Oh What A Reef

The Wrong Side of this One Would be costly.

Arriving in Roatan's West End, the first requirement is to get through the reef.  It's not difficult once the channel markers are located.  The channel markers are about four inches in diameter and about two feet tall.  One was very clearly red, the other we were uncertain about, even questioning if it was a channel marker.  We just kept hoping that Honduras observed Red Right Return (keep the red marker on your right as you return from the sea).  They do, and coming through turned out to be easy, and it was nice to start breathing again.  Behind the reef is a mooring field.  There is no longer any anchoring allowed.  This is a good thing as it protects the bottom from damage caused by anchors and, more importantly, anchor chains, which drag across the bottom as the boat swings.  West End does not look like a typical place to either moor or anchor a boat, as it is exposed to the sea on about 180 degrees.  The difference is the reef.  It breaks down the waves and makes it a comfortable location, unless there is a strong westerly wind.  With strong winds from any westerly direction, it can get very bouncy, and some boats leave and go around to the southern side of Roatan and then return after the blow.

Mooring Field - Ariel in the Center

Reef Not Apparent in Calm Seas

Reef Knocking Down the Waves in a Blow

The most beautiful part of the reef is below the surface.  The Marine Park has placed many moorings, sized for small boats and dinghies, along the reef, making it very convenient to explore.  Sorry, we do not have pictures yet from below the surface.

Bay Islands

To arrive in Guatemala last spring, we traveled in a south-southwest direction along the coast of Mexico and Belize.  Guatemala has very little coastline on the Caribbean side of the country.

Leaving Guatemala just a few days ago, we set a course to the east along the northern coast of Honduras.  Honduras juts into the Caribbean Sea.  The area of water between Belize and Honduras, with Guatemala tucked in the corner, is known as the Gulf of Honduras.

Traveling along the Honduran coast in an easterly direction is usually challenging.  Honduras is at a latitude that places it in the trade winds.  The trade winds blow from the east, so easterly travel is usually directly into the wind.

We were delayed from our planned departure, which was scheduled for right after Christmas, while waiting for favorable wind and sea conditions.  We finally found a window of light and variable winds, which was about the best we could hope for.  Our trip then from the Rio Dulce was without sails (motorboat), and true to the forecast, we had light winds which over our 24 hours of travel were from just about every point on the compass.  The seas were a foot or less, so we were happy with the conditions all around.

About 20 miles off the coast of Honduras is a string of islands, collectively known as the Bay Islands.  If you are a diver,  you are probably already aware of the Bay Islands, as they are a popular dive destination.  Going from west to east, the islands are Utila, Roatan, and Guanaja.  Roatan is the largest and most popular island for cruising boats.  While the islands are part of Honduras, both English and Spanish are spoken, with English being more predominant. The islands were controlled by the British during the colonial period. 

We stopped for a few days in Utila. We had the option to check into Honduras in Utila or Roatan.  Since this is our first time in the Bay Islands, we did not want to pass up Utila.  There were very few cruising boats there.  Utila has a reputation as a party place, and we can attest that the music is loud and lasts late into the night.  We did explore extensively and had a couple of good lunches at a restaurant called Bundo.  It seemed to have the biggest crowd, so using that as the criterion, we were not disappointed.

With heavy winds forecast, we decided to move on to Roatan.  We heard on the morning radio net that there were still three open moorings at West End, so we decided to go for it.  West End is a premier destination for cruisers.  There is no anchoring, so getting a mooring is a must.  The mooring field is in the Roatan Marine Park.  We have paid for 30 days, which is 100 USD.  The daily rate is 10 USD, so you can quickly see our logic.  It is absolutely beautiful here, and we are happy to be here.

On Our Way To Honduras

Departing Monkey Bay Marina

We are the first boat in the New Year to leave the marina to head out for the cruising season.  It is with mixed emotions that we leave.  The good news is that we will see just about everyone out at the islands this winter.  They had a potluck dinner the night before in our honor since we were leaving.

We are on our way to the island of Utila, Honduras.  It will be an overnight trip, so we will need to sharpen our skills quickly.  We will leave Livingston, Guatemala, on Thursday morning and plan to arrive in Utila, Honduras, the following day.