This website is a collaboration of information, stories and adventures during the Fuzetto Cruising Era. There are blog entries written by all of the Fuzetto - Rigo, Zyon, Hunter and me, Deborah. There are also articles in this site that may spark some interest in fellow cruisers, family, friends or just someone looking for some good entertainment. We are very challenged with Internet access as you can read about in the Saying Connected articles. So if some content looks unfinished, it probably is. Check back daily for more updates.
Most people in the crusing community know that plan is a 4-letter word. Plans are written in sand at low tide. When the tide comes up, everything is up for grabs. Well the tide came in on our plans and now we are heading to Florida. The last plan was to go to Rio Dulce, haul out HM and put it in dry storage while the crew heads back to the US.
There are several reasons why we changed our plans. First off, Rigo has some business to do at the INS. After 10 years of being a permanent resident, he has decided to become a US citizen. This process could take up to 6 months or even more. If the boat is in Florida, he can still work on the boat without being out of the counrty. The second reason is we can get everything we need in the US. We don't have to worry about shipping paint or anything else to another country. We are looking to replace batteries and the inverter as well as some construction in the kitchen. Getting materials will not be a problem in Florida, the marine mecca. Crossing the bar to get to the Rio Dulce was also a factor in this decision. This can be tricky, even at high tide. Plus we have already been there by land so there is nothing new to see.
Who knows what we will do after the yard work we do in Florida. Maybe the East Coast? Maybe back to Bocas del Toro? Only time will tell.
After more than 6 months in El Salvador, we finally head back across the bar and South to Costa Rica. The passage was very pleasant although lots of motoring. We really enjoyed our time in El Salvador but anxious to move on.
We did a lot of local travel throughout the month of July. We visited the beach, went ziplining, explored a few waterparks, saw a few ruins and stayed at a hot tub resort. We also explored around the estuary and had lots of parties with fellow cruiser friends.
Our first month in El Salvador, we spent a lot of our time with the El Salvador Rally meeting new people and exploring new places. Crossing the bar was very stressful just waiting for our turn. We started to get sucked into the surf while waiting for the perfect moment that we had to make a quick 180 to get out. That was probably the most exciting part. The actual crossing of the bar was completely uneventful. After they said we were across we all were like, "That was it?" The rally had happy hours at the pool and nearby restaurant, Sunday afternoon at Lynn and Lou's, BBQ at the pool and fish lunch at the palapas on stilts that were underwater during high tide and had beach enough to play bocce ball on low tide.
We had our own excursions as well to explore Zacatecoluca to get phones, internet access and pupusas, a trip to Puerto Barillas where One World was staying, and visiting the many beaches with surf, restaurants and many places to stay. We rented a beach house in el Zonte with Perm Temp, Alcyone and Nirvana for a few days and started to explore Ruta de Las Flores (Route of Flowers).
A few nights ago, an intense weather bomb dropped on the Bahia del Sol marina and anchorage. We all were watching a movie inside the boat when all the sudden it sounded like something crashed into our boat. Huge gusts of wind came from out of nowhere. Wind indicators registerd up to 40 knots but I am pretty sure some gusts were more. How can I be sure? Well I can't but it was strong enough to lift our 60 pound 64" by 52" solar panel from the frame.
It wasn't until the next day when Zyon asked, "Papai, what did you do with the solar panel?" Our first reaction was that someone must have stole it during the night. There was no damage to the other solar panels or anything surrounding the missing one and the wires that connect the solar panel was completely in tact. How the hell could someone remove this huge solar panel, 10 feet from the water without us hearing anything? It did rain through most of the night so maybe someone took advantage of the weather to make their move. It must have been a professional job with at least 3 guys. How did they do it? Did they climb on top of the arch? Fortunately, there is a security camera at the end of the dock next to our boat. Rigo spent hours looking at video footage trying to see how someone could possibly remove the solar panel. He even went back a few nights before in case we just didn't notice until now that it was gone. Unfortunately the security camera cuts off just before the stern of our boat so the solar panel were not in the frame. But Rigo watched all the canoes and nightly estuary activity to find some clue as to what happened. He found nothing. Suddenly I started to feel unsafe and disappointed that this could happen while being tied to the dock.
The next morning the front desk at Bahia del Sol called HM on the VHF radio. The security team also was reviewing the videos as they were also determined to get to the bottom of this mystery. At 7:45 pm, the beginning of the weather bomb, they saw the solar panel fly across the dock and smash into the water. They said it probably would have killed someone if they were standing on the dock. Mystery solved! Thankfully it was not a theft. Even though the solar panel was still gone it was comforting to know that it was not stolen. I know El Salvador gets a lot of bad publicity with gang murders and the previous civil war but the 3 months that we have been here we have not seen any violence and have experienced nothing but friendly people. Every Salvadorian I have ever met has been very welcoming. The marina staff was very helpful and the manager offered the services of the diver to see if the solar panel could be recovered. A few days later, when the tides were calm, the diver jumped into the water and within 20 minutes sufaced with the solar panel completely in tact! No cracks in the glass, no damage to the frame. Unbelievable! Whether or not is will actually work in still in question. It is currently sitting on the dock in the sun drying out.
Whether or not the solar panel works, this was an amazing story and an unbelievable recovery.
This website is a collaboration of information, stories and adventures during the Fuzetto Cruising Era. There are blog entries written by all of the Fuzetto - Rigo, Zyon, Hunter and me, Deborah. There are also articles in this site that may spark some interest in fellow cruisers, family, friends or just someone looking for some good entertainment. We are very challenged with Internet access as you can read about in the Saying Connected articles. So if some content looks unfinished, it probably is. 
Our first month in El Salvador, we spent a lot of our time with the El Salvador Rally meeting new people and exploring new places. Crossing the bar was very stressful just waiting for our turn. We started to get sucked into the surf while waiting for the perfect moment that we had to make a quick 180 to get out. That was probably the most exciting part. The actual crossing of the bar was completely uneventful. After they said we were across we all were like, "That was it?" The rally had happy hours at the pool and nearby restaurant, Sunday afternoon at Lynn and Lou's, BBQ at the pool and fish lunch at the palapas on stilts that were underwater during high tide and had beach enough to play bocce ball on low tide.
A few nights ago, an intense weather bomb dropped on the Bahia del Sol marina and anchorage. We all were watching a movie inside the boat when all the sudden it sounded like something crashed into our boat. Huge gusts of wind came from out of nowhere. Wind indicators registerd up to 40 knots but I am pretty sure some gusts were more. How can I be sure? Well I can't but it was strong enough to lift our 60 pound 64" by 52" solar panel from the frame. 
