The popular Rio Dulce is only reached by crossing the entrance sandbar off Livingston.

The channel shifts and is anecdotally getting shallower. Few boats of more than 5ft 6 inch draft get across without touching or sticking.

However, there is a solution. SERVIMAR is a well-established clearing agent and has a towboat on standby. The owner is Raoul and the office monitors 16 and 68 continuously, especially near high tide…

Our boat – “Scratch” a 56 ft Sundeer with nominal 6 ft, 1.8m, draft – came firmly stuck on a nominal 0.3m tide that should have given 2.2m on the bar

Before entry, we had informed SERVIMAR of our entry and when stuck their boatman Hector was with us within 10 minutes.

Handing over our spinnaker halyard he attached a long tow rope and very professionally canted us over and held us at that angle while we easily continued on the charted course for 1/2 a mile and into the anchorage at Livingston (see photo left). It is said that up to 7ft 6 in draft boats have made it this way.

At anchor, a representative of SERVIMAR brought out all the officials in one go by water taxi. All our papers were taken ashore and returned with immigration complete and a 3-month cruising permit within an hour. We did not leave the boat.

The charges were $US 50 for the tow and $ 200 for all fees and service commission (much of this was the permit).

Raoul and his company are now the acknowledged experts on paperwork including the 9-month extension needed to cover hurricane season.

Upriver the largest yard and main haul out RAM, use his services and know in advance when he is coming up a river. While there are many marinas of all sizes on the Rio Dulce, RAM is the largest. They can haul out up to 70 tons with free haulout if 6-month storage is paid in advance. They have a large multi-trade workforce, an indoor paint shop tall enough to take a yacht with the mast up, chain galvanising etc.

Photo right of RAM marina and yard took from our masthead.

Scratch had the mast removed expertly in the dock for sandblasting to bare metal, weld repairs and full system repaint. Meanwhile waiting at anchor in the pleasant river.

One shortage in the area is a rigging shop and ready prepared wire, like many other items this is imported from the USA as needed, if heavy by direct container service from Miami. Another drawback may be the 5-8 hour bus to Guatemala city and airport.

Brian Simm

Fronteras – bridge 100 ft clearance

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