Andiamo!

Well, it’s looking worse and worse for us here in Isla Mujeres, the storm is now slated to go right up the middle of the Yucatan Channel. Knowing this, we had no choice but to get off the dock and move the boat into the lagoon, where it’s much more sheltered.

We actually ran the boat aground onto the soft muddy bottom, hard to believe we actually ran our boat aground on PURPOSE. We got her about 100 feet from the mangroves on the westside of the lagoon, and ran three lines from her bow, tying onto the thickest mangrove trunks we can find as deep in as I can get. We also dropped 2 anchors off the stern, and plan on dropping one more. After that, it’s off the boat before the storm hits, and hope for the best.

I think as long as nothing flies off its anchor or foundation and lands on Andiamo, she should fare out fine.

We will update as often as we can after the storm passes. Wish us luck, we’re going to need lots of it.

Comment from: zus [Visitor]

GOOD LUCK!!! detje

2004-09-13 @ 06:55

Comment from: nichie [Visitor]

Thinking of you and good luck!!!
Brenda

2004-09-13 @ 06:58

Comment from: Michael Greaney [Visitor]

Best of luck weathering this one. Do you best to stay low and keep safe.
Michael

2004-09-13 @ 08:12

Comment from: Barbara [Visitor]

Thinking good thoughts for you! Stay safe

2004-09-13 @ 09:10

Comment from: Mike [Visitor]

Happy for your move inside. Out of the waves so your anchors will hold. Hunker down and be safe. I will look for your update after passage. Got Pictures?

2004-09-13 @ 14:56

Yup, as we had feared, Ivan is more than likely going to get pretty close to us. Right now, it’s projected to go somewhere between the Yucatan Channel and Cuba, which means that it will get anywhere within 50 to 100 miles of Isla Mujeres, which is not good. The hurricane force winds extend up to 90 miles from the center of the storm. So, if the storm’s center passes west of Cabo San Antonio on Cuba’s west end, we are going to get slammed. Needless to say, everyone is hunkering down here on the island, and we’re still trying to decide whether we should stay tied up to the dock, or to bring Andiamo into the lagoon here on the island and run her aground into the mangroves where we know she won’t be going anywhere.

It’s a tough call, because if it gets any closer, the dock is not going to be a good place to be. But if we go into the lagoon, we can expect that there will be lots of other boats there, and that means more chance of another boat coming loose and plowing into our boat.

Makes me kinda wish that we had left to Rio Dulce already. Damn.

Comment from: zus [Visitor]

hope Ivan won’t get closer than it is now. Anyhow we wish you good luck!

2004-09-12 @ 14:42

Comment from: Mike [Visitor]

2004-09-12 @ 16:56

Comment from: Mike [Visitor]

Peanut Gallery says move Andiamo into the inner harbor. Your position at the end of the dock exposes you to the open sea and winds expected from the NW in your area. It may pass from a distance, but prepare for 75-90 mph winds. The holding ground in the inner harbor is grassy and poor holding….get a slip at the yacht club! Good Luck from your crew suffering in Key West.

2004-09-12 @ 17:04

Yup, as we had feared, Ivan is more than likely going to get pretty close to us. Right now, it’s projected to go somewhere between the Yucatan Channel and Cuba, which means that it will get anywhere within 50 to 100 miles of Isla Mujeres, which is not good. The hurricane force winds extend up to 90 miles from the center of the storm. So, if the storm’s center passes west of Cabo San Antonio on Cuba’s west end, we are going to get slammed. Needless to say, everyone is hunkering down here on the island, and we’re still trying to decide whether we should stay tied up to the dock, or to bring Andiamo into the lagoon here on the island and run her aground into the mangroves where we know she won’t be going anywhere.

It’s a tough call, because if it gets any closer, the dock is not going to be a good place to be. But if we go into the lagoon, we can expect that there will be lots of other boats there, and that means more chance of another boat coming loose and plowing into our boat.

Makes me kinda wish that we had left to Rio Dulce already. Damn.

Ivan’s projected track is getting perilously close to us here in Mexico. All projections have him turning more north into Cuba and onward into the Gulf, but if Ivan doesn’t follow those projections he may get a little to close for comfort to us. So we’ll be watching him pretty closely throughout the day. If Ivan continues not to cooperate, we’re going to have to hunker down the boat for the inevitable storm, which by all accounts is a bad one.

All we can do now is wait and see.

Ivan’s projected track is getting perilously close to us here in Mexico. All projections have him turning more north into Cuba and onward into the Gulf, but if Ivan doesn’t follow those projections he may get a little to close for comfort to us. So we’ll be watching him pretty closely throughout the day. If Ivan continues not to cooperate, we’re going to have to hunker down the boat for the inevitable storm, which by all accounts is a bad one.

All we can do now is wait and see.

Seems like we’ve been attacked by a new wave of gremlins. A nastier, more aggressive Mexican breed. I’ve heard myths and legends, but never thought them to be true.

Since we’ve gotten to Isla, we’ve found a bad oil leak on our diesel, which we still need to locate. And just yesterday, our newly installed AC/DC fridge kit shorted out while I was trying to set up a circulator fan in the fridge cabinet to help it cool better. I’m going back and forth with the vendor trying to get the parts I need to get the thing working again. This is starting to hurt.

So, before we can head out of here toward Guatemala, we now have three tasks to complete:

1. Get our engine driven fridge compressor rebuilt and installed, that should be fairly easy and painless.

2. Find and repair our diesel’s oil leak.

3. Get our AC/DC fridge working again, which will be a logistical pain in the ass, considering that we will more than likely need to have stuff shipped here from the US.

Other than that, things are fine. Mahi and I are working on our scuba certification. I was certified years ago, but have not scuba’d in well over 13 years, so I figured it would be wise to go through the class again. Mahi has never scuba’d and she is confronting all kinds of fears and anxieties in doing so. I think she’ll be ok.

Ivan did appear to be threatening to us here, but now it looks like he’s heading northward past Jamaica, across Cuba, and then ultimately to Florida. This makes me cringe, because as we all know Florida has been repeatedly slammed over the past month by TWO major hurricanes, and is still reeling. I’d hate to think that our friends and family will be going through more abuse at Ivan’s hand. I’m hoping that Ivan stays in the Gulf and passes Florida entirely, which is a possibility. We just have to wait and see.

I know I’ve promised to get some more pics up and will do so soon.

Seems like we’ve been attacked by a new wave of gremlins. A nastier, more aggressive Mexican breed. I’ve heard myths and legends, but never thought them to be true.

Since we’ve gotten to Isla, we’ve found a bad oil leak on our diesel, which we still need to locate. And just yesterday, our newly installed AC/DC fridge kit shorted out while I was trying to set up a circulator fan in the fridge cabinet to help it cool better. I’m going back and forth with the vendor trying to get the parts I need to get the thing working again. This is starting to hurt.

So, before we can head out of here toward Guatemala, we now have three tasks to complete:

1. Get our engine driven fridge compressor rebuilt and installed, that should be fairly easy and painless.

2. Find and repair our diesel’s oil leak.

3. Get our AC/DC fridge working again, which will be a logistical pain in the ass, considering that we will more than likely need to have stuff shipped here from the US.

Other than that, things are fine. Mahi and I are working on our scuba certification. I was certified years ago, but have not scuba’d in well over 13 years, so I figured it would be wise to go through the class again. Mahi has never scuba’d and she is confronting all kinds of fears and anxieties in doing so. I think she’ll be ok.

Ivan did appear to be threatening to us here, but now it looks like he’s heading northward past Jamaica, across Cuba, and then ultimately to Florida. This makes me cringe, because as we all know Florida has been repeatedly slammed over the past month by TWO major hurricanes, and is still reeling. I’d hate to think that our friends and family will be going through more abuse at Ivan’s hand. I’m hoping that Ivan stays in the Gulf and passes Florida entirely, which is a possibility. We just have to wait and see.

I know I’ve promised to get some more pics up and will do so soon.