So here we are safely back in the Rio. Licking our wounds from the nastier experiences of the season and savoring the better ones...
One of the truisms of this cruising life is that you really never know what might happen next. Just as everything is falling apart around you a bright spot appears over the horizon. I have learnt a lot this season. A lot about myself, about TBH and about the boat. Some good, some not so good and some quite gobsmacking.
Our trip back was a mixed bag, a nasty squall caught me unawares about 20 miles south of Placencia. I was happily watching the ocean occasionally tweaking the self steering gear. There was a patch of dark clods out to the North East but it didn't look like much. No strong line of darker clouds, no deep steel grey colour. We had a reef in already and were sailing along in 10 knots of wind. I was keeping an eye on it when wham! Winds buffeted us from the beam and the rain poured down, then the thunder started to crash and we could see the lightning forking to the ocean rather too close for comfort. Bugger, got it wrong again. This seems to be a bit of a habit.
It wasn't nice and I got cold and wet but it was copeable with.
We crossed the bar an hour after high tide and with the help of our new fishfinder were encouraged to see the shape of the bottom for the first time. I love this piece of technology.
Our reward came a couple of days later as we left Gringo Bay to head up river towards mario's. A gentle breeze blew us serenly across the lake. With less than 5 knots of wind it took us 5 hours to sail 10 miles but it was bliss. just using the yankee, we didn't even take the mainsail cover off, we gently drifted up the lake and even up the river with a couple of long lazy tacks. Coming to anchor in a small bay near to mario's marina.
It's times like this that make everything else worthwhile.
So now we have got the boat in order again. New parts winging their way to us, thinking about hauling out, reaquainting with old pals. Life is good.
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