Beez Neez now Chy Whella

To Roatan

Big Bear and Pepe Millard

Tue 25 Dec 2012 12:37

Finally, We Head to Roatan

We got up to a bright, sunny day and stowed Baby Beez. My mates the Pecalins had already been out fishing and had returned to their usual positions to do a spot of preening. We’re on then. Yes, indeed skipper we are. After a morning of backgammon. Look I’m now seventeen behind and the pressure is really on. I’ve managed a draw the last two years, so I think it fit that I win this year. Dream on captain, dream on. Mind you after lunch we played Upword. I was left with five letters, or twenty five points to Bear, his last score was twenty seven – I only just scrape a win by two. BY TWO, spose you’re in the lead at this as well. And Sequence and Rummikub. Huh.

Well anyway. Anchor up at ten past three and as it’s bear’s watch he gets to take us over the speed bump as the bar here is commonly known. But I brought us in over it. Well prove that wasn’t just a fluke then.

All well with just a second at zero below us. The rest of the way was 0.2 to 0.8 on a rising tide, marvelous. We both heard Beez squeal her delight to feel gentle waves and taste salt water.

Off we jolly well. Leaving the clouds over the jungle of Guatemala – farewell at last.

Just settling to our first sunset and nadder. The engine stops dead. Getting too dark to do anything tonight, we have to act like real sailors and do all that tacking malarkey. The wind and waves were so big we could be happily trotting along at 4.8 knots – then suddenly 0.8. I was at risk of going backwards on my 02:00 – 06:00 shift until I found the Bay of Honduras current. Took us way off course but needs must.

We got to play with our new AIS which is great now its in the cockpit. Loads of info too.

I had Seven Seas Navigator go past at four

Skipper got up at six and set to work on the engine. Water in the diesel. Lots of it. He drained what he could, changed the filters and I had to crank the engine to bleed out from the jets. Yeeeeeha, she starts. A few hours later the same again. Bear is up and down all day and draining more water each two hours. At first we thought dirty fuel and blamed Isla Mujeres as there’s has been the only clear fuel we have ever bought (the rest has always been red diesel). Far too much of the stuff, so we think it is a leak directly through the filler cap. New O ring needed PDQ. Once again Bear says it’s too dark to do any more tonight so for the second night we have to be real sailors. I keep my tacks tiny as I hate going for four hours in the wrong direction. I only had the tiniest triangle of genoa out so turning was painless.

Sunrise and I can just see Roatan, Twenty miles in the distance, I work out at my current speed and direction we may miss Boxing Day all together.......Morning, Oh make that Christmas morning then. Bear did the same exercise - more draining, more cranking and bleeding. But never a girl to ever let us down Beez once again burst into life. I gunned it for the finish line. Bear drained every hour and we both crossed our fingers. The watermelon we had bought for the ‘pot luck’ Christmas at the marina was found by Bear to have exploded, several inches of juice had been caught by the carrier bag it was in, but enough had leaked through my veg basket and into the carpet to have masses of fruit flies excited and licking their collective lips. For the heck of it, I cut the pineapple and it was so badly bruised it followed the melon to the depths.

Ever chirpy – Skipper shows us the flag of Honduras

Putting the flag up was a bit more tricky

Even pushing the engine some of the waves manage to stop us in our tracks

We eventually pass the first parked cruise ship, Bear manages a smile and in the quieter water even I crack a grin

Finally, we get close enough to radio in. Veleda (the Millard's that Bear is distantly related to from Canada) act as voice between us and Brooksy Point Marina. We are thrilled to hear that Mike (owner / manager) is on his way out to meet us, in case we need a tow in. Judy tells us that Eric and Dee on Sirena of Oare are also dinghying out to us. What a relief. We pass the parked shrimp boats and see the two dinghies roaring toward us. Main sail down we are ready, Oh as the main comes down we are side swiped by a big rogue wave. Crash I hear. Downstairs the oven top has managed to escape from its cradle and lay on the floor with two big chips at both ends of the front face, I just sigh. I thought maganite was supposed to be tough. Bear assures me after this journey nothing will surprise him and he promises superglue will do the trick.

Somehow we wiggle in behind Mike. Eric and Dee keep beside us, so very comforting.

Beez Neez held her head high and engine juddering the steering wheel alarmingly in my hands, she makes it and bless her we are soon safely on the pontoon. As Bear fixes the ropes and I do the cockpit jobs, Mike appears with the best sight I have ever seen after such a memorable (best alternative to the word I’m thinking of) 154.31 nautical miles in forty two hours and fifty minutes....... a margarita each and an invite to this afternoons marina party. “Just bring yourselves, don’t worry about anything”. Music indeed to our weary ears. A couple of hours nap and we’ll be ready to rock n roll.