Work on the boat continuing. The custom electrical panels have been received and rewiring begun and other elements of the engine room have been reworked. Access to all the through hull strainers is made easier and better organized. New battery boxes are being built. In the meantime, we had a very nice vacation in Belize.

While the boat is being worked on there is some education that we feel we still need. Both of us are still very glad that we did the long off shore practice voyage because we realize that it is not as scary or difficult as we had imagined. The trip to Belize allowed us to practice many cruising techniques. For instance, Rob has never anchored a boat (other than a dingy while doing race committee).

One little thing we learned before we ever left the dock was so simple and yet make life much easier when we go cruising. When we provisioning for the trip, the charter company told us that the grocery store would hold our supplies overnight and would deliver to the boat at a requested time. Makes sense but what a savings that will be when we are in some port and want our groceries delivered, especially if there are a lot of heavy liquids.

It was interesting anchoring with several experienced cruisers. I was far too worried about how the anchor hits the bottom and learned that anchors are designed to right themselves and dig in. It is more important to put the anchor in area with the desired bottom composition instead of the initial orientation of the anchor itself. So we paid out the anchor and enough chain, backed hard (downwind) and hoped that the anchor dug in. If not, do it over. If there was any question, it was time to don the fins and mask and check the anchor yourself. See below the anchor is fully set in the soft sand and mud. Good thing, because that night it blew 30 knots and we did not drag an inch. The sailboat next to us didn't either but another boat in our anchorage dragged twice that night.

Underway a wave caught the dingy and dumped the paddles and engine cover. We were able to go back and recover the paddles but not the engine cover. After we re-secured the dingy, we were once again under way. Once we arrived in Bluefield Range, a pair of islands, home to one of the many fishing camps. John and I enlisted the assistance of Omar, the fish camp operator, to build a temporary engine cover. The cover looked a bit like a covered wagon but the charter company was not nearly as pleased with our work as we were. Omar came by for a drink that evening.

After a breakfast of champions, we went to Rendezvous Cay, our best snorkeling location. It is a stunningly beautiful, isolated place, and it was only 1 nm from our anchorage at Bluefield Range.

Two additional things we learned was how to look for reefs and pick our way through them and if you don't want to fish, buy fish from local fisherman. We came upon one of the many working fishing sailboats. The fisherman free dive from their dug out canoes for fish, lobsters and conch. As we sailed by one of the fisherman, he held up a lobster. We did a quick stop and he swam his canoe over to our boat. He sold us two lobsters and three conchs, which he removed from their shells. Amazingly, some of these fisherman can free dive to 80 feet.

We found Belize extremely inviting, interesting and beautiful place. We'd recommend it for vacation or as a cruising destination to anyone. This trip makes us want to go cruising all the more.

More later.