We are still bouncing around the islands and Cayes of Belize, some new ones and some that we’ve been to before.
King Lewey was a new one. It is a private, pirate-themed, 1 acre resort with accommodations and a restaurant. If you are coming from the mainland your package would include a water taxi. You could just go for the day or stay a couple of days. For boaters, they have free mooring balls and no charge for us to come ashore. It was kind of cheesy, but kids would love it and we enjoyed the biggest hamburgers we’ve ever had. We had them for lunch and there was no need for dinner.
Thatch Caye was another resort we anchored off. They welcomed cruisers ashore for Happy Hour at their palapa bar. We even had a couple of manatees hanging out near the boat, they are really hard to get a picture of because they never seem to stay at the surface very long.
We went back into Sapodilla Marina for a couple of days to enjoy the free moorage they were offering. They are trying very hard to build the business back up. It’s a nice facility but there is nothing around it. They are renovating the store and palapa bar so maybe those will be up and running soon. But its always nice to meet and chat with other cruisers.
We are back in Placencia and it is currently Semana Santa week. Semana Santa is the week before Easter Weekend and is a major holiday in Central America. There are several large power boats, locally owned and from Guatemala buzzing around , the town and beaches are noticeably busier, but all good so far.
The weather over the last two weeks has been changing by the hour. We can watch as the rain clouds and squalls move towards us, so we usually have a chance to close everything up and stay dry. We have however, had a couple of nights where we leave the hatch above the bed open for the breeze. Nothing like rain drops in the face to ruin a good dream.
Our time in Belize is winding down and we will be checking out of the country soon. We can honestly say that we did enjoy our time in Belize but we thought there would be more sandy beaches and crystal-clear waters. Instead, we had lots of mangroves lining the shores and only a hand full of beaches. We have stayed for nearly 90 days. We had several days of ducking out from big north winds, especially in the first month. We had many days of sailing in wonderful conditions, in calm waters protected by the reef. The short distances between the numerous anchorages meant no overnighters. I think the longest “passage” we had was 6 hours.
Sargassum seaweed has become a big issue in the Caribbean. It floats on the surface and moves with the wind and currents. It will often cover a beach or fill in a small bay. Many resorts employ several people who will be out cleaning the beaches so guests have a better experience. As the Sargassum dies and decays it has a “unique” aroma. OK it just plain stinks!
We’ll head back into the Rio Dulce in Guatemala again and leave the boat for hurricane season. We will check out of Punta Gorda, Belize and check in at Livingston, Guatemala. The two towns are 18 miles apart or about 3 hours of sailing. It seems like it should be so simple however the logistics make it near impossible to do both in the same day.
We will be at the Belizean Customs office when they open at 9 am to get our Zarpe. However, because all the officials come out to our boat when we check into Livingston, Guatemala they “prefer” to have you check in in the morning. With the pace at which officialdom works and the travel of the 18-mile trek, we wouldn’t be there until the afternoon. So, we’ll check out of Belize one day, sail to an anchorage close to Livingston, stay the night and check in to Guatemala the next morning. You can choose to get frustrated or you can choose just go with the flow but you can see why there is an association with rum and sailors.
