We're back in Belize after a very quick trip back to the Boston area. It was 2 weeks long, but the time just flew. While we were home we saw lots of people and even managed to throw a Kentucky Derby party. I think that we spent most of our time on-line and on the phone ordering supplies to bring back with us. And believe me, we brought back a lot of supplies! I order a new, much more efficient watermaker (which isn't small or light), had my dive compressor overhauled (compact but heavy), brought back watermaker membranes and pumps for Lone Star Love, and we brought back a ton of other supplies. I think that our bags weighed close to 300 pounds! We had to bring a box with the watermaker in it, and that was a red flag for customs in Belize.
Belize is one of the few countries that we've been through that doesn't provide easy importation for "Yacht in Transit" which basically allows parts to be imported or brought in without paying duty on items. Duty can easily increase the cost of the items from 10% to 30%. We had close to $5000 worth of goods, so we really didn't want to pay duty. We got snagged going through the customs line and spent quite some time bantering with the woman from customs. Luckily 2 planes had arrived at the same time and the line was growing very long, so she wanted to move us along as quickly as possible. She took one of my Photoshop edited receipts and decided that we owed $106 in duty, which was OK with us as she had missed all of the "good" stuff in the box and one of the bags. We later determined that they want to see receipts totalling the amount that you declare on the customs form. That may sound obvious, but it certainly isn't obvious from the form.
Since we've been back I've been working like a mad man installing the new watermaker and all of the other equipment that we hauled back. At this point virtually everything is done, but now the wind is howling. It's been blowing 20-30 kts and my idea of fun isn't motoring or anchoring in those winds. I think that we're going to stay here until the winds subside. Then it's out to Lighthouse reef for a while and then it's on to Honduras. We'll be traveling with Lone Star Love.
-- Geoff & Sue
** For the Cruiser **
Cucumber Beach Marina is located S of Belize City. There's a lit Red buoy located at 17-28.153N 88-14.775W that marks the entrance to the channel which is about 600' feet long and has breakwaters on both sides. The channel has a 6' bar at low tide. They seem to do a very good job of dredging the channel. The marina itself is very nice, except for the voracious no-see-ums which enjoy feasting on you. The docks are very well built and maintained and have good power with 50A plugs. The docks have long finger piers and many have 6'+ of water. The showers and bathrooms are very clean.
The marina stands by on VHF 16 and you can contact the owner, Francis Woods, via e-mail at francis@cisco.com.bz for reservations. Their phone number is 011-501-222-4253. The current rates are (in US$) $0.75/ft per day, $0.50/ft per day weekly, and $0.375/ft per day monthly. Water is included in the daily and weekly rate and is $0.025/gallon on the monthly rate.
The marina is located about 5 miles outside of Belize City requiring you to take taxies, which costs $7.50 US each way into Belize City. You can rent a taxi for several hours at a reduced rate. A bus runs by hourly and costs $1.00.
The marina will deliver diesel to the boat at $2.73 US/gallon for diesel and $3.92 US/gallon for gas as of May 12, 2004. There's a bar that serves microwaved food and a laundry with a single washer and drier that costs $1.50 US each.
The marina has a boat yard and there's a crane that may be able to haul your boat. Security is very good with guards who constantly patrol the grounds at night.
Log ID: 485
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