You probably don’t really know someone until you spend a week with him/her on a sailboat. Gypsy is a small 42’ vessel. There is a dance that Dan and I have worked out to pass each other between the nav station and the galley. We cannot walk side by side! So, add two adults and the intricacy increases. Elaine and Tom Hills are accomplished sailors and they know the challenges. Last Saturday Dan and I haled a taxi and headed out to the airport to meet our friends. We were 40+ minutes early but as we rounded the entrance we saw Tom and Elaine walking back from the beach. Did we mix up the time? The airlines fills the planes and the Hills were put on an earlier flight; because they were there and because the flight was not full, the Hills made it early; not so their luggage. A cool beer on the beach allowed us to get caught up; the luggage came on the next flight.
Dan had done his homework and he had a proposal for a 3-5 day sailing adventure starting the next morning. So we were off! Sailboats need wind and we had it!
With a reef in the main we tacked our way around the cays and made our revised destination in time for lunch. We had intended to land at Rendezvous Cay but as we approached it we saw the backhoe and the rooftops and it was obvious that development had taken over this spot. Our revised anchorage, North Long Coca Cay, provided calm and aquamarine waters and some snorkeling. We circled the cay in our dinghy but landing was not allowed. Elaine had a lengthy conversation with a raptor and random calls continued throughout the evening. We drank cool beers and ate the appreciated repast of outdoor living. What is it about being out in the air that makes the food, however meager, taste so delicious?
I think it is safe to say that the card tournament got started the first night. We were able to remember the rules for poker and popcorn served as chips. As the week went on and the competitive spirit livened up we resurrected the rules for pitch, and so it began. Teams rotated from couple versus couple, men versus women and odds versus ends! The laughter and the joking rounded out in the end so that each one of us had been on a winning team!
On day two we sailed to Queen Cays, a series of three cays that make up a preserve. The snorkeling revealed several new species of fish and coral and even squid were observed undulating through the water by the acutely observant. (Dan and Elaine).One Cay was a bird nesting sanctuary that we did not disturb. The surprise of the evening was the 35nph winds that kept us rolling all night long. Dinner was abbreviated to Ramen and leeboards and cockpit sleeping kept us all content.
After breakfast we sailed off the mooring to Ramguana Cay; another beautiful location along the Barrier Reef. Pat and Ernest were our hosts at the open-air restaurant & bar located on this small cay. We enjoyed fresh snapper cooked on a wood fire, conch, coleslaw and coconut rice. We swam and snorkeled, had a violin lesson, played with the local dogs and even got in some beach raking.
We wobbled off our mooring and barely made a ripple in the water. Dan had hoped for a spinnaker sail as Tom had expressed interest in a spinnaker lesson some many months ago in Connecticut. Under Dan’s patient direction we all worked together to fly the spinnaker and slowly, ever so slowly, the wind began to build. We had a delightful sail back to Placencia and for an added “challenge” we set our anchor without the engine. Since it was Dan’s birthday the cake had been baked underway. After a harbor swim to cool down we made our way to our new favorite restaurant: RumFish. Tooti Fruiti gelato was closed or we would have over- indulged in one of their confections as well!Our Captain held a meeting for us to decide our next move and we decided to come back to Placencia to take in a few more activities there. The winds were very slight – what a contrast!
A yoga class, a walk around town eyeing the souvenirs, a dinghy ride up the lagoon in search of manatees and happy hour with the latest harbor arrivals rounded out our week. Tom and Elaine opted to take a jungle trip on Friday; Dan and I had lived the jungle life on the Rio Dulce so we passed.
No, I don’t think you know someone as well until you have spent a week on a small boat with him/her. We each added our special traits and unique contributions to the “group”. We meshed: we laughed and talked and talked and laughed. We each paid attention to tasks at hand: manning the helm, coiling the lines, tacking the boat, preparing dinner, cleaning up the boat, waiting in line for the head. Yes, Chuck at HSR, they really were here with us in Belize. Dan and I feel blessed to have grown our friendship with this great couple of people.
A yoga class, a walk around town eyeing the souvenirs, a dinghy ride up the lagoon in search of manatees and happy hour with the latest harbor arrivals rounded out our week. Tom and Elaine opted to take a jungle trip on Friday; Dan and I had lived the jungle life on the Rio Dulce so we passed.
No, I don’t think you know someone as well until you have spent a week on a small boat with him/her. We each added our special traits and unique contributions to the “group”. We meshed: we laughed and talked and talked and laughed. We each paid attention to tasks at hand: manning the helm, coiling the lines, tacking the boat, preparing dinner, cleaning up the boat, waiting in line for the head. Yes, Chuck at HSR, they really were here with us in Belize. Dan and I feel blessed to have grown our friendship with this great couple of people.
