Sailing with the Treleavens

Our entrance over the shallow sandbar into the Rio Dulce is unexpectedly dramatic and the captain’s blood pressure rises. Twelve yachts assume the spring high tide to be enough water to cross but three of us don’t make it. Not an unusual happening as a local fishing boat stands by to come to the rescue and charge us plenty. By hauling us over with a long halyard from the top of the mast, they are just able to raise our keel enough to skim the 200 metre length of the bar.

Livingston is our port of entry and six officials, wearing surgical masks in case we have swine flu, visit the yacht before we are allowed ashore. The heat is extreme and we can’t wait to enter the winding river that flows beneath the mountains. As we enter the serenity of the river, gone is the whistling of this wind through the rigging; cicadas and birds are all we hear now. As the mountains close behind us, also gone is the blue Caribbean Sea and now we are dwarfed by a cascading lush jungle wall. At every bend for six miles we see Mayans living at the edge and fisherman casting nets from cayuca’s (canoes carved from logs), until we reach our first marina for the night in a lagoon surrounded by flowering white water lilies and rushes.

The next day we ride in the dinghy up and down the small creeks that lead off the river, watch children paddle their cayuca’s to school, listen to monkey calls and become bird watchers. Motoring another 20nm up the river, we head for the section of the Rio Dulce where all the marinas are located. Hundreds of cruising yachts will spend the next six months here sheltering from hurricanes. A major bridge has recently been built across the river but this is the only road access to the river. Beautiful as it is we are mindful of our security. Thefts from yachts in isolated anchorages do occur and a cruiser was even murdered onboard one last year. It is wise not to anchor in the river and always in the company of other yachts. All marinas have security guards and a patrol boat cruises around at night but despite this, an outboard was stolen from a yacht anchored beside us just off Mario’s Marina.

What has surprised us is that the wealthy citizens of Guatemala City have beautiful thatched roof homes with open plan living and big powerboats on the river. From here they can access the Belize islands very quickly. After being invited into two separate homes for meals, one could almost be tempted to live here. It is a small world; on chatting to a local on a beach he asked if we knew a guy in the South Island of NZ. As it happens Ian went to school with him. Or is it the South Island that is small!

We are leaving ‘Cape Finisterre’ at RAM Marina for six months out of the water but it’s not quite out of the hurricane belt. As none have ever come up the river and since we’re 26nms inland and behind a mountain range, we feel comfortable with this even if our insurance company doesn’t. Although there was an earthquake last night while we were still at anchor which registered 7.1 on the Richter scale and was centred 250nm away. Ian was woken by what sounded like someone coming along side the boat; but once on deck on hearing all the bird noise and dogs barking realized it was the earth (and the river) moving. So much for coming inland but at least we are safe from the possible tsunami out at sea.

The heat is exhausting and debilitating. We get up at 5am work till 9am and then hibernate in the air-conditioning till 4pm. When the yacht is packed up, we decide to tour the Mayan ruins of Tikal for a few days. By bus we travel 300km north through green cattle country, our only mission is to visit the temples of Indian Maya civilization and try to understand the rise and fall of a great empire. 2000 years ago, 10 million people lived in the area compared to today’s 300,000. Howler and spider monkeys swing through a canopy of tall trees, a habitat shared with exotically coloured birds like the big beaked Toucan. Below, temples rise, having been lost to the jungle for centuries until recently cleared. What was their demise? General opinion is over population in a barren area with assistance from prolonged draught (global warming as politicians call it today) and of course, the supposed failures of the gods. Long thought to be peace loving it has now been realised they were very war like and cruel with their neighbours and this also hastened their downfall.

The Mayans were very advanced in astrology, numbers and dates of the year. All their temples are aligned to the sun for the seasons of the year; they calculated 365 days with adjustment for the leap year and also added 0 and the decimal point to the numbering system. All this before the Europeans understood any of it. But they never used iron and whilst they knew of the wheel, they never used them.

Guatemala is a beautiful country with a population of 12 million. 80% are Mayan Indians and the rest are mainly of Spanish origin and living in the capital, Guatemala City. At the time of the Spanish invasion in the 1500’s, Central America was divided into departments with Guatemala the capital. All the departments make up the various countries of the region. For years run by the military, it is now in a period of stability.

We have now cruised both the Mediterranean and Caribbean extensively and it is amazing to note some of the similarities in these two wonderful cruising grounds. Both seas are surrounded by land and are almost identical in area; the Med is 842,125 sq nautical miles and the Caribbean 844,123 sq nautical miles. They have also both played their part in history with the Europeans being heavily involved in the Caribbean development. Of course the Med gave rise to a great many civilisations and also gave birth to the three great religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam). But the only great civilisation in the Caribbean was the Mayan Indians of the Yucatan Peninsula, which includes Belize and Guatemala. By the time the Europeans arrived, they were already in decline. They actually knew more about numbers and astrology than the early explorers who came after them and the pyramid type temples they built are as precise as the Egyptian pyramids. It is also worth noting that both areas have very little tide.

Our seven-month season in a coconut shell: the vivid colours rate first, and then the fantastic sailing conditions followed by how fit and healthy we feel.

Thank you for being with us all the way and see you down under soon.

From West End on Roatan, Honduras, to the outer atolls of Belize, we have a perfect 80nm daylight sail and manage to hook two beautiful Dorado. As provisions have not been easy, we have become hunters not gatherers. Arriving with the sun behind us, entering the most outer atoll requires a bow watch to negotiate the coral heads; my t-shirt is flapping against my belly in time with my nervousness. Lighthouse Reef Atoll is 40nms outside the Barrier Reef that borders Belize and her hundreds of cays. Here the cobalt blue Caribbean Sea turns in an instant to turquoise blue over the sand. The depth and width through the breaking reef is only metres with clear visibility (too clear) but once inside we weave our way to Half Moon Cay and anchor.

This is the perfect cay; a grove of coconut palms, a red footed booby bird colony, white sand and waters 27 degrees Celsius for snorkelling. Well…almost perfect; just as we are about to jump from the dinghy, a three metre shark passes under us in a depth of 1½ metres. Big, black and whilst only a nurse shark, it stops me from getting wet. I know they are harmless but I have lived in Australia for too long. Ian ignores it and is thrilled to find lobsters everywhere in only 2 metres of water. Unfortunately it is out of season, we have to be content to look at them now.

In the middle of this 24nm long reef is the famous Blue Hole; a perfectly round, very deep hole with all the features of a cave including stalactites at 120 metres. Made world famous by Jacques Cousteau in 1972, his discovery of the stalactites proves it was at one time above the water. It is too shallow to cross the lagoon to the hole in our yacht so we hitch an early morning ride with the park rangers. On arrival I couldn’t believe we had arrived but as you look closer you can see the deep blue perfect circle 150 metres across. We snorkel the rim which is covered in colourful ferns, coral and teaming with exotic fish. My exit is quick as a blue bottle wraps its trailing long tentacles around my legs…..ouch. Ian loves his new found hobby of underwater photography. We are content to just snorkel as a few divers, including one only three months ago, did not return to the surface.

Through sparkling seas, we meander from atoll to atoll, Lighthouse to Turneffe to Glover, until we enter the Barrier Reef which runs the length of the country for 190nms and is 15nms off the coast. It is the largest barrier reef in the western hemisphere and second in the world to our Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Unique to this area are the small islands on the edge of the reef. Saltwater Cay has a perfect resort where you can snorkel out to the edge and then observe the sheer drop deep into the Caribbean Sea.

We meet Ray, a local, who is out here with a group from the USA on a ‘reefology’ tour. On learning we are from Australia he tells us the story of Steve Irwin’s visit to their local crocodiles. Apparently he hopped into the enclosure, as was his habit, and when they chased him he hurdled the fence claiming “crikey they are more ferocious than ours”.

This is the season to visit the whale sharks which come every year to feed off the spawn of the snapper. Growing to over 14 metres in length, we just missed seeing them as they are moon dependent and we were a day too late. Next time!!

Belize is a very small enclave wedged in between Mexico and Guatemala. Not of interest to the Spanish during their quest for gold and silver in the early 1600’s, it became a haunt for English pirates and subsequently became a British possession known as British Honduras. In 1981 it converted to the independent nation of Belize. Unlike other Central American countries and due to their British heritage, they have had very stable government. The current English speaking population of only 300,000 people is a mix of Creole (European and African, mestizo (European and Amerindian) and of course full blooded Mayans.

The government has developed the country as an Eco friendly destination preserving her national treasures. Over 45% of the country is national park protecting the Mayan ruins, forest and especially jaguars which still roam wild and were idolised in Mayan culture. The reef has similarly been protected with many parks to preserve this beautiful area. Eco lodges are to be found everywhere. Believe it or not we are still in the Caribbean with this area known as either the North West Caribbean or Continental Caribbean.

Turning south there are so many cays to explore; some are covered in mangroves and some a circle of white sand with coconut palms. We can’t enter the Rio Dulce until May 25th because of a very shallow sandbar at its entrance and we can only enter on a high spring tide, so will stay in Belize until that time.

Placencia is our main landfall where Moorings have a large fleet of charter yachts and we suggest you consider cruising Belize sometime, especially in a catamaran. The feeling is like being back in the Eastern Caribbean with colourful Rastafarians, cottages with thatched roofs and reggae music filling the bars at night. Nearby is the upmarket resort Turtle Inn owned by Francis Ford Coppola (of The Godfather fame), which along with another one in the mountains are run as eco resorts.

The Sapodilla Cays are the most southerly islands on the barrier reef and it’s very nice to spend our last days here in such idyllic surroundings. After seven months sailing 3200nm through the Caribbean Islands, with wonderful following winds, we are now motoring our last days as it is steaming hot, there is no wind and the seas temperature is now at 28 degrees Celsius.

As we depart Belize a new experience awaits us up the Rio Dulce in Guatemala. We will be swapping turquoise seas for the huge fresh water river, sandy islands for a green jungle and fish for monkeys and maybe a jaguar. But as the hurricane season approaches ‘Cape Finisterre’ will be well protected here.

Our 18 hour overnight sail to Grand Cayman Island from Cuba was heightened by the sight of the Southern Cross on the bow in the night sky. It’s a great feeling; we are now on the home run. Cayman was never on our radar but it turned into a very pleasant stopover. In the middle of nowhere, this small flat island sits surrounded by pristine waters which are the clearest we have seen anywhere. Buoys can be picked up free of charge to protect the coral and towering behind us are up to seven cruise ships visiting daily including some being diverted away from Mexico.

The day we arrive is the Batabano Carnival Parade with colourful costumes, loud reggae music and locals having a lot of fun. This is the one time of the year the very religious locals let their hair down and show a bit of skin. Cayman is full of expats from every corner of the world plus a mix of Caribbean colour from other islands.

The Caymans are made up of three islands with Grand Cayman, Georgetown, as its capital. Another discovery by Columbus but how he stumbled onto it is any ones guess and it never achieved anything until it became a tax haven in the 1960s. Now home to over 700 banks, it is also home to over 70% of the world’s hedge funds. At least you know they are comfortable while they loose all our money. There is no income or company tax but the tax on all goods is very high to compensate.

Expecting Seven Mile Beach (its actually only 4 miles) to be lined with high rise apartments, we are pleasantly surprised to find building restrictions limit developments to five stories only. The stylish resorts are few in number and in my opinion this is one of the nicest Caribbean Resort beaches we have been too. After the austerity of Cuba it is nice to spoil ourselves with lunch at the Ritz Carlton pool side bar. Considering Grand Cayman was devastated by Hurricane Ivan in 2004 they have made an amazing recovery. No one was prepared for it as they had not experienced one for over 80 years.

Continuing to make friends with fellow sailors, we meet Yaron on his small catamaran in Cayo Largo. A German expat doctor on Grand Cayman he often embarks on a quick sail across to Cayo Largo (135nms away) for a long weekend. After sailing back together he invites us to his beachside house with his wife and young family for a BBQ lunch. It was nice to feel home comforts again. They love it so much they will never return home.
Swimming with stingrays is a must and quite a tourist attraction. On a shallow sand bank in North Sound, huge stingrays over a metre wide interact with humans in their natural environment. Too shallow for us to take the yacht, we join the ‘Red Sail’ 60 foot catamaran out to the sand bar. My nerves are at a high as the first thing I do is step on a ray’s razor tail that slides its way out. These huge creatures swim in and out of our legs and one takes a fancy to me as I snorkel. Coming up under me, as if to take me for a ride, I miss my beat, gulp in sea water and can’t get away fast enough. An awesome experience; they are harmless and in fact they seemed to just want a cuddle.

Our last big sail of the season is a two day 350nm passage to the Bay Islands on the north coast of Honduras. The weather window is excellent with 15 knots predicted from the east. Weaving our way out between the cruise ships, the gennaker is set and stays up for the next 24 hours….nice. Then it starts to blow and under reefed sails we have a very fast run to the Bay Islands.

During the sail we have two stowaways onboard. Several trips this year we have had bird’s lost at sea land on us and come for the ride. Unfortunately they are usually very tired, dehydrated and don’t survive. This time they are two beautiful gold finches and no matter what I did for them they both died.

Our land fall is the island of Roatan and slowing down so that we arrive in daylight we once again have to enter a bay surrounded by a coral reef that falls off to very deep water quickly. The dog leg channel into French Cay Harbour as the full moon disappears and the sun rises is out of the ordinary. Poorly marked with sticks taped with faded red and green we weave our way into the very sheltered harbour behind a reef. We later learn that all the other cruisers request assistance to be guided in by the marina manager.

The Bay Islands of Honduras are a very special destination. Marketed as a diving haven it is renowned as one of the best in the world. All the resorts are basic and cater specifically for the diving fraternity, novices and experts alike. The largest fish in existence (up to 40ft), the whale shark, is often spotted here. It is also an idyllic cruising ground with many sheltered bays behind reefs. Although part of Spanish speaking Honduras, the majority of the locals speak English as the British used the pirate haven to relocate the troublesome slaves of St Vincent and Jamaica.

It is a very laid back area and when we try to check into the country we find that the port captain is away from the island for a week and the immigration office is closed. No one has a clue what to do so we just smile and agree.

West End, on the north western corner, is protected by a low reef and here we find the mecca for diving and snorkeling. Why is it so good apart from the green crystal waters? The topography is interesting with sheer drops, there’s no current and lots of healthy coral swarming with fish. We snorkel and even though it’s deep we can see very clearly.

Ashore on the sand road are many bars and restaurants; some out on stilts over the water. There is a Thai restaurant where we celebrate my birthday.

Next stop Belize.