Belize: The Old Stomping Ground
From the Bay Islands of Honduras we sailed north to Belize. We don’t go hungry on passage! Beef chili, avocado, sour cream and plantain chips at sunset.
This arrival was a special one for us. Firstly because we used to live in Belize, and it was great to be back. We were looking forward to exploring this unique little country again, this time from the sea.
Secondly because checking a boat in with all the relevant authorities here takes quite some effort. It was a welcome relief to finally be able to raise the flag!
Our first anchorage was next to Rendezvous Cay, where we woke up to another beautiful Scout sunrise. You better Belize it!
From there we headed out towards the reefs. After leaving Gladden Cut with one reef in the main and the staysail, we were beating into only 17-18 knots of wind. But the swell was 2-3 meters from a windy night before, with the full extent of the Caribbean to our east. Scout is so solid - she loved it!
We anchored inside Glover’s Reef. The first order of business was to take our dinghy Scoot out to explore the hundreds of coral heads, and the incredible snorkeling within.
We spent a gentle afternoon drifting through the reef.
We also had fun trying to identify some of the Belizean coral along the way.
It was a glimpse of paradise for a few days.
Cocktails were courtesy of Jorge, the resident bartender-come-magician.
Next we had some downwind sailing to enjoy. There’s a zen to it: light winds, flat seas, and Scout’s mighty green sail.
We stopped at Tobacco Caye for a beautiful evening, featuring spicy margaritas and the undefeated queen of Connect 4.
This was the closest Scout had been to land in quite a while. The lengths we go to pick up crew!
Crew member Jex was onboard, and enjoying the sailing around the beautiful northern cayes of Belize.
With an extra pair of eyes onboard, we went snorkeling to identify some of the Belizean reef fish too.
We had company on the sail to our old home of San Pedro, with dolphins escorting us in.
It was good to be back!
Out at Turneffe Atoll we met Eric, the singing moray eel. He’s living his best life under a rock.
San Pedro also put on some beautiful sunsets for us.
We also went off to play with the dolphins. We were some time!
One thing we do have lots of on Scout? Sunglasses. This is also useful when viewing (indirectly) a solar eclipse!
We also spent some time in cool, laid-back Caye Caulker. Scout and about!
After three weeks of hanging out in Belize, we needed to be on the move again, as hurricane season was not far off.
Being at the far end of the Caribbean (as far as the prevailing trade winds and currents are concerned!) it’s not the easiest place to escape. We watched the weather carefully for wind shifts that would make our next passages easier.
While we waited, the freezer was well stocked, thanks to some fishing in Belize that would feed us for a few nights.
Stay tuned as the adventure resumes!
Read the previous post: Honduras and the Bay Islands
Read the next post: Sailing East to Cartagena