Sept 15th Engines at last! 

Sept 1st was a big day for us, with the engines finally arriving. Lionel Arch, boatbuilder and part of the old Roatanian family of Arch brothers, had helped us to get the engines here. He had ordered the engines for us using his wholesaler discount and had them shipped to the island from Miami for a much more reasonable price than we could have done it ourselves. 

The freighter delivered them to the warehouse on Roatan, then Luven, his jolly bunch of merry men and ourselves picked them up at Island Shipping – one in each pickup truck. We moved them to Donnie’s (dry dock) for a night so we could arrange to put them in a skiff to get them to Calabash. A big crane with a hook lifted each engine out of the back of the trucks and set them on the ground in a very scary neighbourhood. A big chain was put around the engine’s  crates and locks put on.  We hoped they would be OK for the night. Next day, Luven and his men manhandled them out of there and to his house where his big vicious Rottie was more than happy to watch them. 

The engine bolts were loosened – a big dirty job in itself. Luven and Shawn pulled out the old engines, using the boom on the catamaran, and placed them in the bottom of their skiff.  They look pretty rough all right. But maybe we can get some money for them. 

The old engine beds were toast. They were water-logged and greasy and so they had to go. Also there was an annoying leak from the shaft area of the starboard engine. Rags were stuffed in around the shaft from the outside of the boat. Then Shawn worked for two horrible brutally hot and dirty days grinding out the old engine beds. Every once in awhile a big old piece of greasy wood would come flying up out of the engine room - so we knew he was making progress. 

After the engine compartments were degreased and all cleaned up, new motor mounts were made from wood, and glassed into place.  

Luven and Shawn  gelcoated the engine compartments and they are all nice and bright white.  

Sept 15th is a holiday for Honduras – independence day. But Luven and Shawn showed up in the morning working on putting on the transmissions, filter systems and other engine parts. Ed is doing the wiring harness and engine controls.

By mid-afternoon we heard the quiet rumbling of two brand new engines – quietly purring in their new engine rooms. 

Now THAT puts a smile on your face!!!¤

That's Julies story to the 15th, but this is Honduras and what will screw up will !!!!

The next morning I went to start the engines and behold the port engine wouldn't turn over even though I was using a new battery. Oops the engine was water locked. That's right water in the cylinders.

It turned out that the muffler system was not put in right. Luvin & I worked at it and got it running again. We pulled the injectors and blew all the water out. Luvin then fixed the exhaust.

The next thing I found out was that we needed to align the flanges between the transmission and the shaft better. That is tomorrows job, I am sure it will work out fine.

It seems that interest in our charters is on the rise and with a number of bookings already Julie & I are looking forward to the coming season.

Read on for a funny story.......The Amazing Replicating Crack Heads

Now ask yourself.... what the hell is this a picture of?

Well this is a picture of a "Crack Head". Yes that's right - a crack head. There are a number of them in the neighborhood and essentially they are harmless. Their whole "raison de etre" is to scrounge enough money for the next hit of crack.

To do that they will do pretty much anything from selling coconuts, fish, lobster etc. They are also thieves. We have in the last three years had batteries, beer and line stolen off the boat. Notice the empty beer case used as a loot carrier in the photo above. The paddle of choice is usually a plank of scrounged wood.

If you also notice, the boat this guy is in looks kinda funny. The front end is blunt and the craft is very short. There is a reason for that.

About a month ago, this guy stole a motor and dinghy from the back of an Amel 53' sailboat that was anchored in our Bight. Obviously, the sailors were not happy campers about it. Well Mac (not his real name) who owns a home here and an x-sailor himself decided to help the people find their dinghy.

First, he went to the local town of Oak Ridge and (after paying the appropriate bribe) he brought out the local cops to search for the dinghy. They assumed correctly that the crack heads had stolen it and it was hidden in the jungle some where close by. They were right, but the cops didn't want to get their boots dirty by tramping around in the bush. So they decided to do nothing and go back to town.

That didn't sit well with Mac so he decided to check the jungle for himself, taking his trusty pistol and machete with him for protection. Damn if he didn't find the dinghy and the motor and the fuel tank, all sitting in the crack heads filthy camp. When the crack head heard Mac coming, he had hidden himself further up the slope where Mac couldn't see him. But Mac knew he was up there.

The Crack heads old wooden canoe was also in the camp. Mac metered out justice by using the machete to chop the canoe in two and sinking it. He then returned the dinghy and motor to the sailors. Everyone was happy again.....well, almost.

But a few days later....

Turns out the Crack head has a brother..... also a crack head. They got together and refloated the two pieces of canoe, and banged a piece of scrap wood onto the blunt ends. Voila.....two little canoes, perfect for going around stealing stuff off people's boats, houses and docks! So now we have two of them paddling around. Sort of like cutting a worm in two........all the brother needs now is an empty beer case.