Belize – From South to North ….. Jan/Feb 2013

Passage to Belize

We checked out of Utila in Honduras and did an overnight sail in light easterlies the 82miles.  We went through the shallows on the south western corner of Utila in good light and do not recall seeing less than 5m.   We had very rolly and messy seas for most of the journey but it flattened out the closer we got to Belize.  We arrived just after dawn and entered via Sapodilla Pass. 

General

We used the Cruising Guide to Belize and Mexicos Caribbean Coast by Freya Rauscher, it is an old guide and ours wasn’t the latest edition but it is very comprehensive and the best available.  There is very little “life” on any of the cays, don’t plan on dinner and drinks ashore too often.  Because of our 8foot draft we did not go to the northern area (Cay Caulker etc) above Belize City, but it is more touristy.  There was very little phone coverage, no wifi accept for Placencia, internet cafe in Dangriga, ATM’s in Placencia and Dangriga.  We were in company with New Zealand yacht Bandit for nearly our entire stay in Belize.  We never felt unsafe at all and there were no reports of any problems when we were there but we do like visiting these remote places in company.  For weather info we listened daily to Chris Parker on the SSB, downloaded the GRIB files via our satphone and listened to the daily Northwest Caribbean Cruisers Net. 

Anchorages

Lime Cay     16 06.155N   88 16.636W

3.7m Rocky.  We just pulled around into this anchorage after our overnight passage to await better light to move a little further.

Nicholas Cay     16 06.997N   88 16.105W

6.6m grass and hard sand patches.  Beautiful island, sandy beach.  Caretaker lives ashore and many derelict damaged buildings from a resort that got wiped out in a Hurricane.  Nothing open now.  We dinghied over to adjacent Hunting Cay island to pay our Park Fees.  Paid USD10 each, think the actual fee may have only been BEL10 each which is USD5, who knows!  All very laid back and they reminded us to check in when we got to Placencia.  Good snorkelling.

Tom Owens Cay     16 11.248N   88 13.941W

6m dropped in sand, settled over weed.  Cmap charts show no entrance inside reef and reef slightly further east than it is.  Failed to spot shallow patch in middle of channel shown in guidebook.  Really do need good light for this entry and anchoring.  Plenty of room for the 2 of us but then 2 charter/tour cats came in and things got quite tight but they were in shallower water.  Type of backpackers/dive resort ashore, nothing fancy and no bar/cafe/internet but they made us welcome ashore for a walk around (takes nearly 3 minutes). No wifi

Placencia     16 30.550N     88 21.814W  (by adjacent island)

7.5m sand/mud.  Good sail up in lovely flat water from Tom Owen.  Charts accurate enough.  Anchored by island for first couple of nights as slight south westerlies sending swell in and flatter by island.  No wifi over here.  Placencia is the main town accessible on the Belize coast and is a popular anchorage.  It can get very rolly in southwest winds and would be ghastly in south winds but there are options close by to move to if you need.

Placencia     16 30.667N     88 21.958W  (off town)

6.5m mud.    Port of Entry  Checking in procedures were a bit of a challenge and advice on how to complete them varied immensely depending on who you spoke to.  Basically the facilities are not at Placencia, they are at Big Creek but you can not take the Big Boat there and those that went by dinghy were denied landing access.  It seems this is quite a fluid situation so check with others already there first.  To get to Big Creek (only Skipper need go) walk up main road to water taxi (on left by Hardware/Timber store),  they go to Independence at 10am or 12.30pm, BEL6 each way.  When off water taxi get car taxi to Big Creek, drivers know where to take you and will wait for you BEL25 return per person but this fare varied greatly.  Check in cost BEL160 for 2 of us on New Zealand Passports and included one month visa and 2 weeks cruising permit, general consensus was just get a couple of weeks and pay rest on checkout if charged. We checked out at Dangrira, see below under Garbutt Cay for details.  We had wifi with external aerial, Paradise Resort. its locked but go into bar for a drink and get code.  Didn’t eat there but meals didn’t look too inspiring.  The little shacky bar on stilts next to it is great and always busy, quite noisy with live music (but our sort of music) most nights but closes early.  Both these places have dinghy docks.  There is a laundry 7BEL behind these two bars, just walk inland and its on the corner right hand side of first block, downstairs in a 2 storey wooden house (there is a sign on the terrace)  it is very basic but its a washing machine!  There was another laundry but I never looked hard for it.  The main dinghy dock is a little further north behind some derelict piles, don’t go in too close as it shallows at low tide.  There was a big new wharf being built, the dinghy dock is before that.  This dock is basically at the bottom of the main street.  There is a gas station there but it was closed most of the time and an ATM.  Further up on the left is the first of the Chinese Groceries, there are two more (newer and slightly better) some walk up this street almost out of town. These two are worth the walk and had some things we hadn’t got in months.  Back down after Chinese No 1 there is a bike hire/souvenir place 6BEL half day worth taking for an afternoon.  On the right is the Above Ground Cafe, very good coffee and free wifi but not many seats.  Next along on the left is Greg’s Fruit &Veg, it is more expensive but the produce was much better, they also have lots of meat (best option in town for meat) and dairy products in their fridges and freezers that you don’t see but just ask, they are very helpful and the quality was very good.  There is another mobile vege truck further on the left next to the sports field, it came most days, quality of produce varied.  Just after this is a blue shack which has quite simply the best burritos ever tasted, they are only open for lunch – if you like Mexican do not miss this place (don’t think it had a name but has two lift up wooden windows and a couple of seats.)  Another much smaller mobile veg stall was a little further on the right, quality not great but had some different things.  We ate out at Omars (byo liquor), and the big place next to it (has free wifi) and across the street at Dawns.  Dawns was excellent and her hot chilli sauces to buy have a real zip.  There are more cafes and some great icecream shops, there are a couple of bakeries that you have to order in advance but one that you didn’t, can’t remember name but it was a locally owned (many places are foreign owned) place that had a few signs up (maybe called Johns), all the bakeries were on the footpath that runs adjacent to the beach, parallel to the main street.  There was a cellphone provider and we investigated getting a sim but they did not do prepay and also advised we would not have coverage once we left town so we did not pursue.  We loved Placencia, found it a laidback place where we felt safe, it is very small but has most of what you need, a real jewel. 

The following are in the order we visited them, it may look a little odd if you plot them but you are at the mercy of the weather more so here than in the rest of the Caribbean as the USA Winter Northerlies get this far south and affect the local weather.

North Long Cocoa Cay    16 33.645N     88 06.274W

3.5m find a sandy spot in between soft coral.  Caught a couple of Yellowtail Snapper enroute, yummy.  We intended to stop at Rendezvous Cay but with a couple of yachts already there we were unable to find shallow enough water to anchor.  We moved on the extra 3 miles.  Snorkelling ok but we had ben told it was excellent  but maybe didn’t find the right spot.

South Long Cocoa Cay     16 29.943N     88 12.664W

Dropped 8m settled 13m.  Quite hard to find a shallow spot.  Sand and hard coral.  1st day we snorkelled the top left shoreline and it was ok.  2nd day was lovely and flat so we went around the top and drift snorkelled nearly back to the boats (retracing much of the previous day).  It was outstanding, maybe the best we saw, loads of fish, a nurseshark, beautiful soft corals, excellent, don’t know why it was so much better than the first day but light was better and flatter seas.   We returned to Placencia from here to sit out another norther.

Sittee Point    16 48.179N     88 16.028W

4m mud.  Very good coverage from the north here.  Did dinghy excursion up the river trying to find the town, weather turned rainy and never made it.  Good bird spotting.  Left after one night but returned as conditions to rough to enter pass to get to Twin Cays

Twin Cays     16 49.663N     88 06.250W

4.5m mud.  Excellent all round coverage within mangroves.  Hard trip from pass through shallows, water very hard to read depths and with 2.5metre/8 foot draft we did not have much to spare , nurdled our way through and never touched the bottom but you do need calm conditions if deep draft.  Nice snug anchorage in the mangroves, heard there are crocodiles but never saw any in Belize.

Southwater Cay     16 49.068N     88 05.129W   &     16 48.928N     88 05.123W

6.6m/6m sand.  The 2 1/2miles from Twin Cays took us 1 1/4 hours, got down to 3.1m enroute, took it very very slow but it was worth it, absolute stunner of an island and lovely anchorage – paradise found.  National Park fee payable, 10BEL per person.  On our 2nd visit conditions were calm enough to take the dinghy outside and do a drift snorkel back through the pass.  It was excellent - saw schools of tarpon, a lionfish & lovely soft corals.

Tobacco Cay     16 54.093N    88 03.968W

5m find a sandy spot.  Had a lovely sail in the 4m shallows inside the reef up from Southwater Cay.  BEWARE in our guide book it showed a shoal going right across the entrance to the anchorage that you need to avoid, in the newer version this was not shown but IT IS STILL THERE.  So take your time and try to have light behind you.  There is life on Tobacco Cay, a small resort with a great little shacky beach bar for sundowners.  Think they may have done meals if you order in advance, no wifi.

Glovers Reef     16 42.985N     87 51W

6m sand.  A very lively exit from inside the reef at Tobacco Cay with plenty of water over the bow, but then pleasant sail 25 miles to Glovers.  Entrance was easy to see in good light.   Lovely anchorage, could snorkel straight off the boat.  Went ashore to sit on the beach for sundowners but caretaker asked us to leave, this is a private island. After much pleading and telling him we had sailed all the way from New Zealand he let the 6 of us stay without setting the dogs on us!  Dinghied around to neighbouring island with small resorts on it following day, very very quiet, more places where it would be necessary to prebook dinner if you wanted.  One place has sign for wifi but there was no one there, extremely laid back dive holiday place.  We didn’t venture further inside Glover reef as another Northerly was coming so we headed back to the mainland and entered through the wider channel at Southwater Cay and stayed there another night.

Garbutt Cay     16 58.168N     88 05.596W

12m muddy.  Caught 2 fish enroute.   Mangrove anchorage, good shelter and holding  Beach ashore looks lovely from a distance, not so nice up close.  Harry (the local mayor!) paddled out, nice bloke traded lobster which we really didn’t need but gave him some books, tiny rum and coke.    Next day we left Balvenie and the 4 of us went on Bandit to Dangriga to check out (our 1month was nearly up), there was an onshore wind which didn’t abate so Mark, Brenda and I went ashore in the dinghy while David drove Bandit around.  Very lively and wet entry and exit over bar on river in dinghy.  Tied dinghy to dock on left, walk up to bridge and turn left.  Supermarket on corner, fruit and veg stalls along road, Customs and Immigration along further on right, internet cafe almost opposite C&I.  Checking out quite quick but had to wait for staff to arrive.  Customs Fee BEL45 and Park Fee 15BEL, weren’t charged any more for Cruising Permit. 

Middle Long Cay     17 15.787N     88 05.539W

4.5m sandy mud.  Had a brisk sail up inside the reef.  Went snorkelling over the partially sunken wreck just to the south, lots of lobsters but they had too many places to hid.  Quite good snorkel but quite murky water and big barracuda lurking in the dark!

English Cay     17 19.750N     88 03.066W

3.5m sandy patch in coral.  Snorkel stop only, too exposed for overnight.  Snorkelled on outside off reef in very clear water.  Not a huge variety but thousands of fish and some we hadn’t seen before.  Definitely worth the short stop, and our last snorkelling for the season.

Bannister Brogue     17 26.450N     88 04.216W

4.2m sandy mud.  Total protection within mangroves, yes more strong winds to tuck up from.  There was a resort on one of the little neighbouring islands but we did not go ashore.

Robinson Island     17 21.637N     88 11.199W

11.5 m mud.  Moved here as much more room to swing for sitting out northers for a couple of days.  Nothing there but good protected anchorage.  Did a couple of fun dinghy excursions around the mangrove islands.

Turneffe Island – Cay Bokel     17 10.391N     87 53.798W

2.7m hard sand/coral …. then the tide went out!  Our worst night ever at anchor. Had intended to anchor on southwest tip of Turneffe but lee shore when we got there so entered through reef in poor fading light, guide book showed 9 feet inside we never really found it and had our worst ever night at anchor, aground for hours.  Wind shifted to southeast and got very bouncy over reef, finally got off and into slightly deeper water and left at first light.  Had hoped to go to Lighthouse Reef from here but southeast too strong.

Turneffe Island – Southwest Tip     17 10.333N     87 55.164W

4.2m  sandy spot.  No longer a lee shore so stopped here to gather our thoughts.  Decided to abort plans to go to Lighthouse Reef and made our way up Turneffes west coast heading for Mexico.

Turneffe Island – Midwest     17 14.267N     87 56.945W

7.5m  sandy spot, just kept nudging our way in, went over a couple of shallow patches.  Just an overnight stop. Had a good forecast to head north with easterlies so that was the finish of Belize. 

Heading to Mexico

Forecast was not correct and we were hard on the wind the entire way, Gulf Stream running with us giving us a couple of knots current but wind over GS gave us horrible seas.  Couldn’t take shelter on Mexican coast as lee shore and very shallow entrances to the couple of anchorages.  Considered stopping in lee of Chinchorro Bank but arrived at dawn and water flattened giving us false sense of improvement!!!  Carried on and anchored during the night at Cozumel, Mexico 

To read our full blog postings with photos of Belize click on this link  http://yachtbalvenie.blogspot.co.nz/search/label/Belize

Honduras – Vivorillos, Guanaja, Roatan & Utila ….. Dec/Jan 2013

Vivorillos Cays   15 50.249N  83 18.290W  

7m sand with coral patches.  We had departed Low Cay north of Providencia (185 miles) at 9.30am the previous morning, had we known we would have been so close to making it in in daylight we would have left earlier.  We did however have a visual on the cays before sunset, the wind had died out after some lively squalls so we decided to try for a night arrival.  The lighthouse is no longer operational on the farthermost west island but there is an AIS signal transmitted advising there is an island there!   We do not have AIS so not much use to us, but our friends do and they picked up the signal.  We stayed west of the island in deep water then curved around and made our way very slowly in behind the shelter of the cays and reef.  The seabed was very uneven and we saw depths ranging between 4.5m to 8m.  There were no onshore lights just a couple of anchored yachts with lights which we saw and one with no lights that we did not see at all until the next morning – not good practice.  We had a peaceful night and left around 8.30am so did not go ashore.  Those that have stayed report a lovely spot to explore for a few days. No cell coverage.

Guanaja – Isla Bonacca   16 26.515N   85 53.432W

4.8m sand patch on edge of neighbouring small island.  Trip from Vivorillos (155 miles) took 25 hours so we timed our arrival through the outer reef system for a couple of hours after sunrise which gave us good enough light in clear skies.  There is no longer a lighthouse operational however there was a bright flashing white (like a strobe light) that showed over 30 miles out, at first we thought it was in the water but it is on top of the island, the distance made it difficult to tell.  There was also a constant bright white to the north of it also on the top of the island, visible same distance. (very easy to think they were fishing line markers but they never get any closer).  We entered south of Half Moon Cay, there is still a marker on the western edge of the reef to the west of it.  There is ample room to drop sails once through the first reef entrance behind this reef.  We went between Pond Cay and Bonacca with good light behind us and it was easy to see the couple of shoal patches.  Exiting on the eastern side of Bonacca was totally clear of shallow water.  Ashore  ~  We took the dinghy over about half way along the island there is a main dock with an indentation that we tied/locked to.  The Port Captains office was right there so we saw him first.  Then we had to go to Immigration, carry on past Port Captain to end of path and turn right, go almost to end (2nd to last), then you have to go back to Port Captain.  No charge for anything but we did hear of the odd cruiser being charged $US10 here and there.  All completed within about half an hour.  There is a bank with ATM machine almost on the junction.  Exchange rate December 2012 was approx 100Lempara = USD5.  Maximum with drawl was 4,000LEM.  On the path back to the Port Captain is the TIGO shop.  For onboard Internet we bought a simcard for 50LEM and a month data package which included 5GB for extra 500LEM, this worked very well for us including skype.  The lady set everything up for us, she was very helpful but basically didn’t say one word to us!  There were several small fruit and vegetable outlets and we timed it well as the produce boat arrived and had the best selection we have seen in a very long time.  A couple of ok supermarkets.  Its a small place – everything is easy to find, no roads just all footpaths.  We did not stay the night anchored here as it was very busy with local traffic.  There is a new fuel dock and we understand it also has water.  Prices unknown.

Guanaja – El Bight/Sandy Bay   16 27.256N   85 52.247W

9m mud.  We came around the eastern side of Dunbar Rock and saw about 3.8m least depth.  Quite a rocky looking bottom and water clear so we just went slow, once over the shallows there is plenty of water.  Most boats anchored a reasonable distance offshore to stay away from the bugs which weren’t TOO bad. Lovely anchorage, very calm water, peaceful and scenic.  Boats were standing by on VHF 72.  We did not see the piling in the anchorage noted in NW Caribbean Guide Book.  We stayed for Christmas, the Manati Lodge ashore serves good food and cheap drinks.  Good signal for phone/internet.  We did a great hike over the island to the northern coast, we went with a local cruiser who knew the way, good you certainly get lost otherwise but there were some shorter marked paths.  Wear long pants as there is a lot of cutting grass.  We had lunch on the northern coast other side at the Green Flash Restaurant and they bought us back to our dinghies by boat through the canal cut for 600LEM for the 5 of us (lunch extra about 120LEM pp).  Tried a few spots by dinghy for snorkelling, nothing good and lots of little jelly stringers.  When we left we sailed inside South West Cay and outside the other reefs, visibility was good and we saw no obstructions or uncharted shallows.

Roatan – French Cay Harbour   16 21.244N   86 26.699W 

9m sand/mud, some patches of grass.  We held fine but some boats dragged after sitting out gusts over 25knots for days.  Arrival with a brisk nor’easter behind you is a little difficult.  There is no lee from the land so seas do not flatten and there is really no room to tuck behind Big French Cay either to drop sails so its head to wind and a free salt water wash.  Then it really was quite hard to see the channel in, but 2 boats had gone in before us so we just headed slowly for the entrance waypoint in the NW Caribbean Guide at 16 20.85N 86 27.00W, then headed due north straight towards land and flat water, you then leave a wobbly looking pole to starboard and start turning right towards the two buoys which look white but are very faded green (port) and red (starboard), they are about the size of little dinghy fenders.  They are close to land and stay close until you are past the houses and docks.  Think the least depth we saw was just under 4m.  There are several reef shallows in the anchorage but it is a good sized and there were about 20 boats while we were there and could have taken more.  There is good coverage from the reef and land by can get choppy in high winds.  General calling channel 72.  Morning VHF Net channel 74 @ 9am.  There are 2 options for tying up, Brooksy Point which offers about 15 stern-to berths in a very protected pocket, they offer a range of services including laundry, wifi (not accessible in the anchorage) dive tank fills etc.  The other is Fantasy Island which can accommodate many boats side tied around the island.  They have fuel facilities, need to pre arrange.  We did not need to check in or out here but if you do it is necessary to get taxis to Coxens Hole. Ashore ~  Dinghy dock to walk to town/supermarket – go back out between the faded red and green buoys turn right and then turn left.  Veer over to the right and tie up between some shrimp boats on a very dodgy dock.  Lock it, there normally seems to be someone around, they appreciated the odd can of coke.  There is an excellent Eldon Supermarket, best we have seen since Santa Marta in Colombia except for meats which weren’t great.  There is an ATM in the supermarket.  Close by if you walk west down the main road past the Petrol Station on the corner there is a fish market (on left behind big fence, closed weekends), excellent inexpensive prawns and also in here is a Gourmet Food Distributor very good selection of goodies but pricey, they will deliver to Frenchys Restaurant in the anchorage.  Carrying on down this road a little further is Ace Hardware on the left, LPG Gas Refill Centre on the right (240LEM for 9kg while you wait) then either further an open air mall with some clothing shops, banks, coffee shops and another supermarket (not very good).   Mike at Brooksy Point organises and takes an island tour on Fridays from around 9.15am to 3.30pm, USD20 pp including dolphin show (yes we see plenty of dolphins but it was ok).  You stop at West Beach for lunch (not included), a good way to see the island and Mike is very informative.  Brooksy Point also organises a pizza night (pizza are bought in) they were excellent.  We had a special dinner at Frenchys one night, mid range prices – nice enough.

Utila – East Harbour   16 05.598N   86 53.866W

We had rather a lively sea state downwind from Roatan but the water does flatten considerably as you close on the harbour.  We only had our headsail out so didn’t need to turn to windward but it would have been ok.  The flashing light shown in the guide book is still there and operational but the stake shown at the entrance is not.  Again we headed for the entrance waypoint of 16 05.15N   86 54.10W and slowly and carefully made our way in.  A bearing of 020M lines you up with a white painted church steeple, there is now a large wooden yellow house in front of the church but you can still see the steeple.  It clouded over just as we arrived so we found spotting the deep water and sandy anchorage patches hard but there is loads of room and we anchored in 7m sand, good holding in over 30knot gusts.   Ashore ~ We took our dinghy into the dock at the Utila Lodge, it has no name water frontage but it is just to the right of the yellow house and church mentioned above and the dock normally has some white wooden chairs on it.  There is a dock inside the outer one and they were very receptive to us tying up there, it seemed safe day and night.  We didn’t eat there but had a few happy hour drinks.  Along their alleyway is a lady offering free Spanish lessons, need to pre book.  Across the road a bakery with good cinnamon buns, another bakery with good wholemeal bread on same side along to right maybe 5 minutes walk set back slightly.  We had lunch at Munchies very average and they have slow wifi.  Had dinner at El Picante Mexican, its the bright yellow and red wooden building waterfront, it was ok, think they have a dock too.  A few stores/mini markets scattered around town with varying quality of fresh produce, you really need to visit them all and pick through.  Bush’s general store has a slightly chilled room for veg and reasonable frozen meat selection.  They also have a petrol pump outside.   Our TIGO internet connection in our dongle worked very well at anchor.  Quite possibly the rudest staff member at Immigration we have ever come across, she was obviously not having a good day, only spoke Spanish and absolutely no attempt to go even the slightest bit slow. Port Captain is next door, go there next, they are both on the big ferry dock, there was no charge for checking out.  We had to get photocopies of something for Immigration and there is an internet/copy place set back in a garden also on the ferry dock..  Bank is on the corner by the ferry dock.  The Jade Seahorse is on the road inland from the Bank on the left a little way – its straight out of “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” and definitely worth a look.  Street food empanadas were cheap and tasty. 

We had planned to stop at the Water Cays on the western end of Utila enroute to Belize but there was too much swell and protection did not look to be adequate.  We did leave that way though, sailing over the shallows which was a touch heart stopping when the water got very clear.  Don't think we saw anything under 5m from memory.  

Overall

We enjoyed our stay in Honduras immensely, the wind howled through much more than we were expecting but that is part of life on a boat.  We didn't have any security issues and never felt unsafe, we locked the boat when we left it and set our alarm at night.  We locked the dinghy in Roatan and Bonacca.  We did however stick to the main anchorages so didn't get to experience as much of the Bay Islands as we originally intended.  They are more Caribbean than Central American, very laid back and most enjoyable - worth the stop for sure