TwentyEightFeet
You never know who you are going to meet at the beach...
I was walking the beach and a woman and her daughter approached me asking why I was climbing to the top of my mast earlier that day. After meeting the rest of the family, Mike, Traci, Danielle and Mikaela all became very close friends quite quickly. We enjoyed talking over the film “Captain Ron” which we all agreed was a family classic. They even got into the spirit the day we went sailing to Buck Island exchanging my large collection of bandanas and rubbing white Zinc on our noses. At the end of the day I became their very own Captain Ron and sailing as a team will never be forgotten. Shout out to my friends in Orange County, California. Thanks for being my friend!
December 25th 2012
Tyler Hill Camps Siegel Famly join us
from the Oasis of the Seas
10:45am, New York Time, Lindbergh Bay: We headed South out of Lindbergh Bay towards the open ocean with Skipper Maddie on the tiller, Joey acting as First Engineer and Dylan running the ropes and organizing the deckhands. Andy grabbed the Jib Halyard, raised the sails and instantly harnessed the wind. As we picked up speed Joey killed the engine and we plotted our course towards Whistling Cay taking charge of the winds sweeping off the mountains behind us.
12:30pm, Whistling Cay: Maddie, Joey and Dylan all spit in the lens of their goggles and wiped them clean with their bare fingers. Like professionals on TV they held their masks in one hand and plunged into the depths of the Caribbean Sea off the stern of Lizzy Belle. Snorkelling around in 20 feet of water over a magnificient coral reef we dove, we explored and we discovered the creatures in the depths below. The colours were unbelievable. Andy, it being his birthday and realizing he had become one year older on the day decided to challenge fate and stare one of the largest Baracuda Lizzy Belle has ever come across straight in the eyes. Obviously, that fish backed down and we were happily sailing within the hour.
1:30pm, Preserverance Cove - We dropped the hook 500 yards from
our completely deserted beach. Maddie and Dylan took turns driving the dingy to and from the beach delivering our cooler, drinks and the BBQ. Andy jumped on the
BBQ and grilled up some skewers of all types. The girls swam, laughed and ran the beach as we moved slowly into late afternoon.
4:30pm - Beachcomber Hotel: We made it safely back to the Beachcomber Hotel with plenty of time to get everyone back to the Oasisi of the Seas and happily on their way to St Marteen. It was Andy's birthday, a great day of sailing and a moment that will most definitely be remembered. Thanks again Siegel family for joining Lizzy Belle and I on our adventure and continuing to have a positive impact on our lives.
December 18th 2012
"It's amazing to think that we have known each other for ten years".
Andy Siegel
See you soon,
Dave Welsford
Captain/Division Leader
Tyler Hill Camp
Siegel Family Portrait, Lindbergh Bay
Joey, Maddie and Dylan snorkelling for the first time. March, 2012 - Oasis of the Seas vs Lizzy Belle
"It's amazing to think that we have known each other for ten years".
Andy Siegel
December 27th 2012
One thing about owning a sail boat...
Those who know me well might say that I’m always working on being more patient. One of the best ways to practice patience, is has been owning a sailboat. Lizzy Belle has by far been one of the most rewarding investments of my lifetime so far. And every time I fix one thing, there are four more chores to add to the list. After installing a brand new engine and getting ready to head out on my next journey I was quick to realize that reverse on the transmission was actually forward and of course the opposite. It was a task to remove the old propellor and try and figure out the measurements to order a new one. One thing was certain, It needed to be a right handed prop vs a left.
We ordered the brand new propellor from our home community. The boys at the Lunenburg Foundry reshaped her for me and my parents eagerly arrived the day after Christmas prop in hand. It took only 45 minutes to install the new propellor and is working seamlessly with our new engine. Lizzy Belle has become a rocket ship.
Now Heading 90 miles East to St Maarten.
September 13th, 2013
Directed by Kevin Fraser
As of today Kevin has submitted the film to multiple film festivals around the continent. The film has gained multiple sponsors from all over the country and of course any support you can offer will be much appreciated. The film has an Indiegogo account where products are being auctioned off and donations can be made:
Support the Cause:
Final Thoughts:
One of my favorite pastimes while cruising from island to island whether in the middle of the night, while watching the sunrise in the east or set in the west is reflecting back upon how far Lizzy Belle has come and how she has impacted others. After coming across her sitting on the hard cement in Bridgewater, NS almost four years aga until now the one thing that stands out in my mind the most is - how much support and love everyone has offered Lizzy Belle and I. Whether that support has came from sanding and painting her haul, to donations of dockage fees, or having friends and family sit down and go over charts and share their personal sailing experiences with me, the support is what is keeping us going. And now, Kevin has found a way to share what Lizzy Belle means in an entirely new univerasl way. Although Lizzy Belle maybe a sailboat in most peoples eyes, she is far more than that. She shapes relationships, builds bridges and most importantly - brings people together. Thank you Kevin for all you have done for us!
People always ask, "So what do you do again, sail around the Carribbean?" and what I hear most often is, "Well, why would you want to do that?" From there I believe many dream up the ideals that surround a five month vacation - sipping maragitas in a hawaian shirt while dangling my feet in the water. As much as I explain the concepts and challenges that drive the project I understand how difficult it must be to envision such an endeavor.
If you asked me 6 months ago while filming in the Caribbean what Kevin's final project or vision would look like? I couldnt even have guessed myself. I think more importantly if you asked me what the messages behind the film would be, I also couldn't have answered. That is the beauty of documentary filmmaking and creating works with such deep thought towards purpose. Kevin started with an idea, worked through it and now we get to truly understand the real beauty and messages behind the mystique Lizzy Belle.
I beleieve, Kevin Fraser, a long time friend and cinematographer recognized the potential Lizzy Belle and the impact the story could have on an audience - possibly long before even I had. For me, Lizzy Belle is an accumulation of challenges, sweat, blood and tears all amounting to meaningful, impactful experiences. Until now, it must have been really hard to comprehend... even for myself.
Twenty Eight Feet: Sample Clip
I'm always asked "why"... now even I have a clearer understanding. Twenty Eight Feet - Official Documentary.
November 16th, 2013
VIMEO REPORTS SAY OUR TWENTY EIGHT FEET TEASER HAS BEEN VIEWED IN 52 COUNTRIES
In two weeks time I am headed back to Lizzy Belle who has been patiently waiting for my return for over 7 months. Although she is currently dry docked her spirit continues to gain fame. Our Twenty Eight Feet trailer has gone global. Kevin mentioned just yesterday that Vimeo's Analytics ( online video hosting site ) have tracked views in 52 countries. I will say, we have not done it alone! Friends and family posted links on facebook, twiiter and other social media sites and we thank them for their efforts. Fran and Ron Himmelman ( and friends ) from The Mug and Anchor Pub hosted an an event to raise money to help submit the film to more festivals. Michele Stevens Sailloft has been sending out emails to clients and friends. Just recently, WOODEN BOAT MAGAZINE gave the film and Lizzy Belle's website a shout out on facebook and we have been receiving email feedback and congratulations from many latitudes and longitudes!
Enjoy the fim my friends and thank you again for your support!
November 16th, 2013
KEVIN & MEL ATTEND DOC NYC SCREENING OF TWENTY EIGHT FEET: Life on a little wooden boat
Kevin and Mel - Director and Producer of Twenty Eight Feet - spent the last weekend attending DOC NYC in the Big Apple. This documentary film festival is held in Lower Manhattan each year and has become the country's largest documentary festival - hosting over 130 films. Their mission statement includes: Curate: To guide audiences to inspiring work. Kevin mentioned, as he gave me the play by play of how the festival was going down via email, that this festival was, "a serious documentary film festival" and that it is exciting for us to be a part of it. Twenty Eight Feet: Life on a little wooden boat opened for a feature film; TINy: A story about living small which documents a couples journey building a home smaller than a parking space. Well suited for Lizzy Belle's adventure.
From my understanding through correspondence with Kevin is that the film was a success and the audience enjoyed the story. Kevin mentioned he had many compliments after the showing and that he valued his time attending the festival. I am happy that together, they had the chance to see their vision on a larger screen, in a humungous city. Good on ya guys!
News/Blog
Novemeber 29th, 2014
Lizzy Belle is Alive and Floating...
Surfing Trip to El Salvador
Spending three short days on Lizzy Belle cleaning and organizing.
Hey Guys,
Look! She is alive and floating. Lizzy Belle, although lonely, has made it through the summer and with our friend Toms help at the Marina here she seems quite dry on the inside despite a bit of expected mold. We spent three days before we left on our surfing adventure to the Pacific ( via land ) cleaning, drying things out and getting rid of garbage or rotten gear. We finally decided that the diesel heater was not really neccessary anymore as we do not plan on heading north anytime soon, instead we put in a solar driven fan. Another beautiful upgrade is our new two burner stove with a built in oven, new propane tank and new connection pieces ( for safety). On top of all of this it seems as though we have a few more exciting upgrades coming in December which should make Lizzy Belle more self sufficient. We will highlight these in future blogs as soon as all the plans pan out.
After three days of working in the hot sun we decided it was best to leave everything here again for another few weeks and head west. We said good bye to Lizzy Belle, again :( and off we headed to the Pacific. Two days later we found ourselves at the beach, with surfboards, ready for a new challenge ( for me anyway, last time I surfed I nearly drowned in Costa Rica, alone )....
From here we grabbed a bus to San Salvador and then after taking 5 or 6 buses around the city we finally found another bus that would take us to El Tunco . El Tunco is a fairly famous surfing community and we found it quite touristy and overrun on the weekend with people from the Capital. All this was okay in the end for me as I, as usual, got sick and spent two straight days in bed with a high fever! No worries, I made it... thanks to Sarah.
Happy Sarah and Davie
Surfing in El Cuco, very cool beach with fairly nice waves.
After all that time in bed we decided we needed a change and hitchiked up the coast and found a small surf village named El Zonte. This is where we decided to rest for a week or so as it seems to be quite laid back and all the local people are easy going and seem happy about us staying.
When you have to go you have to go...
Some slow shudders in the evening at the El Zonte beach break
Nice sunset nice wave
Sarah looking good!
Low tide looking towards the rocky point break and the small village following it...
Learnig Spanish, Ten Minutes a Day!
Alright fellas, we are not entirely sure what our plan is for the next few weeks on land although I plan on heading to Lizzy Belle a few days before Sarah to get a head start on all the sanding and painting. We are looking forward to Christmas on LB at the Marina and even have some special guests joining us afterwards for a few weeks.
Talk soon everyone,
Dave
Which seemed to be followed by 2 days of high fever :(
My first Circus in El Salvador
Written by: Dave Welsford
After four days of surfing ( i'm still alive by the way ) and actually catching some pretty decent waves we decided to head inland again towards a mountain village named Suchitoto. Here we found a beautiful room overlooking the mountains and spent some time looking through photographs, writing, reading and chilling out. Ohhhhh, and we went to my first Circus!!!... it was very random to find a circus up there!
Beautiful mornings on the water
It was actually quite interesting
The common way to do laundry in El Salvador and Guatemala is still manually... Definitely different than putting the clothes in the washing machine at home in Mahone Bay
A view of the Mountains in Suchitoto
Surfing with the locals in El Zonte. This is "Sancudo", the dude who owns our hostel and is one of the best stand up body boarders worldwide!
Lots of puppy dogs to hang out with!
Continue Reading...
Most of the buses are ex school buses from North America, brought back many memories riding to school!
December 3rd, 2014
6 stitches and... free health care!
Small surfing accident, everyone was okay in the end...
Sarah, chillin in the Emergency room waiting for the doctors to check out her leg...
I was making coffee when a local girl, about sixteen years old, came running up the lawn of the hostal. She said a whole bunch of things to me in spanish, I had no clue obviously... I was able to catch "seniorita" and then acted as soon as she motioned that she had cut her leg. Just outside the hostal I found Sarah sitting on a log, with a few small tears in her eyes, and a bunch of local people gathered around offering help. Everyone was excellent. I quickly looked over the cut and recognized it seemed as though the bleeding was stopping (which to me meant no arteries were cut, although I was really only going on gut feelings) and reassured Sarah it was going to be okay. We called for a taxi and they drove us directly to the hospital. The taxi driver (who was amazing) brought out a wheelchair and the nurses all smiled as we entered the ER. They took us directly in the back and had a doctor look quickly and then asked us to wait. The ER was fascinating to me, I managed to take lots of pictures until Sarah reminded me gently that she was hurt :) whoops... :). Shortly afterwards, the doctor showed up and kind of abruptly, kicked me out into the waiting area. I checked in a few times and Sarah was laying on the operating table bravely accepting six stitches in her leg. She took it like a champion!
Oxygen... just in case ;)
Written by: Dave Welsford
Sanitary systems in place...
"If there is a patiente do not enter" Love this sign!
The gear to stitch Sarah's leg up...
A mean looking gash, with a little fleshy meat hanging out there and everything... cool!
Gotta love the Go Pro!
This guy mopped all around Sarah's feet, it was kinda funny!
On the drive home I as able to get a clear explanation of what actually happened: as a wave broke, Sarah as usual with surfing anywhere, ducked underneath it and this time got caught in the wave. Somehow, the board got tumbled around underneath her and the force of the wave pushed the fin directly into Sarah's thigh. I would imagine that is a lot of force coming down on her leg. Ouch!
Driving home from the hospital!
A little hammock and beer time for the two of us, all is well again!
The front desk of the hospital.
Sarah has an El Salvador Health Card now. All Governement Health Care providors are free, even to foreigners with a passport! Good on them!
After the day was over we finally got to take a breath and realize all is okay. Sarah and I have to find a hospital everyday for the next 7 days for "wound cleaning" and a quick "lookover" from a nurse. We decided that the best way to tackle this one and get some rest in the meantime was to visit some family friends in El Salvadors capital, San Salvador. Sarah's brother Jonah's participated in a student exchange a few years ago and his host family wlecomed us in with open arms. Here is a safe, clean place to recover for a few days before heading back to Guatemala and eventually Lizzy Belle!
The adventure continues...
December 8th, 2014
The People of Guatemala City
Documentary Photography shot from "the hip"...
A busy Market Street in Guatmela Citys "Zone 9"
All we could say was, "What hard working people"... We had the pleasure of "accidently" spending the night in Zone 9 of Guatemala City a few days ago. I will say it was very loud and anyone who is claustrophobic would not get along well. Despite the noise, the entire experience was absolutely incredible for Sarah and I. Thousands and thousands of vendors were all side by side into a few city blocks and one could buy everything from huge watermelons, to guitars, to beef dinners prepared on a charcoal BBQ. The vendors arrived in the morning around 3am and left each night at 7pm.
Photographing people is a very touchy subject, especially as a foreigner. We understand some native people in Guatemala believe photographers are preparing to steal children when they are photographing and others, stealing souls. For me, I know nothing about either and believe my work is purely exploratory. In this sense, Sarah and I walked the streets photographing with my SLR "from the hip", defined in the photography world by simply not looking through the lens and pushing the trigger. As for the Go Pro, it is quite easy to get excellent photographs without any viewfinder. Hope eveyone enjoys the photographs, what an extraordinary place!
Written by: Dave Welsford
Very peaceful people...
Pineapple farmer with a pickup truck full of goods.
Kids working alongside adults, carrying goods and selling services
As for us, we are currently hanging out in Antigua, Guatemala which is about a 45 minute bus ride West of Guatemala City.
More to come...
Part of the city blocks were covered over for indoor markets
We believe this is dye... not sure yet very colorful
Lots of side alleyways
We ate here... a full meal with rice, guacamole, sausauge and tortillas... for less than a dollar :)
Lots of effort by bus drivers to "Pimp their bus"
Real Cowboys!
Nice smiles!
Sarah is very good at bargaining, everything has to be negotiated
Guns everywhere in the streets
Melon vendor
Lots to look at...
A couple eating breakfast on the street
All the children study Sarah and I
Delicious Bananas
The Butcher!!!
They were cooking a mean sausage, eggs, bean and tortilla breakfast!
I stress again, busy streets and hardworking people...
Written by: Sarah Schelbert
December 24th, 2014
Chimeneas, Recycled Art and Prison
An interesting trip to Honduras...
Hi Friends,
While Dave has been working hard over the last 10 days to get Lizzy Belle ready to sail again, I took the opportunity to go explore on my own for a little bit.
My friend Angela, a greek lady I lived with while I was volunteering in the north of Guatemala last April and May told me she will be in the mountains of Honduras for a couple of days as there would be a festival worth visiting. It would be in a tiny little town called Trinidad and so we met up closeby in Santa Barbara where we could stay with a local guy.
It was amazing to see Angela again and it sure took us a while to catch up on each others adventures for the last half year!
For the festival, each year, the people of Trinidad build huge figures out of steel wire and papermache and exhibit them on the streets for one weekend. The figures are called “Chimeneas” and they represent a critique of the contemporary politics or society. The highlight of the festival is Saturday night, when the Chimeneas get burned in a big ceremony by a theatre group and the artists themselves. The whole village was involved in the celebration and hundreds and hundreds of visitors came for the burning. We ended up staying in the "office" of the very openminded theatre group for two nights. The members were mostly young girls and guys who have been involved in theatre and arts for half of their lives which is cool given the fact that Trinidad is such a remote and tiny town. We also heard that the whole festival together with the theatre group and a lot of things going on in town root in a resistant spirit that the people of Trinidad show to the political regime in Honduras. What a great weekend!
Angela exercising with the ladies.
Yioula showing the women how to make storing boxes out of old plastic bottles.
The kitchen with all natural and healthy food.
Senora Blanca is an elementary school teacher in the village. She hasn't gotten paid for the last two years but doesn't stop supporting the community. Senora Blanca organized this workshop with Yioula.
Yioulas home in La Ceiba. As you can see, everything is made of recycled material. Very artistic and colorful.
The ceremony was accompanied by a psychedelic drumming group.
The leftover skeletons.
The topic of 2014 was "The Modern World" and how technology influences people's lives.
We watched the theatre group getting ready which was a theatre show on its own...
Trinidad is a coffee farm community, here a young local turns the coffee beans for drying.
Local artist finishing off a chimenea
The back of this chimenea was decorated with a golden skull which was taken off by a military brigade who came for "security reasons"...
My friends Angela and Lizet, both very happy people!
Locals enjoying the show.
Flames eating up the artwork.
On Sunday, the ladies that Angela lives with at the moment invited me to come back to La Ceiba with them. As I didnt have any other plan, I agreed and we travelled up to La Ceiba together. Angelas friend Yioula who is also from Greece and has been living in Honduras for the last 3 years, is an artist with a special concept. Yioula makes things out of recycled materials. Her place is full of creative, useful and beautiful things that she had made out of “garbage”. Besides that, Yioula and Angela are great cooks, they gave me a lot of new ideas in the kitchen and also how to live and consume more locally and sustainably. Yioula also gives workshops in different communities and I had the opportunity to accompany her. She always asks the people to bring garbage and old things from their homes and then finds a way to make something useful out of them. It is incredible how spontaneously she can think of creative ways to use the material and she would say “It is always a mutual learning experience, in every single workshop I did so far, I learned something new”. While giving the workshop, she also talks to the people about how they can live more sustainably and reuse whatever they have at home. If your interested, check out "Metamorfoseto" on facebook, that is where Yioula shows her work.
This girl is proud of the plastic bottle flower she made.
Look at all those beautiful flowers!
And there was another incredible experience waiting for me... I went to a Honduran prison! Coni, a swiss lady who has been living in Honduras for more than 15 years, goes there together with Yioula and Angela once a week and does workshops with the prisoners. The idea is to empower the people that have least opportunity in society with skills which will be useful for them. It was just WOW! Angela and I spent the morning with the women doing some stretching and yoga and some fun partner exercises. Not all the women wanted to participate and still the group that we were working with seemed to have a lot of fun!
Then for lunch we left the women part and went over to the male prison to join Coni and Yioula. They were working with a big group of around 20 people making flowers out of old umbrellas and Christmas tree hangers out of old advertisement tarp. It was heartmelting to see those men, who all told stories of serious crimes working on their arts and crafts and as concentrated and indulged as little children. It sure was a crazy breakup of their week to see four women working with them and at all times we were treated with lots of respect and courtesy. The prison seemed like a little village of its own. There were approximately 500 men were working on carpentry, making jewelry, baking, cooking, washing clothes, playing soccer or domino and doing all kinds of every day work. As the guards only stay on the outside, the “inside organization” of the prison was up to the people and it sure was fascinating to see how it worked! You could buy all the goods and foods they produce for quite cheap and we had delicious Baleadas (a traditional honduran dish made out of flour tortillas, beans and cheese) for lunch. Some of the guys told me their stories and it was intense to hear what they had been through. After the workshop was finished, they gave us a little tour and also showed us a little library that they had set up - with the help of Coni and lots of donations from “the outside”. It was very clear that Coni, Yioula and Angela brought light to the people in prison which they may have never gotten without them. What an intense and interesting day!
They enjoyed the "making a statue" game.
This is where the women live.
... and this is the mens' part.
Lots of very concentrated and detailed work.
Yioula, very happy with the results.
Some guys made blottles with model boats in them. Neat!
As you can tell, I had a very intense and inspiring week in Honduras and am now full of new ideas and energy for what Dave and I could do on Lizzy Belle! I am very thankful to Yioula, her landlord Lizet, Angela and Coni to have given me this beautiful opportunity and hope that we will meet again soon!
Now all her Crew is back on Lizzy Belle in Rio Dulce and she looks fantastic thanks to all the work Dave put into her! We wish all of our friends Merry Christmas! Enjoy the holidays with your beloved ones... eat and drink lots and be happy, because thats what life is all about, isn’t it ;-)?
I took over this shed and varnished all the floorboards
I started off by painting everything that was white inside her. It had been 4 years and much needed for sure...
Since Sarah left, the meals definitely did not get any better... Cheese and Doritto Sandwich...
Mold EVERYWHERE!
Hey guys, sorry about the late posts again... internet is not always easy to find these days.
In mid decemeber I spent a few weeks fixing up Lizzy Belle. I would imagine it is usual after leaving a boat in a tropical rainforest for 6 months you are going to come back to find things looking pretty messy. That is exactly the condition Lizzy Belle was in when I returned to her on December 10th. She was incredibly moldy and of course EVERYTHING was wet as it had been raining non stop for the previous month. Each year it is important to take some time to give her new paint and some varnish work which I believe helps Lizzy Belle stand out from all the rest. We beefed up our galley with a new stove, propane tanks, connection pieces and alarm system as propane is by far the most dangerous part of living on a boat. We added new solar fans in both the V-Berth and the living area along with a shinny stainless steel Cowl Vent which leads into the anchor locker. On top of that we worked on our fresh water system with a new filtration pump - with help from Sarah's father, thanks again - and a rainwater collection system made by Michele Stevans Sailloft in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. All and all it took about two weeks to get her organized and back to a liveable condition and I was grateful when Sarah returned from Honduras towards the end to help finish things off. It was well worth it and I am happy it is over for now...as it is time to go sailing. Enjoy the pictures, if you are thinking about getting a boat, especially a wooden boat, I believe one must be patient and always be ready for things to wear out and break down - it's just part of the game.
January 10th, 2014
Written by: Dave Welsfordt
A Two Week Restoration Project
Spending some much needed time on Lizzy Belle's upkeep...
Some new woodwork in the galley
New paint, new varnish, new blankets - feeling good!
Yay Sarah's back!!!!! Working away!
Cleaning our stainless steel 20 gallon watertank.
Sarahs Father hooked us up with a new Katadyn Combi Water Filtration System! Thanks again!
Looking good!
Trimming up our new blankets
Having a local Friend Tom build Lizzy Belle and Wooden Dinghy. Here we were seeing if our little ship would fit underneath the mainsail when we are offshore.
She is getting there!
Done!!!! For now...
Two brand new AGM Batteries... 440 Amp Hours in our new bank!
It was a good run and although it took every extra penny we had and every ounce of strength Sarah and I couldn't be happier with the outcome. There is something very pleasing about working hard on a project like this and being able to step back at the end of the day and see the progress... and now even better, enjoying Lizzy Belle on the water... what a beautiful space! Thanks everyone who helped out backstage, you are my heros!
Now, we have a few special guests arriving and we must prepare! Happy Holidays everyone!
Lizzy Belle and her crew are always changing. We sail from port to port, she gets worn out and we fix her up again and throughout all that - there seems to be one thing that always stays the same. Every year after Christmas my parents - Rick and Barb - take time and find Lizzy Belle wherever we are. It seems like every year just gets better and better. This year they took four planes, one large bus and a motor boat to join us in Texan Bay, Guatemala. We had a blast! We were fortunate to rent a "Tree House" right on the water where we could tie Lizzy Belle at the front "door". This house was located in a National Park and located on an Island surrounded by jungle and wild animals. Very cool and right up our alley! We ate under candelight, spent time on the water travelling up and down the river, we swam everyday and... we couldnt have asked for more... well one thing, Lindsay, Bill and her kids! Next time for sure! Enjoy the pics and thank you again to my family... you are the true genius behind Lizzy Belle and all she is offering us! Love you guys.
Family is everything...
A 7 day Vacation in Texan Bay, Guatemala
January 10th, 2014
The coolest place Lizzy Belle has ever tied up to! Our own "Treehouse"!
Enjoying the sunset, welcome to Guatemala guys!
Hammocks everywhere as a true treehouse should!
My parent's room upstairs.
A waterfront retreat.
The "Livingroom" complete with a jungle at the backdoor.
Stairs to the bedroom.
The kitchen and kitchen table. Sarah and I made a bed so we could get off the boat for a few days...
Beautiful evenings without any electricity, only candles in this treehouse.
The old man is a happy fella!
Chillin hard
Lizzy Belle on her first cruise since we have been back.
Beers and sun, what more could we ask for?
Exploring the community built around rivers and lakes..
Sarah happy to have a motionless bed for a few days!
Introducing SERENITA, our new complete wooden dinghy. Transaltion: "Little Mermaid" in Spanish!
Traveling up and down Rio Dulce is absolutely gorgeous.
The old man, mom and I. True geniuses I believe they are for putting us up to this in the beginning!
Beautiful mother!
Sarah cooked us amazing meals all week long.
Happy New Year Everyone!!!!
Thanks guys for your patience with the blog. We are fine tuning a few things in the Rio and have a plan in place for the next few months. It's going to be an adventure for sure. Hope everyone is well and thanks for following along. Much Love for sure!
Written by: Dave Welsford
Warm in our new Endurance Class Salus Marine Gear!
January 10th, 2014
First Sail of 2015
Rio Dulce to Utila, Honduras - 105 Nautical Miles
Hey Everyone!
Well, we are on our way. Leaving Rio Dulce was difficult yet with all the rain ( as it is a rainforest ) we were ready to find the sun. The passage was out the river, past Livingston, Guatemala and East up the Coast of Honduras towards and Island called Utila. The journey is an overnight run at 105 Nautical Miles. It was nice to get back out there and watch the sunset, sunrise and move with the stars. Although we had a few squalls with rain and wind Lizzy Belle with all electronics and natigational equipment couldn't have worked better. Enjoy the pictures my friends and we will check in again soon!
Full service!
Fueling up in Livingston before heading offshore.
Our dinghy fits perfectly underneath the main boom, perfect.
Sarah purchased a brand 12 pound new propane tank. Good news for everyone!
Our ongoing "to do" list for LB
Sarahs garden; Chives, Mint and... Parsley I think.
Lizzy Belle early in the morning before we departed Texan Bay.
A toast to Neptune and a hot meal early in the morning!
Messy yet cozy below decks this year.
Potatoes for lunch, this will keep us going!
Sails are up for the first time in 2015! Wahoo!!!
And a full tray of cookies made by Sarah in the oven!
Happy! For sure!!! Thanks everyone, see you soon!
Written by: Dave Welsford