Arrival in the Bay Islands of Honduras

Guanaja – Welcome to the Bay Islands of Honduras…

21.04. – 22.04.2025

Arrival in the Bay Islands of Honduras

After a good rest from our crossing, we head to Bonacca – the small town just off Guanaja – to clear customs. Of the handful of boats moored here, three are already German. The world is sometimes small... the boats are now slowly making their way to their hurricane holes.

Flying fish often get lost on deck, but not all of them make it back to the sea. — Another flying fish stranded on a boat hatch... hopefully one of those fish won't jump through the hatch into my bunk at night.

Bonacca – center of Guanaja

Strictly speaking, Bonacca lies off the coast of Guanaja Island – built on a rock in the sea, extended by buildings that jut out into the sea on stilts. We set off in the dinghy out of the bay and around the town to the jetty. We noticed that there was a large wooden box in front of the town that served as a garbage dump and that could be filled from the boat. Now that's convenient... The boat dock was bustling with people – the ferry had just arrived and the pier was bustling with activity. The small town is crisscrossed with canals, and we first had to find our way to the immigration office. This turned out to be a small wooden hut staffed by an employee who confirmed our official entry. Equipped with an entry stamp and lots of detailed information about the restaurants and sights in Guanaja, we were now allowed to stay in Honduras for 90 days.

Bonacca is the main town of Guajana, located on a rock in front of the island. — Approach to Bonacca.

Clearing in on the Bay Islands

Then it's off to the harbormaster – now that the people have entered the country, it's time for Joline to enter the country. As talkative as the immigration man was, the dockmaster is taciturn. But he handles the boat entry swiftly, and Joline also receives a cruising permit for 90 days. So, welcome to Honduras.

While dealing with the authorities, we also met two American and one Canadian sailors who were also moored with us in the bay off the island. Since the island is almost entirely surrounded by a mountain range, there is little settlement – apart from Bonacca, there is a rock out in the sea with an apartment building and a few buildings on the shore at the foot of the mountains.

Cash procurement – We need Lempira, the currency in Honduras

First of all, we need to get some cash – payment is made here in Lempiras – the exchange rate to the euro is about 1:25. The local bank has an ATM, but it doesn't accept our VISA card. So we try inside the bank – the armed security guard opens the door for us and we find ourselves in the teller area. There are three rows of chairs lined up in front of it. Some people are already waiting their turn. We take a seat and are immediately told that we have to move up to the next seat. When the next customer is served, everyone moves up a seat… it's a bit like musical chairs… So we hop from chair to chair with the locals.

When it's our turn, we show our Visa card and order Lempiras. This doesn't seem to be a problem – the cashier prints out a receipt, which we don't have to sign, but rather confirm with a fingerprint – there's an ink pad right on the counter – and the cash starts flowing...

First impressions of Bonacca

We then explore the town; every third house seems to have either a corner shop or a restaurant. We wonder where all the customers are coming from... But the shops aren't crowded either. This could be because the supply boat always arrives on Wednesdays, meaning the selection of goods is already very limited and not as fresh on Easter Monday—even though it's not a public holiday here. We decide to conform to custom and postpone our shopping until Wednesday.

After a snack at a Mexican restaurant—well, more of a snack bar with seating—and a bottle of beer at the local bar, we head back to the boat. It feels like we've already walked every street in town twice...

In El Bight Bay — In the bay El Bight – Guanaja is almost completely occupied by a mountain range.

On the way back, we pass the German boat Amani and are invited on board by Anja and Nick, who are also members of the TO Sailing Association. We spend an entertaining hour there before heading back to the Joline.

Air conditioning broken – do we have to sweat now?

A few days ago, the air conditioning in our cabin broke down—not good timing, because after the rather moderate temperatures at our last destinations, it's very warm here again, and the humidity is high. The daytime temperature: 29 degrees Celsius—feels like 34 degrees Celsius... So, on Tuesday morning, Bernd sets about breathing new life into the air conditioning.

The Blue Joline air conditioner has reached the end of its life after 12 years. — Any rescue comes too late for our air conditioning system – luckily we still have one to replace…

After the cooling water pump failed, several other components of the air conditioning system were killed – a case of multiple organ failure, so to speak. After three hours of troubleshooting until after midnight, we have a fairly accurate picture of what's wrong with the patient.

However, after removing the system, we made the final decision: This air conditioning unit was beyond repair. After 12 years of faithful service at sea, it had served its purpose. Investing more money and effort into it makes no sense. However, we won't be able to purchase a new air conditioning unit any time soon.

Since there is a second identical air conditioning unit in the cabin opposite, Bernd can convert it, so we can cool down our cabin again three hours later for a siesta – we also have enough electricity – thanks to the lithium batteries.

On Wednesday we want to join the battle for fresh vegetables…

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