Roatan Honduras

We left Cozumel Mexico with the intention of going to Panama...well best laid plans..we ended up in Roatan Honduras, We had some fuel pump problems, which hubby fixed underway, however we were taking the wind on the nose and really big waves, veering off made it much more comfortable..but also put us on a straight line for Honduras. A happy accident as it turns out. A divers island :)
We checked into the country ..$75 in fees and $250 for a month at the Fantasy Island Marina. We also built a bathroom for a local school ( if interested you can see my other blog www.rightowriteministry.blogspot.com) and got our lionfish hunting licenses. And it was mango season !

Cozumel Mexico.. a four month divng interlude

We have good friends from Canada who moved to Cozumel Mexico in 1991 and opened a Scuba diving shop. Being scuba instructors we have been there many times. We promised our friends that we would spend our first Christmas and New Years aboard with them.We had an awesome time. It was a 50 hour sail from Havana Cuba to Cozumel Mexico. Check in took a few days of running around because we had to temporary import the boat since we were staying longer then 2 weeks. The TIP was $60 and good for ten years. Since we spent so long here it would be tough to tell you all we did suffice to say we visited many friends, did lots of dives, drank many margaritas and generally had a good time.

Crossed from Marathon Florida to Varadero Cuba then Havana

As Canadians we have been to Cuba many times. We love it. The country is beautiful, as are its people. We sailed overnight from Bootkey Habor Marina in Florida. About 90 nm. We checked into Darsena Varadero Marina. It was easy and simple. They would not even except a cola, they said they were not allowed to take anything from us as they did not want to appear as taking a bride. There are guards out front and everything is well protected and safe. We did not even lock the boat. The docks are clean and well cared for. This marina is a short walk to Santa Marta where they have a wonderful local market and shopping center. It is a short taxi or bus ride to Varadero "tourist" beach and area which is always beautiful.

In sharp contrast Muriel Hemmingway Marina could not wait to ask us for "stuff". The marina was not well guarded and open to the local "child protestutes" 14-18 yr olds seeking older Canadian men to support them...and there were lots of takers...digusting pedophiles to me ...could not wait to leave there. There are no docks, just rough concrete walls, power and water did not always work. The staff told us to take their friends "taxis" to town for $15, when the other boaters had already told us there was a free shuttle a few times a day.  We have been many places in Cuba ..loved them all..this was the exception to the rule. Please do not judge Cuba by this Marina.

Down the keys

 Provisioning is always a priority. I find it fun. There were a few sunrises, sunsets, bright moons, stars, and dolphins to watch along the way.

And of course a little fishing.

 The keys have lots of sand so we always dive down to check the anchor set if we are unsure. That way we can get a good night sleep.
 And of course beer is always on the menu.

Florida

 As we continued south we stopped in a few little towns and made new friends.

We took trolley tours and acted like tourists ! And visited with old friends too. We stopped at St. Augustine, Cape Canavral, West Palm Beach, Ft. Lauderdale and Miami before hitting the keys.

Charleston SC

When the time came to leave Myrtle Beach and head south we were sad to leave our new friends but confident we would meet again. We headed to Florida and slowly made our way down the east coast. We visited Charleston, SC, St. Augustine, FL, Cape Canaveral, West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Miami and Marathon.

 Charleston is a very beautiful old city. This is the old fire house. We stayed at anchor is Charleston for about 2 weeks. I had to fly home to Canada for my daughter's graduation ceremony and  Canadian Thanksgiving.

A friend from Georgia, Ron, had business in town near us and visited. So nice to catch up with friends ! You can catch free trolleys all over the city to see the sights. We took advantage of this opportunity.