And here's the weather report: 45 degrees under cloudy skies. Temperatures dropping, sleet turning to snow overnight. Tomorrow will have highs in the mid-20s, snow accumulation is expected to be 3-5 inches.

Brrr. Go put on a second pair of woolly socks and grab another sweater as you head to the kitchen to make yourself a cup of hot chocolate. Hmm, there sitting on the table is the Distinctive Charter Yachts International catalog you got yesterday. Maybe it’s time for a charter escape. You’ve been to the Bahamas several times, as well as having sampled most of the Caribbean. Maybe this is the year to try someplace new. Your criteria are simple: warm waters, sunshine, beaches, seafood, nice reefs to snorkel or dive and maybe some fishing. Not too far, you don't want to spend 15 hours flying. So where?

Welcome to the Bay Islands. Eight islands and dozens of small cays, 92 square miles in all, and only 30 miles off the coast of the Honduras, the Bay Islands are waiting for you. They are closer to Miami than Puerto Rico, but light years away in feeling. No high rises, no golf courses, only 1 asphalt road on Roatan, the largest island (and that road only goes half way around the island), no hard roads on the rest of the islands. If you are looking for a slower pace, a quiet place, then it is time to investigate the Bay Islands. Appealing to the adventuresome charter guest, the islands offer excellent diving and snorkeling, fishing, untrammeled natural beauty, secluded beaches and secret coves where you will be on the only yacht. Sound like what you are looking for?

The Bay Islands were first discovered by Europeans by Christopher Columbus on July 30th of 1502 on his fourth voyage to the "New World". Seeing a high island covered with pines, he named it Isla de Pinos and claimed it, of course, for Spain. Accounts of the discovery indicate that the islands were quite fertile and densely populated at that time, and the aborigines enjoyed a higher developed civilization than those of the Greater Antilles, Cuba and Hispaniola. After Columbus claimed the area for Spain, it bounced back and forth between English rule, buccaneers, back to Spanish, back to English until finally on April 30th, 1859, England surrendered the Bay Islands to the Republic of the Honduras.

Punta Gorda, on Roatan, is the only Garifuna village on the island. The Garifuna were originally known as "Black Caribs". The English evacuated all her settlements on the Bay Islands in 1788 and the islands lay deserted of Europeans until 1797 when the English removed by force some 5,000 "Black Caribs" (a mixture of African Negro and Carib and Arawak Indians) from St. Vincent and marooned them on an empty beach in Roatan during the winter. An unhappy beginning, but probably more fortuitous than if they had remained in St. Vincent.

Spanish became the official language in 1872, but because of the strong British influence, English is still spoken by the majority of the adult population and as a second language by the younger generation. Because of this, mainland Hondurans often refer to the islanders as "pirates", as a reference to their forebears and the Islanders in turn call the mainlanders "those Spaniards".

Getting there is fairly easy with flights from Miami and New York into San Pedro Sula on the mainland, then connecting flights to Roatan. The local currency is the lempira. Currently, one U.S. dollar is about 18.9 lempiras. So if nothing else, at least it seems like your hard earned dollars go further in the Bay Islands! Daily temperatures average 85º with night time temperatures averaging 65º. Hmm, sounds like a whole lot better than 45º and sleet, doesn't it? For those who want to be in the water, it’s usually in the low 80s in the summertime and high 70s in winter. You'll still want a wet suit or at least a shortie if you are planning on staying underwater for a long time. Rainy season runs from November to January.

Roatan is the largest of the Bay Islands, and going there is like stepping back in time 50 years or more. Basically, one road, with a few branches, links most of the 27 tiny communities on this island that is only 33 miles long and 4 miles wide. That road is now asphalt, which is a major improvement from several years ago. Though there are no high rises and no large resorts, Roatan has been discovered by the cruise ship people, so it is not as unspoiled as it once was. The best thing to do is avoid it like the plague when the cruise ships pull in, because all the prices go up. Not to mention, you came here to get away from everything, not to be inundated by tourists drinking rum drinks and buying T-shirts. That's why you are on a charter yacht so you can set your own schedule.

The island has a mountainous backbone and is totally surrounded by coral reefs, which offer superb snorkeling and diving as well as fishing. Roatan has two great wrecks for the divers who would rather float over a wreck than a reef: the 230-foot freighter El Aguila, sunk in 1997 and the 300-foot freighter Odyssey. Because it is the largest and most developed, there are a myriad of interesting things to do and try. For instance, you could visit the Roatan Butterfly Gardens, the Museum of Roatan, the Carambola Botanical Gardens & Trails and Gumbalimba Park. Hmm, there is also a Microbrewery and four zipline jungle canopy tours. I think you will probably want to schedule your zipline adventure first, followed by a visit to the microbrewery! Or maybe not…

The neighboring island of Guanaja is only 11 miles long and 3 ½ miles wide with a shoreline that ranges from white sandy beaches to rocky cliffs overlooking the Caribbean Sea. It is the tallest of the islands with one peak reaching 1400 feet, originally covered by Caribbean pine, it is the island that Columbus first saw and named it Isla de Pinos…the island of pines. Guanaja is the only Bay Island featuring waterfalls. One is located a mere 15 minute stroll from the beach. For the more adventuresome, there another one that is a 45 minute mountain hike, but the view is well worth the effort. Flocks of parrots and hummingbirds in the trees will keep you company on your hike. Since there are no major roads on Guanaja, it remains one of the few unspoiled islands in the Caribbean. It is the least visited of the three main Bay Islands which why it has retained the charm and tranquility of the way other islands in the Caribbean felt decades ago.

Guanaja is surrounded by reefs for snorkelers and divers of all experience levels. Further off shore, the waters team with wahoo, tuna, dolphin, kingfish and marlin. Rather go fly fishing? No problem. The flats of Guanaja are loaded with schools of bonefish. Reportedly you can see great schools of bonefish throughout the day, every day which is why it has been reported that Guanaja has the best bonefishing in the world. Why, then, I ask, why have I STILL not been able to catch one of those wily things? Snook, tarpon, jacks and permits also populate the flats. Even if you don't catch anything, it's still a delightful way to spend several hours!

The population of Guanaja is approximately 10,000 people, the majority of which live on Bonacca Cay. This very unusual town is a stilt town, with the stilts anchored on a submerged shoal, earning it the nickname of "Venice of the Honduras". The cay itself began as two adjoining cays of about an acre. The channel between the two was filled in and it is now an artificial island of nearly 20 acres. The densely clustered wooden buildings, painted in vivid tropical colors, give the island a shimmering mirage like appearance from the distance. It rather reminds one of a tropical Ravinj the village in Croatia where the homes seem to hold hands, lest they fall into the ocean. Bonacca has this same feeling. Narrow walkways and bridges over canals comprise the "streets" of this community. The Mountain View disco is the place to be on Saturday night. It almost sways on its stilts. Okay, it does sway on its stilts in time to the music!

Utila lies the closest to the Honduran coast of the three major islands and is the smallest and the flattest. The only town is in East Harbor and is home to about 3,000 people. The highest point is Pumpkin Hill which rises to the dizzying height of 74 feet. There is a manmade beach in its main town, but several other natural white sand beaches dot its coast. The main reason people come to Utila is to dive. Since the entire archipelago of the Bay Islands runs along the largest barrier reef in the Caribbean (second largest in the world after Australia's Great Barrier Reef ), all of the islands enjoy terrific snorkeling and diving. But there is one thing that makes Utila diving stand out from the rest: the whale sharks.

Whale Sharks are harmless plankton eaters that grow to an enormous size. The ones commonly seen in the waters surrounding Utila are between 20 feet and 33 feet. Most frequently seen in the months of March and April and again in August and September, the Whale Shark is regularly sighted even during the "off" months. Unlike real whales or dolphins that tend to travel in pods, the Whale Shark is usually solitary. It is not uncommon to see five or more singularly during the migratory months. It is thought that the oceanography surrounding Utila is the reason for their frequent sightings. Utila is located at the extreme northern margin of the Honduran shelf and, unlike the other Bay Islands which are separated from the shelf area by a deep, fault controlled trench; the tropical island has shallow banks to the south and a very large bank to the north. Whatever the reason for the Whale Sharks coming into such close proximity to Utila is second only to the fact that they are there! Come on, all you divers out there. Admit it, wouldn't it be great to see one? And wouldn't you almost swallow your regulator when it first comes into view?

The snow continues outside your window, but you no longer care. You have made up your mind to escape to sunshine, warm water, white sand beaches and butterflies. Escape to a place where you can enjoy a breakfast of island fruit on the aft deck of the yacht you have chartered, and, when finished, leap into crystal clear blue waters to enjoy the living aquarium that surrounds your vessel. Forget the local weather forecast, it's time to discover secluded beaches and secret coves and claim them as your own. The Bay Islands are a little bit paradise set off from the rest of Caribbean, where it is still possible to indulge in the dream of forgetting about everything. It's easy, just pick up the phone and call your charter agent.