Florida to the Rio Dulce

[Gaia]

We are about to leave the US (Ft Myers, Florida) for points south and west in our Tom Colvin designed 42 ft junk rigged Gazelle. Our intention is to cruise the countries along the route until we get to the Rio Dulce. We have cruised this area extensively in the past but that is now 20 + yrs ago. Long enough ago that we gave away all our cruising guides and charts we then possessed.

A search for up to date guides gave rather sparse results with the Waterway guide to Cuba for example being the most recent. For recent cruising guides of the western Caribbean coast down to the Rio Dulce, Mexico, Belize and Guatemala.there does not seem to be anything recent.

Does anyone have suggestions for this passage or relevant copies of guides they are willing to sell?

When we get to the Rio Dulce we are going to offer our Gazelle GAIA for sale but I will make that a subject for a different post.

Jim

[LLCoolDave]

https://www.amazon.com/Cruising-Mexi...s%2C200&sr=8-1

This is the main cruising guide for the area.

I've been in the Rio for awhile. Boats are selling very slowly right now. Being that you have a unique boat I'd try and sell it in an area that is more accessible. I'd probably sail it back to florida.

[belizesailor]

As LL posted, Freya Raucher's guide is the best available for the region, it is a bit dated now, but the navigation information is still accurate.

The down side to selling on the Rio is access by buyers...there is no quick easy way to get there (well, except a private airstip or helipad...which do exist on the Rio).

[SVTatia]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

As LL posted, Freya Raucher's guide is the best available for the region, it is a bit dated now, but the navigation information is still accurate. ...

I haven't used it but heard that this one is also good albeit, well... dated.
I am watching the post to obtain feedbacks about the guides for the area.

https://www.amazon.com/Cruising-Guid...8278978&sr=8-3

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by SVTatia

I haven't used it but heard that this one is also good albeit, well... dated.
I am watching the post to obtain feedbacks about the guides for the area.

https://www.amazon.com/Cruising-Guid...8278978&sr=8-3

Steve's (RIP) guide is good in the areas that it covers, but it omits much of the NW Carib. No coverage of Mexico or Belize for example. It does have good coverage for the Bay Islands of Honduras.

There is also a well done guide on Free Cruising Guides.

http://freecruisingguides.com/colombia-rio-dulce

My 2c on cruising guides for the region below. Taken from my Western Caribbean Cruising Notes. Which you can find here:

http://www.amazon.com/kindle-dbs/aut...sin=B072Y2S8JS



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Cruising Guides

There are a number of cruising guides published for the region. Collectively they provide excellent and detailed coverage.
Below is my perspective on each of these publications (that I know of) which cover this region (note there are a few out of print guides and other Internet based sources of info as well).

Cruising Ports: the Central American Route (AKA "Rains Guide"). Excellent guide to passage planning between cruising ports. It is not intended to be a "cruising guide" per se, but does also include a fair amount of information supplemental to its purpose. It's primary value is for planning routes between cruising ports.

Cruising Guide to Belize and Mexico's Caribbean Coast, including Guatemala's Rio Dulce (Freya Rauscher). Another excellent work and the only comprehensive navigation reference for Belize. Her charts are the most comprehensive and accurate available for Belize. There are a few, very few, errors and omissions in this guide. An especially impressive accomplishemnt is accurate given the extensive and complex waters of Belize.

A Cruising Guide to the Northwest Caribbean (Stephen J. Pavlidis). This guide in fact only covers a relatively small area of the NW Carib. For example, effectively no information on Belize or Mexico -- even the section describing potential routes from the Gulf Of Mexico to Rio Dulce omits Belize like it does not exist -- tough to do from a practical perspective (Not even a reference to Freya's guide for more information). It's primary value is the navigation information it provides for the Bay Islands and Northern coast of Honduras. The navigation information is sparse, but sufficient and accurate. However, there are voluminous sections on local culture and history (reasonably well done, but all this information and more is available from other sources). The sparse navigation information for each port is supplemented by much more extensive information regarding Internet access and dining options for that port.

The Panama Cruising Guide (Eric Bauhaus). This is "THE" guide to Panama and one of the best guides I have ever used independent of venue. Extremely detailed and comprehensive with excellent satellite cartography, aerial shots, and extensive local knowledge. Gets my vote for best cruising guide ever written regardless of venue.

Cruising Guide to Colombia. This is a truly impressive official tome of a cruising guide which is richly illustrated and chock full of navigation details. However, it was developed to promote maritime tourism and much of the text was clearly written by people who knew nothing of boats or navigation. The navigation details however are extensive and good, including a full set of charts, waypoint lists, and aerial photos. Paper copies are not widely available, but are handed out for free when clearing into Santa Marta or Cartagena. Bluewater Books & Charts used to offer a paper copy for shipping costs only, but no more. There is a full PDF version available, but the problem is that the PDF version of this guide is so large and rich in graphic content that it often fails render properly and can be very slow and cumbersome to navigate, especially since it has no hyperlinked content. You can find a full copy of the cruising guide, and a version broken into multiple PDF files here: https://db.tt/rEd5ywl4.

Colombia to Rio Dulce Cruising Guide (freecruisingguides.com). A recent and very well done cruising guide for this route.

Colombia Other. There are a number of articles and simple guides written by other cruisers which are not as extensive or as detailed as the official guide, but do contain a lot of useful information. A list of those I know of below.

CRUISING GUIDE FOR COAST OF COLOMBIA (updated December 2006). Lourae and Randy on PIZAZZ.

Cartagena to the San Blas The Easy Route. Suzanne Longacre. Caribbean Compass 2007.

Bay of Cholon Waypoints. s/v Nikki Wikki. 2011

Club Nautico Web site. Dated web site, but still has good info on Colombia & Cartagena. http://www.clubnauticocartagena.com/carta.htm

Sailing the Caribbean Coast of Colombia. Three part article published in Oct, Nov, Dec 2011. Constance Elson. Caribbean Compass. Also available from author as a single PDF.

Older Guides

The Cruising Guide to The Northwest Caribbean by Nigel Calder, September 1991.
Bay Islands (spiral-bound) by Julius M Wilensky, January 1, 1979.
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[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

As LL posted, Freya Raucher's guide is the best available for the region, it is a bit dated now, but the navigation information is still accurate.

The down side to selling on the Rio is access by buyers...there is no quick easy way to get there (well, except a private airstip or helipad...which do exist on the Rio).

...to continue this subject. One effective way to promote a boat for sale on the Rio is to emphasize the fact that its already in a great cruising location (Both Belize & Honduras are relatively short sails away), the Rio is the ultimate hurricane hole in the W Carib so already in a great storage location with loads of yacht services too. Buyer does not have to buy a boat and then deliver it to a great cruising venue...its already there! Also, offer an incentive to offset the travel expense and hassle. A friend of mine offered a $1,000.00 credit at closing...and close he did. Then promote the boat well thru every avenue available to you.

Dont just rely on the marina or broker to promote it and forget about it...because so will they...many examples of this on the Rio...forgotten boats slowly deteriorating and unlikely to sell. Some overly optimistic, but inexperienced, dreamer often picks them up for next to nothing, makes an underfunded and amatuerish attempt at restoring them...runs out of money/time/enthusiasm...and abandonds them again...only to be picked up by yet another dreamer...who repeats the cycle. Ive watched several boats on the Rio go thru this cycle multiple times and never leave the Rio.

[GinTonic]

Hi , I have some sailing charts of Belize and Livingston Area

[GinTonic]

Originally Posted by GinTonic

Hi , I have some sailing charts of Belize and Livingston Area

I have them in Miami

[Gaia]

Many thanks for the many helpful replies. We are acting on them as I write.

I too think and hope that the area's charms will attract a serious buyer, the only type that interests us. And if not sailing back to Florida is not difficult. We have done so before gaining easting along the north coast of Cuba.

Thanks again

Jim and Helen

[SVTatia]

Originally Posted by belizesailor

Steve's (RIP) guide is good in the areas that it covers, but it omits much of the NW Carib. No coverage of Mexico or Belize for example. It does have good coverage for the Bay Islands of Honduras.

There is also a well done guide on Free Cruising Guides.

Colombia to Rio Dulce | Free Cruising Guides

My 2c on cruising guides for the region below. Taken from my Western Caribbean Cruising Notes. Which you can find here:

...

Thank yo Belizesailor for the link and the reviews. You have quite a bit of area knowledge and you are always willing to help. This is appreciated.

[belizesailor]

De nada. Glad to help.

[sgwright]

Resurrecting this old thread in hopes of some updated info, as some of the links are dead. We are considering the purchase of a boat in Florida, and after some necessary work (standing rigging) wouldn't be ready to leave until May or June. Is is realistic to make the trip to Rio Dulce with a May-June departure? What are the other options for staying out of the hurricane belt, including storing the boat somewhere safe? Our preferences is to avoid busy, high cost cruising grounds, and finding a safe but affordable work or storage yard after the first season may dictate where we go.

[chubby]

Originally Posted by sgwright

Resurrecting this old thread in hopes of some updated info, as some of the links are dead. We are considering the purchase of a boat in Florida, and after some necessary work (standing rigging) wouldn't be ready to leave until May or June. Is is realistic to make the trip to Rio Dulce with a May-June departure? What are the other options for staying out of the hurricane belt, including storing the boat somewhere safe? Our preferences is to avoid busy, high cost cruising grounds, and finding a safe but affordable work or storage yard after the first season may dictate where we go.

what's wrong with going north?

[sgwright]

Originally Posted by chubby

what's wrong with going north?

That's an option, but eventually we'd like to head south and return to the Pacific, so it's heading the wrong way. I expect much of the E coast of the US will also be more populated and more expensive, and may have limited places for anchorage, meaning most cost for a mooring or dock. We generally only use a dock to re-provision. But maybe I'm wrong, open to hearing other options for cruising within a 1-2 month window from Florida.

I suppose we could head north far to somewhere with an inexpensive DIY storage yard, do some more work on the boat, then sail south again in November.

Trying to make a boat purchase work on the opposite coast after several years of not finding a decent boat on the W coast. But I do have to factor in the travel time and costs to/from the boat, which is significant, along with higher storage costs on the E coast, at least compared with the Sea of Cortez, like 3-4x higher.

[chubby]

imo, leaving rio dulces isnt as easy as it is getting there...
the pleasant cruising season of belize/guatemals is.....
april. (more or less...that's it, imo)
you can cruise the rio dulce.. but then get potentially be waiting months for weather when you leave.

lovely people/community and great food... so its not all bad
(but people do get "stuck" there)




if not wanting to go "backwards" i'd look at luperon, DR.. people tend to get stuck there also (for other reasons)

but you'd be an easy downwind sail away panama...and imo cruising the bahamas in may/june is heaven on earth..



pick up "the thornless path" on amazon for the 'how tos'

(the author i believe ended up making his home in puerto plata/luperon)