Belize It!

Cruising is all about the ups and downs ... First, one of the highlights of our trip - Mahi Mahi sashimi! I finally decided to use one of the many flying fish to land on the deck as bait on the fishing lure since I was having no luck with the lure by itself. That did the trick, I got a hit in less than an hour. As I reeled it in, the first thing we noticed was the bright colors of the fish, greens and yellows. I knew right away it was a Mahi Mahi! After I got him near the boat, Gail gaffed him and then I cleaned and filleted the beautiful fish. The first thing we did was mix up some Wasabi and soy sauce and had our fill of some of the best sashimi ever. The rest was grilled up for lunch. What a treat!

After a great passage from Roatan, Honduras to Belize we anchored the first night off Hunting Cay, an idyllic South Seas-type island with crystal clear water. We snorkeled on the reef there before sailing to the Belize mainland to check in at Customs, Immigration and Quarantine. After that we sailed around to Placentia for a day off, exploring the town and sampling the local delicacies (Belikin Beer, for one).

Central America

We are currently in Roatan, Honduras and what a trip it has been! From Jamaica, we sailed for two days and two nights to Grand Cayman, about 230 miles. We had a great broad reach in about 15-20 knots and arrived with no problems. We checked in at George Town and anchored off the town for a few days. We went around to North Sound and tied up in the new Barcadere Marina for a few days and got a rental car to run chores and pick up Matt and Shannon at the airport. We had a beautiful wedding at Smith's Cove and dinner and drinks on a Pirate Ship (see the pix link).

After recovering from the big party, we took off from Grand Cayman for a 3 night and 2 day sail to the Bay Islands of Honduras. We arrived in Guanaja early in the morning and checked in at Bonnaca, a tiny little cay with 8,000 people and a population density similar to Hong Kong! We found a great anchorage in El Bight where we rested and recovered from our long passage. On St. Patricks day we sailed from Guanaja to Roatan and anchored in French Harbor where we walked around the town, ate at some local restaurants and did some great snorkeling. The reefs there were awesome with lots of colorful fish and coral. When it was time for Matt to fly out, we picked up a slip in the Barefoot Cay Marina here in Roatan. I celebrated my 53rd birthday here yesterday with a great lobster dinner and some good scotch at this charming little resort.

We plan to stay here for a few days, getting the boat ready for our next adventure - most likely an overnight sail to the islands of Belize but we are also considering a side trip up the Rio Dulce in Guatemala. From there, we will probably gunkhole North to Cancun, Cozumel and Isla Mujeres in Mexico before working our way back to the states and the real world ...

Wedding in Cayman Islands

Cayman Islands will always be one of my favorite islands on this voyage as Dave and I were married at Smith's Cove on 11 March there! I must have passed all the sailing tests that Dave could think of and he ran out of excuses. Seriously, it was a wonderful day and a beautiful location. We only wish that many more of our family and friends could have been in attendance. We are so glad though that Dave's son Matt and girlfriend Shannon were able to attend. We also thank a fellow sailor and friend, Jay, for altering his plans of sailing to Cuba and attending the wedding in Cayman as well.

After the wedding ceremony, Dave had planned the reception on a pirate ship (surprise to me) that had anchored next to us a few nights before. It was truly appropriate and we all had so much fun that evening with dinner and dancing on a moving ship that sailed along the island as the sun set! Thank you Dave! Like I said, it was a most wonderful day!

Even with all the excitement of planning and participating in a wedding (from a sailboat with intermittent email and internet access no less), we were able to sight see a few other places that the pictures will show. There was a Tortuga rum and cake factory on the island that we visited on a previous day, so that we thought it was appropriate for our wedding cake. There is also a town named "Hell" on the northern part of the island that we visited prior to the wedding with pictures on this web site. Thankfully, we were married on the opposite or southern side of the island at Smith's Cove away from "Hell"!

Cayman Islands however is very expensive and after spending thousands of dollars there to help out the local economy, we have moved on to the Bay Islands next to Honduras. This was a 330 mile passage which took three nights and two days and we were happy to arrive with no major problems. Dave will provide the next blog update from these islands. As for me, I am one happy newlywed still enjoying this voyage and now honeymoon!

Montego Bay

Still in Jamaica but now on the Western end at Montego Bay. Left Port Antonio on Friday with "Blue Jay" and hopped along the north side of the island to Orcabessa and Discovery Bay. Montego Bay is the second largest city in Jamiaca and there are now 2 huge cruise ships here too.

Once we got to Jamaica, we have stopped seeing many US and Canadian boats (they must all be in the Bahamas). We have met cruisers from England, Holland, Germany, Australia and South Africa, just to name a few. It is a much different world here than the Bahamas, deeper water, steady trade winds and mountains. We are getting way out of our comfort zone here but having a great time.

Will head out Thursday or Friday to Grand Cayman, about 200 miles from here so a two day sail. Matt and Shannon will be visiting us in Cayman starting next week and may sail with us to Roatan, Honduras and Belize. Check out the photos link, Gail has loaded lots of new pix! Will update with lots of news from Cayman!