3/21/2019 We left Glover's Reef, Belize with Lequesteau at 0900 and set sail for Guanaja, Honduras. It is the farthest east of the Honduran Bay Islands. We figured we would go to the East end and then slowly work our way back west and return to Guatemala in May. We had planned to sail to the far eastern end of Guanaja and go down around that end of the island and up into the anchorage. However, as usual, the winds did not cooperate and we found ourselves beating into the wind by the late afternoon. We changed course so that we would cut between the eastern end of Utila and the western tip of Roatan. This gave us a better point of sail although we did have to use the engine too once we got south of Roatan. We made it to Bonnaca cay, Guanaja the next day at 0930 and checked in with the Port Captain before going to anchor in El Bight. We pretty much just crashed and tried to make up for our lack of sleep on the 24 hour trip. We found Edwin and Margot, friends on S/V Ebijmar were in the anchorage along with several boats we had met the previous season. The anchorage soon became very crowded with the arrival of boats in the Suzy 2 Rally.
We did several snorkel trips with other boaters, photos below.
NOTE: Click on the photos to make them bigger and see them better.
 |
| Some yellow sponges |
 |
| I thought these looked like lumpy baguettes. They may be a pillar coral that has fallen over and growing new upright pillars. |
 |
| Some fire coral (foreground) and a large elkhorn coral |
 |
| Indigo Hamlet |
 |
| A trumpet fish. They usually hang vertically in the water, making it hard to distinguish them from plants or some corals. |
 |
| Some type of encrusting coral, maybe lobed star coral with a fire coral on left. |
 |
| Not sure what this little guy is poking his head out of the brain coral. I think some type of an eel. |
 |
|
We also attempted to hike to the waterfall which we didn't get to last year. Eight of us started out and we got farther than last year but then Caroline slipped and dislocated her right shoulder (she had dislocated her left one last summer while home in Canada) and we had to truss up her arm and get her back to town. She and Greig went on the "ambulance boat" to Roatan. Fortunately, the orthopedic doctor was there that day and put her shoulder back into place. As Caroline is right-handed, she was really out of commission. Greig was worried that she would get hurt again on the boat because she couldn't use her right arm to catch herself so they left a few days later and made a long passage back to the Rio in Guatemala. They prepped the boat to leave it for the summer and went back to Canada early. Though we know we are at risk for injuries and diseases in our travels, we try our best to be prepared and take precautions to stay safe. But we try not to let that limit our opportunity to enrich our lives with all the experiences with nature and other people and cultures.
We also returned to one of our favorite restaurants, Mi Casa Too, twice while we were in Guanaja. As usual, we had fantastic meals both times. We hiked the blue trail up to a reservoir though we had several false starts and backtracking due to lack of a definitive trail and poor markings. But what else did we have to do, anyway?
 |
| One of our dinners at Mi Casa Too. Before Caroline got hurt. |
The hike to the reservoir:
 |
| Pineapple in an abandoned garden |
 |
| A member of the bromeliad family, pineapple plants are so pretty. |
 |
| This home overlooks the bay (see below) and has beautiful carvings and a pool. No one lives here now. |
 |
| Bonnacca Cay in the distance |
 |
| Lots of bamboo |
 |
| Part of the reservoir |
 |
| Several of our group took a dip in the reservoir to cool off. I was concerned about the possibility of snakes in there and declined. |
 |
| Frangipani flower |
4/9/2019 We intended to leave early this morning but a man on a boat anchored nearby was injured when he fell from about 6 feet up his mast. He injured his back and needed to be transported to a hospital. A trauma surgeon who was anchored nearby coordinated his transfer to another boat (a catamaran) as that would give his a more stable and comfortable ride. Greg went over to the injured man's boat and helped transfer him using an inflatable paddleboard that served as a backboard. The "ambulance boat" was gone to Roatan on another transport so we used another boater's catamaran which, although slower than the power boat, was probably more comfortable and safer for his spine. We finally departed about 0940 and sailed to Jonesville Bight in Roatan. We were communicating with the doctor in Roatan and trying to coordinate where the ambulance could pick up the injured man. The people on the catamaran changed their minds several times as to where they would go in to get him ashore but finally decided Jonesville's fishing dock would work. They arrived before we did and got him to the hospital. He had some fractured vertebrae and he was taken to the mainland to be stabilized before being sent home to England.
once again, we were reminded of our frailty in this big world. (As a follow up in October the gentleman has now recovered and is travelling around Guatemala by land enjoying this beautiful country.)
Part II Roatan
We anchored in Jonesville Bight amid several other boats, most from the Suzy Too rally. Last year we were almost alone in this harbor. Jonesville marina was having their annual fishing tournament soon after we arrived so we got to see the weigh-ins of the big catches. I think the biggest was a 65 pounder.
Friends on Moon Dance (Bob and Nina) and Rainbow's End (Pam and Don) and Mango Jam (Alex and Katie) also arrived in the anchorage and along with several others. We arranged for a van to take us to the Roatan Island Brewing Company on the north side of the island. They give tours and do a BBQ and pig roast on Sundays. We had a great time playing games, watching them roast the pig in a "Cajun microwave" (not what they called it, but what we call it in south Louisiana) and touring the little brewery. Greg and the others tasted flights of beers and we enjoyed some really good roast pig.
 |
| Roatan Island Brewing Company |
 |
| The pig in the "Cajun microwave", charcoals on top of the well insulated box. |
We snorkeled some in the bay just to the west of Jonesville bight and although it was too rough to go to the outer areas with more coral reef, we saw some different things in the inner bay.
 |
| Not sure about this one. Some type of sponge? |
 |
| Lumpy overgrowing sponge |
 |
| Red fanworm |
 |
| Tiger tail sea cucumber |
 |
| Really large star coral with a little Christmas tree worm |
 |
| Social Feather Duster Worm |
 |
| Three Rowed Sea Cucumber |
 |
| Bright orange sponge of some kind |
 |
| A really big brain coral |
 |
| Neon goby on a star coral |
 |
| Reef urchin |
 |
| Harlequin Bass |
 |
| The path through the swamp on our way from Jonesville Bight to the bay where we snorkeled. |
We also took a dinghy ride along the south coast of Roatan back to the East a bit and stopped at BJ's bar to quench our thirst and then on to the Reef House Resort for a snorkel in front of their dive resort.
 |
Bob and Nina and Pam and Don tying up at BJ's.
|
 |
| Reef House Resort |
 |
| Large school of Blue Tangs and a few surgeon fish |
 |
| Banded butterflyfish |
 |
| Liz Ann and Nina enjoying the deck at Reef House |
 |
| Greg with the current owners of the Reef House |
4/22/19 We headed out of Jonesville Bight and over to West End, Roatan. We made it in through the channel to the mooring field and picked up a mooring. This was our first visit to West End and it is definitely a popular spot. The mooring field is a marine park and they charge $10/day or $50/week for the moorings. It all goes to protect and improve the reefs. We found the snorkeling here to be fantastic. We also found some good restaurants and an easy bus ride to the good Eldon's grocery store.
Here are some of our favorite snorkeling photos:
 |
| Chub |
 |
| Believe it or not, there is actually a fish there. It blends in very well with the coral but you can see its fins. It is a Bridledburrfish. He was so unusual, here are a couple more of him. |
 |
| Anemone |
 |
| West Indies sea urchin |
 |
| French Angelfish juvenile |
 |
| The perfect end to a day of snorkeling |
 |
| Chub |
 |
| Rainbow Wrasse, Initial Phase |
 |
| Indigo Hamlet |
 |
| Four eyed Butterflyfish |
 |
| Rough Fileclam ( red tentacles, hidden in coral) |
 |
| Spotted Goatfish |
 |
| Redband Parrotfish Initial Phase |
 |
| Spotfin Butterflyfish |
 |
| This Blue Parrotfish was not shy at all. He swam right up to us. |
 |
| Can you spot the Caribbean Lobster with his blue tentacles poking out from under the rock? Fortunately, I have Greg to spot all these interesting fish and creatures for me. Otherwise, I would miss half of them. |
 |
| Hogfish, Initial Phase |
 |
| Trumpetfish doing his usual camouflage act by hanging vertically in the water. |
 |
| Love these Queen Angelfish |
 |
| Bluestriped Grunt |
 |
| Schoolmaster Snapper |
 |
| Blue Chromis |
 |
| Saucereye Porgy |
 |
| Peacock Flounder |
 |
| Brassy Chub |
 |
| Grouper, possibly Yellowfin |
 |
| French Angelfish |
Part III Utila
5/7/19 We dropped our mooring lines at 0744 and sailed to Utila. We had a nice sail until the last hour when the wind died and we had to motor in. We tried anchoring 3 times before we felt we had dug in successfully. We did some more snorkeling here in Utila and also met up with one of Greg's former co-workers, Raymond Cooper who lives here.
We toured the Jade Seahorse Inn and restaurant which was not open at the time as it is late in the season for them. And we got another lime pie and some cookies form our favorite bakery near there. We visited Neptune's Beach Bar and had our requisite Whale Shark drink, a beautiful Caribbean blue color. And very tasty.
We rented a golf cart one day and drove all over the island. Dave and Alex on Banyan made it down here from the Caymans and joined us for the last few days before we headed back to Guatemala.
 |
| Entrance to Jade Seahorse |
 |
| Intricately carved wood was everywhere |
 |
| As were mosaic sculptures |
 |
| The buildings made me think of Alice in Wonderland |
 |
| Convenient cut-outs for holding your beer bottles at the bar railing |
 |
Unique light fixture
We took a golf cart ride around the island and found a road with the name of one of Greg's other co-workers in Angola who's family also lives here. Gabourel road.
|
 |
| RJ's bar and grill was a good local spot we went to with Greg's friend, Raymond Cooper and his wife, Redell. |
 |
| Fish dinner |
Some of our favorite snorkeling shots from Utilla:
 |
| Blue Chromis |
 |
| One of my favs: Porcupinefish |
 |
| A cave full of tiny silvery fishes |
 |
| Barracuda checking us out |
 |
| A couple of four-eyed butterflyfish |
 |
| Saying good-bye to Raymond as we checked out of Utila |
5/17/2019 At 1132 we pulled up the anchor and headed toward the East end of Utila with cruising friends on Banyon. We decided to go the long way around the island because there are quite a few little cays and lots of shallow coral at the southwest end of Utila which we wanted to avoid. Although we went that way last year and had no problem, we heard of several boats that ran aground in that area this year. Better to take the longer way and be safer. We estimated a 24 hour trip and we made it in 24 hours 27 minutes to Tres Puntas, Guatemala. We did a combination of sailing and motor-sailing. We had to go off course for several miles around 0300 to avoid a squall. We had lightning all around us for a couple of hours but thankfully, no strikes nearby. Lightning is one of those things that scare me more than most anything on the boat. But we made it intact to Tres Puntas along with Banyan by noon the next day. We rested and prepared to cross the bar at Livingston to return to our summer home on the Rio Dulce the next day.
