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Hello to all our friends and family,

Here it is the 10th of January already. It is 7:00 AM and the coffee is almost ready; the nicest time of day. This being the third trip, it is difficult to describe our trip as though it is the first time. Thus there are few ooos and aaahs. That's a shame too, because there are some new folks on the mailing list who won't get the real flavor of the trip to the Rio. But, not to worry. When, we leave La Ceibe, Honduras, heading for Panama, all will then be new to us.

We last reported that Francesca was heading for Lighthouse Reef with Queen Mary and Bright Star. Well, that didn't quite happen. After heading offshore, the wind picked up and Queen Mary said that with the wind so close to the nose, it would be impossible for them to make Lighthouse before dark. So, we put our heads together and decided Turneffe Reef would be within daylight range and, once in the lee of the reef, it would be a comfortable ride too. Turneffe is a good place to be in unsettled weather. As I have described before, Turneffe is an atoll, 25 miles from Belize City and about 10 miles out beyond the barrier reef. Almost no matter what the conditions, you can find a place to drop the hook, be comfortable and also dive or snorkel in lee waters. Soon after we anchored there, Sea Camp arrived having come from Lighthouse. For the next several days and with great company, we snorkeled, made a few tank dives and caught plenty of lobster to satisfy our many months of lobster abstinence and a stock for when Andrea is to visit.

On December 23, we cruised to Belize City and went to the dock at Moho Caye; the only real marina in all of Belize. Moho Caye is a small roundish cay with a balloon shaped lagoon within. The caye lies just a few hundred yards off of the mainland. The marina has been there for more than 20 years and is kind of run down. You have to watch your step on the dock to avoid falling through on a loose board. Still, there is a pleasant bar and restaurant area and the manager "Sandy", a Scotsman, is very nice. It seemed that many cruisers had planned to be at Moho for Christmas and a big Christmas Eve party and dinner were planned. The cruisers included: Queen Mary, Bright Star, Passion, Desire, Sea Camp, Expectations, Kiwi, Change of Pace, and Pereguin. What a great bunch.

Andrea arrived on Christmas eve and we were so glad to see her. During the next two days, as planned and expected, we partied and ate too much. The day after Christmas, we headed back