Honduras, Belize 2013

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We started out the winter cruising season of 2013 in the Bay Islands of Honduras. We sailed from Guatemala to Isla de Roatan where we met up with our friends Greg and Willena on s/v Kajun Diva. We did an island shuffle during the winter months along with Kajun Diva between West End, Roatan, French Cay Harbor, Roatan, and the island of Utila leaving each harbor whenever the weather changed. West End, Roatan was our favorite hangout but when the wind blew out of the west as it always did right before a norther, it became very uncomfortable since there was no protection from the waves when the wind was blowing out of the west. So of course the day before a norther blew through, we would head out either for French Cay Harbor or for Utila.

West End caters to scuba divers and is very touristy. You can also find the best cinnamon rolls in the world here from a little rotisserie chicken shack where we enjoyed eating often. French Cay Harbor offered the most calm anchorage and the best protection from the winter northers but could get a little boring for us after staying for awhile, so we tended not to stay longer than a week before we were off to somewhere else. The island of Utila also caters to scuba divers but is a little more rustic and funky. Most of the divers were from Europe and quite young. Sometimes the music from the bars would go way into the night although most of the time I think I slept right through the noise. Jimmy was able to get in quite a bit of scuba diving this winter while we were in Roatan. In Utila he was on a quest to see a whale shark since they are sometimes seen off the coast of Utila, but alas no whale shark sightings for Jimmy this year in Honduras.

After a couple of months we decided to sail to Belize. We left Utila about 5pm in the evening along with Kajun Diva and arrived the next morning at Lighthouse Reef, Belize. Lighthouse is one of Belize's three atolls (along with Glovers and Turneffe) and one of the few atolls in this hemisphere. Our first night at Lighthouse we anchored at Half Moon Cay which had absolutely stunning aquamarine blue water. The water was such a beautiful shade of blue it reminded me of the Bahamas and the clarity of the water there. We went ashore and visited the bird sanctuary where thousands of red footed boobies nest. We saw many young boobies who were just a few weeks old and had coats that looked that pieces of fuzzy white cotton. There were also many frigate birds as well.

The next day we wove through the coral heads to the other side of the atoll to Long Cay where we met up with Liz and Craig on s/v Salida and Ann and Steve on s/v Fine Line. We knew both of these couples from Marios Marina in Guatemala. Jimmy got some scuba diving time in with Ann and Steve and we enjoyed catching up with Liz and Craig as well. After a couple of days we decided we should probably go to mainland Belize and check in with customs and immigrations.

We spent the next couple of weeks in my favorite place in Belize which is the island of Caye Caulker. It is another one of those scuba diving hangouts that attract young divers. We enjoyed going ashore everyday and having long lunches with our friends at different restaurants. After a couple of weeks it was time for me to fly to the US for a visit and our friend Tim to arrive for a stay on Bluewater Cat.

Jimmy and Tim sailed the boat from Caye Caulker throughout Belize and eventually back to Guatemala. Jimmy tried one more time to see a whale shark, going on a trip with Tim and several others to Gladden Spit, Belize where whale sharks have been seen during the time of the full moon. Unfortunately he still didn't get to see one. Maybe next year.

Love to all,

Donna

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