Boat Life & Adventure: Hiking to the Shaman's Tower in Guatemala!

At RAM Marina on the Río Dulce in Guatemala, the crew of Sailing Big Lost found themselves navigating the gritty reality of extended boatyard work. A local fiberglass specialist named O and his team worked on repairing a soft spot in the deck near a storage locker hinge where water had seeped around unsealed fastener screws. Down in the electrical bay, Connor worked alongside local technician Araldo—often introduced as Zoro the master electrician—to integrate a third power unit into the catamaran’s electrical system, bringing the vessel’s setup to two 3,000 Victron inverter chargers and one 5,000 Victron inverter to handle appliances that previous configurations could not sustain.

Life in the working yard came with trade-offs. RAM Marina focused strictly on storage, hauling, and technical repairs, offering no swimming pool and limited recreational distractions for the children. As the crew noted regarding the intense hands-on management required in the yard, “you got to stay on your boat you got to be here while they’re working” to supply fasteners, tools, and immediate guidance to the local tradesmen. After weeks of managing fiberglass dust, stainless steel welding, electrical wiring, and upholstery jobs, the family welcomed the return of their cruising friends, the McMasters, who arrived back from five weeks of inland travel to reunite the kids over board games and swimming.

Tackling Boatyard Projects at RAM Marina

The catamaran had accumulated a substantial list of upgrades during its stay in Guatemala. In addition to the deck fiberglass repair and the new inverter installation, another craftsman named Neri had nearly completed a custom helm enclosure designed to shield the helm station from tropical squalls while leaving enough open clearance for easy deck access. Meanwhile, preparations were underway to swap out older house batteries with high-capacity lithium-ion units once international freight cleared customs. The refit workflow covered multiple specialized trades:

• Electrical Architecture: Connor and Araldo mounted the additional Victron inverter to expand total onboard AC conversion capacity alongside two existing 3,000-watt inverter chargers.
• Deck and Locker Integrity: O removed decayed coring around the cockpit deck hinge adjacent to the life jacket and dive BCD locker, resealing the penetration holes to halt persistent water intrusion.
• Custom Canvas Enclosure: Neri crafted an enclosure for the helm station tailored to provide weather protection without obstructing fast transit to the side decks.

Crossing the Bay to Hacienda Tijax

To break up the monotony of the boatyard and lift morale, the family launched the dinghy and crossed the bay toward Hacienda Tijax. The objective was a forest trail leading inland to the Tower of the Shaman and a high suspension bridge. Stepping ashore beneath the canopy brought immediate relief from direct sunshine, with the crew noting how much cooler the air felt under the shade of the trees.

With Dad carrying the trail map, the family set off along the dirt path. The jungle soon presented its own curiosities, including numerous hairy caterpillars dangling from the branches on fine silk threads. Maddie warned Finn to keep his hands away from the bristles, while Finn reacted with visible unease as the suspended caterpillars swayed across the narrow track, prompting the kids to call the patch a caterpillar heaven.

Hiking Through Heat to the Tower of the Shaman

As the path climbed higher, the tropical humidity quickly took a toll on the hikers. The exertion under the heavy jungle air challenged everyone’s stamina, and Finn began asking for water breaks, lamenting that they had not started the trek earlier in the morning before the midday sun peaked. Exhausted from the steep ascent, Finn called out, “Mom I’m going to pass out,” while the parents encouraged the kids to push forward to the next shaded plateau.

The crew reflected on how deceptive tropical conditions can be compared to home, noting, “At home this would be an easy walk a jaunt here it’s almost torture.” Sweating heavily despite regular stops, the family pressed onward until the trail finally emerged at the wooden observation platform of the Tower of the Shaman.

Tower Views and the 200-Foot Suspension Bridge

At the summit of the tower, a steady breeze cooled the platform and rewarded the family with panoramic views over the surrounding forest and the distant waters of the Río Dulce, where they could spot their catamaran resting across the bay. While Dad prepared to fly the drone for aerial shots, the children caught their breath in the shade.

The return route directed the family across the hike’s signature feature: a 200-foot-long suspension bridge strung high above the forest floor. Unlike bridges in America that typically require harness clip-ins or protective netting, this span was open and distinctly bouncy underfoot. Despite initial nerves, the children navigated the crossing with growing confidence. Back on the descent, Finn declared, “The bridge was cool too I like that bridge the most.”

The total round-trip hike took approximately 30 to 45 minutes. Along the lower trail, the family noted educational markers identifying various native plant species, including old rubber trees that dated back to a former rubber plantation in the area. Just as they concluded the trek, light rain began falling through the canopy—a timely reminder of the rainforest environment.

Cruising Plans for the Bay Islands and Freight Delays

Back aboard the boat, the crew turned their attention toward departure logistics. With hurricane season progressing, they established a target window to exit the Río Dulce during the first week of October, aiming to depart no later than October 8. Their intended destination lay in the Bay Islands off the coast of Honduras, where they looked forward to dropping anchor or picking up mooring balls, swimming directly from the hulls, and taking a scuba diving refresher course. The McMasters planned to follow a similar route shortly afterward.

Departing remained contingent on receiving essential equipment shipped from abroad. In Guatemala, marine shipments commonly face extended transit times, traveling by ocean freight through the Panama Canal, transferring to trucks in Guatemala City, and traversing winding highways to reach the river. The family celebrated a major milestone by stopping outside Rita’s freight office to retrieve packages ordered nearly two months earlier in August. Though paying substantial freight duties and shipping premiums, receiving critical hardware like replacement door latches was an immense relief.

Aboard the vessel, life settled into domestic routines. Maddie covered the interior bulkheads with colored drawings of dolphins and mountain landscapes, rapidly exhausting her art supplies. To counter the severe solar heat penetrating the saloon, Neri installed custom Sunbrella covers across the port and starboard side windows, drastically lowering interior temperatures. While an ordering error on the front roller shade cassettes meant waiting for a smaller replacement, the catamaran was steadily transforming into an offshore-ready home ready to set sail for Honduras.

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