by Tim Rasmussen [As we left Jay last month, he was planning his return from Guatemala.] Having been around boating and marinas years ago, Jay Gallagher put out the word when he arrived in Rio Dulce, that he was looking for a job as a crewman. He was at the marina about a month and gradually made friends with a man who had a sailboat and needed some help to get home to Alabama. The boat was a 32-foot Catalina and he signed on as crew with the plan to head back to the states. The owner hired an agent who helped with the paperwork and they secured permission to get out of Guatemala. They were told they could leave, but were informed they could not come back. They were committed and faced an unknown reception in the U.S. from Customs and Homeland Security. They got the boat ready by filling the water and fuel tanks, then went down the Rio Dulce river and out into the sea. They spent the first night offshore near the Guatemala-Honduras border, then on to Belize. They worked up the coast of Belize when the winds were favorable, then over to Cozumel. While they were anchored off Cozumel, a squall came with strong wind and heavy rain, and the jib sail was damaged. They managed to find a place to get the sail repaired, then made the boat ready for the next part of their voyage. After waiting for favorable winds for about a week, they left Cozumel and headed across the Gulf of Mexico. It was around 600 miles across, and they figured it would take about five days. They did well until they were about 140 miles from their destination in Alabama. The wind came from the north against them and they had to heave to. This is a process of “parking” the boat by placing the sails in such a way they did not make much forward progress, but did not drift back either, and did not have to stay at the helm. They waited for better wind. Finally, after 36 hours, the wind came from the west again and they headed north. They made good progress for about 100 miles, but about 40 miles from land, the wind changed and came from the north again. This time they had to wait only 12 hours for the winds to become favorable and they headed for Panama City, Florida. The wind held favorable and they made it into port. Whew! Jay got off the boat and attempted to contact U.S. Customs. He called and left several messages, but received no response. He then called his State Representative and, since no one seemed to care, he just rented a car and headed home to Missouri. When asked about the trip, Jay said it was an adventure, not an ordeal. Good job, good guy, good attitude. As of this writing, our other volunteers are still in Guatemala looking for a way out and home. Jay took the long way, but still made it home before them. If you have the desire to help someone, can help financially or in some other way, we can’t offer you a yacht ride home, but we can offer you a chance to change someone’s life and store up good memories for yourself. If you have the skills and the desire, we have the drills and know the needs. Come and help us make the world a better place, one village at a time. If you would like to help, contact Gary Bartholomew at 208-907-0010 or 509-939-1941 Tim Tim Rasmussen may be contacted via e-mail to michele@ worldwidedrillingresource.com 20 NOVEMBER 2020 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® Congratulat ions to : Andy Woodal l Woodal l ’ s Pump Sa les Raleigh , NC Winner for October! Time for a Little Fun! October 2020 Puzzle Solution: Win a prize! Send completed puzzle to: WWDRPO Box 660 Bonifay, FL 32425 fax: 850-547-0329 or e-mail: michele@ worldwidedrillingresource.com Identify which classified ads in this issue these two photos came from. WTR
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