Lots of smoke without Fire
AJAYA'S CRUISE
Phil & Nikki Hoskins
Mon 16 Jan 2012 23:19
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We have been getting to know Roatan a little better since we
resolved the port engine head gasket issue which, fingers crossed, still seems
to be holding up. Our engines are like two small children. When
one acts up the other is never far behind in misbehaving meaning that the
onboard engineer's duties quickly switch from one side of the boat to the
other.
First, for some inexplicable reason, the brand new 'fitted in
the Rio Dulce' starboard raw water impellor, which supplies the cooler
sea water to carry away the heat created by the engine, completely failed.
The neoprene lobes acting as the pump came adrift from the central spindle which
keeps it spinning. This unit had been changed under the heading of
'preventative maintenance' just a few weeks ago. No cooling water was entering
the heat exchanger and the water temperature alarm sounded just
as we were re-entering French Harbour on our trip back from West
End. Choosing not to enter the reef strewn harbour on one engine and with benign
conditions outside we turned away and drifted downwind for an hour whilst the
fault was rectified and in we went. Maybe this preventative maintenance
lark isn't all it's cracked up to be!
Not content with having played up once this engine pulled a
real sulk again when, close to reefs for the second time we lost power on
starboard engine. It would just idle and nothing else. Skip went below to
check out the problem expecting to find a broken control cable. Lifting the main
engine hatch boards he was met with clouds of black smoke pouring out of the
compartment along with gallons of sea water flying everywhere. Immediately
the smoke alarm sounded in the cabin adding to the chaos. With lungs
choking from partially burnt diesel fumes, but also aware there was no
risk of actual fire breaking out, Skip threw open the aft cabin hatch to
evacuate some of the acrid smoke. The effect on the 'Admiral' at the helm was
instantaneous as she thought, quite understandably, that we had a major fire
onboard and could not conceive why a calm grinning skipper appeared at the
companionway to explain the situation. The effects were out of all
proportion to the cause in that the exhaust hose which carries both
the burnt diesel gasses and the expelled cooling water had after 2000 hours of
remaining in it's correct location had become detached and was now
dumping everything into the engine compartment. The puzzling loss of power,
after some consideration, was attributed to the massive increase of
'humidity' which was being sucked into the cylinders causing only
partial combustion, hence the smoke exiting the exhaust. The reason
for the fitting becoming detached could only be put down to the exhaust box,
which is plastic, having been overheated when the raw water impellor failed
earlier meaning that both incidents were linked. The mess took an entire
afternoon to clear up whilst we sat in an idyllic anchorage at Port Royal in the
north-east of Roatan. Another day fixing the boat in
paradise.
Not that we are superstitious but Skip did loose his St
Christopher medallion whilst snorkelling the other
day.....................
But, it hasn't been all work or breakdowns onboard.
Whilst in West End we took a local 'Collectivo' mini bus to Coxen Hole
the capital town of Roatan. This is also one of the two cruise ship docks
on the island. We were surprised to find quite a run-down town full of
stray dogs which dramatically contrasts with the magnificent shiny
leviathans moored just yards away. However, like many of the Caribbean cruise
ship venues, passengers are greeted with a spanking new shopping mall contained
within the dock area. Full of expensive jewellery and clothes
shops that could be situated anywhere, although there must be a 'Welcome to
Roatan' sign to remind passengers where they have actually arrived at. We
certainly saw few other visitors that looked to have escaped the confines
of the great white hull that towered above the town and assumed they are
merely whisked away in taxis to other more salubrious locations around the
island before piling back onboard to sail onto their next
destination.
  Bring your galoshes if you want to shop in
the colourful stores in Coxen Hole
  You have to walk round the dogs, and there are
plenty of them
  How the other half lives! whilst we take our
cosy 'collectivo' ride back to West End with our shopping (No 16 works the
sliding door)
Just a mile down the beach at West End is West Bay which is
perhaps the best beach on the island and frequented by hundreds if not thousands
of sun worshipers that are either staying in one of the nearby resorts or been
delivered there from their cruise ship for the day. We could not see West Bay
from our mooring ball at West End where the weed strewn beach is virtually
deserted except for shoreside villas. It's a real culture shock to stumble upon
the sunburnt masses enjoying all the facilities at West Bay. We walked all the
way to the end and back - one of the best walks we've had on the island since
arriving.
  West Bay which can be crowded with tourists
although this area was empty for some reason
Having returned to French Harbour to re-stock and escape the
rolly conditions of West End, following the passage of a frontal system, we soon
headed off to Calabash Bight. We had been recommended to seek out two
'retired' cruisers who were in the process of opening up their own restaurant
and bar in a pretty and secure part of the south-east coast. We stayed three
nights and unbelievably dragged the anchor on two of the three nights when we
were hit by bullets of wind coming from various locations through the
surrounding hills. We wondered what we were doing wrong, especially the second
time when we dropped the anchor in forty feet of water in the centre of the
bight and laid 50 meters of chain up 'the slope' ending up with fifteen
feet of water under the keels. Having dug in the anchor as we usually do we were
stunned the next morning when we looked out to see we had pulled the whole lot a
hundred feet backwards overnight! After that we set the anchor
alarm!
Whilst at Calabash we explored the small network of canals
that have been dug and blasted out of the mangroves to enable the locals to
travel safely along this section of coast avoiding the sometimes wild seas that
the Caribbean throws up. Whole communities, including quite a number of USA
ex-pats live in places like Jonesville, Calabash and Oakridge. There are
few roads so they all have launches with high powered engines to get them
around.
  The network of canals and waterways behind the
reefs includes little tiendas or shops. Most are on wooden
piles
  Most properties have the 'dunny' over the water
here
We challenge any broker to draw up a sales description for these two
'yachts'
For a break in scenery we left Calabash to spend a night at
Port Royal a few miles to the north-east where a large anchorage exists
protected by offshore coral reefs. The far end of the anchorage where we dropped
the anchor was deserted apart from local fast water taxis that ply the inner
reefs taking locals to shop or work. The night was star-filled and eerily quiet
and a complete contrast from French Harbour where cruising boats nestle cheek by
jowl, spending in some cases the whole winter anchored in the same spot. That's
not the sort of cruising we like to do but can maybe understand the
appeal.
We returned to Calabash the next day arriving just in time to
attend the first lunch opening of the Turtleshack restaurant which was full of
local ex-pats along with a smattering of cruisers. The hosts were rushed off
their feet with nearly all arriving at opening time and glances into the kitchen
revealed two very hard worked hosts battling to keep up with the orders which
were flying in thick and fast. But they coped really well and we hope their
venture is a success.
  Great views from Turtlegrass over Calabash Bight
and four 'boat doggies' make great 'Meeters &
Greeters'
  The busy hosts hard at work - who'd run a
restaurant!
After a 'drag-free' night we left the next morning to motor
the seven miles back to French Harbour to vie for space in the rapidly filling
anchorage there. On arrival the wind was on the increase. We had to try
twice to get the anchor to set anywhere only to find out in the early hours
that our chain was wrapped round the same coral head we'd already tangled with
on the first visit. Our chain grumbled most of the night as it
sawed round the coral outcrop close to the boat. Fortunately a large cat ahead
of us left the following morning and we nipped into its space having had to
pirouette around the coral to extricate our anchor. So here we sit, waiting for
a weather window to escape to Guanaja, the most north-easterly of the Bay
Islands where we have to clear out and try and make a run to Panama. But with
the winter trades now established chances will be few and far between. We could
do with a ride from one of those cruise ships!
Post script....
This little twin engined aircraft has been giving
tourists flights over Roatan probably for some exorbitant price, based at nearby
Fantasy Island. We've enjoyed seeing it take off and land close by, with
boaters in the vicinity having mixed feelings about whether they would brave a
flight given a chance. Not anymore. It crashed at West End after an engine
failed. Luckily nobody was hurt with just the pilot onboard. But the plane
suffered considerable damage which, looking at it, is no great surprise -
Biggles flies undone!
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