Life is running at a pretty easy pace around here right now. Some quiet mornings on the boat, followed by snorkeling and playing on the beach in the afternoons, and hanging out with friends in the evening. Ouest painted rock phones for the family, which led to some pretty funny … Read More
French Cay
For the most part I’ve been really disappointed/saddened by how little life there seems to be in the Western Caribbean. Here on Roatan the West End was pretty terrible, but here in French Cay things have perked up quite a bit. This reef area is part of the Marine Park … Read More
Shipwrecked
Snorkeling continues to be the main activity around here, and we’re slowly finding a few more signs of life. Finally got to swim around with a Spotted Eagle Ray, which has long been my favorite and was fun to show the kids. Usually when I see these they are in … Read More
Cost of Living—Honduras
We arrived in Utila, Bay Islands, Honduras after an overnight 300 mile trip from Isla Mujeres, Mexico. The Bay Islands are rightly renowned for their clear waters and vibrant coral. It’s a dive mecca. Utila is sort of a “backpacker” island, meaning the town is filled with inexpensive accommodations where … Read More
Roatan Pool Party
As I mentioned in my previous post about our cruising budget here in Honduras, there just aren’t a lot of extracurricular activities on the islands. Which is fine by me—beaches and reef snorkeling are pretty good, and inexpensive, ways to pass the days. Though we really do need to get … Read More
West End
When we first arrived in West End, Roatan, there was a sailboat rally of some kind here—maybe 25 boats traveling around the Caribbean together. The Marine Park moorings were full up, but after they left we moved over and grabbed one. Not sure exactly what the rules are here, but … Read More
Roatan Beach Life
This beach bar is overflowing with friendly staff and an owner who insists we use their dinghy dock. It’s not a bad trade off for us—we use the dock, do whatever we’re doing around town, and come back to have a beer and let the kids jump off the top … Read More
Movin’ on to Roatan
It’s only 22 miles over to Roatan, from Utila, and we had very light winds forecast, so we headed out not expecting much trouble. It was only as we got out there that we realized just how much the overnight winds had kicked up the swell right on our nose. … Read More
Utila Days
The days slip on by here in Utila, and that’s just fine. The anchorage makes for a pretty nice office for me in the mornings, and the afternoons are spent on/in the water, or on the beach. I’m pretty sure I haven’t rigged this thing up quite right—still—but it doesn’t … Read More
Utila Activity
Near where we are anchored is a lagoon. An interesting back door peek at local life, mixed with a few dive hostels. This is what happens when there are no longer tacos on every street corner. Ali is forced back in to mixing up her own taco seasoning. Platano y … Read More
Around Utila
Utila is a nice little place. It’s known almost exclusively as a budget diving destination, so there is a pretty distinct backpacker vibe. There’s not much to it, just a bunch of small restaurants, a couple stores, and dive shops. Simple living, spending most of our time on the boat, … Read More
Utila, Honduras
Heading south from Cozumel the Gulf Stream was in full force, cranking along at three knots, right in our face. I imagine there are ways to mitigate this, by cruising closer to land, but I tend to be a lazy navigator—the shortest distance from Point A to Point B is … Read More