Sun Jam

Dear Reader,

I wrote this article to share my experience to fellow sailors about running my boat aground on a reef in Belize. All times are approximate.

I purchased a 2001 Lagoon 38 foot catamaran last September, 2006 in Ft Lauderdale Florida. My mission was to sail the boat from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to Huntington Beach, California.  I would do this in legs, 2 or 3 months out of the year and take 2 or 3 years to do complete the voyage. When not sailing I would leave the boat at a reputable marina and return to Huntington Beach, California where I own and manage a restaurant called the Longboard Restaurant and Pub.

I safely sailed the boat from Ft. Lauderdale to Key West, Florida to Isla Mujeres, Mexico  to Cozumel, Mexico to San Pedro Belize, to Belize City without incident. 

Then, on Monday, April 30^th I departed Cucumber Beach Marina in Belize City intending to do some exploration of the Belize Great Barrier Reef on my way to Honduras where I would store the boat on dry dock for the hurricane season. I had 2 friends / guests / crew with me. My friend Dan who had sailed with me since Ft. Lauderdale and his girlfriend Sue who joined us in Belize City the day before we departed. 

We sailed from Cucumber Beach to Goffs Cay approximately 12 miles and spent the night at anchor there.

On Tuesday, May 1^st 2007 we sailed to Turneffe Island Lodge. We stopped there but we were asked to leave because this is now a private American owned island for dive tourism.  Although our cruising guide dated 2004 said this place was cruiser friendly, believe me it was not.  Anyway we left and anchored near by off the Pirate Fish Camp.

We left the next day Wednesday May 2^nd, 2007 in the early afternoon; we received some good local advice on our trip from the Fish Camp. We entered the Light House Reef north cut at 9:00 PM that night (note 1: do not sail at night inside the barrier reef in Belize).  We had strong winds from the NE 20+ knots pushing us into Light House reef so I thought there was a strong risk of dragging anchor into Light House Reef that night if we anchored there.

As master and owner of the vessel I decided it would be safer to proceed to the anchorage south of Half Moon Cay leaving us leeward of the island and protected from the wind. There are 2 distinctive cuts in the reef between Long Cay and Half Moon Cay that will get you through to the Half Moon Cay anchorage. My GPS and current paper charts from International Maritime Organization (IMO) clearly showed the 2 cuts and so I was comfortable with this decision to navigate the wider of the two (note 2: do not rely on your GPS or paper charts to this level of detail anywhere in the world, especially at the Barrier Reef in Belize).

At approximately 10:00 PM that night I went aground on the a reef just off the cut and we were stuck solid. With the wind and the waves banging the boat on the reef we soon stared taking on water through the rudder posts in both hulls. At 11:00 PM I decided to call the Belize Port Authority (BPA) on channel 16 VHF. I spoke with Major Gilbert Swazo and he said they would send out a boat the next day. At 12:05 Thursday the BPA called me back and put George Orellana with Belize Marine Mooring Services the Tug Boat Company on the radio.  George said he would have a tug boat out the next day to tow me off the reef.  

I got 2 portable bilge pumps running in each hull which barely kept up with the water coming in. I hailed the BPA a few more time that night to check on the statues of their boat and the tug and to inform them of my status. They were very helpful.

At approximately 10:00 AM that day a boat came by to offer help. They were with a whale shark conservation group. Dan’s girl friend was panicked at this time and asked for a ride to Half Moon Cay. I agreed she should go and my friend Dan accompanied her.

I waited alone on the boat that day managing the bilge pumps and my power. I hailed the BPA checking on the status of their boat and the tug several times.

At approximately 4:00 PM a BPA boat arrived with staff from BPA, the Belize National Coast Guard, the Department of Environment (DOE) and Customs.  Some of the staff came on board to access the situation. All were very helpful.  We attempted to pull the boat off the reef with the BPA boat with no success.  At 6:00 PM they left with all crew.

Once again alone on the reef I hailed the BPA to check on the status of the tug. They said the tug was near and would attempt to tug me off the reef the next day after the BPA boat and crew retuned.

At approximately 11:45 AM on Friday, May 4^th the BPA boat and crew returned. At approximately noon that day the tug boat arrived.

It took approximately 2 hours of planning and rigging to prepare for the tug pull. All involved were vey consciences about any further damage to the reef.

We got it off! The BPA boat and crew accompanied me into Cucumber Beach, Old Belize City. We got in at approximately 11:00 PM. Russell Lainfeista with the BPA sailed back with me on my boat to Cucumber Beach Marina accompanied by the BPA boat.

Summary:

1. The Belize Port Authority, the Belize National Coast Guard, the Department of Environment and Customs were all extremely courteous, and helpful to me during this crisis.
2. The DOE did a thorough and professional evaluation of the damage my boat caused to the reef using excepted international standards. I was accessed an appropriate fine based on this (Note: Belizeans are very knowledgeable, caring and proud of their reef).
3. The hourly rate for a professional tug boat to tow your boat off a reef in Belize is not cheap.
4. Respect Belizeans, respect their reef!

That is all.

I would like to give a special thanks to the following Belizeans for their help:

1. Mr. Russell Lainfeista with the BPA who helped from the moment he arrived on the situation and sailed the boat back with me to Belize City.
2. Major Gilbrt Swaso with the BPA who stayed on watch and helped get the BPA and tug boat to my rescue.
3. Lt. Bennett from the BNC who also helped  to get my boat recovered.
4. Mr Brad Castillo and Gerald Dugal from Belize Customs who helped to get my boat recovered  and also helped with customs documentation to keep my boat safe and legal during all proceedings
5. And most importantly everyone from the DOE who with courtesy and professionalism helped me recover my boat and assessed the damage I caused to the reef being fair and using international standards.  Mr. Ishmal Fabro and Mr. Aleegra, Ministers of the DOE; Ms. Maxine Monsanto, Technician DOE; Mr Kennrick Gordon, Technician DOE; Kirah Forman, Fisheries Dept,;Roberto Pott, Belize Audubon.

I would also like to give thanks to the following Belizeans for their help:

1. Mr. Francis Woods owner of the Cucumber Beach Marina Resort and Old Belize City Museum.
2. Mr. Stephen Bradley of Bradley’s Boat Yard who provided the impeccable repair of my boat

Mr. George Orellana of the Belize Marine Mooring Services that successfully pulled my boat off the reef.