Bound for Guatemala

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We left Utila a little before sunrise, and headed west for Guatemala. Shoutout to Ali for doing a quick visual inspection of the engine compartment before we left and noticing that I had left the cap off of the oil fill on one of the engines. I must say that … Read More

Leaving Roatan

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Getting ready to leave Roatan didn’t require much, aside from gathering up groceries. The grocery store here was so good that we knew it would be some time before we saw aisles packed with food like this again. Guatemala will be loaded with fresh fruit, but we won’t be around … Read More

Fantasy Island

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Hanging out at the beach on Fantasy Island, the three-star resort with a million rooms, twenty guests, and a ten bucks a night marina. No cruiser ever minds a hard passing rain shower to clean the boat off. With our lifestyle there isn’t much call for seasonal clothing, which means … Read More

Slow Roll in Roatan

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Life is running at a pretty easy pace around here right now. Some quiet mornings on the boat, followed by snorkeling and playing on the beach in the afternoons, and hanging out with friends in the evening. Ouest painted rock phones for the family, which led to some pretty funny … Read More

French Cay

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For the most part I’ve been really disappointed/saddened by how little life there seems to be in the Western Caribbean. Here on Roatan the West End was pretty terrible, but here in French Cay things have perked up quite a bit. This reef area is part of the Marine Park … Read More

Shipwrecked

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Snorkeling continues to be the main activity around here, and we’re slowly finding a few more signs of life. Finally got to swim around with a Spotted Eagle Ray, which has long been my favorite and was fun to show the kids. Usually when I see these they are in … Read More

Cost of Living—Honduras

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We arrived in Utila, Bay Islands, Honduras after an overnight 300 mile trip from Isla Mujeres, Mexico. The Bay Islands are rightly renowned for their clear waters and vibrant coral. It’s a dive mecca. Utila is sort of a “backpacker” island, meaning the town is filled with inexpensive accommodations where … Read More

Roatan Pool Party

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As I mentioned in my previous post about our cruising budget here in Honduras, there just aren’t a lot of extracurricular activities on the islands. Which is fine by me—beaches and reef snorkeling are pretty good, and inexpensive, ways to pass the days. Though we really do need to get … Read More

West End

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When we first arrived in West End, Roatan, there was a sailboat rally of some kind here—maybe 25 boats traveling around the Caribbean together. The Marine Park moorings were full up, but after they left we moved over and grabbed one. Not sure exactly what the rules are here, but … Read More

Roatan Beach Life

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This beach bar is overflowing with friendly staff and an owner who insists we use their dinghy dock. It’s not a bad trade off for us—we use the dock, do whatever we’re doing around town, and come back to have a beer and let the kids jump off the top … Read More

Movin’ on to Roatan

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It’s only 22 miles over to Roatan, from Utila, and we had very light winds forecast, so we headed out not expecting much trouble. It was only as we got out there that we realized just how much the overnight winds had kicked up the swell right on our nose. … Read More

Utila Days

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The days slip on by here in Utila, and that’s just fine. The anchorage makes for a pretty nice office for me in the mornings, and the afternoons are spent on/in the water, or on the beach. I’m pretty sure I haven’t rigged this thing up quite right—still—but it doesn’t … Read More