CRUISE NOTES

The key to a successful charter in Belize is paying attention to your chart briefing back at base. No matter what company you charter with, the staff will undoubtedly know the area like the back of their hands and can not only alert you as to what to look out for but where you might want to go. Note that in addition to being a UNESCO World Heritage site, any number of Belizian reefs are also set aside as parks, with admission only permitted on certain circumstances. A word to the wise, you do NOT want to mess with the Belizean government when it comes to natural resources! Beyond that, Belize is very much a four-season destination (we sailed there in early July) though it is subject to the occasional hurricane. When on charter, it is also important to pay attention to the weather—as noted many anchorages are simply off small islands, often with poor holding, and an unexpected shift could put you on a lee shore with miles of fetch to windward. Beyond that, anyone with a decent chartplotter onboard should have no problem. Again, Belize can be a challenge, and first-time charterers, in particular, would be well served earning their bones elsewhere. But if you are an experienced sailor, Belize offers you an oppotrutnity to not only explore a truly magnificent part of the world, but to put your seamanship to the test without a whole lot of charter traffic cluttering up the horizon. You won’t be disappointed.