Mobile to Tampa Bay

It took eight days to reassemble the boat to the point where it could be put back in the water. During that time I put a coat of bottom paint on the boat and spent evenings reconnecting electronics and instruments while we lived at the top of a ladder. On day 5, the microwave stopped working. The microwave is a brand that is very expensive, yet smaller than any replacement microwave available on the market.  The cabinet that holds the microwave is too small for any other microwave. Bummer. On November seventh, the boat was put in the water and the mast was installed. The engine would not start so we were pulled by our dock lines to a side-tie position just beyond the lift pit and plugged into shore power so we could stay warm in the 32 degree temperatures forecasted. On November ninth, the engine started and the next day we move to a slip, free to continue preparations. On the 12th, I enlisted a couple of dockmates to help us carry the arch from the work area to the dock and we were able to hoist the arch into place and bolt it down. During the week, while driving doing errands I noticed an electronics shop and decided to see if our microwave might be repaired instead of thrown out. I could hardly get in the door due to the TVs, stereos and other electronics all over the place. What a mess! The Vietnamese man with a very thick accent got across to me that he would need $20 to look at the microwave. The next day he called and Barbie figured out that the microwave was repaired and that I would need to pay $40 more. Fabulous! On the 15th, our microwave was back and I didn't need to cut up the cabinet. The rest of the preparations were completed by the 21st.

We motored away from Turner's on Thursday the 22nd and anchored on the Alabama/Florida border for the night. The next night saw us in Destin, the next in Panama City Beach and then anchored in Ingram Creek off Saul Creek off Jackson Creek near Apalachicola on Christmas. We put in at Scipio Marina to spend a day in Apalachicola, enjoying a most decadent oyster stew at Boss Oyster. We shall return!

Before dawn on the 27th we slipped the dock lines and set out into the channel towards Government Cut and the Gulf of Mexico. I was confident that, with the chart to guide us and the RADAR running we could follow the straight channel through the shallows to the cut in the dark. Wrong! A buoy was way off station so the RADAR image it returned only served to confuse me and it guided me hard aground on the right side of the channel. We could not extricate ourselves and the tide was running out. We called for a tow using our BoatUS privileges, activated not quite a week earlier. Then the fog set in. We could hear small boats zooming by in the channel, very near to us and I'm certain that the could NOT hear my horn blasts warning them of our location since their engines were so loud. A call from Captain Mike on the responding towboat informed us that he was taking on water and that he had to return to base, but another boat would arrive in a few hours. Captain Tim arrived on scene at 11:30. I suggested he circle our boat to sound for deep water, but he said we were only about 75 feet from the channel and that he could pull us straight there. So he tied to the bridle I had made up and he pulled hard as I ran our engine hard as well. We eased ever so slowly and with some crunching sounds, moved toward and into the channel. He advised we follow him through the fog back to the harbor to wait for the fog to lift. We dropped anchor at 12:30. So much for the early start towards Tampa Bay.

Ten minutes later the fog lifted and so did our anchor. Even with clear visibility, I still skirted the right side of the channel near where we had run aground before, but did not touch bottom this time. We arrived at and transited Government Cut and were in the Gulf without incident. About a half hour later, we ran into more fog which persisted on and off until sundown. By then our RADAR had quit working. We do have our AIS unit working so I could see any vessels that transmitted and any vessel that had a receiver could see me. Since it was both dark and foggy there was nothing to see, so I motored through the night watching only the chartplotter and listening. By morning the fog was still thick and the forecast gave little encouragement for clearing until we had neared Tampa Bay. We had, however, survived the night. I was headed into South Channel to Gulfport and we anchored that evening off the Gulfport beach just before dark. The next morning I called the Gulfport Municipal Marina to see about slip availability. We had stayed there in 2012 getting our water maker installed so they had us in their computer. They said that they had no space for a transient vessel, but to call back in three hours. In two hours they called me and said that we could take the slip of an owner who was out cruising for at least another month. That will give Jupiter's Smile a home while we travel to France to visit Christina & Larry and the kids in Renne and then Candy Witt in the Southwestern part of France.

Now we need to get back to Mobile and get our van ... and Happy New Year.

Trucking the boat with Marina San Carlos and Joule Trucking.

Barb and I departed Colorado Springs for San Carlos, MX, November 9th, making our "usual" gas and motel stops along the way. We arrived in San Carlos Marina Seca the next day with Jupiter's Smile waiting for us in the work yard. We checked into our "go to" motel in San Carlos, Departimentos Adlai and went to the boat to begin the decommissioning for road travel process.

Some things went well, like the yard crew prepping and painting the bottom with one coat of toxic bottom paint while I was up the mast to disconnect the radar wire leads and remove the radar dome. I detached the connections for the wires for the various mast lights and radio antenna lead at the base of the mast. Trying to extract the radar wires from the base of the mast did not go well. I decided to cut these wires in the end. On the 11th, the yard crew extracted our keel-stepped mast from the boat and I spent the rest of the day removing the radar guard, Windex, radio antenna and spreaders. I removed the three solar panels and the wind generator and pole. On the 12th, I unbolted the arch and the crew used the crane to remove it. On the 13th, I purchased some hose at Home Depot intending to syphon the diesel fuel out of the tank but that didn't work. The instructions for shipping said we should have empty tanks (water, waste and fuel) for shipping so I wanted to empty them, but I never did since I couldn't. The waste tank was empty. I figured full water and diesel tanks would slosh less than partially full tanks and would remain stable on the trailer. In the end, it proved to be a non-issue. On Monday, we celebrated the Mexican holiday, Revolution Day. Tuesday, the yard crew helped me coil, tape and bag the nine stays and shrouds of the standing rigging, plastic wrap the mast and arch.

L to R: Mast, Boat, Arch

and we were loaded onto the trailer.  Notice that the truck is green.

The departure was delayed Wednesday morning because of a flat tire on the tractor truck.

I had placed a Spot tracking device on the boat, so we knew where Jupiter's Smile was located. Barb and I drove brhind the big rig through northern Mexico until it turned off the toll road. We went on, crossed the border and went to "our motel" in Nogales, AZ.

The next morning, we watched the tracker as the boat got underway again, reached the border and stayed there for quite a while. We went on to Tubac to spend waiting time roaming about in this cute town checking the Spot app on my iPhone from time to time. Eventually, the boat got underway again and we intercepted it as it passed the Tubac exit. The tractor truck was now white! That switch explained the delay. We followed the boat to the transfer station in Tucson where it was off-loaded and blocked on stands at Marco Crane.

Following the boat to Tucson

White truck delivers in Tucson Nov. 18

On U.S. soil, waiting

Joule Boat Transport was coming on Monday, the 21st, so over the weekend we visited the Sonoran Desert Museum, met the #1 Borzoi in the nation and runner up at Westminster, "Lucy" at the Tucson Kennel Club dog show and met Barb's friend from high school, Carol King at the Art Museum for lunch and to visit the craft fair.

Loading onto Joule's trailer, 11/21

Almost ready to roll

We are driving right behind

We followed for a very short distance eastbound, then we left the boat and turned north towards home. We got home at 4:30am, 11/22 and prepared to close the house and leave with our stored boat gear with a fairly full van. Thanksgiving weekend was coming up preventing the trucker from traveling. The Spot device indicated that the boat was in Orange, TX and we knew it would remain there until Monday, the 28th, so on the 26th we left home. On the evening of the 27th, we found our boat and put into a motel near by.

Parked for 3 nights in Orange, TX

We followed the boat through rain in Louisiana for a while on Monday and then went to an AirBnb in Mobile. The next day Jupiter's Smile was off-loaded at Turner's Boat Yard in Mobile and we slept aboard that night, November 29th. The land segment of the 2016-2017 cruising season was finished.

We aren't on the water for the 2015-2016 Cruising Season-but I'll write anyway

Having weathered Barb's ophthalmic woes in May-July of 2015 and with Jupiter's Smile securely stored in the yard in San Carlos we decided to enjoy the 2015-2016 cruising season by staying home in Colorado.

We enjoyed living in Colorado again, but we did go east to visit Mother in Virginia and to the Florida family to meet Baby John Gabriel (b.10/08/2015)

We did some upgrades to our home by remodeling our master bathroom and replacing our refrigerator and thirty-eight year old Corning, smooth-top oven/range.  The refrigerator delivery coincided with our first significant snowfall and the delivery was set to go as scheduled, as long as our dirveway was cleared of  ice and snow. Barb and I wielded our snow shovels for several hours clearing the 275 ft long driveway and the delivery was accomplished without a hitch. Well...except for the hitch in our arms, legs and backs that evening and for a day or so beyond. Since we were spending the winter here, I bought a snowblower within a few days. That was fortunate, because two weeks later our new stove with its smooth-top induction range was arriving...along with the next "significant" snowfall. It snowed for two days, but I enjoyed blowing the snow out of the driveway almost effortlessly, in about 45 minutes each day.

Barb got to enjoy the Christmas holiday at home for a change. We cut a good sized, mistletoe infested tree and used the top nine feet of it for our Christmas tree

and did some decorating 

to prepare for Christmas dinner with friends.
 

In 2016, we decided to visit Jupiter's Smile in the yard in San Carlos and left cold Colorado, April 8th. We had requested that the boat be moved out of the secure yard to the work yard and we arrived with our Little Giant telescoping step ladder and other instruments of construction to take up residence aboard our boat in the work yard. There was hardly a space available due to post-hurricane repairs being applied to damaged boats. We had decided to truck the boat to the Gulf Coast of the U.S. so the goal for this visit was to begin the preparations for that move. We removed instruments, antennae and outboard engines into the van. Barb and I sanded the companionway frame, cap rails and "eyebrow" teak and I applied three coats of epoxy (thank you, Mike Nolan, for the advice and guidance) and then three coats of Epiphanes varnish. While I did that work, Barb fashioned a Sunbrella cap rail cover for the teak. Based on the hours it took measuring, cutting, fitting and refitting and time at the sewing machine, she estimates she would need to charge $4000 to do all this again. We enjoyed our "Spring Break" in Mexico getting the work accomplished, visiting Viva Bob and other cruisers and checking the weather reports for the U.S. of A., as they were very different from Mexico's. We left for home on May 5th.

Showing the cap rail cover and clips

Then came late-Spring and the rains. Our property has a three and a half acre grassy area (in the past, it was our pasture for our horses), but it tends to get rather soft when it rains like it rained. I was able to mow only about half of the property, keeping the grass short nearest the house, remembering how that is a "fire-wise" practice. But the lower section of the pasture enjoyed the lack of attention and responded by reaching a height of three feet in places. When the rains stopped in July, I fired up the trusty gasoline powered, but human propelled mower and cut a 22 inch swath, inches at a time. With each agonizingly, arduously slow pass that threatened to choke the machine, I was despairing that it would take the better part of a week to finish this task. I kept telling myself that I was getting my exercise. No driving to a gym for me! Driving? Now there's an idea!

John Deere sells a beautiful yellow trimmed, green lawn tractor that cuts 42 inches at a time and never complains about the height of the jungle. We got one. After a few passes to see that it cuts through the grass like butter, Barb decided it was her turn to play. She mowed most of the acreage and returned to the garage with a smile on her face in about an hour and a half. Our carbon footprint has been enlarged, but with the help of internal combustion engines we will survive these tasks to live another day.

In September, Hurricane Newton visited San Carlos. We received an email from Marina Seca telling about the domino-like tipping of a row of boats within the yard adding that, if there were photos attached to the email, those photos documented the damage to your boat. Our email had no photos attached. Our friend, Viva Bob was in another marina and had weathered the storm with no damage either. We emailed him and Marina Seca asking if he could put his eyes on Jupiter's Smile giving Marina Seca Staff permission for him to enter the secure yard for this purpose. He saw that Barb's cap rail covers were still in place, mostly, but some of our "clips" were on the ground. Bob threw the clips into the cockpit. All was well and we were relieved.

We would return in November for an interesting 2016-2017 cruising season.

Bryan Nellor

2016 starts with sad news. We learned that Bryan Nellor died in Guatemala, succumbing to a lingering respiratory illness.

Barb and I met Bryan Nellor in September, 2003. He had just rigged his 41ft Cheoy Lee sailboat and was in the process of launching S/V Pearl S. Buck in Lake Pueblo. He didn't hide the fact that he had no time for chit chat, but it sure was a pretty boat. Kenna was very nice and spoke with us at length.

S/V Pearl S. Buck on Lake Pueblo, Colorado, USA, 2003

Barb and I sailed our Catalina 27 along side Bryan many days that summer and on one blustery day we enjoyed watching Bryan practicing single-handed jibing. We went back to the dock to hear that Bryan had been dismasted and we helped him secure Pearl in her slip when he came back. That put a several month delay on fun and more practice, but it did allow Bryan to upgrade the strength of his rigging and other components.

Barb and I had purchased our boat, S/V Jupiters's Smile in Florida, in May of 2004 and we knew we wanted to sail her to Galveston Bay to be closer (only 1000 miles away) to Colorado. By that time Bryan had decided to move Pearl to the same area. We looked forward to seeing him in Texas.

Barb and I sailed from Florida toward Texas beginning on December 1, 2004. We got as far as Biloxi, MS before Barb had to return to work and my friend, Larry took her place. On December 24th, Larry and I cruised up the Galveston ship channel in the dark, during a small craft advisory and snow. On a white Christmas, Larry and I contacted Bryan in Seabrook and we three finally found a restaurant to celebrate - at Denny's!

Barb and I, or I alone returned to Kemah several times throughout 2005 and sometimes we sailed along side Bryan in Galveston Bay. In September, Bryan and I weathered Hurricane Rita's evacuation order and our boats were left unscathed as Rita curved to the right. Unfortunately, that's where Bryan had sought shelter, in Beaufort, so he had a second evacuation. On January 7th, 2006 I said farewell to Bryan and Chris as I set out for Florida with a crew of four; Glenn Miller, Mike Nolan, Jerry Moritz and me. We made it to Tampa Bay, Florida eventually.

Bryan left Texas as well and cruised the Bahamas meeting Skip and Mary on Chrysallis and Ted and Judy on Helen Irene. We reunited with Bryan and Chris in Wrightsville Beach, NC that summer as we all decided to head north for hurricane season. Helen Irene stopped in Beaufort, NC, but Bryan Chris and we pushed on up the Intra-Coastal Waterway, anchoring in Portsmouth, VA. Together, we stopped to visit my cousin on the James River and then went upstream to visit Jamestown.

We anchored our boats near the replicas of the Susan Constant, Godspeed and Discovery,

launched our dinghies and tied up to the National Park Service dock. We toured the vessels and then found a Park Ranger. I asked the ranger where we could pay the admission fee and the look on his face was priceless. Had he just come upon aliens? He asked, "How did you get to where we are standing without paying?" I said, "The same way the Jamestown settlers did, by boat." We paid our fees and toured the historic site. We had to anchor and wait for a bridge opening on the way downriver. The next day we entered Chesapeake Bay. All was well until a blinding storm forced us to find shelter using my RADAR, communicating on a sketchy radio with Bryan. The following day we motored up the Potomac River toward Washington, DC to see the July 4th fireworks in the Capitol.

Getting to the anchorage in Washington Channel was no picnic. First we had to have the 50 ft. Woodrow Wilson Bridge opened. Our mast is 55 ft. and Bryan's is taller. The Woodrow Wilson Bridge is I-95/I-495 and only opens once a day and only if an appointment is confirmed 48 hours ahead. During the week the opening is at midnight. On weekends it opens at 10pm. This was a weekend and we had made our appointment, but a huge thunderstorm was rolling through the area. As the skies opened up with a torrent of rain and lightning lit up the sky I was unable to see where the bridge span would open and neither could Bryan. The navigation lights on the bridge were not lit and the new bridge span under construction on our side of it made the scene very confusing. The bridge operator said that three boats were coming through southbound and that would confirm the location of the open span for us. Indeed, as the southbound boats came through we located the opening and headed north. The bridge had been collecting rain for well over an hour and the roadway storm drain was producing a 45 ft high waterfall through which we had to drive our boats. Once through the bridge and up the river a short distance approaching Alexandria, I saw that logs and snags were rushing down the rain swollen Potomac and closing in fast. I feared for Bryan behind us and encouraged him to try to get closer to us and avoid the logs. We made it to the Anacostia River bifurcation and the Washington Channel and dropped the hook at around midnight. We had earned a wonderful fireworks show.

During our stay in DC Bryan and Chris met my parents and my brother, Larry and we did some sightseeing.

Departing DC was easier because we got permission from the bridge tender to follow a 90 ft., handmade, Panamanian sail boat with a 100ft. mast, at 6am on, July 6th through both the old and new bridges. The old bridge was demolished about a month later and the new bridge is 70ft. high so now we may come up the Potomac to DC without obstructions.

Panamanian sailing vessel Paharo Jai opens I-495, 0600, July 6, 2006. The old bridge is first and the new bridge is not yet open completely.

 We made stops in Annapolis and Baltimore before going through the C and D canal, rushing with the tide down the Delaware River to Cape May, NJ. At the bridge at Cape May, Pearl brushed her VHF antenna on the underside of the bridge, but caused no damage.

Cruising in the Atlantic along the Jersey shore we pulled into Manasquan Inlet and anchored along the banks of the river. Just at dark, a squall let loose 70 knot winds, but both boats stayed on their anchors with the help of our motors. The squall was terrifying, but short lived and the next day we sailed into Great Kill Harbor in Staten Island. Here we met a French boat, Kurika. We spent a memorable evening aboard with Jean and Josiane. Bryan helped us get back to our boat. Don't ask.

We ran with the tide through NY Harbor and into Long Island Sound.

Jupiter's Smile trailing behind and photographing Pearl heading north in 2006

With a brief beach landing in Smithtown Bay, Long Island, to visit my old stomping grounds, we sailed our boats through the Sound to New London, CT. where Bryan and Chris intended to stay for the summer hurricane season. This is where Bryan's friend Skip was working on S/V Chrysallis at the navy base and we got to meet him before parting ways as we left for our next destination, Swan's Island, Maine.

"I'm a cruiser and cruisers are not just a little nuts!!!"

On our return trip southbound we visited with Bryan and Chris in New London again and resolved to meet up to head to the Caribbean together. We accomplished that reunion with Pearl and Helen Irene in St. Augustine, FL. While waiting for Chrysallis to arrive we met Oscar and Sue on S/V Nautilus and enjoyed their company very much. 

(L to R) Oscar, Jay, Barb, Sue, Chris, Whisper, Mary, Judy, Ted, Skip & Bryan aboard Oscar and Sue's S/V Nautilus, St. Augustine, FL, January 10, 2007.

We left St. Augustine taking the ICW to Vero Beach and Ft. Pierce. Here, Bryan hauled his boat to repair damage to his keel. With the damage repaired we headed south to Lake Worth where we met Roger and Adel on S/C Wild Horses. Being an experienced cruiser, especially when it comes to hospitality, Adel invited us for beverages and had a great time. While we waited for weather, we all did boat chores and sightseeing. Together, Chrysallis, Helen Irene, Pearl and Jupiter's Smile exited Lake Worth Inlet into the Atlantic and sailed south past Miami then, without stopping, at dawn, took a left turn towards the Bahamas making Gun Cay Cut by mid-afternoon the next day.

We gathered at Gun Cay. The plan had been to travel together through the Bahamas to the Caribbean without stopping for provisions, water or fuel, avoiding the $300 cruising permit fee and sailing under the yellow quarantine flag. 

Just before we left Florida, my father suffered a stroke. It was not too serious and he said we should go ahead with our plans. I didn't feel great about that and decided on a compromise. Barb and I would check into the Bahamas, cruise the islands and abandon the Caribbean plan. The other three boats planned to go on. We all sailed to Nassau together and on a Sunday they left to sail to Allen's Cay while we waited until Monday to buy a part we needed. We rejoined "the fleet" at Allen's Cay, snorkeling and enjoying the iguanas. The next day the fleet departed, but we stayed behind.

We heard that they eventually reached George Town. Skip was experiencing some health problems. Chris had second thoughts about cruising after having suffering a heart attack the year before in Marsh Harbor, the Abacos. Ted and Judy stayed in George Town and we caught up with the crew of Helen Irene after Chrysallis and Pearl headed north to the US.

The trip to the Caribbean was now off for the whole fleet. We spoke on the radio to Chrysallis on their way back north, but did not see Bryan again until a year later. During that time Bryan had returned to Florida and Chris and Whisper left Pearl. Bryan sailed back to Seabrook, TX and helped a couple of boat owners to move their boats across or around the Gulf and kept busy with varnish and boat repair business. Meanwhile, Barb and I decided to head to the Western Caribbean in the Spring of 2008 and so did Bryan.

To Guatemala, 2008

We left Florida and Bryan left Texas, May 5th, meeting in Isla Mujeras to check into Mexico, May 8th. Bryan had a crew of two women, Dorothy one of them. Dorothy had sailed the world's longitudes from Tonga, westward to Texas. She had intentions of finishing her circumnavigation and she urged Bryan along as well as she could. Bryan tended to move only after smelling the roses along the way. Pearl left Isla Mujeras soon after they arrived. Barb and I played and cruised along the Mexican coast southbound more slowly. We met Bryan and Dorothy again in Cay Calker, Belize on May, 25th.

We had gotten word from my brother, Tom, a NOAA Meteorologist, that a tropical storm, Alma, had formed in the Pacific and was forecast to cross Central America to reform as tropical storm Arthur within a week. He had advised that we get up the Rio Dulce before May 29th. We sailed through Belize quickly, stopping in Placencia to clear out of Belize. On May 28th, we paid our fees, checked into Guatemala, at Livingston, and motored up the Rio Dulce to ride out the storm in Texan Bay. The storm was a rain event for us, but back in Placencia, some cruisers and the Moorings charter fleet suffered damage from the wind and rising waters and nine people were killed in Belize.

Heading up the Rio Dulce, Guatamala, May 28, 2008 ahead of Hurricane Alma

Bryan, Barb and Dorothy on the Rio Dulce bridge. Bryan looks contented! June 3, 2008

Initially, we had Jupiter's Smile at the same marina as Pearl, Hacienda Tijax. Pearl was on a reasonably sturdy dock, but we were Med moored to a dock with rickety posts. Across the river, a small marina with sturdy new docks had opened. Our friends, Richard and Pam on S/C Tisha Baby pulled into Nana Juana and we negotiated a price with the new manager and tied up. The electric meter read 00000. We were the first occupants. Bryan stayed a Tijax.

Our boats spent the summer and Fall here. Bryan and I both commissioned sun shades to be made, we took Spanish lessons, we toured the Mayan ruins in Quirigua, Copan and Tikal with Bryan and Dorothy and others. Barb and I returned to the US for a short visit. 

Macaw Mountain Bird Sanctuary, Copan, Honduras, Oct 23, 2008.

Dinner in Copan with Jay, Barb, Dorothy, VIVA Bob, Richard, Bryan, Pam, Sue and Pat.  

Tikal, Guatamala, Nov 5, 2008

Bryan took this photo of Maestra y Dra. Iliana Sotomayor, Jay and Barb at Spanish class, Fronteras, Guatemala, 2008.

Bryan was always ready to help. An English cruiser was found by his girlfriend one morning, dead in his berth. A call on the radio prompted Bryan, a fellow named John from S/V Grace and me to help this woman. We extricated the naked body from the berth and wrapped him in a blanket. The Guatemalan officials would not do anything because the woman was not next of kin so John went back to his boat and using the Internet, found the British Civil Partnership Act of 2004 document between Elton John and his partner David Furnish. John photoshopped the couple's names into the document, printed it and slipped it to the woman. This satisfied the officials and the gentleman's body and his girlfriend were happily whisked away into the bureaucratic sunset after a long day.

One afternoon, a thick black plume of smoke began to rise rapidly near the Fronteras side of the Rio Dulce bridge. It turned out that the fire was from a diesel storage facility and in the evening I asked Bryan if he had seen it. In fact, Bryan had gone in his dinghy and as los bomberos (firemen) were fighting the fire he realized that the shut off valve need to be shut off if the fire was to be staunched. At great risk, he got to the valve and shut it off. 

Just down river from the town of Rio Dulce is an orphanage called Casa Guatemala. Many cruisers visit on their open house days, interact with the children and leave a donation. The hostel and restaurant, Backpackers, provides an income stream for the orphanage as well. Bryan volunteered to make repairs to the dormitory and spent the better part of two weeks using his woodworking skills to shore up and patch the roof. I believe he paid for the materials as well.

Barb and I were heading home to Colorado and Pam said she would ferry us from our boat to town to catch the bus. Once at the bus station, I realized I had left our passports on our boat. I used the VHF radio to call Bryan to ask him to run me back to our boat and then to the bus station again. He did that, without voicing any objection or passing judgement. Just there to help - always.

While we were in Colorado, our house sitter remarked that a cruiser had been killed in the Rio Dulce. We thought he was kidding at first, but it was true.  The victim was a man that Barb never met and one with whom I shared a couple of hours at a cruiser's weather seminar.  He was from Alaska. He intended to ready his newly purchased boat for cruising here in Rio Dulce so I felt some connection. Bryan had met the man and his wife while we were away. 

Four local bad men boarded his boat looking for dollars. They killed Dan and seriously injured Nancy. The men left with no dollars and only a little of the Guatemalan currency. Nancy has recovered. The long version and details may be found on the family’s blog:

http://danieldrydenincidentdetails.blogspot.com/

While Bryan and I were visiting the agent, Raul, to renew our Guatemala cruising permit, the surviving wife came in and Bryan introduced me to Nancy. Her family had joined her and when Bryan inquired about her plans, she shared that she wanted to take the boat out sailing, but that they would need a captain because they had not had a chance to ever sail the boat and didn’t know how. Bryan volunteered to captain and I volunteered to help if they thought they needed help.

Bryan and I met the fledgling crew aboard S/V Sunday’s Child, soon to be renamed Kwiana, and we all went sailing and had a wonderful time. If you have checked their blog you already have a sense of the quality of people we accompanied. They are wonderful. I was at the helm initially while Bryan held a class for the rest of the crew on the foredeck teaching the differences between "port" and "starboard", "ropes" and "lines, sheets and halyards". Nancy was gracious and eager. Daughter, Jess and her husband, Brian seemed to take to sailing like they were born to it. Son Daniel, III, was a wizard at the helm and the instigator of a man/woman/whole crew (under the age of 50) overboard drill. Family friend, Alejandro took a turn at the wheel as well. While Renee seemed shy, she was watching closely. It was an almost perfect lake-sailing day with enough wind from the stern quarter to keep the boat moving, but not so much that any fears arose. At one point, after coming about, we had the boat heeled a bit and running with the wind just forward of the beam so she was moving out smartly. The crew seemed awestruck as the only sound that moment was the hiss of the bow cutting through the water. Nancy was moved to tears. This was what her husband would have wanted – a fine craft, doing what it was meant to do, with his family aboard and working together.....and life goes on. Get up each morning and treasure every minute. Hug your family. Help another. Accept another. Give everyone a cheery greeting. Appreciate. Celebrate. 

I feel blessed to this day, because Bryan Nellor reached out, yet again, to help his fellow man and I was lucky to be there to stand in his shadow as he did it.

S/V Jupiter's Smile and S/V Pearl S. Buck were often side by side, even on land! Abel's Boat Yard Fronteras, Guatamala November, 2008.

To Panama

VIVA Bob, Bryan and Dorothy and Barb and I left the Rio Dulce and Guatemala on December 1, 2008 and made our way toward Utila, Honduras. At an anchorage along the way VIVA Bob discovered an engine mount on one engine had broken and his other engine would not start. Bob was confident that he could run the one engine slowly and sparingly so we decided to head for the port of Le Ceiba so that Bob could get repairs done and told him we would sail along with him in case something worse happened. As we left the anchorage we came upon S/V Grace with a dead engine trying to enter the anchorage we were leaving. We advised Elaine and John to follow us, under sail, to Le Ceiba as well. VIVA, a bigger boat and a catamaran was soon out of sight sailing smartly to Le Ceiba. It became apparent that Grace would not make Le Ceiba by dark, but Bryan and I stuck with her when we heard Bob reporting on the radio that there was room inside the breakwater and that the entrance was easy. The wind fell off as darkness set in so Bryan and I motored into the anchorage. Bob had launched his dinghy and he picked up Bryan to go tow Grace into the anchorage. I got our dinghy launched and went out to help tow. We had now entered Honduras so we needed to clear into the port with the Port Captain, visit immigration with our crew and passports and pay our fee for a cruising permit. Having done that, we moved our boats to the marina for repairs, ours included because our RADAR was acting strangely and this might be an opportunity to fix it. Bryan and Dorothy sailed off to French Harbor, Roatan. After repairs, mine a few hours (only minimally successful), Grace a day and Bob a few weeks we went our separate ways. We followed Pearl to Roatan and had a great time. Grace went back to Rio Dulce. VIVA Bob joined us on Roatan after he got his repairs done, in January.

Christmas pot luck celebration at Coco View Resort, French Harbor, Roatan, Honduras, 2008

Three weeks went by quickly and as New Year's Eve approached, Bryan realized he could not find his Honduras Cruising Permit. The permit needs to be surrendered upon leaving the country and Bryan and Dorothy wanted to be on their way to Panama soon. VIVA Bob was still in Le Ceiba and tried to get the Port Captain to give him a copy of Bryan's Permit to send to Bryan, but the fellow refused. We had met Rich and Pat on S/V SoCal SoGood and they had a scanner/copier/printer. Recalling the Elton John Civil Partnership solution, Bryan and I took my cruising permit to Rich and Pat's boat and after a little copying and photoshopping Bryan had a new cruising permit. We all got together on S/V SoCal SoGood to ring in the New Year.  January was spent exploring West End and other anchorages on Roatan.  We also had a delightful reunion with Kwiana in French Harbor. In February Bryan and Dorothy set out to Guanaja, the eastern-most "Bay Island" in preparation for the challenge of waiting for weather for going east around Nicaragua and then heading south to Panama. They got their weather window.

We were waiting for new anchor chain, but when we checked it seemed to have been sold to another cruiser out from under us. I got our deposit returned and we left on the voyage to Bocas Del Drago, Panama, arriving the end of May. Bryan had heard we were on our way and left Bocas del Toro to meet us at Starfish Beach so that Barb and I would have company while we waited there until the next day, a Monday, to check into Panama. That was very thoughtful and we enjoyed another reunion

No panic in a cayuco (canoe) in Laguna de Bluefield, Panama, Jun 22, 2009.

Bryan entertains young Panamanian boys from Tobobe, June 23, 2009.

Richard and Pam arrived on S/C Tisha Baby and we met Wim and Annette (Austrian and German) on S/V Thetis. We all bummed around Bocas and the surroundings for some time and then we put Jupiter's Smile in the Marina so we could leave the country to "recharge" our visa by visiting and touring Costa Rica.

We left Bocas with Pearl and Thetis, to cruise the local islands and then made our way, day hopping, to Cayos Zapatilla, to Laguna de Bluefield, Tobabo, Escudo de Veraguas and then entered the Rio Chagres, the river outlet below the dam that forms Lago Gatun, the water source for the Panama Canal. We went up the river, almost to the dam, to a small lake to the right of the main channel. The three boats stayed here for several days. We saw lots of wildlife including crocodiles, howler monkeys (heard them too) and toucans all the while surrounded by thick jungle. There is a dock and a dirt road to the main road where we picked up the bus, crossed the dam and went to Colon and did some provisioning. The water in the lake is clean, fresh water so we all did laundry using the washing device on Thetis. Wim and Annette left their boat in our care and went to Panama City to see the sights.  Bryan and I had ordered portable generators while we were in Bocas and these were delivered to us at the dock while we were here.

One day a Panamanian patrol boat came into the lake and ordered us to leave. How many times had I been told by officials, "It is impossible!" as an answer to my requests? I turned the tables and said, "It is impossible!! Our friends on Thetis are in Panama City and we are charged with watching their boat. We can not leave. Impossible!" The official in charge made a couple of phone calls and then responded that surely two boats need not watch one and so one boat must leave. Bryan said he would leave. The official then softened and said Bryan just needed to be down the river to the first bend and be out of sight of the road so his superior would know that he had done his job. I called Wim's cell phone and told him that he needed to get back as soon as they could and that seemed to please the patrol captain. The captain took pictures of our boats, of us and of our passports and left with a wave of the hand and a smile. Nothing is entirely impossible.

Wim and Annette returned and we all departed, anchoring upstream of the river's mouth to explore old Fort St. Lorenzo. Next morning we said farewell to Thetis' crew and we sailed the seven miles together to the San Cristobal breakwater entrance where they entered the harbor and we pressed on to Portobelo. In Portobelo, the holding is difficult but we both got our anchor's set. Portobelo is an interesting historic site and a bus runs to a suburb of Colon where one may transfer to the bus to Panama City. Bryan, Barb and I did that to purchase batteries for our boat staying in a hotel for a night. That evening, my wallet went missing so I spent many hours calling our credit card companies canceling and arranging for re-issuing of new cards. Our replacement debit card could be delivered to the hotel, but the visa credit card could only be sent to a US address - damn! Bryan suggested we use Chris' address in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida because he decided he would fly to Florida (cheap Spirit Airline rate) to renew his Passport anyway and he could return with our credit card if the fates allowed. Barb went back to Portobelo alone, Bryan left for Florida and I arranged for five batteries and a taxi to deliver them and me to our boat.

While Bryan was gone, a storm blew through the anchorage and Pearl began to drag her anchor. I dinghyed over to help; and as we got Pearl secured, I noticed a catamaran, S/C True Companions, moving backwards, unattended. Some cruisers call this, "going walkabout". Dorothy and I dinghyed over, boarded and noticed that the keys for the engines were in the ignition switches. I started the engines and maneuvered. Wim realized what we were attempting to do and came over from Thetis to help as well. Wim and Dorothy got the anchor reset and we had saved the boat.

It turned out that the owners of the boat, Steve and Vickie, planned on crossing the Pacific and they were looking for crew. Dorothy agreed to join them but would stay with Bryan until we got to the San Blas Islands, a destination for her as well. When Bryan returned we left for the San Blas. After visiting a few islands, Dorothy departed at Carti for the van ride to Panama City to return to the States for a visit.  She subsequently joined Steve and Vickie for the passage across the Pacific. I'm pretty sure that having Dorothy aboard saved their lives while she completed her circumnavigation with them.

With Dorothy gone, Bryan single-handed Pearl, cruising around the San Blas Islands for a week with us before we sailed back to Portobelo and then to Shelter Bay Marina. Headed back to Bocas del Toro, he intended to anchor in the Rio Chagres, but ran aground. He got himself free and returned to Shelter Bay Marina to assess the damage. We left for Panama City and a flight to the US.

I believe Bryan left Shelter Bay and made it to Bocas del Toro with a plan in mind to earn a living transporting "backpackers" between Portobelo and Cartagena, Colombia. We know he had transmission troubles in Cartagena and got towed to the anchorage to effect repairs. We saw him again in the winter of 2009 in Cartagena. We had anchored in the Bay of Cholon. There is a fast, bumpy and sometimes wet open-boat ride that departs the Bay at 0600 arriving in Cartagena in about 45 minutes the only return trip is at 0945, leaving about three hours to do whatever business one needs to do. Bryan offered us shelter aboard Pearl so that we could spend some time together and we could catch the return trip the next day. He sailed into the Bay of Cholon with an eclectic group of travelers bound for Portobelo in January 2010. Even then, he was on a mission of mercy for one of his "crew members". We visited for the one day/evening he was there, and he and his crew sailed out the next morning. That was to be the last time we saw him on Pearl.

I do not know how many "backpacker" trips he made, but he eventually found his way back to the Rio Dulce. Finances conspired against him resulting in the loss of Pearl S. Buck and that must have been devastating, but I'll bet Bryan shrugged it off as much as he could and he went onward. What else could he do? He found friendship in Antigua, Guatemala, but I know very little about that. He came back to the US and was helping Clint and Carol do some remodeling at their home in Denver. Barb and I visited them, and Bryan returned the visit to stay with us for a night. That was the last time we hugged.

We sailed many miles with Bryan. We had many wonderful experiences with him. That we will not see him again is very saddening. Rest in peace my friend. You are missed already.

Happy at the helm in Galveston Bay, 2005.  Farewell my dear friend!