Hi I’m returning to Belize after a year back in oregon taking care of family, actually I returned in oct but spent that time getting my catamaran back to ship shape, I was amazed at what a year in the heat and humidity did to the systems. However all is well and I’m required to depart Belize by Feb 1st, visa runs out, 90 days all that allowed for cruisers .
My next port of call hopefully will be Cancun/ Isl mujeres northern Yucatán, if weather window allows. 2nd choice will be Isl Roatan houndrus, to fetch Cancun we need wind out of the east, ENE or lite air NE, with fair conditions it’s a 4 day sail with safe harbor every 50 mi. South east winds would be wonderful, we won’t go. If it is not in our favor, we stay safe thus running SE to houndurs is second choice, I’ve been to both ports so I’ve local knowledge,
My hope is to depart Belize city on or about 20 Jan and hang out in the northern end of the lagoon, lots of protected islands and good snorkel dive and sites. Think cay caulker, San Pedro, the protected side of the reef. When the weather is right we check out at port captain, San Pedro and go up the Cancun channel to old Mexico and enjoy the protected waters there.
That’s it in a nut shell if your interested, make contact, I’m a coast guard passed 100 ton master, ASA instructor, sailing 30 plus years in the pacific/4 yr in the Caribbean eastern sea, will gladly train you to keep us safe, you get your own cabin and I provide simple nutritious meals aboard, the fancy stuff we get ashore.
Your ideas and input is valued, I do plan on keeping the first rule of sailing, thats keeping an adequate watch, know that you will be valued.

usually cleanshare experiencevisit remote placesseek adventurefulfill a dreamface challengeslive off the gridmulticultural

clean & tidycommittedeasy-goingenthusiasticfriendlytrustworthygood communicatoreager to learn & workLGBTIQA+ respectfulopen mindedsense of humorwill not bring a pet

Happy day, you’ve followed me this far, in this section I’ll share what happened so far. I’m currently in Rio Dulce Guatemala, it’s the end of March and temperatures will get to the 100 degree with 100% humidity, that’s just to hot for this Oregon duck and I’ll fly home to return after hurricane season, October.
I purchased the boat, my first catamaran January 2020, covid was just getting started, I’d already caught it and recovered in December ( bad cold followed by the flu) another week to get well. That on top of a fall on a project in November motivated me to retire, I thought I didn’t want to be that old fool who just won’t quit, I already was, to much ego tied up in doing the thing that I was really good at, ie building, property management, and handyman for clients and the church. .

So departed Cape Coral spring 2020 in route to panama to cross the canal then up the coast to oregon for a major refit, I know people and repair yard in my home port, you guessed it Guatemala is way short of goal. Expected crew cancelled just days before departure, sailed up to Charlotte bay on the west coast to interview crew, she just couldn’t quite let go, back and forth, but didn’t join, coastal crushed south to key west where a young man joined me for the leg across to Cancun, he over revel the engine and we were a true sail boat as we came around Cuba, tough conditions due to the 2kt current moving north against us with lite winds, took 4 days to make 60 mi, saw whale sharks, they came right alongside as we poked along, I’m used to thing like this but it just made my crew crazy, thought I should call some one to tow us in, we got to island mujeres better sailors for the experence, in high winds it’s much easier to helm then in very little wind, and mistake stops the boat and with the current you go backwards.
Repaired engine and sat at anchor through tropical storm christabol, short of hurricane by about 5kts wind, accepted that hurricane season was upon me, moored in a slip at Marina del sol, and went home to oregon to sell my business and other related positions.
Didn’t do a very job liquidation wise, but have a wonderful houce sitter, so returned to boat with crew in hand for my next sailing season, got hit by a hurricane 4 days after arrival, weathered it well in the slip, and waited for a weather window to sail south, it took a long time coming, so day sails, diving, sight seeing the temples of the Yucatán I had a great time, mean wile we had 4 more hurricane that year all missed us, one did chase us all the way to island Roatan houndurs, but found safe harbor in French harbor at fantasy island, no services, but we’re self contained, and could get a ride to market weekly, tried twice to depart and almost cleared Nicaragua, but was driven Back by east. Winds. Honduras finally put there foot down, they were closed due to covid and said the next extension I requested would bring about fines, señor. With the east wind the advice was to run west to Rio Dulce Guatemala, what a gift the river enters the sea at Livingston and empty’s two very large lakes, very safe from hurricane, though we had 5 in 2020 we didn’t have any in the Cancun channel in 2021, go figure, no hurricane doesn’t make the news. Explored the area until it got to hot. And flew home.
Did a lot better lightening my load, sold my business, all equipment and a great deal of my personal property, had the house sold, but the sale fell through, they might of been playing me to low ball at the last minute, no worries, I returned in October by driving my van down from Portland with my kayak strapped to the top, a wind generator, new VHS raido with AIS installed, solar controller, led bulbs and far too much stuff, including favorite foods that can’t be sourced here, they don’t have dill pickles, or old fashioned oat meal, no extra sharp New York cheddar cheese, oh the perils of living in the third world, I brought enough for this season, so didn’t suffer to much.
This season started with 6 weeks of the boat being on the hard, (code for being in the marine yard up on blocks) some additions and repairs can only be accessed out of the water and others are just a lot easier, and if you drop a bolt you don’t have to go diving for it.
For me living aboard is so much like heaven, on the water, close to nature. View constantly changing,
Things to do and see, usually wind or breeze to moderate the temperatures. On the hard not so nice, very happy to splash and get underway.

Highlites of this winters cruise are, takal and the lost cities of the myans, pyramids and temples, the river of the 7 alters, a purification ceremony by a myan shaman, lots of day sails in the lakes with new friends, a slip at mar marine a nice resort, with pool, restaurant and movie nite, installing solar panels and LED lights at local villages, some quite a field trip back in jungle, the local service group hopes that there’ll use the light for civic affairs, it when I go do an install and hang out for a day or to to compleat it it mostly use to charge there cell phones, I sneak along a distribution pack so they can charge six at a time, the adm. folks don’t like it but they rarely go out in the field, and my biz was always give the client what they want.

I’m still playing the long game of a 10 year circumnavigation, so discovery of equipment flaws are a gift, to repaired now and not later, yea right, if you can’t fool yourself who can you fool.
Well that not all of it but it’s about all I can do in one sitting, the breeze is coming up it’s cooling down, maybe mid 80s might tune the shrouds and rigging, wash the deck or go to the pool, you win a free two weeks sailing on the lake if you get it right, Steve