Mix Master - Fernando & his storeWe had our 1st charter, on Thursday. It was a private tour since our customers were muey importante! The plan: take our guests (the minister of Health, right hand man to the Presidente, and his family) down to the buoy at 11k and go snorkeling. Gary’s business contact, the “Doctor” who owns the pier and the restaurant you see in pictures set all this up. He was also on board to make sure everything went perfect. Then the following day we were to take the boat down to Ixcalac and pick up the family (at 1pm) and sail them to San Pedro, Belize (on Ambergris Cay). In Belize, they were to disembark and stay in a hotel. We were to hang out (tough, I know) for the next few days to be at their sailing disposal. We were all looking so forward to it....
Day of the trip, Brian's up at 6:15am scrubbing the boat, and swabbing the decks, it is the Minister of Health after all. It has to be clean. So, he's drenched by 8am in his own sweat, when he wakes me up, going, honey, the food will be here in 30 minutes and our guests shortly after, at 9am. Get the Frick up! :) Following suit, I am up, having breakfast made and the boat comes together at exactly 9am. Then it is hurry up and wait, as they tell us our guests were out to breakfast. At 10am Brian walks through the restaurant, and still no people. We are informed again that they are running late and will be 30 more minutes. After 45 minutes we are told they will be here in 1 hour. So, we all went to breakfast. Naturally, our guests show up early and we look like inattentive crew. Could this be a foreshadow?
We promptly launch the boat, pulling our act together quickly and looking sharp in our uniforms, like a professional crew. Setting sails and heading for our destination, in good breeze, and great sunshine, everyone is all smiles. Things are good. Once locating the narrow channel in the reef, we set anchor in a beautiful lagoon full of coral & fish. Spirits are high as everyone enters the water for a snorkel tour lead by Capt Gary and me. Well, for me it was more like herding cats and helping the stragglers in the group.
Meanwhile back at the boat, Brian observes the boat is drifting and the mooring is not holding. After numerous attempts to reset the mooring, he prepares to launch an anchor but decides it's easier to hold the boat in place using the engines.
Snorkel trip successful concludes with everyone safely back on board. Lunch is now served. The doctor made conch & shrimp ceviche for everyone, especial. All smiles, we are about to take off but are informed by the doctor, that his other tour boat needs our snorkel gear. No worries, we still have time to make it back for our early evening sunset trip. We hold up and then heave gear to their boat, pointing out a better anchorage. Minutes later we are on our way, out the reef we go with our VIP guest working a fishing line.
In the mist of our discussion about setting sails, we receive word that the boat that borrowed all our gear has lost an engine. Their guests need to be at the departing cruise ship rapido. We are instructed to pick up all their guests and get them back. No time to sail back, we maneuver the channel, pick up the drunk & seasick people and split. 3 out of 4 barf buckets were used. As we are making excellent time back to the dock, the port engine seized. Okay, no problem, we still had the starboard engine. A totally separate system. 5 minutes later the order for “raise the sails” is given. We have lost the starboard engine on the approach to the reef. We hoved too, and managed to pitch all 18 rescued guests into a parasailing power boat. At least they made it onshore on time.
Meanwhile back to our VIP tour, we sail up and down the Mahahaul beach devising a plan. The opening in the reef to our dock is only 50' wide at best, with the boat being 26' wide, there is no margin for error. Once through the reef we only have a couple hundred yards to stop and dock before we wipe out. Not good. In order to maintain steering we have to have enough speed to get through the break in the reef but then need to somehow stop. The answer was to sail under just the jib and then use the parasailing boat as a tug, to stop the boat once we got to the dock. The parasailing boat rammed us like an angry rhino while trying to come along side. Brian lined the boat up for the reef passage and Capt Gary maneuver the boat and the angry rhino to the dock.
Back at the dock, our VIP guests, disembarked into the hands of their nervous security detail. All smiles, they couldn't wait til tomorrow. Us however, with both and separate engines down, were not so optimistic. Facing the grim reality of the situation, Capt Gary hustled for a mechanic to come out pronto! A quick diagnose revealed one bad transmission on one side and a bad engine on the other. Boat broken. We decide to go out drinking. To Frenando's! He is the equivalent of what Sam Malone is to Cheers. He is just simply the best and makes the best Pina Colada you have every tasted. Our doctor feel good.
Day of the trip, Brian's up at 6:15am scrubbing the boat, and swabbing the decks, it is the Minister of Health after all. It has to be clean. So, he's drenched by 8am in his own sweat, when he wakes me up, going, honey, the food will be here in 30 minutes and our guests shortly after, at 9am. Get the Frick up! :) Following suit, I am up, having breakfast made and the boat comes together at exactly 9am. Then it is hurry up and wait, as they tell us our guests were out to breakfast. At 10am Brian walks through the restaurant, and still no people. We are informed again that they are running late and will be 30 more minutes. After 45 minutes we are told they will be here in 1 hour. So, we all went to breakfast. Naturally, our guests show up early and we look like inattentive crew. Could this be a foreshadow?
We promptly launch the boat, pulling our act together quickly and looking sharp in our uniforms, like a professional crew. Setting sails and heading for our destination, in good breeze, and great sunshine, everyone is all smiles. Things are good. Once locating the narrow channel in the reef, we set anchor in a beautiful lagoon full of coral & fish. Spirits are high as everyone enters the water for a snorkel tour lead by Capt Gary and me. Well, for me it was more like herding cats and helping the stragglers in the group.
Meanwhile back at the boat, Brian observes the boat is drifting and the mooring is not holding. After numerous attempts to reset the mooring, he prepares to launch an anchor but decides it's easier to hold the boat in place using the engines.
Snorkel trip successful concludes with everyone safely back on board. Lunch is now served. The doctor made conch & shrimp ceviche for everyone, especial. All smiles, we are about to take off but are informed by the doctor, that his other tour boat needs our snorkel gear. No worries, we still have time to make it back for our early evening sunset trip. We hold up and then heave gear to their boat, pointing out a better anchorage. Minutes later we are on our way, out the reef we go with our VIP guest working a fishing line.
In the mist of our discussion about setting sails, we receive word that the boat that borrowed all our gear has lost an engine. Their guests need to be at the departing cruise ship rapido. We are instructed to pick up all their guests and get them back. No time to sail back, we maneuver the channel, pick up the drunk & seasick people and split. 3 out of 4 barf buckets were used. As we are making excellent time back to the dock, the port engine seized. Okay, no problem, we still had the starboard engine. A totally separate system. 5 minutes later the order for “raise the sails” is given. We have lost the starboard engine on the approach to the reef. We hoved too, and managed to pitch all 18 rescued guests into a parasailing power boat. At least they made it onshore on time.
Meanwhile back to our VIP tour, we sail up and down the Mahahaul beach devising a plan. The opening in the reef to our dock is only 50' wide at best, with the boat being 26' wide, there is no margin for error. Once through the reef we only have a couple hundred yards to stop and dock before we wipe out. Not good. In order to maintain steering we have to have enough speed to get through the break in the reef but then need to somehow stop. The answer was to sail under just the jib and then use the parasailing boat as a tug, to stop the boat once we got to the dock. The parasailing boat rammed us like an angry rhino while trying to come along side. Brian lined the boat up for the reef passage and Capt Gary maneuver the boat and the angry rhino to the dock.
Back at the dock, our VIP guests, disembarked into the hands of their nervous security detail. All smiles, they couldn't wait til tomorrow. Us however, with both and separate engines down, were not so optimistic. Facing the grim reality of the situation, Capt Gary hustled for a mechanic to come out pronto! A quick diagnose revealed one bad transmission on one side and a bad engine on the other. Boat broken. We decide to go out drinking. To Frenando's! He is the equivalent of what Sam Malone is to Cheers. He is just simply the best and makes the best Pina Colada you have every tasted. Our doctor feel good.
And the adventure continues.....
