Hurricane Season Cruising Belize

[smallpockets]

Hi Sailors,

Currently waiting for a weather window in Isla Mujeres, heading to Rio Dulce. I'd like to travel inside the reef to do a little exploring. Is there anywhere to hide if anything tropical pops up along the way or would you recommend heading straight for Rio Dulce outside the reef as fast as possible?

[belizesailor]

You can certainly cruise Belize during hurricane season. The days tend to be very nice, but the nights squally. If tropical weather threatens the best option is to run to Rio. Alternatively there are a few well protected lagoons along the coast, but none offer the certain protection of the Rio.

Good foul weather options include: Sapodilla Lagoon, Big Creek/Mango Creek (miles of mangrove channels in this area near Placencia), New Haven Bay, Deep River...

[belizesailor]

Also early in hurricane season you have more lead time because storms are forming in the Atlantic and coming across the Carib basin. Later in the season storms can form almost instantly north of Honduras...making for uncomfortably short lead time. Watch synoptic charts for a tropical wave intersecting a low...this is often the formula for instant tropical weather.

Some cruisers hang out in Belize until the first tropical weather threatens and then run to the Rio for the rest of the season.

[Triumphant]

Currently in Placencia, Southern Belize at the moment and intending, weather permitting, to stay until mid August as it MUCH cooler here compared to the Rio Dulce at this time of year. We have been hanging out in Belize at this time of the year for the last 4 or 5 years and we are NOT BRAVE

If you have been following the weather in the last week, especially via Chris Parker, you will have heard him refer to the “line of convergence”, effectively a line from Utilla to Belize City, everything south and west of this line has been (luckily) experiencing much lighter and better weather. We have seen this before quite a few times at this time of year

As BelizeSailor says, there are holes here to ride out tropical storms in Belize, anything bigger I personally will be out of here as Livingston is only 48 miles away but you usually get notice of what is about to happen

I do make any effort EVERYDAY to check the weather first thing in the morning in Hurricane season and if I manage to get my SSB working again may be doing weather on the NW Caribbean Net on 6209 at 08:00 Belize and Honduras time, 09:00 am Mexico time if they need a hand.

Unless the weather stops you, I would recommend spending time in Belize on your way south, if you are deeper draft i.e 6ft plus or do not like the look of the Cut at San Pedro (only to be done in fine weather IMHO) then enter inside the reef at English Caye and work your way south and enjoy.

Next weekend is the Lobster fest in Placencia.

Whatever you do, enjoy it

[belizesailor]

Howdy Mr. T!

Damn, I'm gonna miss Lobster Fest again. Looks like we wont make it back to Belize or Guate this year, but I do plan to be back on the Rio before hurricane season next year for a refit.

OP: What's your draft?

As Triumphant suggest, monitor the weather EVERY day, especially later in the season. If the winds go SW then something is brewing. Act early and decisively when tropical weather is forecast. Remember: storms can build suddenly in intensity just before land fall...that happened with TS Kieth which built to hurricane strength just before landfall and cost a few people their lives.

[model 10]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

As Triumphant suggest, monitor the weather EVERY day, especially later in the season. If the winds go SW then something is brewing. Act early and decisively when tropical weather is forecast. Remember: storms can build suddenly in intensity just before land fall...that happened with TS Kieth which built to hurricane strength just before landfall and cost a few people their lives.

We let one of these late season storms sneak up on us. We were only out of touch for 2 days and it went from local low to hurricane. Like they say, check the wx every day but in 2 days you are not going to find safety. Luck is the thing.