For US East Coast cruisers looking to extend their cruising experience beyond the Bahamas, the Western Caribbean short cruise offers an adventurous alternative to the more common Eastern Caribbean destinations such as the BVI and Windward Islands. My version of the “Short Cruise” includes Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Honduran Bay Islands, Belize and Mexico. For those with a bit more time, Cuba and Jamaica are also convenient to this route. One of the greatest aspects of the Short Cruise is that most of the sailing route takes advantage of favorable winds and currents. This is a key difference between this Western Caribbean route vs the “Thorny Path” of traveling from the Bahamas to the BVI via Turks and Caicos, Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico.
During the 2016/2017 season we were eager to return to the Western Caribbean but we were looking for an itinerary that was a bit less demanding than the prior year because we also planned to spend some time off the boat in January and February to catchup on some skiing at our home in Maine. The Western Caribbean short cruise seemed like the right balance. The following voyage description is a compilation of our experience along with advice and information that we gathered in our Western Caribbean travels.
Georgetown Bahamas with its proximity to the Windward Passage offers a good starting point for the Western Caribbean. Skipper and crew wait for a period of light winds from the north east and steer a course directly for the western end of Great Inagua Island. Exiting Georgetown via Hog Key Cut to the south east of Georgetown is a neat little adventure. Vessels with 6′ draft or less can use this short cut. Alternatively, you may sail around the North end of Long Island and then steer south east to the same waypoint at the Western End of Great Inagua. We did not make landfall on Great Inagua but used this as a waypoint before steering toward the Windward Passage just east of Cuba. We have known boats that stopped at Matthew Town on Great Inagua. It is possible to clear out with Bahama customs and immigration at Matthew Town.
Once clearing the south east corner of Cuba, the passage to Grand Cayman is an easy down wind run in the prevailing trade winds. For much of this leg of the trip, you glide along the south Coast of Cuba approximately 5 to 10 miles offshore. If someone wanted to enjoy a stop in Cuba, Santiago Cuba is an official point of entry and an easy diversion from the rhumb line to Grand Cayman. Alternatively, if someone wanted to make a stop in Jamaica, Port Antonio or Montego Bay are just 60 miles South of the course to Cayman Islands. Our passage from Georgetown Bahamas direct to George Town Grand Cayman took 5 days. For much of the passage we were on a very broad reach or sailing wing and wing. For our passage, the winds were less than 15 knots with seas were less than 1 meter for most of the trip.
Grand Cayman is a wonderful island to visit. Although the island has a bustling cruise ship port and numerous resort hotels, it remains quite accommodating to cruisers. Clearing customs is easy at the port of George Town. The offices are located right on the waterfront and an officer will guide you to the different stops – Immigration, Customs, and Port Authority. There are free moorings right at the port of George Town and a secure dinghy dock. A wonderful Kirklands grocery store is walking distance from the dinghy dock.
For boats drawing 7′ or less, North Sound offers settled anchorages and a variety of places to visit. One of the best all around anchorages is in Governor’s Creek. The entrance is easy and we went in and out several times never seeing less than 8′ of water. We preferred to anchor just inside near the Cayman Islands Yacht Club. From here it is an easy dinghy ride up a canal to the back side of 7 mile beach or ashore to the restaurants near the Yacht Club. We also took a couple of trips with Alembic through the canals to a wonderful quiet basin that is an easy walk to a major discount grocery store. For an experience that is truly unique in the Western Caribbean, we tied up at the Camana Bay Yacht Basin. The cost was less than a mooring on the US east coast. Camana Bay is much like Coconut Grove with shopping, restaurants, a movie theater, and the best gelato in the Caribbean. For a polar opposite experience, we traveled across North Sound to the seclusion of the Kaibo anchorage and enjoyed snorkeling off Rum Point.
After clearing out of the Cayman Islands you again sail down wind for 2 1/2 days and will find yourself off Guanaja, 25 miles NE of Roatan. Guanaja is a great place to start your Bay Island experience and an easy destination to enjoy. A unique aspect of the place is that the majority of the population lives on the small island that sits 1 mile south of the main island. Over 4000 people live on this small island in the town of Bonacca. Helpful ambassadors will meet you at the dinghy dock and guide you through the immigration and customs process. Fees are minimal and the authorities are helpful and pleasant. The ambassadors are happy to receive a $10 tip for their services. After clearing in, enjoying a cold beer in one of the small bars, shopping, and exploring the busy small town of Bonacca you will want to move over to El Bight Bay to anchor among the other cruisers and enjoy this tranquil setting. Ashore there is a delightful walk to several different restaurants as well as an adventurous hike to the peak of the island. A short dinghy ride from the anchorage are wonderful reefs for snorkeling and fishing.
Roatan is an easy day sail down wind from Guanaja. The Frenchman’s Cay area offers both an excellent anchorage behind the reef as well as a welcoming marina. From here it is an easy walk or short cab ride to a modern grocery store for provisioning. It is also an easy place to arrange transportation to other areas of the island. Roatan can be a bit hectic. After a short visit here, the mellow vibe of Utila is a short day sail further west. Utila has a wonderful anchorage right off the main village which is an eclectic destination for divers and young travelers. It is an excellent place to find Whale Sharks during the season and several reefs are a short dinghy ride from the anchorage. Restaurants are inexpensive and it is a handy place to provision especially for beer and wine before traveling to Belize. Don’t miss the authentic French crepes from the small creperie on the Main Street. Clearing out of immigration and customs is also very easy to complete in Utila.
From Utila, the offshore Belizian atoll of Glover’s Reef is just 60 miles to the Northwest. We chose to leave Utila at about 10:00 in the evening and sail over night arriving at Glover’s Reef in the morning with the sun high enough to navigate the entrance to the atoll. Leaving the anchorage at Utila in the dark can be a bit edgy. If you save an incoming track on your chart plotter, following this track on departure can give you some peace of mind. The channel into Glover’s Reef is easily followed in good light. The entrance on the south end of the atoll is wide and calm and a wonderful anchorage lies just inside this southern entrance through the reef. This anchorage offers a delightful sense of all Belize cruising has to offer. The reefs are healthy and are teaming with fish of many species. Spear fishing is allowed on the southern edge of the reef, while the reefs in the conservation zone offer spectacular viewing.
From Glover’s it is best to sail directly to Placentia to complete the clearance process. Clearing into Belize at Placentia is actually an enjoyable adventure. Captain and crew pack up the ship’s papers and passports and walk on through town to the Hokey Pokey water taxi to Mango Creek. Upon landing at Mango Creek, hop into any taxi and the driver will transport and direct you through the different offices you need to visit in Big Creek including: Immigration, Agriculture, Port Officer, and Customs. Although, there may be a short wait at one or two of these stops, the officials are always courteous and friendly. While you are in Mango Creek, ask the taxi driver to take you to one of the local restaurants for breakfast or lunch. The last time I cleared into Belize, I took the first boat in the morning from Placentia and had time for breakfast before the immigration office opened. I had a wonderful breakfast in a small local place. Eggs fresh from the chicken coop out back and fried jack, a Belizean specialty.
After completing clearance and provisioning in Placentia, you are off to the many Cays along the barrier reef that runs the length of Belize. In total, we have spent over 10 weeks cruising Belize and there are still numerous Cays and anchorages that we have not explored! If necessary, you can easily make it from Placentia to Belize City in one week with a short sail each day and a fresh anchorage each night. We find Belize is a wonderful place to host guests. You can either meet them in Placentia or Belize City and share a wonderful week of unique sailing, snorkeling, and dining. We have spent time in the BVI as well as Belize. Our experience is that Belize tops the BVI as a destination for sailing in sheltered waters surrounded by amazing reefs and other natural wonders. There are also plenty of beach bars to enjoy sundowners or an occasional meal ashore.
Once your time in Belize comes to an end, it is time to start heading north to Mexico or the USA. As for Mexico, El Cid marina in Puerto Morelos or Isla Mujeres are both an easy overnight sail. Once you near Cozumel, the favorable Yucatan current kicks in at nearly 2 knots. With prevailing easterlies trades, this sail is typically an exhilarating close reach. Mexico offers a great place to breakup the trip back to the USA. Clearing in and out, however, can be a bit tedious. Our experience is that it is worth using an agent. They are well worth the $50 cost for this service.
Whether leaving directly from Belize or from Mexico, the trip back to Florida will be the toughest part of the overall trip. With the right weather, heading straight to Key West or the Dry Tortugas is the preferred route. One year we made the trip from Belize City to the Dry Tortugas in just over 72 hours traveling just below a front that pushed out the prevailing easterly trades. Another year, we left Isla Mujeres and sailed for southwest Florida close hauled in settled easterlies. We made our landfall in Fort Meyers after 3 and a half days on a single tack. Both of these passages were good for building our experience with sailing close to the wind and managing currents that flowed in variable directions along the passage.
Your return to USA will most likely close the loop of your western Caribbean short cruise. You will have visited a number of new cruising destinations that will expand your horizons beyond the more commonly cruised waters of the Bahamas and Lesser Antilles. You will also have logged over 2000 nautical miles and built your confidence and experience for other cruising adventures.