Five Islands - We are back Guatemala 15:49.344N 88:44.85W

We are back Guatemala 15:49.344N 88:44.85W

Five Islands

John & Sue

Tue 31 Mar 2015 20:17

We left the Moho Cays early on Thursday 26 March and motored (yet again) down to Livingston. Beautiful sunny day with calm seas. We crossed the Livingston bar with 0.5m showing under our keel. The edge of the shallow water has been marked with black buoys so it makes it a little easier to navigate. Livingston is always an interesting place to anchor. The current of the river flows out to the bay, the tide can be flowing in to the river and then the wind can be blowing from anywhere, but normally from the Bay up the river. We set anchor and waited for the Officials to come out to the boat. We had rung Raul our agent from Servamar and he then organised the checkin process. We waited for several other boats to arrive including 'Lonely Planet' who had towed 'Gentle Rain' from Tres Puntas across the bay. 'Jonathon' was towed across the bar by a fishing boat and another boat was pulled off the edge of the bar when he attempted to cut a corner. All quite entertaining.

'Jonathon' being towed across the Livingston Bar.

We had 4 Officials come to the boat to check our papers. These were the Port Captain, Immigration, SAT and Health. They looked at our passports, the original temporary boat importation extension and asked if we were 'infermo' (ill). We gave them soft drinks and biscuits and they left 15 mins later to then check the other 5 boats also waiting at anchor. The next step was to go ashore to Raul's office to complete the paperwork and pay the money. John went to do this and i stayed on the boat, mainly to keep an eye on the anchor chain, which invariably goes under the boat. Quite weird sitting at anchor with the anchor behind you.

The checkin paperwork process went like this:

John left the dinghy at the dock in front of 'Buga Mama's' Restaurant and walked to Raul's office (walk up the hill a little, turn left at the first street and Raul's office is just behind the public wash house)
Raul gets an offsider to take the passports to Immigration to be stamped
The Port Captain comes to Raul's Office and signs the Cruising Permits
John goes to the bank ATM for extra cash
John is then taken on the back of a motorbike up to the SAT office where he was given the 3 month Temporary Importation and a sticker which has to be displayed on the boat. John told them that Raul would be applying for the 9 month extension on our behalf.
Back to Raul's office where John paid Q1300 for the initial 3 months temporary importation and Q1850 for the 9 months extension, so a total of Q3150 (approx $450AU). Raul will give the 9 month extension documents to Karen at RAM Marina when he receives them (we will be back in Australia by this time).

While John was in town doing the paper chase, i monitoring the anchor chain underneath the boat and observing the comings and goings of Livingston.

This ferry come cargo carrier makes its way toward the loading dock. It had a dozen or more mattresses a couple of push bikes, sacks of beans and other goods stacked on the roof and in with the passengers. I didn't see any livestock but who knows.

The wind started to increase to a whole 5 to 8kts but it was enough with the change of the tide for 'Five Islands' to start to swing sideways which was ok until 'Ecos' who was next to us, wasn't swinging as much as us. It was either get out the fenders or back up with the engines. I took the engine option and called John on the radio who had finished the checkin and returned to the boat. We pulled the anchor and headed up the Rio Dulce toward Cayo Quemado.