Belize??

[piccoq]

My mates (3 of us) and I have had our trip to the Caribbean set on its head by Irma.

I am looking for options and have been considering Belize. We have 2 weeks on the boat. We are hoping to actually sail some distances. Is that even possible there? Is it all up and down the coast?

Any advice anyone who has been there can give would be much appreciated, including a suggested itinerary. We are all experienced crew and would pick up a boat from Moorings in Placencia.

Is it worth the trip?

Is all the sailing inside the reef?

Is 2 weeks too long?

Thanks in advance.

Piccoq

[Lifes a beach]

Haven't been there but the family and I was looking at the same thing because of hurricane damage in BVI, USVI, and PR. While doing part of my research I read that most of the sailing was inside the reef. There was many of the caye's listed as requiring a local captain.

Smooth sailing.

[Gary Mc]

Hi I have not been there but some sailing friends of mine chartered there a couple of years ago. They were very disappointed, they wanted to snorkel etc but you are not allowed to do that unless you are on a dedicated day snorkel boat. They did not enjoy the charter.

[Flyingriki]

That snorkle thing sounds like total BS. Will ask on my Belize forum.
Definitely cat country and mostly shallow. Saw some monohulls at Placencia and visited the Moorings or Sunsail clubhouse to look at the local chart. Talked to an expat living on his cat and he explained the couple paths through the reef. I'm looking to go back with a monohull. A guy here has a lot across the water from Placencia with a place to tie up.
A buddy wants to go to Cuba. Not my first choice due to disgust with their politics, but may do that too. Probably like France, great people, govt. sux. Gee, sounds like here!

[CruisingHopeful]

I chartered out of TMM in Ambergris Cay several years ago..40'-ish ft Cat, 20 days if memory serves. Had a fantastic time--yes, it's inside the reef unless you have a charter captain aboard. I'm not sure what The Moorings requirements are to visit the Blue Hole, etc. We sailed the entire stretch of reef--nearly to Guatemala. It's quite remote, so plan accordingly with provisions. If you like to fish, snorkle/dive and be in remote beauty, it's great. When I was there, there was very little outside of Placencia or Ambergris Cay. We brought an ice maker with us and never regretted it. It was a great trip-

[model 10]

It's pretty nice. Charter boats do stay inside but it's still nice. Looks like the cats motor around a lot. The sailing is best in the afternoon.

[Cool Hand Luke]

I did an 8 day bareboat charter in Belize. Loved it and would go back. Felt unsafe at times but nothing ever happened. I did love it and would DEFINITELY go back! Let me know if you have any questions or want any info on costs involved or itineraries or photos.

We did it in June/July 2016.



[edit]
We did NOT go to the Blue Hole
[/edit]

[Flyingriki]

Here you go, info from locals on snorkeling:

no guide is needed to snorkel the reef, just kayak out there tie off and go at it. The proviso being you need a guide for the marine reserves.

If it was indeed a CHARTER, A paid guide and not registered with Belize (thus not paying their taxes) than, yes they were probably told they could not be there (especially if it was in Hol Chan or another National Park where the country of Belize has patrol officers and an admission must be paid to enter the area). There are many free places but the heavy tourist spots are all controlled by the country and only available to permitting guide operations and on top of that their is a national park entrance fee (minimal though)

[SSgtPitt]

I love Belize. Been there twice, wife's been there 4 times. It's like diving in an aquarium. The people are friendly, speak english and the dollar is the norm. We've explored the area for days, done some volunteer work and been entrenched with the locals. They work very hard on conservation and environmentalism. Unfortunately I haven't sailed there yet but hopefully 2018 will change that.
Let us know what you encounter.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by piccoq

My mates (3 of us) and I have had our trip to the Caribbean set on its head by Irma.

I am looking for options and have been considering Belize. We have 2 weeks on the boat. We are hoping to actually sail some distances. Is that even possible there? Is it all up and down the coast?

Any advice anyone who has been there can give would be much appreciated, including a suggested itinerary. We are all experienced crew and would pick up a boat from Moorings in Placencia.

Is it worth the trip?

Is all the sailing inside the reef?

Is 2 weeks too long?

Thanks in advance.

Piccoq

I used to live in Belize and worked as a charter captain there for many years. Still get back occassionally. Happy to answer any questions you have.

First, get a copy of Freya Raucher's excellent cruising guide. This is the only complete navigation reference for Belize. Moorings used to include a copy with their charter bookings, not sure if they still do.

Sailing. Yes, excellent sailing in Belize. NE Trades year round. Inner Channel is deep from Belize City to Guatemala, so you can run the entire coast under sail.

Complex. Belizean waters are complex...having local knowledge aboard is recommended. From the Eastern edge of the Inner Channel to the barrier reef things get...complicated. Between Belize City and Ambergris Caye, lots of shallow water and a few "interesting" cuts.

Inside vs Outside The Reef. Bareboats are limited to inside the reef and approved routes and anchorages (Moorings will cover these in your chart briefing). There are dozens of islands, anchorages, and routes to choose from inside the reef. However, outside the reef are the real crown jewels of Belize: three of the 4 coral atolls in the region. You must have a Belize liscenced captain aboard to take a charter boat outside the reef. Last charter I ran in Belize was in May...10 days all outside the reef...awesome trip.

Only you can answer if its "worth it" or "too long", but Ive been travelling there since the late 80's, ran a sailing school there for 6 years...and still look forward to visiting.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Gary Mc

Hi I have not been there but some sailing friends of mine chartered there a couple of years ago. They were very disappointed, they wanted to snorkel etc but you are not allowed to do that unless you are on a dedicated day snorkel boat. They did not enjoy the charter.

Some confusion here. Except for a couple of exceptions, there are no restrictions on snorkeling from a private boat without a guide.

One exception for example, is Hol Chan Reserve near Ambergris Caye, to enter Hol Chan your boat must be permitted for Hol Chan and you must have a licensed guide aboard. Talk of doing the same out at Silk Cayes, but not sure if thats implemented yet.

That leaves many, many square miles of reef to snorkel or dive as you please.

[belizesailor]

Here ya go, sailing in Belize, roaring back into Placencia Harbour via the N cut (BTW: prohibited by Moorings).

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Lifes a beach

Haven't been there but the family and I was looking at the same thing because of hurricane damage in BVI, USVI, and PR. While doing part of my research I read that most of the sailing was inside the reef. There was many of the caye's listed as requiring a local captain.

Smooth sailing.

The tragic state of affairs in the NE Carib could be a boon for Belize and other charter areas.

A few key differences between BVI and Belize.

Piloting. BVI is dead easy with few hazards to navigation that are not obvious/marked/charted accurately. Belize is almost the polar opposite: the waters are complex, visibility is usually poor to the W of the Inner Channel, mostly poorly charted, and almost nothing is marked. Experience at "Eyeball Navigation" is very imporant (bring good quality polarized sunglasses...I keep a pair of Maui Jim's aboard in a hardshell case just for this purpose).

Navigation. BVI is line of sight..."hey lets go there"...the ability to see and point is all you need to navigate in the BVI. Belizean waters are much more complex with an almost infinite number of opportunities to end your vacation badly. Good basic navigation skills are needed. Do not trust charts of any form, especially not electronic...DO rely heavily on Freya Raucher's excellent cruising guide (no point in wasting money on charts...just get this guide...unfortunately only available in hard copy).

Local Knowledge. For the reasons above is very important in Belize. I recommend hiring a local captain. This will not only de-stress your vacation, but will allow you to take routes and visit destinations prohibited to bareboats (like the offshore atolls).

Development Density. BVI has (had) a beach bar on almost every beach/bay. Belize: once you get away from the few developed areas near the coast (Ambergris and Placencia for example), most of the islands are uninhabited. A few have rustic "resorts" on then. Fewer still are equipped to provide any services to cruisers (This means that fuel, water, provisions can be hard to come by once you leave the charter base area). If you like beautiful unspoiled natural islands and reefs then you will love Belize. If you want to dine and party ashore every night, your options are limited. Populated/"developed" spots N to S inside the reef: Ambergris, Caye Caulker, St Georges Caye, Caye Chapel (Private, but visitors may be accomodated), Belize City, Dangriga, Coco Plum Caye (AKA Thatch Caye), Tobacco Caye, Southwater Caye, Bobs Caye, Hideaway Caye (In the Pelican Cayes), Sittee River (charter no go), Hopkins, Whippari (Private, but visitors allowed), Funk Caye (in process), Rendevous (Private), Hatchet Caye, Placencia, Raguana, Monkey River Town, Moho Caye, Punta Gorda. Some of these are private, some are prohibited by the charter companies due to navigation hazards. Some, like Dangriga (very local), are not popular charter boat stops.

Mooring Bouys. Ubiquitous in the BVI. Almost non-existent in Belize...and many of the few you may find are questionable. A few do exist though, like at Thatch Caye and Hideaway Caye.

...

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by Flyingriki

Here you go, info from locals on snorkeling:

no guide is needed to snorkel the reef, just kayak out there tie off and go at it. The proviso being you need a guide for the marine reserves.

If it was indeed a CHARTER, A paid guide and not registered with Belize (thus not paying their taxes) than, yes they were probably told they could not be there (especially if it was in Hol Chan or another National Park where the country of Belize has patrol officers and an admission must be paid to enter the area). There are many free places but the heavy tourist spots are all controlled by the country and only available to permitting guide operations and on top of that their is a national park entrance fee (minimal though)

Minor correction: guides are required at some reserves, like Hol Chan, but not at most.

[Pete7]

I am surprised by this, what is the reason other than navigation is tricky for not allowing charter boats to visit the outer reefs?

I was fortunate to spend 3 weeks living and diving on Half Moon Quay including the blue hole many years ago. The toilet was a little primitive, a wooden hut on the end of the jetty with a hole in the floor. I believe that John the lighthouse keeper isn't there any more. Shame his wife used to make us coconut bread every morning because she knew we would donate all the spare flour to her when we left rather than take it home. She was right and gained about 300 lbs of it.

Pete