We have some important
information regarding what is happening in Utila that
affects the cruisers.
First off, checking in or out here is not
reliable. The immigration man is usually drunk and not in his office so one
can't get their passports stamped. Until they get a different immigration
officer at Utila this will not be a place that is
good to check out. One can get away with checking in here and getting their
passport stamped at one of the other islands.
They had a good immigration
person but he was sent off to another island or mainland,
that does not have much traffic. This is a federal problem so the Mayors
hands are tied but he is trying to get the problem remedied and thinks by July
he might have a new immigration officer.
Secondly regarding the ongoing burglaries
in the anchorage, the thieves are brazen and are just coming aboard the boats
and cutting the locks off the doors. Mayor
Last night while we had the
families from Yamana
& Arwenstar
on board for dinner, Yamana's
boat which was only fifty yards away was boarded and ransacked. They had the
main hatch locked but had left one of the smaller hatches open for a breeze.
Upon returning to their boat about two and a half hours later they discover
that the wires to their small anchor light on the stern had been cut and a red
light was on below. They discovered the mess that the was left and that their
four computers were missing along with Peter's lenses to his camera, two
hundred dollars, an Ipod which had a great deal of
music on it and two rain jackets. Peter's business is photography so his
computers and lenses will be greatly missed and he has not insurance to cover
the cost of replacing these items.
Peter, Reg
and Sean went into town this AM to find the Mayor and have a talk to him. They
also went to the police station where the jail is to report the theft. The
woman police officer was not interested in hearing what went on and later on
the fellows were told by the Mayor that this area of police is federally run
which is backed by the mafia. There were some fellows in the jail who wanted to
know why they were there so were told about the theft and the reward that was
being offered. The fellow in jail said that he was getting out of jail this
morning and was interested in the reward that was being offered. He said that
he would have Peters things back for him today so we will see. The Mayor also told the fellows that the
robbery should be reported to the Federal Police on the mainland but added that
they were all apart of the mafia ring.
Altons Dive shop said that they would help in any way that they could as
we were all to leave this am to head for
The third item that is of interest is the
fees that are being charged to the cruisers. Upon checking in the Port Captain
is requesting that you go upstairs to the municipal hall and pay the fees of
200lps for the first day at anchor in the harbor and 20lps for each additional
day. Don't know if a receipt has been received for these fees as most cruisers
that we know are not paying the fees. Upon talking with the Mayor about these
fees he stated that he was wanting to put in 30
mooring balls in the anchorage and these fees were to pay for that.
Interestingly, that none of the cruisers have been told what these fees were
for. The Mayor has the blocks and mooring balls but not the money to pay to
have the chains drilled into the cement blocks. He hopes to have these in by
July at which time a fee will be charged.
Regards, Gail & Reg "Tides
End"