SailingKnitter

Caye Caulker, Belize Airport

We're kinda stuck here in paradise waiting for our new carburator for the dinghy engine. Really...so what? It just means we'll spend less time up in Isla Mujeres, Mexico...or maybe not. We really don't have a schedule and no guests have committed to come aboard so we can just hang here until our limit of 90 days in Belize has been reached or we decide to go elsewhere.

Here's Jonesy standing at the Caye Caulker, Belize "airport" waiting for his part to arrive. Maybe tomorrow they say. After all it was Easter week last week and everyone is sleeping off the big partying that's been going on today. We know from tracking data that the part has been through the FedEx hub in Memphis and is now in Florida so it'll get here soon.

So we've been happily tromping about the island checking everything out. Other than that, we've simply been living on the boat reading, knitting, and watching movies and TV shows in the evening.

"Middle Street" Caye Caulker and Jonesy

This past weekend we didn't even have to play our own music - it was blasting from the beach party out to our boat! Actually, some of it was pretty good stuff. Of course, like other places we've anchored in over the years, there were plenty of jet-skis blasting about making a racket and causing waves. That's just part of life on a sailboat during Easter Week anyplace warm.

KNITTING CONTENT

Finally it is April 1st and I can share TWO new knitting patterns of mine that are released today. First up are Carol's Garden Socks . These socks were inspired by my friend Carol's beautiful and abundant organic garden in Oregon. I had fun adding the chickens to the

Carol's Garden Socks

design - that's because they are a big part of the ambiance of her place even though she only has 4 egg-laying hens. Their portable coop is rolled across the lawns to give them access to fresh earth and keep them safe from predators.

Anyway, these socks start with tiny scallops on the  1x1 ribbed cuff, then the knitter can choose whatever colors they want for the different motifs. The pattern will be available for free only during the months of April and May 2013. After that, it will be on Ravelry for purchase.

Then, on the Holiday Mystery Gifts Yahoo group they are releasing the Snowflake Biscornu Ornament. This little 3 1/2" diameter stuffed ornament is knit in stranded color work like the socks in two pieces from the outside to the centers. Then the two pieces are joined with a 3-needle bind off. The center is pulled in with a button. Just another fun little project for the
Advent Calendar of Ornaments project.

Snowflake Biscornu Ornament

The current knitting projects are socks (duh). I'm working another pair of my Yaneris pattern this time in a plain kettle-dyed yarn to show the pattern stitch better. Also, there's a pair of grey ribbed socks that are my mindless knitting for when we are watching our movie or TV shows for the evening.

Snowflake Biscornu side view

Jonesy has once again tackled the problem of our weak transmission signal on our sideband radio. He dug under our bunk again and this time he found some serious corrosion on our 3" wide thin copper grounding strips. The damage was so extensive that he had to cut a slice out of one band and splice it to the bad one. The good news is that the next day when he joined the 8am Northwest Caribbean Cruiser's Net he was heard! So we're on the right track. Now, replacement copper bands have been added to the boat part purchasing list (which has never been empty).

The Homemade Ice Cream shack, Caye Caulker Belize

Oh! We found the homemade ice cream stand here on Caye Caulker! Yummy. Jonesy had Rocky Road with the marshmallows being those pastel fruit flavored ones. Plain white marshmallows are a rarity down in this part of the world and usually all we can find are those fruity ones too. I had Blueberry Cheesecake because it's been way too long since I tasted a blueberry (up at Carol's house in Oregon).

Tomorrow is another day and we may just receive our carburetor. Or we may have to simply sign and pay duties then get the dang part later. We've been warned by other cruisers that that's sometimes how it works.  Speaking of

Jonesy manages the sunset in Caye Caulker, Belize

the workings of Belize. We had a visit from the Port Authority on Easter Sunday on our boat. They were going around to all of the boats and checking their paperwork. On Easter Sunday? Yep. Of course we were current with our documents. But we told him that we'd have to renew our cruising permit a few more days because of the part situation. He had the paperwork to do that right then and there for us! That saved me a trip on the ferry to San Pedro Town on Ambergris Caye to do the renewal. Sure, I love to ride the ferry, but it does cost money. So we're all legal now to stay in the country until April 12th if we need to stay that long. Only cost another $150 Belize dollars ($75 US) for the privilege. Worth every penny to enjoy these sunsets and the good life here in Belize.