Splish Splash Kitty
Ranguana Caye
[20:03] [Wednesday, March 14, 2007]
It sure is nice to be sailing again!
We waited in Placencia through Monday for weather to settle down. Enjoyed a cero we caught on the trip from Punta Gorda for two nights; paid a brief visit to the Tipsy on Sunday to catch live music (heavy wind drove us anxiously back to the dink pier, from which we could keep an eye on the boat); provisioned ...
By Tuesday we decided the wind wasn't letting up. Coming from the east and heralding no nasty weather, it posed us no problems on our course to Ranguana Caye. Our biggest adventure along the way actually happened on Sea Dragon. They left for Ranguana a couple hours ahead of us, and as they neared the caye the two women on board noticed an odd disturbance on the water. The "disturbance" turned out to be five Spanish-speaking free divers (they wore masks and fins) who'd been separated from their boat! In 60 - 100ft of open water?!
Anyway, after unsuccessful hailing of the Belize Coast Guard, we dropped sails and followed Sea Dragon in search of the divers' misplaced barca. Sea Dragon met up with the boat after about 15 minutes, piloted by one man who seemed just to be waiting for his passengers' return. Oookaay ...
Relifted our canvas and continued toward Ranguana. The island is just one more among the hundreds of gems along the Barrier Reef. Crystal clear blue water; towering palms, which provide a fair wind break in an easterly blow; spongy white beaches ... We lazed about the boat yesterday evening and today.
The anchorage is a bit crowded with occupied Moorings charters, but we dropped the hook near Sueños -- familiar faces from Mario's -- and were quite comfy. Attempted to fish, snorkeled on and off, lay about in or out of the sun ... We have it so tough.
Our biggest worry these days is the welfare of our cat. Around midnight last night, I jolted awake at the SPLASH of something sizeable -- and close. Brady and I jumped from the V-berth calling for God, who did not respond, but whose collar bell tinkled with some movement. We found him after some frantic moments, huddled on the dodger, rather shaken up.
His wet hindquarters told us as much of the story as we need to know: he fell off the bow doing God knows what and in a wild feat of kittiness managed to haul himself back on deck before landing completely in the drink. We cannot be sure if his fall is due more to his own recklessness or to the roughness of wind and wave. This makes it difficult to determine how cautious we should be; how much of a control we should set on the cat when we are unable to keep a close watch on him.
Probably only time will tell. In the meantime, he has taken to spending a good deal of time in the cabin since his fall. Perhaps his brush with mortality has humbled him a little. Perhaps he is just spending the warm daylight hours in the shade. Perhaps it's time to give him swimming lessons.
