We are off the grid

We now make our own water! Yeah! We make our own power and water so basically self sufficient. How awesome is that?

Steve and Schooner Sailing

Friends boat SV Syrinx

My Herbs

Steve has frankensteined a RO watermaker from using one of these survivor 35 desalinator and a motor. It draws very little power and makes about 1.5 gallons an hour. So not a lot but enough. Tastes so good. There seems to be many cruisers using this same system.

At The Reserve Marina

We have enjoyed our time here in Belize.  We don't enjoy the cost but enjoyed seeing old friends and meeting new ones.  We have stuck around Placencia and Sapodilla Lagoon. There is a new marina, well one that has been in developed for years in Sapodilla Lagoon. They have finally opened the bar and store so it makes it a great protected area for cruisers. Oh they also have self serve machines to wash laundry. They have been very welcoming to all of us cruisers.

At Anchor in Placencia

We are heading to Isla Mujeres. Which is one of our favorite locations. Our daughter, Samantha, and her boyfriend are flying in for a visit mid April. We are looking forward to the visit and to finally share our world to one of our kids. Neither of them have ever experienced what our current lifestyle is like. So this will be exciting.  

St Paddy's day parade

They have visited us when living on the boat in a marina before leaving the states. But never have they experienced what life on the hook is like. I have to admit, I am also nervous.  Not sure why I am nervous they already think I am crazy.. hahah

Well I guess that is enough for now. Of course, once again I will have to push my grandson's pictures on you.  Oh and remind everyone that I am freelancing as a remote bookkeeper and virtual assistant, in case anyone is in need of some assistance. You can contact me directly or here.

Remember to be good to yourself and to OTHERS

Rain in the Jungle

What do you know, it is raining in this Guatemalan jungle, but it hasn’t slowed Steve down much.  He seems to be able to juggle socializing and rigging like a professional.  He has finished replacing all running and standing rigging as well as all the life lines.  He has also replaced the sump pump for our shower, put up the new suncover and has been my taxi driver.  

We had a few days last week where the rain caused him to stop all work outside.  On those days we accepted an invitation to join 9 other cruisers at the Monkey Bay Jungle Cabin. We were fed and entertained in a lovely cabin where all but me passed out happily.  Schooner and I had a lovely tumble down the stairs from the loft.  Hahah  bruised up my arm but I am alive and well.  I found it hilarious since I was the only one who was sober, yet I manage to fall down the stair.  Anywho, it is a lovely place and I highly recommend it as a rental if any of you land lovers need a place to stay down here.  

Other things going on in our lives of any interest is I am kind of cat sitting.  A couple on a boat in the marina next to our’s needed to travel to Guatemala City for medical treatment.  I volunteered to check in on their cat, Florentine, while they are away.  Steve is my taxi driver a few times a day so that I can clean the cat box, feed her and give her some attention.  Florentine is a well traveled French cat, much like Schooner.  She has traveled by land, sea and air all over the world.  She has been a pleasure to visit with each day on her lovely boat.

We are almost ready to push off the dock and head over to have Saga Sea hauled out for a quick bottom job.  Then we will watch for a good weather window to head to the Honduras Bay Islands.  I am looking forward to getting some sea air through the boat to completely air her out.  

Oh I guess I didn’t really talk about the new sun cover and cockpit cushions we had made.  Steve is in love with a fabric called Weathermax.  He has used it for a few things aboard and decided to use it for a few more items.  We shipped the material here so we can have the upholstery guy here that made our cap rail covers make the sun cover and cushions.  We have some material leftover so we will see what else we can replaced. It really is a great product, very durable, water resistant and easy to clean.

Well the sun is out now, I need to get my herb seeds started and fix some lunch.  Until next time my friends, be good to yourself and OTHERS.

Houston, We have landed

WOW! WOW We are home!!!!!  IT is such an Awesome Feeling!!!!  We are so grateful for EVERYTHING!  We sure have missed our little Saga Sea boat.  She did awesome with the help of the Harbour Master, Oscar, here at Tijax Marina in the Rio Dulce.  This will be her home every Hurricane season for the foreseeable future.  

Well, let's see where did I leave off with the blog…?  Ok, we struggled some with packing and staying within the 50 lb limit for each bag.  Our two huge suitcases went to four for weight reasons and we still had one 3lbs over the limit.  Our two carry on bags were completely full with electronics as well.  But we managed and got everything here with no other issues.  Steve’s carry on bag was searched because he had the boat zincs in his bag and they looked suspicious.  Schooner’s paperwork all passed with NO problems or questions… actually the airlines Never asked for her paperwork which was interesting.  

Our driver, William, with Otto’s Tours met us and whisked us out of the city with very little delay. The rest of the drive was slow and lots of vehicle exhaust.  Vehicle exhaust is always something that takes us some time getting used to in the cities. 

 The road to the Rio is a two lane road that has been under lots of maintenance but we were lucky enough to miss the work because it was suspended for the holidays.  The road has a lot of large truck traffic taking supplies in and out of Guatemala City.  Schooner and I slept for most of the trip down.  

We managed to get the bags in the water taxi across to the marina and had the bags unloaded about 10pm that night.  Score!  Saga Sea looked awesome inside and out and I slept like a rock.  The next day Steve and I got right on our projects, well after some well deserved coffee and a good breakfast at Tijax Marina’s  restaurant.  I unloaded all the lockers (cabinets) and washed them all out with vinegar then a spritz of clove oil and water.  I washed everything in the galley.

Steve stayed busy bringing back all the systems in working order.  DC and AC power, refrigeration, the toilet, the propane and stove, VHF radio, AIS, the Wifi booster, got the dinghy back in the water and outboard running, of course all the covers off, and then he flushed the water tanks.  He has been steadily going down his huge list.  Cleaning all his tools and getting everything back in their place.  

We have also tried to see some of our core group of friends that happen to still be here.  We know a lot of people but we of course have our core friends that we just really click with.  We were so excited that many of them are here… of course others are all over the world.  I can’t tell you how good it is to be with like minded people.  We are no longer the misfits. Now we are with all the other misfits, well misfit boat people.  

So we brought in the new years on top of the bridge here in Fronteres.  It is a pretty popular bridge in Guatemala. We were surprised that more people weren’t on it at midnight. You can see all the fireworks from that spot, a 360 view.  We haven’t celebrated the 1st in many years, it was a nice change but a nap was needed to pull it off.

Other news is that we have beat our supply shipment.  The hurricanes this year really pushed the shipping industry back so everything is being processed very slowly.  They are extremely backed up.  We hope to have it arrive next week, which works out because it is giving us a chance to get the boat ready to receive it and Steve won’t be too overwhelmed with projects.  

Guess that is about it. We will continue to get the boat ready to sail back to the Bay Islands then onto Isla Mujeres.  Remember everything takes a lot of work, even to do simple things, so we are back on “Island Time” …  Time to enjoy Life and all its twists and turns.

Until next time my friends, be good to Yourself and OTHERS..