Honduras, Roatan, French Harbour – A dark and stormy night

French Harbour filled with boats as a storm front approaches

We have not gotten far.  Still in French Harbour.

Although the winds to sail east are best just before a storm front passes over, the humans decided to miss out on this one and relax a bit.

Well not exactly relax.

They have been doing a lot of running around, but not getting much more than shopping and laundry done, but also doing a bit of socializing.

Another birthday party by S/V Seismic Wave for the human’s 50th

Good luck, and the search for a safe harbor with the approach of bad weather, has brought a lot of boats from the Rio Dulce back together.  While we were ‘fill farting around’ with illness many of them were off visiting Belize and other islands.

Sailing Vessels (S/V) Seismic Wave (Brett and Teresa), Kalea (Martin and Iris), Sea Level (George and Rebecca), Sea Rose (Brian and Sue), Wanderer (Pete) and Bellatrix (Gerwald and Corinna) are all here.

A good excuse to go on a road trip.

The ‘motely crew’ on a bus tour of the island

Our social director (Teresa from S/V Seismic Wave), got Mike (Owner of Brooksy Marina) to take us for a scenic and historical tour of the island.  With the highlands in the centre of the island you get great views down to the sea below.

Roatan was becoming a favoured hot spot for snow birds from North America (individuals who migrate south away from the winter snows).  There was a surge of resort and condo developments that promply went bust with the economic down turn.  But there are a few developers still willing to ‘make a go at it’, even if it is a bit crazy.

Crazy ideas from crazy developers

This road side monstrosity is locally known as ‘Noah’s Ark’.  It will eventually be a restaurant and night club.

Despite the development spurts on the island there still many traditional villages and clusters of unique ethnic groups.

 The Black Carib (Garifuna), whose ancestry includes Arawak and African Maroons, remained in Punta Gorda, becoming the Bay Island’s first permanent post-Columbian settlers.

The island is divided into two municipalities each with an elected Mayor who ‘rain’s supreme’ for four years.

Each Mayor likes to immortalize themselves in a series of plaques that commemorate anything they accomplish during their time in office.

As usual in Central America, there is a little bit of bribery and corruption.  Check out the last mayors place.

Do you think the Mayor had a bit of a ‘White House’ fetish?

He did not get re-elected so he never got to finish the interior.

The real ‘touristy’ jewel of Roatan is the island’s West End.

The boys chilling out after a big lunch.  Note the breadfruit for later.

Check out the previous the previous blogs on the area, but it is here you will find the largest concentration of restaurants, shops, dive centres and accommodations.  All the tourist trappings we have come to know and love including a few surprises.

A resort has turned a derelict sail boat into a swing to leap into the water

But cruising it is not all sunny weather, sight seeing and socializing.   There are also many days we have to deal with stormy weather.

Not the kind of weather that cruisers want to see.

We helped a boat that got free at the start of the winds, but as darkness fell and the winds increased, we knew it was going to be a long night.

Surprisingly most of the boats that had anchoring problems were able to help themselves.  I think sailors who come to the Western Caribbean are prepared to be a little more self sufficient or check themselves into Marinas.  Everyone was ‘on point’ and the radio was busy with calls as boats broke free.  Fantasy Island offered free berths for any boats having troubles.

Only one boat had engine troubles and needed rescuing.  The call out for help brought everyone out in their dingys to tow him into the Marina.

Not the best picture, sorry.  You will have to look carefully to see the dingys towing the boat past us.

Special thanks to Pete, the dock master at Fantasy Island, for calling out for any vessel in trouble to come into the Marina for free.  He was up all night and helped take in two vessels that could not get re-anchored safely.

Lots of other cruisers are dealing with bad weather out there.  Visit our link to ‘Wandering Star’ and see how they are dealing with the winds in the Abacos.

The winds are meant to ease through the day.  Most cruisers are happy to stay aboard, take a few cat naps and catch up with paperwork until than.  I know my humans need to do some planning for the next few legs of our journey south.

And of course there is the Medical Insurance Company to still deal with.  Those close to us will know they have been nothing but a nightmare so far.  We are trying to give them the ‘benefit of the doubt’ and are waiting to write about our experiences and anything we learned to do differently in the end. So stay tuned for that installment.

No internet when we leave here.  We will fill you in with the SSB after we go.

Our ‘loosely’ planned route.