Mañana es para siempre, Rio Dulce, Guatemala February 3rd 2025.

Written by Jack van Ommen on February 3rd, 2025

The title (Tomorrow is for Ever) has a double meaning in this blog. A popular song and current video novella. Firstly it is about my struggle to get going North.

Wasting away again in Margaritaville. Juice in the blender. As long as you can adapt to the Mañana attitude you should be able to surrender. I am retired, why the anxiety? But my Anglo/Saxon pre-Boomer Calvinist upbringing struggles with being promised by my Guatemaltecos iron mongers to start the installation of my Aries Windvane on January 17 and so far they have put in a few hours on Friday night. But it may all turn out just fine, as always. I still would like to make a stop at the Hemmingway Marina in Cuba, but just like my failed effort in 2017, the trade winds have been right on the nose. But there is a good window with mild northerlies between February 10 and 12. Which I should be able to catch if these iron mongers can be converted to my way of perfection. I would need to leave Livingston, my Guatemala check out port, by February 6th.

I am super anxious to hit the trail again with my Fleetwood IV.

Yesterday, I managed to learn the intricacies of bending on the mainsail with lazy jacks. I never had these luxuries, nor the 12 V fridge with juice in the blender and being able to keep my vegetables/meat fresh for much longer, the mechanical anchor winch, roller furling an so on. I also went to the bright side of satellite communications, I bought a Starlink Mini enabling me to stay in contact with you from the middle of the ocean and check the weather. Please, do not use my email address for long emails, once I am underway. The roaming charge is stiff and I plan to use it sparingly.

I will turn on my Garmin-Vesper Satellite tracker when I leave Rio Dulce and you can follow my progress at: https://share.garmin.com/JackvanOmmen   It is also shown in the upper right corner of my web site.

With a little luck I hope to celebrate my twin brother’s 88th birthday in Cape Charles, Va. on February 28. I have lost track of my adjusted age according to the formula where I go back one year for every year sailing the oceans. It has been a while since I did any serious passages. Matter of fact, it is exactly three years today since my sailing came to a full stop on the North Coast of Cuba, on my way to Rio Dulce. And instead of pulling sheets and a hand on the tiller, I spent three summers replacing rotted plywood on “FleetWood III” in Amsterdam.

I received some good news on the attempt to recover a good part of my costs on the repair from the crooked seller. My lawyer discovered that it looks like he is the son of the marina owner where I bought the boat. I thought he was just a hired harbor master. I count on all of you to join me in a January 6, 2021 (peaceful) like march, with our red hats, on the marina, if he does not pay the damages.

My interrupted sail from Havana on February 3rd 2022 was meant to check out Rio Dulce as a possible winter home when I grow up and quit crossing oceans. I will never manage to save enough to own a home, since my 2000 bankruptcy. Though my home port is in the Pacific Northwest, I have no appetite to live there on a boat in the winter. Mexico would be great but not in the summers and the voyage back north is next to impossible for a small sailboat, because of the prevailing north wind and current. The Atlantic Coast is a much better choice to move with the seasons. I definitely consider Rio Dulce now an attractive choice, I had a good time here and felt at home with the kind of cruisers I met here.

The second interpretation of the title has today with Rose Marie. Today is also the 57th. birthday of our 2nd oldest daughter Rose Marie. She passed away, suddenly on June 2nd 2019 from a Pulmonary Embolism. We all miss her very much. She was an exceptional woman. And she left us with many wonderful memories. But the best is that she left us her contact address where anyone can meet up with her again. Through God’s unending mercy, I happened to have a phone call with her two months before her death, I called from Virginia to her in Washington state. Her first news, with some excitement, was: ”Dad, I am praying again”. My response was: “Rose Marie that is the biggest gift you could ever give me!” She was raised in a Christian environment and parochial grade school. Married in the church. Drugs broke up the marriage and she dropped attending church. If I had never had that one phone call, it would have been an enormous loss to carry. Now I have a reason and another reunion to look forward to. God is Good.

Here are a few scenes of my Rio Dulce Visit:

From bridge looking north.

The “lanchas” terminal. For many shoreline spots there is no road access

The Egrets returning to the River for breakfast

  

 

 

 

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