Heading to Providencia Colombia

Well we are packing up and preparing to leave in the morning for Colombia, well for two Islands owed by Colombia, Isla Providencia and Isla San Andres. They are actually closer  to Honduras and Nicaragua and only about 280 nm from the Panama Canal. 

This trip will probably take around five or more days. We plan to stay over night in Cayo Vivorillo, just to rest midway. 

So that is the plan, stan. We really are not completely sure what we will do after this place. We first planned to head to Panama but after experiencing summer in the Rio Dulce I think I will pass. Plus, we hear the fees have risen greatly and there is so much confusion on what is being charged. Another reason is our savings is running down pretty quickly. So this means we may have to be work chumps for a bit to fill our cruising kitty back up and being closer to the States makes more sense.  So we shall see. Let's face it, we know we are too young to think we can do this forever but we will be very happy to get a couple of years of freedom at this age than none at all. That is why we agree with the saying "Go Small, Go Now"!

We always enjoy our time in Guanaja. The people are great and it is beautiful 

Steve's mother celebrated her 84 birthday this year. I sent her some books, she calls homework. I want to suck all her wisdom out before she leaves us. Hahah. I know I sound terrible but It is said with love.  Happy Birthday Jean. We love and miss you. 

She is my June Cleaver

Here are some photos of our dear friends coming over to say hello. This is Rosalinda and Shana. They own a restaurant on the Cay called Rosalinda's over on Vietnam street. It is a must try place. Best friend chicken and I hear their liver and onions are great as well. Honestly, I havent had a bad meal there ever. And they are the sweetest people. They just need a sign outside and there needs to be a map made of all the retail places in the area and given out atthe  Immigration office.   There is my request! 

Dont you love how they travel. Hahah 

Shana and her babies 

Ok im finally putting the last row on my crochet throw blanket. It has taken me forever to complete because it is made with a 1.5 needle and small thread.  I take long breaks to keep my hand from cramping.  Now I will have to finish Steve's. 

Here is a shot at my herbs Im growing in plastic soda bottles. I tried starting my seeds in an egg carton but it didnt work well so I just put them in the containers they will stay in, so far so good. That is a mint plant I bought but almost killed because I left it hanging during strong winds. It looks to be coming back. The seeds are basil in one and rosemary in the other. We will see how it goes. 

Schooner wanting to take her morning nap with her dog treats. Got to include the cute baby picture. 

Well guess I will let you all know how the trip goes in a week or so. Take care of yourselves and love one another 

 

Galley Time, how do people cook in that small space

Ok so if you have never lived on a boat it may be difficult imagining what it is like to prepare meals in a galley. For me it isn't too different than preparing meals in a small apartment. The only difference is the area moves, space is vertical as well as horizontal, fuel and water are limited, hot water is not always available and you are constantly playing musical chairs (meaning I may have to move two things to get to one thing or I have to move to allow someone to come below)

As you can see my galley is basically horseshoe shaped. I feel this makes things a bit more manageable. It also makes me feel more secure while underway. I feel wedged in and able to brace myself while preparing meals or retreiving things. 

I have double sinks, pressure pump faucet, a back up foot pump, a seagull filter faucet for drinking water and a salt water hand pump. 

My stove is a Tasco three burner propane stove with oven and broiler. Oven door locks and stove is gimbaled. 

I have under counter led lights that also can be red, and one over head led light.  

My refrigerator is an Alder Barber drop down. 

I use my silicone lids a lot so I keep them hanging from the bar in front of the stove along with dish towels and a collapsable colander.  

I also use a pastry sheet for preparing veggies to keep bits and pieces from falling into the lids of the lower storage lockers or refrigerator. 

 

I also keep wooden spoons and collapsable measuring cups and potholders hanging close by for convenience.

My dishes are a mixture of glass, corning-ware and correll. I stand my plates up that allows more room for serving dishes. When underway I stuff dish towels and silicone lids and potholders around the dished to keep them from rattling around. 

As I said some of my storage lockers are vertical. They are accessed from the  countertop.  

I keep my dry goods in clear plastic containers so it is easier to see what is inside. I also use the chalk labels to identify what is in them. All this is also to make inspections easier when entering new countries, though we haven't been fully inspected, YET!

I love how I have tons of storage. Not all boats have that luxury. My cabinets are deep, which can be great but things do get lost or forgotten in them. 

When it comes to pots and pans, I took someone's advice to use what I used at home. I have a few stainless pots, a stainless skillet, a pressure cooker, one cast iron skillet, a cast iron flat skillet and a huge crab/lobster pot. I also have a stainless steaming basket and a pan  addition for chocolate melting 

We recently mounted this knife block that we purchased used in Roatan and we added our own knives. Loving it so far. 

I also found this cute little clear blue plastic container with a lid that I use for scraps that we throw out each night. Steve loves it now. He wanted me to be sure to include it as a very handy item. 

Love love my pantry. Lots of space. But I find I need to take the doors off once a week to allow more ventilation.  Steve has included lee-clothes to help keep items from falling while healed over   

So like most monohull owners with quarter births, ours is used for storage. We have cabinets there that we keep canned goods in as well as extra juice containers.  

We keep backing sheets and bread pans in the bottom drawer of our nav station 

I also have a cabinet under our seabirth that I keep big bowls, my thermos slow cooker, omina baking pan, as well as more entertaining dishes and larger plastic containers with lids 

So that is my galley. I hope I have explained to the landlubbers how us yachties manage in such a small kitchen. 

Back in Guanaja to wait for a weather window

Well we are back in Guanaja. Another one of our favorite spots in the Bay Islands. 

We will wait for a four or five day weather window to head southeast to Providencia Colombia. So everything will be all new again for us. There is much comfort that comes from familar places. 

For now we will enjoy Guanaja and visiting with our local friends. 

We will enjoy Guanaja's simple ways, green hills and beautiful beaches. 

Schooner is loving her daily visits to the beach 

We will be back because Guanaja is one of our favorite places. 

Someone needs to make an updated cruising guide of Honduras' Bay Islands. 

Im working on a blog post on our galley. If anyone has any questions or ideas of what I should make sure to include please contact me. I need your help. 

Happy New Year, time to find out how much we Spent

Wow what a year!  Nothing like doing the financial books to remind one of all that has happened through the past year.

Lots have happened for sure. The final bit to Saga Sea's refit was completed. A trip back to the states and a bottom job that was a bit more of a job than expected. Oh and of course Schooner!

So here it is. This is our spending for the year. As you can see we did NOT make our goal of a grand a month. LOL. But think of what I would have spent if I was shooting for two grand a month. Hahaha yes I am one of those people that likes the clock ahead a little to help me be on time.

2015 Spending Report

January: Isla Mujeres, Mexico/San Pedro, Belize
Check In/Out:       182.50
Food:                    910.55
Misc:                     164.00
Fuel:                     182.00
Boat:                       51.00
Monthly Balance: 1,490.05

February: San Pedro, Belize/Guanaja, Honduras
Check In/Out:           110.00
Food:                        707.30
Misc:                         116.50
Fuel:                            55.00
Boat:                          196.00
Monthly Balance:     1184.80

March:  Roatan, Honduras
Check In/Out:
Food:                          612.75
Misc:                           567.00. (Rent while boat is being worked on)
Fuel:                              25.00
Boat:                              13.50
Monthly Balance:       1218.25

April:  Roatan, Honduras
Check In/Out:
Food:                            815.55
Misc:                             501.00. (Rent)
Fuel:                                26.00
Boat:                                99.00
Monthly Balance:        1,441.55

May:  Roatan, Honduras
Check In/Out:                200.00 renew Roatan
Food:                             971.00
Misc:                              250.00
Fuel:                               110.00
Boat:                             4393.00 (recore deck)
Monthly Balance:        5,924.00

June: Roatan, Honduras
Check In/Out:
Food:                               891.76
Misc:                               2,158.16 (plane tickets and stuff to bring back from states)
Fuel:                                   32.50
Boat: (back up parts)        195.34
Monthly Balance:            3,225.45

July:  Guanaja, Honduras/Rio Dulce, Guatemala
Check In/Out:                173.00
Food:                              402.40
Misc:                              97.85
Fuel:                               35.00
Boat:                                 6.50
Monthly Balance:          714.75

August:  Rio Dulce, Guatemala
Check In/Out:                     ------
Food:                             639.89
Misc:  (New phone)        522.61
Fuel:                                   ----
Boat:  (Bottom job)        2,627.54
Monthly Balance:           3,790.04

September  TEXAS Vacation
Check In/Out:                   --------
Food:                                333.37
Misc:                               1,913.58
Fuel:                                  -------
Boat:                                 227.76
Monthly Balance:           2,474.71

October: Rio Dulce/Roatan, Honduras
Forgot to have US immigration stamp passports so had to pay more for check into Roatan
Check In/Out:   480.00
Food:                815.88
Misc:                129.15
Fuel:                 87.22
Boat:                117.00
Monthly Balance:  1,628.25

November: Roatan, Honduras
Check In/Out:    75.00 (Cayos Cochinos)
Food:                806.03        
Misc:                 442.33 (annual insurance)
Fuel:                 125.00
Boat:                ---------
Monthly Balance:  1,448.36

December: Roatan, Honduras
Check In/Out:     ------
Food:                 808.87
Misc:                  786.90 (christmas and more insurance)
Fuel:                     51.50
Boat:                 -----------
Monthly Balance: 1,647.27

2015 Yearly spending

Check In/Out:      1,220.50
Food:                   8,663.04
Misc:                    7,649.08
Fuel:                       729.22
Boat:                    7,926.50
2015 balance:    26,188.48

Holidays are over

Well the Holidays are over and we had a nice time with the fellow cruisers here in the French Harbor area. We camr together for a potluck dinner, the food was great and company even better. 

We also visited the local Iguana farm that we are anchored near. Steve could barely walk through it, he isnt a big fan of reptiles and there were tons of them.  They mostly roam free and the owners keep them around by feeding and protecting them. 

Starting in January we will be looking for the next good weather window to set off to Providencia, Colombia. We need to allow a good 3-5 days. So come on northerns, not too strong. Lol. 

On a personal note, Im missing coffee shops, parks and sidewalks. Steve of course doesnt....

Almost forgot to share our latest video of Schooner at the beach. She is such a little fish

http://youtu.be/qEIBjFdfpVk

Monkeys and Rodents, Oh My!

Thought I would share a few pics I have on my phone with you all. We are still hanging out in the middle of Roatan Island in French Harbor's anchorage. Not too much beach here but lots of cruisers at the moment. People are coming from all around, the Rio Dulce, Guatemala as well as Panama and Providencia Columbia which is where we are headed next month. Always nice to get the current scoop of a place before heading there. Cruising Guides help but much if it is out of date or they only shared what the written laws is  which can and is different from what is practiced. 

So we have joined in on some of the store runs and veggie trucks offered by the two operating marinas that are in this area. Fantasy Island Resort and Marina brings in a veggie truck for all the cruisers to buy from on Mondays. On Tuesdays a bus takes cruisers to the local big super market, Eldons, and gives them about an hour to shop and brings them back. Great service, because it is always difficult hauling groceries back to your dinghy. On Wednesday nights they have a bring your own BBQ. 

The other marina here is Brooksey Point. They have a laundry service which is a huge plus, they also have a weekly Eldons run but later in the week which is nice and live music on Thursday nights. 

 Fantasy Island has all kinds ofanimals that roam free on the Island.  Schooner wasn't too sure she liked the monkeys because they love to gang up on little dogs. In her mind it is like a scene from Wizard of Oz.   

Steve also worries, we heard the monkeys have been seen throwing the iguanas out of trees. 

I started my herb planters. Im using two litter bottle with rocks in the bottom to help with drainage. I am starting with a mint plant. I feel two or three litter bottles are great planters for a boat because they can easily be stored away while on passages or in heavy weather. They can also be hung on the outside to keep the dirt or leaves from falling on the deck, which is something Steve doesn't care for much. 

I have also started some seeds for the other containers, basil, cilantro, rosemary and some salad greens 

We have also taken Schooner with us snorkeling. She is a little fish butshe doesn't seem to like us putting our heads under the water. I usually pull her with me on a float but when either of us go under she dives in after us. I guess she is saving us. We will have to put her life jacket on so she can stay longer in the water until she figures out we are fine, just another strange thing we humans do. Maybe she needs her own snorkel gear?

Hmm what else, Oh we had to move from our position in the anchorage the other night because of a boat dragging on us. It always happens in bad weather. It is a bit unnerving because you can't predict it or use some sort of warning signal like an anchor watch. You end up not getting much rest when in bad weather because you are always watching that guy that is right in front of you. 

So we moved but then someone else moved right in front of us again, this time even closer. They didn't use an anchor light at night and the next day we had a squall come over us and their little boat was whipping around in front of us with no one on board. A fellow cruiser notified us over the radio that he thought the boat in front of us was dragging. Great!  Of couse this will happen when no one aboard. Luckily we found the owners and they moved the boat up some but it made us feel like we were overreacting because they didnt hit us. What were we suppose to do, wait until they did hit us? Ridiculous!  If you ever want to see a overweight redhead beat someone that is what you do, it is the quickest way to make me mad and I don't recommend that. 

Well that is all that has been going on around here. Next week is the holiday so we will join the other cruisers for a potluck Christmas meal. Those are always interesting.