Tuesday morning we woke up to a glorious sunrise, a lone boat in the expanse of turquoise waters. We anchored just inside the English Channel, the major pass for big ships on their way into the barrier reef and Belize City. A parade of four humongous cruise ships passed in the distance.
We departed enthusiastically from Water Cay, with two feet seas and light wind but as soon as we went through the pass to get outside the scene changed. It was 20-25 knots wind and 6-8 foot waves. Five hours of exciting sailing. Then we motored the rest through the pass into the Turneffe Atoll and anchored just in front of their resort.
The plan was to spend the night and continue to the Lighthouse Atoll with the famous Blue Hole and Half Moon Cay that’s known for a bird reservation. Well, didn’t work that way. We learned, once again, that if there’s grass at the bottom of an anchorage the holding is poor. The anchor alarm sounded in the middle of the night forcing us to raise the anchor and look for a better place while all along fierce Trade Winds were howling.
The admiral (me) right there and then, decreed that first thing at day light the ship return to flee back inside the barrier reef.
On the Water 