December, 2005:

I’ve been dealing with some strange feelings lately knowing that a year ago Pop was in the hospital, letting go of his life over the period of a few weeks. It seems like everything that touches off an emotion hits me like a brick. Last night, Sjelle and I watched “Million Dollar Baby” on DVD, and I found myself overwhelmed by many of the emotions I felt last year when I was saying goodbye to Pop. From watching a sad movie??I find myself wondering how much will I really enjoy this New Year’s eve. Especially when I’m remembering that last year on New Year’s eve, I was flying back to LA from Belize City to see Pop for the last time. I hope I can still enjoy the moments, the friends and everything else despite all that. Particularly when I look back at all the things that have happened this past year, good and bad, and end up smiling. I think Pop would want me to do that.

What comes to my mind as a very special memory is our millennium new year’s celebration. Mahi and I decided we wanted to do something really special for new year 2000. We knew we didn’t want to spend it in LA, but somewhere different. We came up with the idea to rent a townhouse in Key West for that week and just have all our good friends join us for an excellent new year’s weekend in Key West. After making all the plans, we decided to invite Pop to come along. He accepted (he had no other plans and did not want to sit in his crummy little rented room he was in New Smyrna Beach). So we flew in the day after Christmas and drove out to pick Pop up and down to Key West we went.

With Pop in the car, six and half hours in a car can seem alot like six days!

Pop was not particularly in a cheerful mood at the start. He was cranky, whined alot about the air conditioning in the townhouse (it was too cold and was going to give him pneumonia). He talked incessantly and wore out most of the guests at the beginning of the week. But as we got closer and closer to the 31st, he started to lighten up. By the time new year’s eve rolled around, we had a full house of friends, old and new, and it was a wonderful, special time. There was good food, good times, and joy all around. We were having fun watching the coverage of new year’s celebrations around the world on TV.

A couple of times during that day and evening, I can see Pop look at me from across the room, with a slight smile, and in just a way that said “thanks Tony, thanks for having me here”.

For midnight, the whole gang stood out on Duval Street, across from Sloppy Joe’s in a jam-packed street full of revelers to watch the ceremonial conch shell (ala the Times Square Ball) drop down from the roof of Sloppy Joe’s at the stroke of midnight. When midnight struck, we all exchanged hugs and kisses to ring in the new year. Pop hugged me in a way he hadn’t done in a long time, and said “I’m proud of you, son”.

That was a pretty nice new year.

Comment from: Paul & Linda s/v MIRAMAR [Visitor]

Hi Tony,
Just got an e-mail from Raf. He didn’t say where he was, but saw your name on his list so thought I’d get back in contact with you. We have been in the states for 6 months moving Paul’s mother into an assisted living home. Head back to the Rio in Feb then to the Bay Islands for 5 months. Hope to run into you over there. Until then, stay safe.

2005-12-30 @ 15:03

Comment from: Mick Barry [Visitor]

Happy New Year Tony. I’m in Austin but return to Cancun on Friday 6th. Looking forward to getting back on my boat this weekend.
Enjoy the adventure.
Cheers
Mick

2006-01-03 @ 17:09

Ok, so expectations were set pretty high considering last year’s AMAZING Christmas in Belize. Sure, Raf, Eric, Greg, and the Thompsons all helped make it a spontaneous, dynamic Christmas. Great tropical sunshine, clear blue waters, and an incredibly idyllic backdrop made the situation unbearably fantastic. So how could that have been beaten?Well, if I had counted on the weather to settle the score, this year’s Christmas lost hands down to last year’s. The rain never fell harder or more relentlessly on Utila than it did all last week. The winds and storm action were pretty brutal and well, to put it mildly, it just plain sucked.

That and the fact that I went to La Ceiba last Thursday to try to get some parts for the boat’s water pump, do some shopping (for far better prices than on the island) and to meet up with Rob from Siqquituq, and my danish pal Sjelle, who was coming in from Rio Dulce by bus to get away from the river for the holidays. When I left Utila, the weather was reasonably good, but by the time I got to La Ceiba, the weather got horrendous. Rain was sheeting, and visibility was almost nil. I BARELY saw the breakwater leading into the harbor. It was pretty nerve wracking going into the harbor with a large swell sweeping my boat in on 8 foot high waves, but yet I made it in without a hitch.

I met up with all in reasonably good time (Heather, Rob’s wife had to fly back to Canada due to her dad’s illness, which rings awfully familiar to what happened to me last year). The plan was to come back on Friday, to give us enough time to get situated back on Utila to partake in the numerous festivities. Only problem was that the weather wasn’t cooperating. The rain on Friday was all too ruthless, and by the time afternoon came around, it was still pretty bad, so we nixed leaving on Friday. So we opted to hang out, go into town and actually catch a movie at the mall. So we went and saw “King Kong”, the new Peter Jackson remake. LOVED IT!

We finally saw a break on Saturday. But then I noticed that I had a leak in my exhaust that needed to be repaired, since Sjelle and I had just done a major once over on the engine, and I didn’t really want salt water spraying all over our hard work. So I had to set some epoxy on the leak and let it set for several hours, which ended up ruining our chances for leaving that afternoon, which also happened to be Xmas eve. So alas, we would spend Xmas eve in La Ceiba.

That actually meant going to the part of town called “Zona Viva”, where Rob, Sjelle and I had dinner, and then hit some of the clubs and bars in the area. At midnight, the whole town went off in a rash of fireworks, and needless to say it was pretty deafening. But after that, we found our way into one of the better clubs, and ended up staying there till about 3 AM. So it was definitely a DIFFERENT way to spend Xmas eve.

The next day, we waited on the weather again, and by around 10 AM, it seemed to clear up enough to get out of there. But then I checked my engine, and saw the exhaust repair was still LEAKING! So I had to repair it again. This time I used a faster setting epoxy, which I hoped would at least give me a temporary enough repair to get the boat back to Utila. Once there, I give it a more permanent repair. So that added a couple more hours to our wait. We ended up not leaving before 2 PM, into less than desirable weather. But it did end up working out ok, and we made it back to Utila by sunset. The bad news is that we missed all the island Xmas festivities, so that was a bit of a bummer. The guys at Gunter’s and Tranquila had a nice pig roast with all the trimmings and lots of beverages, and ah…. we missed it all.

But despite the shortcomings, and the mishaps, it still turned out to be a fun and interesting Christmas in the Caribbean. Maybe I was wrong to try comparing it to last year’s Christmas. I guess you gotta have some like these ones to give you another twist on the whole idea of what Christmas in the Caribbean can be like. So I just take it at face value, and appreciate the experience for what it was.

In other news we went to Cayos early last week, and enjoyed a nice night over there. Lisa, (crazy ex-lawyer), and two French Canadians I know from the island, Anie Claude, and Anie Pier, came along. Rob and Heather from Siqquituq were already there on a mini-charter, so we met up with them and it was good fun, we had great weather there, and on the way back to Utila, we saw a phenomenal waterspout (a tornado that forms on the surface of water), that blew up a mere 200-300 meters behind us as we motored into Utila’s harbor.

So now, let’s see what New Year’s holds.

And on that note, let me wish everybody a fantastic 2006. I have a feeling it’s going to be an interesting year for a lot of us.

After a nice ride down the Rio Dulce to Livingston to check out, we left for Utila about 8 pm. The high tide was waiting for us so we can get over the nasty bar just outside to river into the Gulf of Honduras. We made it over without a single touch on the bottom (hey, that’s twice in a row!), and headed out into the saltwater again. Rob and Heather from “Siqqituq” headed over the bar in front of us, but opted to go to an anchorage over by the point for the night, and head toward Utila in the morning. I expect to see them arrive anytime now.

I liked the winds we were seeing, so I decided that Lisa and I would head onward to Utila overnight. We saw some excellent sailing conditions in the first few hours. Sometimes the winds went a little crazy at 25 knots or so, but the boat handled it fine. After several hours of good sailing, the wind either died, or came directly from the east, hitting us right in our nose, so we had to motor for about half the trip.

The arrival in Utila was almost perfect timing for sunset. We set anchor, dropped the dink back into the water and made it to Utila for a beer. There, I saw Monica and Tony P, so we were able to get caught up quickly.

So it’s good to be out of the Rio Dulce, and to have Andiamo mobile again!

Comment from: MIchael Greaney [Visitor]

Tony,
As usual, a song comes on the radio and I think back to our Daytona days with Nick. I heard “Renegade” by Styx this morning and the smell of salt air and “Mr. Zoggs Sex Wax” came to my mind. Remember those girls from Ohio when you had the “West Wind” Surf Shop?
Glad to see you back on the H2O and that all is well.
Michael

2005-12-06 @ 14:23

I’ve been on Utila for a week now. It’s been fun getting re-acquainted with old friends like Monica, Tony P, and all the other people that are still here from when I was here last. But just as well, I’ve met a whole slew of new people here that are wonderful and fascinating, and in doing so, having new friends in the making. It’s just so damn cool. But what I find most interesting, is how many of the locals remember me, and welcome me back. From the waitress at Munchies, to the lady at the supermarket, to Alice the travel agent on the island, to the guy at the motor shop. Everyone waves and welcomes me back. I didn’t think that my being here a few months back was all that memorable for them. It gave me a very nice feeling of being somewhat at home here.

I like it.

Other than that, I’ve been trying to take it easy the past few days, just enjoying being settled in. Been invited to people’s houses for dinner and drinks, and stuff like that. Lisa is now on the island, renting an apartment for the month, she’ll be playing things by ear after that.

The holidays are around the corner, and people are starting to feel the buzz of it all. Hopefully it won’t get too hectic or busy. But it should be interesting to experience Christmas in the Bay Islands. Hopefully it will meet or beat the expectations set by last Christmas in Belize.

We shall see.

Comment from: kajsa [Visitor]

hi tony! I am in caribbean now.. staying until the 2. of january.. just now cruising around the virgin islands, no chance you will sail out here before new year?? going to miami too for 2 nights before we fly back to norway the 4 of january.. hoper you’re great, enjoying utila..my paradise! -kajsa

2005-12-20 @ 12:56

Comment from: MIchael Greaney [Visitor]

Tony,
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you.
My last e-mail to you got bounced. I want to send you some pics of the kids.
Hope you are having a great Holiday!
Michael
P.S. What about the outboard story?

2005-12-22 @ 08:34

Comment from: Pam Stamey [Visitor]

I just wanted to wish you a merry Christmas. We all miss you so let us know when you will be back in Florida.
Love ya,
Pam

2005-12-22 @ 10:07

Comment from: mietsie [Visitor]

Hey Michael,

I thought I’d help you out a little regarding Tony’s outboards, the first one disappeared together with the dinghy I believe, the second one nearly killed Tony shooting up in the sky, and the third one, well, read the logs from June,
you’ll find the story somewhere there, 😉

mietsie

2005-12-26 @ 13:54

Comment from: Tony [Visitor]

Aha! That’s where you are sadly mistaken Mietsie! The latest outboard story has yet to be divulged publicly. Despite a few people privy to what happened (including you), who have been sworn to secrecy under the blood code of the Andiamo Secret Society, very few others know what really happened. And frankly, I want to keep it that way until I’m well over the mourning period. So that’s why I keep ignoring… ahem… OVERLOOKING… your requests for the outboard “story” Mike.

2005-12-27 @ 16:38

Comment from: mietsie [Visitor]

🙂

You make me smile,CC
mietsie

2005-12-29 @ 13:00

Great progress to announce, the furling system is just about done with its rebuild. Only a couple of small bolts that need to be put back in, but only once we drill and tap some new holes. All other major issues have been put to rest. I had to make another trip to the top of the mast yesterday to reattach the furling hardware up top. I had some good assistance during the operation with my new crew Lisa, Sjelle, and Heather from “Siqqituq”. Thankfully, that went well. Except for when the lower furling drum fell on my thumb, causing it to splatter quite nicely, there were no serious injuries.

Lisa (crazy Ex-lawyer from Ohio) is getting re-acclimated to Andiamo with no problems. She’s been a big help thus far. She seems glad to be here, and ready for an adventure.

So we’re going to SERIOUSLY try to get Andiamo squared away and ready for a shakedown today. It largely depends on when Luigi gets here so we can finish up the work on the furling. In the meantime, we’ll be getting the rest of teh boat ready for the trip, so that will be all we have to worry about by this afternoon. I also have to go into town to get my generator back from Julian and Babette from “That”. Pick up a few things in town, say goodbye to some people and try to head out. So, that’s the plan.

Really looking forward to getting to Utila.