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Belize
Our featured destination is the Central American country of Belize. This trip in
early 2007 was unique in that the entire Back Nine of Life crew was on board, plus
a few additional close friends.
The Orfilas, Allens, and Reeves had all experienced, and loved, bareboat charter
vacations in the Caribbean and spoke often about doing another such trip as soon
as possible. Roland has a favorite when it comes to charter companies and that is
The Moorings, with bases in most of the finest sailing destinations in the world.
Having already “done” the British Virgin Islands and the Abaco Islands in the
Bahamas we decided that Belize would be the best choice for the next trip. Our
friends Terry and Donna, John and Toni, and Larry and Carol were also anxious to
sign on. So with twelve adults we booked two catamarans with full provisions for
seven days.
Belize is perfectly situated for bareboat cruising. A barrier reef extends virtually
from one end of Belize to the other and is about 15 miles off the coastline. Dozens
of small islands, called cays, are located inside the reef and are well-suited for
overnight anchorage. The reef protects the entire cruising ground from heavy
seas and surge. The downside of sailing inside the reef is the frequency of
shallow water which requires that boaters keep an eye on the water color and pay
attention to the instruments when hopping from one cay to another. The weather
is ideal with temperatures on the water in the mid 70’s to low 80’s and the water
temperature about the same. Travel to Belize is easy, 2 flights a day from Dallas or
Miami which take about 2 hours. From the international airport at Belize City the
local commuter air service runs frequently to specific cities in Belize. Although it
seems a world away, you can leave your house in the morning and be at your
Belizean beachside resort in time for happy hour.
Our boats were waiting for us in the small town of Placencia, a small, quaint
harbor at the southern end of Belize. After spending the first night in villas on the
beach we were off the next day after a brief but important orientation. During our
first hour at sea we were welcomed by a squall with torrential rainfall and
seriously diminished visibility. Good thing we were paying attention to the briefing
on sailing with instruments. The depth finder and GPS were enough to give the
skippers the confidence they needed to insure that they would enjoy this trip under
any conditions. And, as is typical in the tropics, once the squall passed the
weather again turned gorgeous and spirits lifted. Speaking of spirits, cocktails
were served early that first evening at a very comfortable overnight anchorage in
Pelican Cays.
Our featured destination is the Central American country of Belize. This trip in
early 2007 was unique in that the entire Back Nine of Life crew was on board, plus
a few additional close friends.
The Orfilas, Allens, and Reeves had all experienced, and loved, bareboat charter
vacations in the Caribbean and spoke often about doing another such trip as soon
as possible. Roland has a favorite when it comes to charter companies and that is
The Moorings, with bases in most of the finest sailing destinations in the world.
Having already “done” the British Virgin Islands and the Abaco Islands in the
Bahamas we decided that Belize would be the best choice for the next trip. Our
friends Terry and Donna, John and Toni, and Larry and Carol were also anxious to
sign on. So with twelve adults we booked two catamarans with full provisions for
seven days.
Belize is perfectly situated for bareboat cruising. A barrier reef extends virtually
from one end of Belize to the other and is about 15 miles off the coastline. Dozens
of small islands, called cays, are located inside the reef and are well-suited for
overnight anchorage. The reef protects the entire cruising ground from heavy
seas and surge. The downside of sailing inside the reef is the frequency of
shallow water which requires that boaters keep an eye on the water color and pay
attention to the instruments when hopping from one cay to another. The weather
is ideal with temperatures on the water in the mid 70’s to low 80’s and the water
temperature about the same. Travel to Belize is easy, 2 flights a day from Dallas or
Miami which take about 2 hours. From the international airport at Belize City the
local commuter air service runs frequently to specific cities in Belize. Although it
seems a world away, you can leave your house in the morning and be at your
Belizean beachside resort in time for happy hour.
Our boats were waiting for us in the small town of Placencia, a small, quaint
harbor at the southern end of Belize. After spending the first night in villas on the
beach we were off the next day after a brief but important orientation. During our
first hour at sea we were welcomed by a squall with torrential rainfall and
seriously diminished visibility. Good thing we were paying attention to the briefing
on sailing with instruments. The depth finder and GPS were enough to give the
skippers the confidence they needed to insure that they would enjoy this trip under
any conditions. And, as is typical in the tropics, once the squall passed the
weather again turned gorgeous and spirits lifted. Speaking of spirits, cocktails
were served early that first evening at a very comfortable overnight anchorage in
Pelican Cays.
Adventures on The Back 9 of Life
There are a myriad of stories to tell when eight mature adults discuss their travel experiences. The Back 9 of Life crew has been extremely
fortunate to have had opportunities to travel to so many interesting, exciting, and exotic places. This section of our web site is designed to
share some of these experiences with everyone.
There are a myriad of stories to tell when eight mature adults discuss their travel experiences. The Back 9 of Life crew has been extremely
fortunate to have had opportunities to travel to so many interesting, exciting, and exotic places. This section of our web site is designed to
share some of these experiences with everyone.
to be continued...