Full Boat to Guatemala
Written by Jessica
We said our goodbyes to Caye Caulker, Shawn and Kerry with the dinghy's waterline hovering just bellow the gunnel. The little thing can barely handle Patrick, Luka and I. So adding luggage, 100 pounds of groceries and two more people, we had to make a couple trips to the boat. Having extra hands to help with food, diesel, water and planning was awesome. The days leading up to leaving went very smooth and it was enjoyable; I can't say that about every other provisioning session. I don't think Lizzy Belle has ever seen so much food at once! The food hammock broke under all the weight twice before Patrick had to add heavy duty rope to hold up all those fruits and veggies. We were excited to experience life on Lizzy Belle with Rebecca and Aine.
Motoring out of Caye Caulker's safe comfortable little harbour to head for the Drowned Cayes was a good change of pace after getting sucked into Caye Caulker's lazy lifestyle. A friend we met in Caye Caulker, David, was having a birthday get together with his fellow boating friends. It was a good first stop on our way to Rio Dulce. There had been some piracy going on in Belize so we wanted to anchor with numbers. The first leg of the trip was easy as pie! Light winds and good weather. We were pleasantly surprised to see a flock of boats when rounding the corner. This little body of water rarely sees one boat anchored here at a time, but tonight there were almost ten. Who knew he was such a popular guy. He filled us in on the party plans, we were having appetizers and drinks on one boat, and afterwards we were going to a bigger boat with better sound to play music. He may be getting older, but still very full of life! Our only job was to bring some food, he was even bringing the instruments for us. The food job was quickly passed over to Rebecca. I'm sure she didn't want to spend a lot of time in a kitchen, since she was on vacation and all.. But she whipped up a delicious salsa that we all took credit for. (Thanks Becca!) We were welcomed to the party like they had known us for ages. It was a night filled with great food, drinks and music. We stayed up as late as possible singing and playing. It was an early start the next morning, so we couldn't be too worn out. Thanks again for the fantastic party David!
Next stop was Tobacco Caye. It was the first Caye we've seen so far that was situated right on the reef. Rebecca and Aine didn't get a chance to snorkel the reef while in Caye Caulker so it was a stop we couldn't miss. The island was so small that we didn't even see it until we were almost right on top of it. It just looked like a tree in the distance. Very picturesque, the most stingrays we've seen in one place. Rebecca quickly went below deck to wake up sleeping Aine, who was enjoying a single sized mattress all to herself. The v-birth was a little tight with the two of them sharing. As we approached the island, I was showing Rebecca how to drop the anchor when the time came, but pulled the anchor pin out a little too far during my demonstration and dropped it. Oops. We were still moving forward so the chain pulled out quickly and almost lead to a very abrupt stop, but Patrick quickly put the boat in reverse and no harm was done. Thankfully all that happened was a little fishing line was tangled in the prop. Now she knows what not to do.
Meanwhile, Luka was in great need of a pee. One downfall of anchoring in the Drowned Cays is there is no shoreline for Luka to mark her territory because of the dense mangroves. Things didn't get much easier for her here. Tobacco Caye is 125m long with 17 people and 8 dogs. Well, when those 8 dogs see a stranger on their little island they get curious. Once Luka and I stepped on the sand they just kept coming. Poor girl couldn't get them off her bum long enough to take a pee. They all wanted to assert dominance and we were both being submissive since we didn't know just how friendly they were. Luka froze, she wouldn't even take a step. So I dragged her to the dinghy to get some backup. Once all four of us were on the island, she got a little braver and started to mingle. Everyone was very welcoming. We even ran into a South African, who went to Dal, back in Halifax and had a beer with him at the beach bar. He gave us the low down of the island, we weren't allowed to snorkel on one side because they had a conch nursery. We were only allowed to fish the invasive fish, which are apparently very tasty, just dangerous because their fins are poisonous. He also let us know what to stay away from in the water, we were relieved to know there were not many things that could hurt us. Many hours were easily spent snorkelling, even brought the Hawaiian sling, but the fish were too pretty to shoot. So we went back to the boat for a good vegetarian meal. It was a perfect sunset supper. Rebecca cooking and Aine playing the ukulele. A nice dinner was served of home made veggie burgers and buns. We were impressed by what was dished out of that little kitchen. Patrick and I loved the change of scenery. It was too nice just to spend one day, so we managed to make another one fly by.
Stop number three was Dangriga. It was mine and Patrick's first time on mainland in four months. We only stopped for our Zarpe and to find a veterinarian to tell us one more time that Luka is healthy enough for Guatemala. It wasn't the most welcoming town, so we aimed to leave asap. Leaving Aine and Rebecca on the boat to get ready for our seven hour sail to Placentia we ran in to get things sorted. There was not a lot of time to spend as we were on a tight schedule to get to Placentia before dark. When we were looking for a vet three different people told us three different directions that took us many different places. The port officials were also very misleading with their info and It took them the usual hour and a half to look over our three pieces of paper and tell us they need the signatures of our two other crew members before we could receive our Zarpe. We left the idea of finding a vet behind since we were running out of time and trekked back to the boat. Once we got their signatures, Patrick went back to town to finalize check out with immigration and customs and we were on our way.
We got to Placentia in a timely manner since the wind picked up in the right direction. The sails were full and we were healed over going almost seven knots, which Rebecca loved, pushing the boat as hard as we dare. We looked in the cabin to check on Luka in the v-birth and Aine who was now sleeping on the wall instead of the bed. Once entering the harbour we dropped the sails and circled around a couple times looking for a convenient spot to tie up. We talked to a friendly Canadian couple who told us the main dock was free. One there, we quickly realized the swell was too much for our little boat to handle. Ripped a cleat out of the deck within the first minute and beelined it for an anchorage. Foreseeing our future sleeping conditions, we all knew it was going to be a rocky one, so a couple hours were spent on land under a palapa. We didn't get to see much of the town because we were all tired and looking forward to our swaying bed. Once we got tucked in, the swell was rolling us most of the night. Patrick and I got up twice to find a sheltered place where we could sleep better but there was no escape. We were planning to leave the next morning but knew it wasn't ideal. We found ourselves with the hammocks set up between a couple palm trees on the beach sleeping all day while Luka ran circles around us. The port captain in Livingston is closed on weekends so we had to get there the next morning early enough to make it through customs and motor down the sweet river to a marina. We were looking at a 10 hour sail to get there. Also, needing to give ourselves time to clear customs and take the two hour motor up the river before dark, so we left that night at 10 pm.
It was Rebecca and Aine's first night sail. We worked things out so Rebecca and I took the 10pm to 2am shift and then it was Patrick and Aine's turn from2am to 6am. We had our life jackets on and were teathered to the missen mast, mostly so the two below can sleep with peace of mind. The wind was coming in spurts. Most of the time we had good enough wind to fill the sails and have the boat heeled over. When the wind died down we turned the motor on and kept up with our average 5 knot speed. We both took turns steering since our autopilot is still out of order. We had a great time. It was a lot of fun with the two of us on deck. Rebecca was a natural, she kept us on a straight line, away from the coral heads and small islands off in the dark. The moon wasn't up that night so we didn't have our usual moonlight and stars to help us navigate. Our four hour shift went by quickly with Rebecca playing the ukulele, we were adjusting sails and checking the iPad every couple minutes to make sure we were still staying on that straight line. Once 2am rolled around we were looking forward to laying down with the brr of the motor in the background. Gently waking Patrick and Aine up for their stint was surprisingly easy. They motor sailed us safely the rest of the way to Guatemala. At 6am we woke to enter Livingston and pass the "bar exam". We were all too tired for this test. It is a very shallow muddy bar the whole way along the entrance to the Rio Dulce. The deepest spot in the channel is six and a half feet at high tide. We were passing it mid tide. Lizzy Belle only draws three and a half feet so we were confident that we would be fine. Patrick also found the most recent coordinates for the channel online. We heard too many stories of boats getting stuck on the bar so we were on high alert just incase anything happened. Thankfully we cleared with a room to spare.
We were met at the dock by the dock-master, a doctor, the port captain, customs and immigration. We felt very taken care of. I even managed to get Luka into the country with old vet papers. A local tour guide assisted us with the complex check in procedure. He patiently waited at each door to take us to the next stop, even waiting around for us to do some clothes shopping. We left Livingston with lots of time to get up river. This was the highlight of the trip so far, it was just what our drowsy minds needed to wake up. A trip through narrow canyon river surrounded by cliffs of bright green jungle and hearing monkeys howling through the trees. Seeing fisherman and their families in their small homemade canoes along the sides of the river catching lunch was charming. All the way to lake Izabal we had huge smiles on our faces, taking in all the beauty and hyped up on caffeine.
We docked the boat at Bruno's Marina. Rebecca and Aine treated us to a room that night. It was the best gift in the world at the time. Hot showers and laundry services is just what our stinky bodies needed. Patrick and I never slept so well on solid ground. It was a shock for us to be in a busy little town again though. Spending so much time on quiet islands the past four months, it took some getting used to. Prices of food here were much lower, giving our bank accounts a little breathing room. Finally, a nice meal and affordable healthy groceries. After a solid rest we found a hostel with a dock available. It was close to town and had rooms for $4 a night. Not including sheets or a pillow, so it was a good thing we were close by with all the amenities.
We stayed there the next day to celebrate Aine's birthday. She woke up to a cake especially made by Rebecca at 6am paired with fruit salad and beer for breakfast shared with our new friends from the hostel. After that we walked to town and hopped on a collectivo bus to the "Auguas Calientes" (hot and cold waterfall). We were packed in so tight, Luka had to sit on Patrick's lap. It was an amazing birthday day trip. After a hot bus ride the cool water was refreshing. The waterfall was pouring down hot water! Too hot to touch. We climbed the waterfall to find the spring coming out of the ground surrounded by the perfect mud for a mud bath, better than spa quality. Our skin was baby soft when we left. We caught another Van back to Fronteras that was so full the door wouldn't shut.
Patrick and I moved the boat over to a nice Marina called Nana Juana. It had everything we needed and we wanted to get some work done on Lizzy Belle. A nice pool, showers, electricity, water and a hydraulic trailer. We were ecstatic to be in such a nice spot after being on anchor for so long. Rebecca and Aine joined us there and we spent the rest of Aine's birthday playing volleyball, lounging by the pool, drinking wine and playing cards.
The next morning they booked a bus ticket to Honduras to finish off their vacation. We had a leftover birthday breakfast and said our goodbyes as they were off on their 7 hour bus ride. It was great having Rebecca and Aine along for the trip, I hope they enjoyed the time as much as we did. Miss you guys already!
The Family Vacation
Written By : Rebecca South
I close Rebecca’s Restaurant from January 1st until Valentine’s Day every year; quickly learning that this time is best spent enjoying a little R&R. Going to visit Patrick, Jessica and Luka on the Lizzy Belle in the Caribbean seas seemed the most logical destination for this year’s vacation. Mom (Kerry) dad (Shawn) and Aine Maclellan (practically family) made our journey to Cancun, Mexico. We left in a good’ol fashioned Canadian snowstorm. Our flight was delayed and hour and a half so we had exactly 8 minutes to make our connecting flight in Montreal. Exciting. We were more than surprised to see our/Lizzy Belle’s luggage on the carousel in Cancun.
Our baggage consisted of several requests from Captain Pat and first mate Jessica. The list initially was long... really long. There may have even been a request for a new head AKA a toilet. The list was modified a few times and reduced to manageable size. The final inventory was a Drill, more tools, electrical supplies, bed sheets, towels and a few more odds and ends. The largest item was a 4 foot tall antenna for wifi. That’s where things get interesting. There was absolutely no trouble taking it as a carry on. However, getting it to Lizzy Belle without losing it proved challenging for the 4 of us to say the least.
It all began while waiting for a bus at Cancun Airport
Shawn: where is the antenna?
Becca: (already running at this point)
I had left it in the bathroom before going through customs.
I sprinted back through customs; thankfully it was in the same spot I left it. The weird part is I then sprinted back through customs. At this point I’m thinking to myself, why am I not being chased by airport security or some sort of law enforcement. I could see the exit in the distance as if it were a finish line and felt as though I was in a relay race caring a really long baton. I had a crowed of Mexican cabbies cheering me on with high fives hoots and hollers. Only in Latin America. A last the antenna was safe in our possession again. Or was it...we then forgot the antenna on a bus, at immigration to Belize and in the trunk of a taxi.
After 2 days of travel we made it to Caye Calker Belize and, quite shockingly, so did the antenna. The first glimpse of the Lizzy Belle from the ferry boat was exciting. Patrick, Jessica and Luka met us at the dock. They fit in right in with the locals and everyone seemed to know Luka, a local celebrity. Our lovely little cottage had a pool, hot water and a full kitchen, all things foreign to Patrick and Jessica. They checked in that morning and took their first hot water shower in over 3 months. Jessica exclaimed “It even has a blender!” I’m pretty sure it may have been her favourite feature as we’ve been eating hummus and smoothies daily.
Caye Calker consisted of mostly relaxing, cards, reading, researching upcoming sailing adventures, snorkelling, swimming even some roof top Yoga. Oh, and I almost forgot we are the island’s two time winners at the local trivia night. Our 10 Days on Caye Calker Island sadly came to an end. We spent the 24th provisioning Lizzy Belle with water, diesel and food. On the 25th , after waving goodbye to Mom and Dad South from the dingy, a rather slow departure, we headed for Rio Dolce with Patrick, Jessica and Luka. Four and a half people and a 28 foot boat are all the fixens you need for an exciting adventure. Aine and I couldn’t be happier to be a part of Lizzy Bell’s crew for the next week.
