- Messages
- 10,954
- Reaction score
- 4,131
- # of dives
- None - Not Certified
For Mitch, no one really knew where the safe 'hurricane holes' were for boat protection etc--because it had been so long since they had a severe storm...
A whole lot of boats were driven up to safety into the mangroves on the South side. Must have been the old Captains.
Part of my post Mitch task involved the search for a lost 300' Motor Sailing Vessel. They found no safe access to harborage on the (storm) lee side of Roatan and made a fateful run to the South East, trying for the Cape of Honduras. Instead, they wound up bisecting this storm's unanticipated Southerly track.
Where it really kicked ass was in Guanaja, but the savvy fishing fleet just skeedaddled or they left Bonacca Key and nosed up into the South shore of Guanaja. Not a whole lot of losses in the Bay Islands, considering the brutality of Mitch- it just stalled out over that island and beat the snot out of it.
For those who understand the simple geographical facts of the islands, it was an easy choice. Everybody enjoys talking about the historical pirate enclaves of the Bay Islands. If you look at the maps, it's easy to see why French Harbor environs was a good anchorage, even more obvious why Port Royal (South side Roatan, far East) was the perfect place to defend and drop anchor.
Another reason to experience CCV is the two weekly lecturettes done by local denizen of the deep, Doc Radawski. He was on the Discovery Channel speaking about his intimate knowledge of the Pirate settlements, harborages, treasure and yes- even Crystal Skulls. He has been a member of the CocoView Zoo and on display since the early 1970's