Guatemala Update
Dec 1, 2017 4:12:23 GMT
Post by sunnydayz on Dec 1, 2017 4:12:23 GMT
The hurricane season is officially at an end in the Caribbean and thoughts are turning to slipping lines and moving on. The Caribbean witnessed numerous named wind storms and two devastating hurricanes in 2017. Finding a safe place is important, but perhaps the hurricanes have brought that further into focus.
For those considering a bolt hole in the Western Caribbean, we have had a wonderful time in the Rio Dulce, so much so we have booked the same marina for next hurricane season.
The cost of living is low, marinas are relatively cheap, from memory ours is about US$230 a month, the trades are numerous and experienced, plus the boatyards well set up.
Touring inland is possibly best done in an organised way, rather than taking pot luck on local buses. We had great excursions to the temples in Tikal, visited the mighty lake Atitlan and spent a little time in the old capital of Antigua, admiring the old Spanish Colonial buildings and the three nearby volcanoes.
We also had some work done on the engine, namely refurbishing the turbocharger and raw water pump, plus a good clean of the heat exchanger and a windlass rebuild. A new teak deck is also going on at the time of writing. The caulking was lifting again and the teak was very thin in places. We had intended/hoped to wait until Thailand, but teak is grown here and our carpenter has been doing decks for a long time, not to mention the price was much less than we imagined. We also had some dinghy chaps made up for just over US$300 and new cockpit cushions for about the same price.
All in all our experience has been positive. The social life has been fun and we have made many new friends. There is also a radio net 6 days a week on C69 at 0730 hrs.
The downsides for some will be the high heat and humidity and don’t expect to nip to the supermarket and find everything you need. Markets are good for fruit and veg and you can buy meat, but you need to be a little selective. Oh and expect to see a lot of creepy crawlies ie spiders and suchlike, as you are on the edge of a jungle.
Getting to and from the airport in Guatemala City is an epic. The roads are terrible and delays frequent. Most people will travel up the day before and stay overnight. Expect a journey time of at least 7 hours on a coach from Fronteras and hope the air conditioning works.
There has been one attempted dinghy theft and one actual that we know of. Our marina may be typical of others and employ security guards. We have never felt unsafe in town, just take the usual precautions and avoid the less desirable areas at night.
Eating out is very reasonable and a diverse range of establishments to choose from. If you stay on the boat, at least propane is easy to come by and very cheap as well. The local Shell station even fills our European Camping Gaz bottles without fuss.
Our blog will show an insight into our time here and you are more than welcome to pm us should you have any specific questions.
A few lasts thoughts. Deep draft vessels will need to chose a tide carefully to go in and out of the river at Livingston. We arranged to be tilted over the bar, which is fairly normal if a little alarming. The other thing is to keep an eye on Noonsite and the Caribbean Safety and Security Net. Pirate attacks have taken place off the coast of neighbouring Honduras, so it is good to be aware of the precautions ie stay well off the coast of Honduras, although the Bay Islands seem to be OK and a popular cruising destination.
Finally, if you do end up in the Western Caribbean, it would not be at all easy to go back to the Eastern Caribbean against the prevailing Trades.
Hope this is all useful information.
Regards to all.
Steve
For those considering a bolt hole in the Western Caribbean, we have had a wonderful time in the Rio Dulce, so much so we have booked the same marina for next hurricane season.
The cost of living is low, marinas are relatively cheap, from memory ours is about US$230 a month, the trades are numerous and experienced, plus the boatyards well set up.
Touring inland is possibly best done in an organised way, rather than taking pot luck on local buses. We had great excursions to the temples in Tikal, visited the mighty lake Atitlan and spent a little time in the old capital of Antigua, admiring the old Spanish Colonial buildings and the three nearby volcanoes.
We also had some work done on the engine, namely refurbishing the turbocharger and raw water pump, plus a good clean of the heat exchanger and a windlass rebuild. A new teak deck is also going on at the time of writing. The caulking was lifting again and the teak was very thin in places. We had intended/hoped to wait until Thailand, but teak is grown here and our carpenter has been doing decks for a long time, not to mention the price was much less than we imagined. We also had some dinghy chaps made up for just over US$300 and new cockpit cushions for about the same price.
All in all our experience has been positive. The social life has been fun and we have made many new friends. There is also a radio net 6 days a week on C69 at 0730 hrs.
The downsides for some will be the high heat and humidity and don’t expect to nip to the supermarket and find everything you need. Markets are good for fruit and veg and you can buy meat, but you need to be a little selective. Oh and expect to see a lot of creepy crawlies ie spiders and suchlike, as you are on the edge of a jungle.
Getting to and from the airport in Guatemala City is an epic. The roads are terrible and delays frequent. Most people will travel up the day before and stay overnight. Expect a journey time of at least 7 hours on a coach from Fronteras and hope the air conditioning works.
There has been one attempted dinghy theft and one actual that we know of. Our marina may be typical of others and employ security guards. We have never felt unsafe in town, just take the usual precautions and avoid the less desirable areas at night.
Eating out is very reasonable and a diverse range of establishments to choose from. If you stay on the boat, at least propane is easy to come by and very cheap as well. The local Shell station even fills our European Camping Gaz bottles without fuss.
Our blog will show an insight into our time here and you are more than welcome to pm us should you have any specific questions.
A few lasts thoughts. Deep draft vessels will need to chose a tide carefully to go in and out of the river at Livingston. We arranged to be tilted over the bar, which is fairly normal if a little alarming. The other thing is to keep an eye on Noonsite and the Caribbean Safety and Security Net. Pirate attacks have taken place off the coast of neighbouring Honduras, so it is good to be aware of the precautions ie stay well off the coast of Honduras, although the Bay Islands seem to be OK and a popular cruising destination.
Finally, if you do end up in the Western Caribbean, it would not be at all easy to go back to the Eastern Caribbean against the prevailing Trades.
Hope this is all useful information.
Regards to all.
Steve
