Back on the Rio Again

1/5/22

Beautiful evening….75 degrees

Wow, was yesterday a LONG day!  Woke up at 5:00am, luckily we had packed all of our luggage in my girlfriend’s car the night before.  Janice and Colleen took us to the airport - a million thanks to you Janice, what would we do with out you???  We had 2 large Pelican Air cases, 2 large duffle bags, 2 carryon cases with a personal bag each, which we had to drag into the airport as we could find NO baggage trollies.  Luckily Spirit Airlines was the first airline in the building.  After paying over the weight limit we finally were on our way.  

Our flight was uneventful and we landed in sunny San Pedro Shula, Honduras.  Otto, our driver was there to collect us and all our stuff.  The usual 3 1/2 hour drive turned into 5 hours.  We were delayed at the Honduran/Guatemalan boarder as they could not locate the stamp on Charlie’s passport.  After 30 minutes we were on our way again, now driving in Guatemala.  But, there were 4 more stops by the Guatemala Police/Army….all decked out in bullet proof vests and uzis.  Our driver said they were looking for immigrant from Honduras trying to cross the boarder and then $$ to let them pass.  Mostly only checking cars and vans.  We were in a van, thus the 4 stops.  

We finally made it to Rio Dulce around 7:15pm at the municipal dock for a water taxi to take us across the river to Catamaran Marina.  We got all our luggage in our cabin…”Yankee”…all cabins are named for the International Phonetic Alphabet.  We made it to the restaurant for the best pizza and 3 cervezas.  After a shower it was lights out.  

We slept until 9:30 then made our way to the restaurant by the river and had a wonderful breakfast.  Unfortunately the coffee here is very bland for Charlie and I….we like it dark roasted.  They say all the good coffee is exported.  Our first job today is to get the motor running in our 14’ launcha….”Solita” so we will have transportation to town and well, just anywhere we need to go.  Many jobs are to be done and it seems overwhelming at times but we are in our “happy place”….so we will whistle while we work.  Until next time….hasty luego!

(I am desperately trying to learn how to work an iPad….bare with me)

 

 12/16/21

Cat Spring, TX

sunny and 72 degrees.....ahhhh winter in Texas

Well, 20 days from now we will be heading to Guatemala via San Pedro Sula, Honduras.  So, let me catch you up since my last post....1/2020.  The sweetest father in the world, my Daddy (Milton Schreider) passed away just 3 weeks from returning to the states.  There are no words to convey what this man meant to me.  He is the father every girl wants.  He and my mother were both in hospice together in beds next to each other in the living room.  He passed away on Feb. 21, 2020 with us all around him easing his passing.  My mother, Beth, lived another year without her soulmate, so hard to see her sadness.  But she joined him on Feb. 8, 2021.  I was the luckiest girl in the world to have the parents I had.  Total love and devotion, giving me so many adventures, opportunities and support.  What more could a girl ask for....oh a great husband and 2 fabulous children.

So, OK...back to the "adventure".  We have begun packing for this next sailing season.  Charlie has boxed up and shipped our new solar panels and all that is left is a million things to do to close our house down until we return in May.  Our plan is to finish work on Island Sol which is adding a new prop, completing and installing some new electrical panels and god knows what all else has to be done.  We are expecting to be in The Rio for about a month completing all of this.  Then we are off to Belize this season.  We have only passed the outer reef going to Mexico, but now we want to see the beauty that Belize has to offer.  So stay tuned for more.....Living For an Adventure.

Going Back HOME!

1/29/2020
Rio Dulce, Guatemala
hot and sunny

Well, friends and family, I have received news that my sweet Daddy has a brain tumor which has caused all of his mysterious symptoms since Christmas.  I will be making the trip backwards again it seems.  So leaving in the morning at 8am for San Pedro Sula, Honduras with our wonderful driver, Giovanni.  My flight lands in Houston at 6pm and my sweet girlfriend, Janice, will pick me up and take me to Katy.  There I will get my truck and head back to Cat Spring for the night.  Next day off to Georgetown.  Our son, Sean, will be in Austin with his sister, Haley tonight.  Needless to say I have such mixed feelings running amok.  I will keep you all informed as to how things are progressing.  Please keep Milton in your thoughts and prayers.  Hasta Luego!

Haley and her Daddo at their joint birthday party

October 2019

Work, work, work

1/28/2020
Rio Dulce
sunny and hot

Yes, it is sunny and hot.  Evidently we came in to the Rio on the last couple of days of extended rain.  We have done nothing but work on this boat.  The list is long and we are slowly marking off things that must be done.  We have gotten our jib and staysail up and in doing so had to pull out some ropes that were stored under the setee.  Well, wouldn't you know it, there is a leak and all the ropes are mildewed and wet.  I can't even begin to tell you what is all involved in cleaning these, plus fixing the damn leak…..but that is a boat for you.  I have done some bright work....little job compared to all the bright work we did in Panama a couple of years ago.  So I have sanded the helm seat and the toerails.  Now for the varnish and Charlie says the more coats the better.  We can only do 2 coats per day, so at this point it will just depend on the weather how many coats I put on.

I have added a few photos.  Bomba is the marina dog.  He is so sweet and just makes me miss having an animal so much.  So I am loving him up while I can.  A new complete boat cover is coming on Friday....but you never know for sure if that is real or not as we are on Guatemalan time.  So back to work!

 My helm seat is sanded and the toerails are next. Thank god I have an electric sander on board.

                                                             Poor Charlie he is always
                                                              working on the motors.

Back in the Rio again!

1-18-2020
Rio Dulce, Guatemala

Yesterday was a day!  Got up at 6am, at the airport by 9am, on the plane at 11am, arrived in San Pedro Sul, Honduras at 3:15 and were met by our friend and driver, Giovanni.  It was a long ride to Guatemala.  Only stopped once by the federal police in Honduras, checking passports and luggage.  At the boarder of Honduras and Guatemala we were able to get through immigration without a problem.  I always wonder how these countries feel about us Americans since we are so unwelcoming to their citizens.

Our boat flag, seems like a metaphor for our

our country now....not the best it can be! 

I had to go to the bathroom and had to pay 5 Lempiras to us it, that also pays for your toilet paper....and of course now that I am back in Central America....the toilet paper goes in the trash.....just one of my little pet peeves. The roads here are 2 lanes with no lighting and no stripping on the edge of the road.  And if you think the number of 18 wheelers are bad on our highways....well just double that.  Driving at night is not for sissys here.  Finally I just had to stop looking ahead, and then there are all the motorcycles with no back lights....it's crazy!

Got to Rio Dulce around 7:30 just as it was beginning to rain and we had 5 large bags, 2 backpacks, and 2 "personal items" to unload.  We had a quick dinner and at 9pm, Fernando, picked us up in the "launcha" and got us back to our boat before the "bottom dropped out again"!  We managed to pile our bags in the boat and fall into bed.

Today....well it was another day from hell....no food on the boat and our outboard motor (for our dingy) would not start.  Our marina is about a mile from town, but we lucked out and got Roberto, the owners son, to take us in to the NEW grocery store, La Torre.  Oh my were we in heaven.  It is air conditioned and has a produce case that is larger than 5', which was what the Dispensa (old grocery store) has.  So tomorrow is more work to get everything  put away, then get to working on wiping all the mildew and mold off of EVERYTHING!  Do I sound like I am complaining?  So stay tuned for more fun in "paradise"!!!

Time to Leave is Approaching

1/2/20
Cat Spring, TX
60 degrees and rainy


Well, time to leave for s/v Island Sol is quickly approaching.  January 17th is our departure date.  There have been so many things keeping us here, but we both are chopping at the bit to get out of here.  My parents health is questionable and being an only child is making it very hard for me to leave, but they are being well taken care of and of course I will return it there is a turn for the worse.  Sean and Charlie are rebuilding a service truck for Sean to start his own business and that needs to be completed.  But all in all we will board that Spirit airplane and fly off to Honduras, then take a private car/driver to make the 3 1/2 hour drive to Rio Dulce, Guatemala....then go to sleep on our boat!

We don't really know what our plans will be this season.  Thinking of Isla Mujeres again, as we have several friends there now, then spending some time in Belize on our way back to Guatemala.  I will try my best to stay up with the blog.  So stay tuned.  Wishing you all a Happy New Years and that 2020 brings you health, love and prosperity.  "see ya on the beach"!

West End, Roatan, Honduras

3/17/19
sunny. 84 degrees

Oh my...what has happened?  I have fallen off the blog entries.  So sorry.  Our time in Guatemala before our departure was filled with angst.  We had to replace all 6 of our batteries, which was a big hit to our sailing budget.  We had just replaced all of them 2 years ago in Panama and now we are here again....they should have lasted at least another 3+ years.  But there you have it....BOAT...Break Out Another Thousand! 

Then we were on a time restraint with friends arriving in Roatan on March 7th and our new dingy was not finished yet.  So, as that was being completed we got busy and prepared s/v Island Sol for leaving the Rio.  We got our new and improved dingy in the water and headed out for Livingston to check out of the country on March 4th.  We had called ahead to the agent, Raul, and he had one of his employees meet us at our boat, collect our passports and boat papers and in less than an hour, they were back with our exit papers....Wham Bam Thank You Mam!  An then off we went sailing non-stop to Utila, Honduras.  It was a miserable 24 hr. sail, or rather motor sail due to mixed up seas and an unfavorable wind.  But we arrived in Utila around noon on the 5th.  We were glad to be able to check into Honduras here as it is a one-stop shop, so to speak.  But as luck would have it that was not meant to be.  Their immigration person did not exist, so we were unable to check in and had to do that in Roatan....a much more lengthy ordeal.  Charlie stood in line at the bank for about 45 mins. so we could exchange our US $ for Honduran Lempiras.  One Lempira equals 4 cents US.  We ended up taking a tuk-tuk....the international motorcycle with a covered back seat...to Mango Tango for Tapas Tuesday.  We were not sure what to expect, but it was fabulous.  We picked 5 different tapas and with 2 cocktails under our belt, it was lights out on our return to the boat.

The next morning we got underway early and made a 4-hour sail to Roatan and the mooring field at West End in the Roatan Marine Park.  As we approached our entrance into the cut in the reef we were not sure if we would find a mooring ball as there were a lot of boats there.  But, we did find one and what a relief to not be on an anchor where you worry all night if you are dragging or not.  It is a high probability that you will remain in place on a mooring ball, which offers a good nights sleep. 

So we arrived on the 6th and our friends, David and Steve arrived on the set date of the 7th.  We were cutting it close and the sailor quote of...."You can pick your time and you can pick your place, but you can't pick your time AND your place" was not a problem.  So the next week we toured the island, drank and ate and ate and drank.  A sail to Cayos Cochinos, 4 hrs. toward the mainland, some snorkeling and just in general a good time was had by all.