Belize

The short commuter flight from Belize City to Ambergris Caye was packed. I didn’t take it personally when the pilot decided that my 200-plus pounds was the right counterweight to the mound of luggage piled in the back of the small plane and chose me to sit in the co-pilot’s seat. As we lumbered into the air and eventually made our way northeast, I was grateful for the unobstructed view. I confess, I am a navigational junkie. I studied the hundreds of scrub covered cays and shallow banks stretched out below. Although I have sailed often in Belize, I actually dug out my sketch chart and tried to identify the few narrow slices of green water, the deep cuts between islets in an otherwise turquoise sea. As we passed over a well-used and well-named pass, Porto Stuck, keel tracks of deep draft vessels were clearly visible on the sandy bottom.

The pilot made a wide arc before lining up for the landing in San Pedro, the main town and tourist center on Ambergris Caye. I had a perfect view of the reef. Running north and south for hundreds of miles, this ribbon of coral is the second-longest barrier reef in the world and well known to divers and fishermen. Waves that have been marauding across the vast fetch of Caribbean meet their demise in spectacular fashion along the windward side of the reef, leaving the waters inside the reef surprisingly calm. However, there is nothing to impede the trade winds and they whistle in over the reef in full glory. This combination of smooth seas and steady winds makes Belize an ideal sailing destination. ...

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