04 October 2012; Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala.

Tonight we enjoyed an hour back as Guatemala is on a different time zone. They normally do not do summer or winter time and are thus an hour off with Puerto Chiapas in Mexico just over the border. We approached the pilot station at 04.00 and the pilot hopped on board, right on time. Going in, through the breakwaters is a very interesting affair, as you have to make a 90 degree turn into the basin and then a 180 turn to get the ship lined up and go sternway to the berth. I wanted to go portside alongside so I could get out fast on departure. In the afternoon a land wind normally picks up which makes swinging around in the basin more difficult. On arrival it is normally wind still and so why do things difficult if we can do it the easy way. By 05.00 we were happily docked and the early tours could leave while the sun was just getting above the horizon.

My day was mainly filled with preparing for tomorrow, for Corinto. The “battle” with the authorities is on going about getting the donations ashore. We had to present a list of all the donations in Spanish, and at the moment it all seems ok. We just have to get permission to get our tools ashore, items that will come back again.

This is what we plan to take ashore tomorrow:

ITEM DESCRIPTION QT REMARK
CLOTHES Mix Donations from Crew member
CLOTHES *Black Skirt 22 Donation from Casino
*Black Pants 9
*Black Coat 2
NEW T SHIRT 72 pcs *L SIZE 36 pcs
*M SIZE 36 pcs
SHOES & BAGS *Man Shoes 8 Pairs Donation from Crew member
*Man Sandals 3 Pairs
*Woman Shoes 7 pairs
*Woman Sandals 1 Pair
CLOTHES & BAGS *Alaska Hard Plastic Bag 18
*Clothes
*Back pack 1
*Umbrella 1
*Ladies Shoes 2 pairs Donation from guest
*Lady’s Bag 1
PILLOWS Box 1 7 pcs
Box 2 11 pcs
BED SKIRTS Bed Skirts 60
Yellow short Curtain with rail 12 donation from ship
Long Curtain with rail 4
Sofa cover for chairs 63

PORTABLES BASKET BALL 1 pcs each box 2 pcs
BALL Basket Ball 6
Foot Ball 5
AIR FAN Air Fan 4 donation from ship
HAL LOGO BOTTLES HAL logo Water Bottles 57
SCHOOL STUFF & BOTTLES HAL logo Water Bottles 20
*Legal Pads Books 12
*Exercise book 30
*Notebook 5 Donation from room 364
*Scisors 2
*Marker 8
*Pencils 70
*Pens 24
*Dolls 2

SCHOOL STUFF ( Green Plastic Box) *Wood ruler 20
*School Glue BIG 5
*Pens 40
*Pencils 30
*School Glue Small 30
*Colored Pencil – long 6 boxes
*Crayon 4 Boxes Donation from guest.
*Scisors 19
*Single Hole Punch 2
*Pencil box 18
*Wood pencil 72
*Crayon 2 box
*Super Bright Color 1 box
*Baseball Glove 1
*Magis Kit – Ink @17pcs 3
SCHOOL STUFF ( Plastic Bag) Note Book , Square 80
SCHOOL STUFF ( Cardboard Box) Pens 2100 Donation from guest
Pencils 1152 Donation from guest
Notebooks @48 144 Donation from guest
Pencil sharpeners 12 box @144 1728 Donation from guest
Pencil with eraser 200 Donation from guest.
*Color Papers @1000 pcs 6
*White Board Eraser 5
*Expo – White Board Spidol @8pcs 6
*Magis Kit – Ink @17pcs 2
White Boards 4
Pens 50 Donation from guests.
Pencils 48
Eraser 4
Color Marker 12
Books 20
for school repair wooden sign 1
quick dry cement cans 2
Various paints – 10 EACH SPEEDWALL 5-GAL SEMIGLOSS INTERIOR PAINT
– 50 EACH 3″ ALL PURPOSE PAINT BRUSH
– 100 EACH 6 1/2″ X 3/8″ ROLLER AND HANDLE
– 5 EACH 1 GAL PAINT THINNER
– 10 EACH 1 GAL YOLO COLORHOUSE PETAL .05 FLAT INTERIOR
– 16 PAINTING KITS (DRIP TRAYS WITH ROLLERS, ETC)
PROTECTIVE PLASTIC COVERING
Various tools/ ladders and other materials for accomplishing repairs. This will be all returned to the ship.

There are at least 25 volunteers we have at the moment, plus a bosun & sailors (to teach the volunteers how to paint) carpenter and upholsterer for the curtains and the holes in the cement. My duty in it all is to keep the authorities happy, buy water and buy corrugated roof sheets (at $ 19,– a piece)
Let’s hope and pray for a dry day and the authorities in a good mood.

We left Puerto Quetzal right on time, as in the distance the dark rain clouds already gathered. Thunder could be heard and lightning seen. We were out by 4 pm and then we saw the rain coming over the beach already. I hope that the Norwegian Jewel made it out on time, or waited as in these rains there can be dangerous wind gusts.

For Corinto we expect dry weather in the morning, as it normally starts to rain there in the afternoon after 3 pm. We will be gone by then.