Mexico and south to Belize

I've been a bit verbose lately, wanting to share lots about Cuba, but time is precious I know, and not everyone wants to read long blogs. So the next few will be more like bullet points with pictures, trying to convey my experiences and impressions in fewer words. Also the shakedown is coming to an end. I'll be on the Pacific side of the canal by mid June, and the focus will be on climbing volcanoes, the sailing a bit more tedious being a long slog to the Pacific northwest against prevailing winds and currents. So here goes - a few "short" blogs giving a rapid summary of my journey from the Yucatan to Bocas del Toro.

Yucatan Crossing Challenge

Farewell Cuba - leaving Cabo San Antonio

 “A doddle if its done right, a serious bummer of you get it wrong” according to Simon Charles. I had ok conditions, a good strategy, and made good time, only to make a bad call in the last few hours as the seas piled up steeply and forward progress stalled. I turned north for an hour, made 8 knots over the ground and suddenly my southern entry to Isla Mujares became a fight just to make the northern entrance, the last 8 miles taking 3 hours!

Isla Mujares, aka Island of Women

Arriving in Isla Mujares

Resort for young backpackers and Mexicans from Cancun. I wish I could've avoided Mexico. But was anticipating picking up crew in Cancun. It was a long and expensive clearing in saga, then out again the next day, getting cash out was near impossible requiring  a ferry trip to Cancun on my last pesos, and the reprovisioning was slow & expensive. And to make it worse, a speedboat passing me while I was at anchor managed a bulleye hit with a wave entering thru one of the open portlights and soaking my laptop charging on the starboard settee.

My crew when single-handed - when its awake!

Courting Disaster at Cozumel

With a run of 230 nm to Belize I decided to take an overnite break at Cozumel, some 50 miles out. A good plan, I felt rested and ready for the 24 hrs ahead but a coral head nearly ended it for me- raring to go I raised the main while at anchor,and went  sailing out of the bay with full sails and 6 knots, still trying to get my chartplotter at the helm working - it'd been temperamental for a few days now, and I wasn't following my track in from last night  close enough when Whakaari suddenly stopped -like rear ending a bus - I was thrown into the plotter opening up my head in several places, the boat crashing from beam to beam as she pivoted on top of a coral head. After releasing sheets and getting a pressure pad on my head to control the blood I nervously checked out the damage, expecting to be holed and soon be sinking. I was amazed the rig was still standing, for one thing. I started the engine and she backed off easily, no bilge alarms, no water obvious, so I dropped the anchor and dived in to see the undersides. Hard to see properly and dangerous with the seas running but it appeared Whakaari had nothing more than a few scratches - couldn't believe my luck, tho mostly I was cursing myself for letting this happen in the first place. What had Rob said me when we said our farewells back in Cuba - "don't do anything stupid" Doh!

Belize It or Not

More Lobster anyone?

Safe n Stylish

My hurry was to beat the strengthening winds that were forecast for the Belize coast - in two days time they'd be blowing onshore at 30knots, gusting 35, and the passes through the reef to Ambergris Cay would be too dangerous to enter. I sailed hard thru the next day and night, 3 sails trimmed on a broad reach, trying to figure out my options. I needed good light to enter inside the reef that fringes the coast  (second only to Great Barrier Reef) as my waypoints and approach info had disappeared with my Macbook Air . 

Altering course to avoid a Catamaran at 3am I called them on VHF to get some info but the copy was bad. At 0800 hrs I sailed toward a sloop heading north(also singlehanded) and chatted with him on VHF - he'd just come out from San Pedro Pass hitting 10' waves and tho he gave me the waypoints he firmly discouraged me from trying to get in there.

I sailed along the reef and quickly saw any attempt would be suicidal. Talking to the San Pedro Marina they advised me  the southern entrance was still negotiable and I requested a pilot. I hung about in worsening conditions for the Coast Guard boat that I was told would meet me but no sign of them so I abandoned the idea and headed for Belize City, which I had excellent chart info on.

The Reef, from the inside

I was to meet my new crew, Jackie from Colorado in San Pedro, Ambergris Cay but she would just have to wait.

After an uncomfortable night on anchor off Belize city, texts started coming in - Jackie had found that the manager of the resort she was staying at was a seasoned sailor and knew the inside passage to Ambergris. So began an interesting, amusing and at times alarming, sail-by-text-&-radio the 30 miles back to San Pedro. These people owned a catamaran. I was in a keelboat - its a little bit different when you're taking the shallow route!

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