waves, not breaking, only gentle swells. GRIFFIN lies here, her anchor firmly set in the white sand bottom that provides good holding and a good night’s sleep. Behind her the sun’s low angle has begun to obscure visibility, so now millions of dazzling stars on the water stretch about 15 miles to the mainland where the mountains of Belize will provide a resting place for the sun in a bit. The only sounds are the constant break of the waves on the reef, the wind in the rigging and the gentle lap of waves on the hull. In a few hours this day will done here, and the sky will be lit with a sliver of a silver moon and so many stars it makes you crazy to try to imagine why and how this whole thing exists…that is more than I can ever fully understand…it just does…but it sure is wonderful that Someone gave us the opportunity to be in this place and time… PS – if you have time, some night look up at the North Star and wave…there’s one coming back to you every night… MARCH 2006March 12: Placencia, BelizeWell, hello, friends, it’s time for a log update from GRIFFIN!!! This one is a tour of Placencia AND it even has some fotos so you know this is not a fake story, tho if it were it might be on “O” and top the NYT best seller list, ha ha…remember, my log is “Truths and Tales from Paradise”… Let’s go for a walk… But first we have to take the dinghy about 300 yards across the anchorage to the fuel dock. Placencia is the southernmost (is that a word?) town on the Southern Peninsula of Belize. Griffin is anchored between the mainland and a small caye, a most beautiful place. This place got the poot kicked out of it when Hurricane Iris came thru in 2001, I think. But let me tell you it is definitely one of our favorite places…soooooooo many great people and places…ok, enuf of the geography lesson, let’s walk from the dock.
There are really 3 main routes, as we see it, here. Once off the dock you see a paved road just across some sand that tickles your toes when you walk…5-6 taxis waiting to take you “up peninsula” to the airport or resorts. To your right is the fishermen’s co-op and the 2-story ice “plant” right out of Mosquito Coast. Can’t begin to tell you the koooooooool feeling when you go inside. This area is the turn-around for vehicles. Get lots of good info here, some of which you can believe! Straight ahead you see some low, colorful buildings that include the Village Council office where we pay for the trash we bring ashore, a bank, the internet office center we use, Wendy’s restaurant where I first ate, and loved, cow’s foot soup, complete with a bit of hoof!!!!!! Ok that was a run-on sentence, Aunt Sissy, but I got carried away!!!!! And don’t forget the gelato store on the right. I think I’ve already paid proper homage to that place. Coming up on our left is Veronica’s Vegetables, a new place to us, but a great place to get veggies AND practice our Spanish. The avocados are great, as are the tomatoes, onions, lettuce, spinach, etc. Prices are x2 or turn left at BJ’s, great stew chicken, rice and beans, then we head toward Ther’s our favorite laundry. On the way, which runs south of the soccer field, home of the Belize champion Placencia Pirates, we pass a house with the most beautiful yard imaginable. My favorite part, tho, is a crusty old camera wired to a palm tree, pointing at the drive, with a sign “Security Camera.” Go until the road bends right, then left. On the left is Ther’s. She takes laundry and it is sooooooooo good. Her Mom and I sang along with Roberta Flack doing “Natural woman” the other day. We both got a good laff. If you go on down the road you come to Sugar Reef Bar where they play “professional” horseshoes on Saturdays. Let’s head back toward “town” and come to the soccer field again. Sometimes you can catch a women’s softball game here…DO NOT think you can play!!!! Across the street is Wallen’s grocery, the largest of 3 in town. We walk up and down the aisles just to enjoy the A/C. There’s a pharmacy upstairs, and outside the “Grill and Go” stand where we had a 4th of July hotdog in 2002!! She also rents bikes for cruising around the place. Can you smell those onions on the griddle??????? I’ll be right back……just kidding, she’ll be there tomorrow. The big 18-wheeler trailers outside hold cases of soft drinks, beer, etc. Saturday’s bring in fresh veggies and other stuff.
We’re back on the paved road, and a turn to the left sends us past a Chinese place, another grocery, a hardware store and eventually to the airport and then, way up, the fancy resorts on the beach…we don’t go there!!!! The airport is for Tropic Aire and Mayan, small planes, great service. But let’s go back toward town a bit, between Ted’s Acupuncture and the Purple Space Monkey Bar and Restaurant. Time to leave the street and wade thru sand that now can almost cover our feet. We’re going to the Mile Long Sidewalk. It parallels the beach and is lined with residences, small rooms for rent and shops. It was destroyed in Iris, but contributions have rebuilt it. No bikes allowed, please pass with courtesy. On the way you find the Pickled Parrot, the Tipsy Tuna, John the Bakerman, the Beach Bazaar, Omar’s restaurant and laundry, and many more. The school is nearby, filled with the most energetic, polite, properly dressed kids you can imagine. Turn back toward the dock and you see women and children from Guatemala and the Cayo in Belize selling their wares.
If we turn left now, we approach the beach that lines the shore of the peninsula. Now the sand is really soft and starts to tickle our ankles!!!! The beach is narrow, but beautiful. If this were Sunday, it would be filled with families. Let’s go right and head back to the dock. On the way we pass a “cruise” ship that let’s down a boarding plank right on the beach…look at the picture!!!!! Whew, we’re almost back to the dink…just have to get the courage to pass the ice plant without asking Baker to let us in to make “ice angels.” Well, that brings us back to the dock and it is time to head to Griffin…whoops, let’s get a bunch of ice so we can have some koooooooooool sundowners…AND let’s stop by and see Brenda who makes the coconut macaroons, she told me she would trade a kiss for a mac, but said “once you do black, you won’t go back”…she is so sweet, even more than her killer macaroons…that’s Lynn with her at the dock…hope you had a good tour…see ya soon….
March 11: Placencia, BelizeWell, it has been a bit since the last log entry. Will try to recall all that has gone on since then. Stayed in Placencia for about a week then headed north to Tobacco Cay via Twin Cays. Had a good trip to Twin, though it was all motor sailing (actually we have had only motor sailing since arriving in Belize :-( but that's the way it goes!!! Poor us! Trip to Twin was only half a day, spent 2 days in very nice anchorage. Took the dink over to Southwater Cay to visit Woody and Judy on LAPIS. The trip north just inside the reef to Tobacco Cay was great as usual. I like to ride in the rigging where you can see the deep blue of the Carib, the shoaling of the reef, the break on the reef and then the light blue of the inner channel. Really spectacular. Five days in Tobacco were great. Had good weather and breeze. George from island wanted to go conching, so we took him to his hunting grounds. We got around 50!!! We took some and he sold/ate the rest. The best part was he cleaned them!!!!!!!!! I now now where to go, just line up the end of the Range with.....whoops, can't give that away :-)...Met lots of nice folks, both cruisers and tourists on the tiny island. George also sold us some snapper fillets that were great. Joe, a local, had 3 baby loggerhead turtles he had rescued on the shore. Will feed and care for them for about 3 months then release. They were right out of Finding Nemo...hey, dude!!!!!!!!! Lynn got the word of her new grandbaby while there...all celebrated. After days of NE winds, it all died the day we left for Placencia...soooooooooo keep that diesel coming, Texas!!!!!!! Since we have been back we have been very busy helping a fellow cruiser with some personal problems, but looks like all is squared away. Again, if you ever doubt that all things happen for a reason, just come out here...there is no end to how relationships evolve. FEBRUARY 2006Feb. 24: Placencia, BelizeBeen catching up on news from the States and musing
over life out here. Looks like the big deal
back there is maybe those Blackberry things might be
going down for a bit! Imagine, you won't be
able to be AT WORK 24X7...saw an add that said you
could have quality time with family while still
staying in touch with your office PC!!! Now
tell me what is wrong with that! And that poor
young Ms. Cohen ONLY got a silver medal in figure
skating...gee, that means at best she is only #2 in
the world!!! give her a break....now that leads me
to a more important topic I felt I should share with
you...what is my biggest concern of the day?
Well, I mentioned before getting into the "at sea"
routine...after taking showers at the marina for
months, I had to adapt...so if you think your
nightly shower is a hassle, try this...
First, we bathe on the deck, hopefully away from the
closest boat, but that is their problem...pull a
bucket of saltwater aboard and dip the scrunchy
in...add some Sailor Soap (highly recommended) in
small quantity so you don't run out, and scrub
down...now for the face, wrap a wash clothe around
the scrunchy, wring the water and soap into the
clothe and scrub away...that saves soap...jump into
the water for rinse then lightly hose off with fresh
water hand pumped out of jug...put cloths at feet so
they get rinsed with fresh water...air dry in the
Trade Winds ala Titanic...hints: face TOWARD
neighboring boats when you bend over unless you are
trying to clear the anchorage; keep your feet
together when making dramatic leaps into the water;
ALWAYS close the ports so you don't rinse inside;
DON'T FORGET TO PUT THE LADDER OVER THE SIDE TO GET
BACK IN!!!!!!!!!
So that's what occupies my mind, what about you?
Congrats Ms. Cohen, you're a champion by any
measure!!!!
Saturday, February 18: Placencia, BelizeIt really feels like coming home here. The 4th visit and so many friends to say hello to. Especially Baker in the fisherman's co-op where we just got 3 pounds of conch for $12 US. What a feast tonight!!! Went to sleep with a nice breeze and starry sky, but did the usual up-down-up-down when rain squalls came thru most of the night. Today is partly cloudy and cool for here. A new veggie market, Veronica's looks great. Got 2 bags of fresh basil at Wallen's yesterday...can you say conch and basil without smiling? Put on our new solar panel this a.m. and have almost doubled or output...worked a lot better after I replaced the fuse I blew installing :-) ...just call me Sparky. Still working on our routine...too much time at the dock! Might try to get out to Tobacco Cay after mid-week. Since most of Belize and its cays run N-S, northers can present problems...not many protected anchorages...hopefully things will settle soon. Really great to be back in clear, saltwater...a most refreshing bath each night. Clothing now down to about 2 shorts and 5 shirts a week, MAX. That's all for now...have to go pick up laundry...FRESH SHEETS...JUST LIKE CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!! Later.... February 17: Placencia, BelizeGriffin has landed...in Placencia, Belize! Left Monkey Bay Marina on Tuesday and spent the night in Gringo Bay on the Rio. Next morning checked out of Livingston along with Larry and Eva of Haleiwa...crossed the sand bar (Passed the "Bar Exam") without problems and spent the night at Cabo Tres Puntas. Next morning found us in Punta Gorda, Belize where we had a very easy check-in. Headed for West Snake Cay for the night but weather sent us to New Haven Bay. Left this morning about 0830 and arrived at 1300. Had to motor-sail the whole way but that's how it goes more often than not!!! Already had some gelato and stew chicken, beans and rice yum, yum...more details later. February 4: Rio Dulce, GuatemalaYes, we are still here L…had planned to leave tomorrow, but it looks like three days of NE winds and seas…guess what direction Griffin needs to go! So, will watch day-to-day and go when it looks better…there are some Canadian friends here on Koukla, Cosmo is from Greece, and he is sharing some great Greek, particularly Crete, sayings with me…you have to know the long and vengeful history of Crete and the area, but this one doesn’t need much explanation…”Revenge in seven years is too hasty” …and he told me of a fellow who painted the names of his “enemies” on the ceiling above his bed so that they were the first thought on his mind each day!!!!!!!!! AND for the sailors out there, his six uncles all of whom were men of the sea gave him this advice when he decided to go to sea “The sea sooner or later will swallow the tough ones, only the cowards survive”…Sailabout left today as they have a draft and papers problem…Namaste says they will head for the Bay Islands of Honduras Monday…most likely we will leave with Lapis mid-week…sure, how many times have I heard that? Oh well, there is no schedule and I haven’t lived to almost 61 (2/15) to suffer when I don’t have to J J JANUARY 2006January 28: Rio Dulce, GuatemalaWell, it looks like we may actually be getting serious about leaving Monkey Bay Marina and the river! Lynn will complete her medication for her shoulder in 6 days, and it appears we can give it a try. Only time will tell. It has been an interesting hurricane season here. Hard to believe we arrived way back around July 1…oh well, time flies. Really hope this year finds Griffin at sea much more. Really not complaining as there are lots of great reasons to be here. Just need to feel that salt air again and be in clear water. Because we are coming back for the “H” season, we’re leaving a lot of “stuff” here…if we don’t miss it (really bad!) then it will be on the auction block at the swap meet upon return. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to trade what you don’t need for what you do by snapping your fingers? Guess that applies to more than cruising! Among the things not to be traded are the friends met this year. This list is long, the countries many, the cultures diverse. We have learned so much and hope that we have spread a little of Texas around. Some say I have, but they likened it to cow plop!!! Our marina right now is about 50% Texans and 50% Canadians…we have started a whole new language where each sentence ends with…y’all, eh or eh, y’all. Depends on which side of the border you come from. |
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