welcome to our blog!

This blog tells the story of our 22-month sailing journey from Oakland, California, to Bristol, Rhode Island, aboard our beloved Bristol 32 sailboat, Ute. Please feel free to browse through the archives (partway down the sidebar to your left) to see pics and read stories of our adventures in North America and Central America . (Sorry the first 3 months of the trip are missing - they vanished somewhere in an internet cafe in Mexico - but all you're missing is CA, Baja and Western Mex).

If you're trying to track us down now that we're landlubbers, try us at uteatlarge at yahoo dot com. Thanks!

Thursday, December 21, 2006

and just like that....Roatan

we're finally here, after a dreamy passage from Guanaja last night...we left around 5 PM and, knowing we had only 40 miles to cover and we needed to wait until at least 7 AM to approach French Harbor, we were able to ghost along at about two and a half knots, on viscous, nearly flat seas, with a million stars overhead, just a breath of wind, and a cadre of dolphins puffing around us and diving below the keel in phosphorescent streaks. We didn't know the Caribbean could be so mellow! gorgeous. absolutely gorgeous.....

arrived in French Harbor at around 8 this morning no worse for the wear. French Harbor anchorage is exactly as we expected: sketchy, hot, buggy, and garbage ridden. so why did we stop here? to get groceries, cash, and internet (what stinky towns are for). After we've accomplished that trio of objectives, we can move to a more salubrious anchorage - and Roatan has plenty of those to offer. The bank network seems to have crashed for the moment, though, so we may be here overnight. ah, island life.

Trash and all, it is wonderful to be back in Roatan. we are itching to explore the island again - by boat this time!

Hope all of you that are traveling for Christmas are getting there and back safe and sound, warm and happy. Be well, and we'll try and check back in by Christmas!! hugs, UTE

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Fa la la la land ho! You made it! So happy for Ute and so eager for more reports from Roatan!

Enjoy some familiar sights.
Promised bumpwatch pics are coming.

xoxo
Julie, Vanessa and Boy

Anonymous said...

Merry Christmas! If you had an address, I'd send you some snow, but alas I'm sure the tropical beaches are a fine substitute for holiday spirit! By all accounts it sounds like you two are having the adventure of a life time and based on some of the pictures, I'm very jealous! I'm sure your days are alredy full of excitement, but let me add a little more. Since you can't possibly know who is writing this, we will play a little game! Who am I... The last time I saw you in San Fran I walked away with a serious sunburn! Alan, the first time I came to visit you in California, you took me for Burrittos at a small authetically staffed place down the street from your apartment, I have not had a Burrito since that was as good. The last time we saw each other was at this great party on a soy-bean farm. When I was a kid, Alan, you used to try and kill me on your rope swing in Portsmouth. This is my first ever posting to your blog. Alan, my dad gave you the funniest and out of date leather jacket he'd had in the closet for years the day after you dumped your motorcycle and developed a serious case of road rash... Any Guesses?
?
?
?
?
?
Ok, maybe this game is not as fun s I thought. Just sending you some Christmas cheer and trying to imagine myself in your place right now (plus a little sunscreen). Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year to you guys from your cousin Jeff :-)

Anonymous said...

Carey, Ray and I send our BIG HUGS and as much paradise as you can stand (more paradise?) to you on Roatan and UTE. We suffer with gray skies and short days (oh getting longer!!). I'm working in Boston, where Carey goes to UMASS, and Boston is great, exciting and unnerving. The new Institute of Contemporary Art is amazing.

We wish you the most wonderful of 2007's and send all our love for the holidays. Off to Rick's to play merry, and then oh, how about back to WORK!. Love, Deb