Nov 25-30 Back to Guatamala, not really having left.

If Knot Y Knot
Patricia Day
Sat 1 Dec 2012 01:13

Sunday 25

I got the boat ready to motor, not sail.  I was thinking of trailing the dinghy, but I have vowed never to do this as it always leads to trouble.  I had one more go to raise the dinghy.  I have added a block and tackle to the hauling rope and tried many variations, but this morning it went up a lot easier, so I am happier.  I will leave it on the side deck until I have anchored at Tres Puntas.

Today I am heading down to Texan Bay, which should take about 3 hours.  Johny is coming along on Smart Move.  When we get there we will check the weather and in the next day or so hope to go to Livingston to check out and anchor at Tres Puntas before leaving for Belize.

Late afternoon I had another kidney stone, 15 days after the first one.  I was very unwell and phoned the doctor who said if the pain continued I should go in.  I told him I was leaving the country tomorrow and he did not advise it.  Before midnight the stone and the pain had gone.

Monday 26

I felt better so we took the boats to Livingston and anchored.  We went in and cleared out of Guatamala, with the date for the next day.  In the afternoon I had the tell tale signs that I did not recognize, but I do now.  We crossed the bar 2 hours after low tide and had a few inches under the keels and anchored in Tres Puntas.  That evening I had another stone and I realized I should return.

Tuesday 27

630 I felt I could do the return 3 hour trip.  I had a fishing net strung under my rudder, lovely.  I managed to push it down and off with the boathook, but lost the top half and I was not going in to get it back.  The autopilot and the chartplotter kept turning off, so I hand steered using the compass.  After all these years getting reliant on technology it was a bit of a novelty, but it worked.  I was 90 minutes after high tide and it was only 4 hours between high and low as it was a full moon, but I got over the bar and anchored.  I phoned the agent and told him I was unwell he said I could come in to the office, no.  He could send a water taxi to fetch me, no.  He came out and collected my paperwork.  He returned with my passport stamped for 90 days, and I had owned up that I had not left the country and was only charged $40, half price plus the water taxi trips.

I phoned Sandy at Texan Bay and they run a launcha into Livingston to check boats out and she was coming in.  I asked for an extra body to drive my boat back to Texan Bay and Bill very kindly was deposited on the back of my boat.

I was able to lie down and let someone else drive which was wonderful.

I spent the day on the dock and acquired much better pain killers than the ones the doctor had provided.  The “doctors” at the bar decided I should drink water and deposited 2 bottles in the cockpit.  I did manage to get up to say thank you.

Wednesday 28

I was well enough to drive back to Rio Dulce.  I did have the jib up across the Golfette.  The wind generator would not find the wind, but did go round if I pointed it the right way, another problem to sort.  The batteries were definitely were not charging, add these to the autopilot and chartplotter.

I was nearly back when I went the wrong side round some fishing pots and ran out of water, requiring a very sharp 360 and over to the other side of the river.

I could not have my old space back, but I had a choice of 2 on the other side.  I chose the one that was not next to the 2 caged macaws.  I would not have been happy if I had turned round in Texan Bay, but having gone as far as I did I realize it was the right decision and am happy to be back on the dock for now.

I went in to the doctor and had more sonograms, I have lots of pictures of my insides now.  I had to have other tests, but not today because I had eaten.

Thursday 29

8am blood test, etc.  I have to come back tomorrow for the results. 

The lab is right next door, but the doctor was not in today.

Wayne came round and checked my alternator, which was charging. 

Next we got to the batteries.  I had had to remove them all to get the new starter battery at the back of the space, but luckily the wiring could be accessed without moving them.  I had joined up lots of cables, but I had left one large and one small wire off.  2 out of 3 doesn’t cut it with electrics evidently – seems a bit picky to me.  I am very happy that now my batteries will charge from the engine.

At the dock I have wind and solar power to rely on, but it has been overcast for days and there is usually no wind.  There was a breeze once, but the wind generator would not turn even when I showed it where the wind was.  I know it is not good to run it without attaching it to a battery, have I killed it?

I charged the batteries for an hour or so, from 80 to 84% but will hope it gets sunny and then they will charge up gradually.  With this weather it will take at least a week.

I am upset that my dinghy has been bashing the boat and the boat has been bashing the dinghy.  I have arranged for Arnulfo to patch and regelcoat it.  This is nearly half the cost of a new dinghy or maybe I should have done it, but I am not up to it.  I have promised both boats that I will be much more careful at hauling it up and down; time will tell.

Friday

I got the dinghy ready for Arnulfo to pick up and then managed to get a launcha to town and was at the doctors for 1030 as instructed.  An hour later I was seen and given the results to lots of tests.  I have an infection because of the stones, but the doctor was not going to give me anything until the rest of the results were in, which would be Tuesday.  That seemed a waste of time and effort, not to mention Q200.  I went back in and complained and the doctor said he would not charge me on Tuesday. 

I said I didn’t know if I could afford to be ill and would like an itemized receipt which I will pick up on Tuesday.  I don’t know if this was a good idea, but I was feeling it was just a fee gathering exercise.

I have the details of a urologist in Guatamala City and hope that I can at least find out my options by the time I get the results on Tuesday.

I am throwing away a few things that survived the last cut, which is good therapy.

Arnulfo did not come to pick up the dinghy.  I have covered the shrouds and the lower guardwire with plastic tubing in my attempt to protect the dinghy. 

I can’t say November was one of my favourite months, but it was eventful.