TwentyEightFeet
News/Blog
Caye Caulker
Written By: Jessica Ali
Hello Friends & Family! In the last couple months Patrick and I have been catching up on all those books we've been meaning to read, brushing up on our cooking skills and always making time to watch the sunsets. We haven't been getting out much lately, the laid back vibe of Caye Caulker has really taken ahold of us. We found a great anchorage on the North side where the swell is broken up by the reef and the island protects us from the prevailing winds. It has a small town, filled with friendly islanders and young travellers. It's the most charming island, we really fell in love with the people and the energy here. It has everything we need to do some small jobs on Lizzy Belle, keep Luka happy and our bellys full. We've even been lucky enough to gain the use of a locals dock for our dinghy.
We are only a short two hour sail to San Pedro , where we stop once a month to provision, visit immigration, and treat ourselves to a night on the dock. There we charge our batteries, fill the water tank and give LB and ourselves a much needed scrub down.
After a couple weeks at Caye Caulker, we started to get itchy feet to go farther south. We can never really stay in one place for too long, and we wanted to see what the quieter islands had to offer. We didnt have a destination, but provisioned the boat for a couple weeks of sailing without seeing any stores. We were on the search for some empty islands that we could have all to ourselves, and where Luka could be more independant where we don't have to worry about golfcarts, bikes or other mean dogs.
After leaving Caye Caulker we had a 5 hour sail to Long Caye. To get into the protected lagoon we had to go through a shallow cut which raised some tension in both of us. If we were to get stuck on the bottom, it would be difficult to find help closeby. We managed to get inside without too much stress. It was almost exactly what we were looking for, we didnt see any human life and no noises other than the ocean and birds. The only catch was we were surrounded by mangroves. Luka still refuses to go potty on the boat so we had to find our way through these trees to a beach for her to go on. All around the island was very shallow, less than a foot of water in most areas. Just around the corner was a beach with an abandoned house on it. We sat in the dinghy for a while trying to see any movement, but everything was still. We let Luka off the boat to run down the beach. Shortly after we saw three angry pitbulls running towards her while she was taking her well deserved pee. Trying to get her back into the dinghy quickly was a struggle, since she only moves as fast as pond water. Luka hopped in, they were only a couple feet behind her. It was a quick row back to the boat with three dogs on our tail.
That night was by far my favourite. The stars were the brightest I've seen with no lights or noises around. We had just enough wind to keep the mosquitoes away so we slept like rocks.
We woke up with the sun to leave for Spanish-Lookout Caye. It was another 5 hour sail from there and our outdated cruising guide said we would find some good anchorage. Nothing compared to what we found in Long Caye, but we dropped the anchor beside another empty looking house where we found some shelter from the wind. We rowed in to see if there was anyone living in the house, so we could ask for permission to anchor. We met the watchman who initially was friendly and hospitable. He gave us drinks, fed us and told us we could stay as long as we wanted. There were even two nice dogs for Luka to play around with. It seemed like we hit the jackpot. After spending most of the day with him, we quickly realized he didn't respect our privacy as much as we'd like him to. He would row out to the boat when he felt like it, to visit us. The next day we met the owner of the house, who was another friendly Belizean man. He made us chicken feet and necks for lunch (which fed to luka when he wasn't looking). It was a really beautiful view from the house, it was a quiet place, looking out on the distance islands with a long dock that was great for fishing. One morning the watchman caught us three fish for breakfast, taught us how to gut them 'Belizean style' and even put his own special spices on them for us. Life was great.
After the third day of living like an island watch man, we thought it was time to move on. He got a little too drunk that night, so we rowed to the boat for some peace and quiet when not long after he followed us. After some time of playing guitar and singing he left the boat. Around midnight we heard his boss come in from a day of fishing and we quickly realized he was very drunk too. Earlier that day someone came and took one of the bosses dogs claiming it was his own. The watchman didn't want to start a fight so he let the dog go. Bossman was not very happy with him, we heard lots of yelling, banging and rustling around late at night. Before we could even decide if we should leave or not, the watchman rowed out to our boat terrified for his life, asking if he could sleep on deck. After some time of Patrick explaining to him that I didn't feel comfortable with it (because he really respected women) and gently nudged him off the boat. We gave him 20 dollars to go find a safe pace to stay for the night. With no daylight to help us navigate we started the engine and motored away from the drunken men. We were worried the owner would think we took his dog and were trying to make an escape. We shut off all our lights and hoped he couldnt see the direction we were heading. Looking back we saw a bright boat light coming closer to us. Our hearts were pounding. In about 10 seconds I had all of our knives and pepper sprays accessible on deck and our SOS devices turned on ready to be called while Patrick was pushing the engine as fast as it would go. After a couple minutes of panic, we saw the light turn around. Quickly, we bee lined it to Belize City, it was the closest place where we wouldnt be alone. The city was never a destination of ours because it has one of the highest crime rates in Latin america, ironic that we went there to feel safe. In the end, all was well.
Time was beginning to come close to my sister's visit. We didn't have much longer before we had to be back in Caye Caulker to meet her. Both of us were looking forward to getting back to the safe, relaxed little town anyway. On the way we stopped at St. Georges Caye for a couple of nights. The only thing on the island was a little resort where we stocked back up on ice.
Ilana just graduated high school and is taking a gap year. She only stayed on Patrick's boat with me a couple times in Mahone Bay but wasn't really sure what to expect living on Lizzy Belle here in Caye Caulker. All that I told her was that it was a bit smaller and to pack very lightly, no hairdryer. The first thing she said after seeing her was, "Wow, this is a much nicer boat than I thought you were staying on!" I think she liked it. She had just left home in a snowstorm, so she was tickled pink to see the hot sun. Luckily it was a hot tropical day so she could do her usual sun bathing. I was very impressed at how willing she was to wash in the saltwater everyday. She fit in well, and Luka was enjoying all the extra love. We walked dogs from local shelters, did some sailing around Caye Calker and San Pedro, snorkeled, she even helped us clean the algae off the bottom of the boat. Mastering the art of cooking in a small boat's galley can be challenging, but Ilana did it. She even missed Luka enough to share a bed with her in the v-birth. We only had to tell her once that pouring drinking water down the drain was a big no no. It wasn't as crowded as we thought it would be with an extra person on board and I was amazed at how much easier the day to day routine could be with just one extra person. I now understand the importance of a big crew. At the end of her two weeks she learned how strong the Belizian sun really was, how to sail, live in a 28 foot area with two other people and a big sandy dog, and that boat life is not so much a luxury as an adventure. Two weeks went by quickly with her on board. She had two nights and three days of travel to get back to the Nova Scotian snowstorm awaiting her.
Now we only have a couple more days to get ready for our next visitors, Shawn, Kerry, Rebecca and Aine...
Beautiful Belize..
Leaving Mexico is not as easy as you'd think. The Port Captain gave us the run around while trying to get our Zarpe (piece of paper you need to enter most central american contries by sea). The Captain directed us to head to the airport (6kms away) to get a stamp from customs and a photocopy. They said to come back after we got all the paperwork signed and they would finalize our departure for that day. After a long walk in mid day sun we were informed by customs that the Port Captain was supposed to sign the document first, and as it was a holiday no one was available for the papaerwork. After some pleeding, they said someone may be here in 30 minutes if you wait. We waited.... and filled out numerous forms until they finally stamped the Zarpe and we were off, back to the Port Captain.
At this point we were in a hurry to get underway before night, so we (jess) sweet talked a cabby into letting Luka ride along since most taxis would not allow her. We got the paperwork all sorted out pretty quickly only to find the Port Captains office was closed and everyone went home early, even though the sign on the door said it was open until 3. One official was still on site and said we would have to come back tomorrow. We told him that wasn't going to work, we were leaving today.
Our frustration with Cozumel was at an all time high, and we probably weren't as well rested as we should have been, from the constant swell at anchorage, but it was time to get out of there and head for San Pedro, Belize.
After we were underway the angry mood from frustrating officials wore off and the task at hand started to consume us. We took the wind on the nose until we passed the southern shores of Cozumel. Then everything was in our favour. Broad reach, nice winds, auto pilot on and humming along at 5 knots. We were all happy.
After a short time we realized the tiller pilot was not acting the way it should. It was not responsive enough to adjust for the rolling of the boat. Luckily, we had a scond autopilot. Turned out, this one did just the opposite, it was wildly correcting and stearing us in a constant "s" motion. Neither owners manual was on board and I didn't know how to calibrate them... so it was now time to try the third autopilot, Jess. She could do what the other couldnt and stear a straight course so I could go down below and get some much needed rest.
The first night and day were great. Nothing real exciting. Day 2 while I was at the tiller I noticed a boat change direction and come straight for us at an allarming speed. We'd been ignoring some spanish radio chatter that we couldn't understand. Maybe they were talking to us? Once the grey boat was near we noticed it had large machine guns and looked like it was Navy. They instructed us to get on the radio. We explained we were Canadians heading to Belize. After a minute or two they turned around and sped in the opposite direction.
The days were fading into one another and our biggest difficulty the whole trip was staying cool. We took turns pouring buckets of water over each other, and Luka. This also helped us stay awake since 2 hour shifts of sleeping at night are not really enough to feel rested. No one got seasick, Patrick got sunstroke after day two, but powered through. Luka was hibernating in the v-birth most of the time, it was a good spot for her, out of the sun and far away from the noise of the engine. Some friends of our's at Oscar's marina gave us an old mat that we could use as a potty patch for Luka. Patrick christened it with his pee to show her it was the spot she could "do her stuff", but all her years of training 'not' to go in a house (or boat) was stronger than her urges. A few times a day we would take Luka to her patch to see if she changed her mind about going...but no such luck. We've discovered just how much storage she has in there.
The trip was nearing an end and we were following the Northern part of the Belize barrier reef to San Pedro. In order to get on the west side of the reef we had to pass through a cut east of San Pedro town. We did not want to arrive at night ant try to navigate through the reef so we reduced sail to just the mizzen and genoa, or we would have arrived sometime around 2am.
Shortly after sunrise we could see the marker for San Pedro cut. As we start the engine and prepair to douse the sails I realize we weren't pumping water, and not cooling the engine. The cut was not marked very well and we were not keen to sail through. So I hopped down below and started troubleshooting. Quickly realized it was nothing more than a loose water pump belt. Tightened it up and we were good to go.
We arrive in Belize with a warm welmcome from Aligos Del Mar marina and dive shop. They met us at the dock to catch the lines and give us a quick rundown of the town and customs procedure. Carlos said don't worry about calling them on the radio, they wont come. Just head to their office near the airport.
After taking our fury friend to shore for her much needed alone time, we cleaned up the boat from the journey, grabbed a quick shower and headed for customs and imigration. We were slightly nervous of getting some grief since the Port Captain did not sign our Zarpe when departing Cozumel. Luckily the customs officer signiture and stamp was enough for him. We were in the country, without even an inspection of the boat. They also told us not to declair Luka since we would have to pay a fine for not requesting permission to bring an animal beforehand. The whole customs clearance went great without any issues... we already like Belize.
We treated ourselves to a few days at the dock in the lap of luxury with wifi, water, and power. When we were ready to leave, Amigos Del Mar was kind enough to offer us a mooring block, free of charge, right in front of their docks. They also said" feel free to use wifi and showers". We decided not to turn down the excellent hospitality and stayed in San Pedro for a couple weeks to do some boat projects and enjoy the town. Lots of time was spent hiding down below to escape the frequent squalls. We purchased a small guitar and hawiian sling to help pass the time.
Cay Caulker was our next destination. Jess and I decided to leave between rainstorms since it was only an hour away. Unfortunately for us, we were not fast enough and got caught in a squall with a little too much sail up. A quick gust healed us over abruptly and I accidently broke the tiller trying to correct LB's course. Jess was quick to drop the jib and we bobbed along with just the mizzen.
On the west side of the island we dropped the hook in a shallow sheltered bay and ventured to town to get the lay of the land. Our first impressions of Cay Caulker were great. Small laid back beach town with sandy roads, little traffic and lots of young people. I think we will like it here...
Lizzy Belle has been treating us like royalty in past few weeks. Been spending lots of time getting to know the in's and out's of her while exploring Isla Mujures. Having a slip at Oscars until the end of the month made getting work done a lot easier. We added a few little gadgets like a battery monitor, new LED's, a quicky removable depth sounder, basically just a piece of ABS pipe with the depth sounder glued to the bottom, and a cockpit light. Also got caught up on yearly engine and transmission maintenance. Fortunitaley for us, the Welsfords repowered LB with a beautiful 2YM. Thanks Barb!!
Pondering what task to tackle next
Happy and healthy yanmar
Battery monitor!
Filling up on diesel.
We fortunately made a generous friend who let us borrow his truck and helped us out in a lot of other ways. Using his Ranger to explore the island was a real treat, also made provisioning the boat a breeze. We packed the poor girl to her limit. Lizzy Belle was carying enough food and water to cross the atlantic, not that we needed it, but we figured we'de take advantage of not having to carry everything on our backs from Chedrouie.
Seeing what lonely planet says about the best places to eat
Luka enjoyed sticking her head out the window
This little guy was only a few weeks old
Whilst exploring the island we took the opportunity to check out the turtle sancuary. Turtles for days. Tanks upon tanks, of all ages. They regualarily release the ones that have been nurtutred from hatchlings to try to battle the population reduction.
She loves the windscoop
Getting aquainted with a turtle
Although isla Mujeres has been great, it was time to start heading south towards Belize and Guatamala. We picked a nice short hop to Cozemel as our first passage. Our decision to head south was mostly due to the uninhabitated quiter islands and amazing snorkling located on Belizes barrier reef, 2nd only to the great barrier reef. Rio Dolce also sounded like a beautiful affordable destination and Dave spoke highly of both.
The trip to cozumel was better than we could have imagined. We glided along at 4-5 knots for most of the trip in 10knot tradewinds (with a little help from the yanmar). Only slowed down when the wind slacked off and the current picked up betweeen Isla Cozumel and the mainland. Had lots of visitors playing at our bow, dolphhins, and some big brown guy that we didnt get a great look at. Maybe a whale shark? We arrived in Cozumel around 5pm thanks to an early departure at 3:30am. Before deciding to go anchor we tried to check out cozumels small protected marina, but were forced to turn around in tight quarters. The place was slammed since its one of the islands few protected basins. Luckily we are only 28ft, would have been a more interesting situation if we were 40.
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Anchorage in Cozumel has not been great so far, lots of cruiseship and ferry activity and not a great bottom to take hold. Hard as pavement. Unfortunately there aren't any other protected options, and all marinas are full. but, we are close to town and a very public freshwater shower in the town square, so we thew down a second anchor and delt with ferry swell. We plan to rent a car tomorrow, since the price is right, to do a few errands, including taking luka to the vet for more of those shots she loves so much. Once business is taken care of we'll try to drive to some of the beach access reefs in cozumel. Lonely planet says they cant be missed.
The larger boat of our fleet set sail for Bermuda on Friday. We have been in touch with Dave over satalite messaging, sounds like the trip is going well. No one is sea sick and they are making good headway. Happy sailing and good luck to Sorca and Crew!
....More to come on our passage to belize and adventures on the island. stay tuned. also.... we deal with cochroaches.
**update, we figured out why the car was so cheap. No brakes, barely shifts, straight pipe exhaust, no lights or wipers. All those years of driving old Land Rovers came in handy.
small accident in town, no one was injured. I guess most of the rental cars don't have brakes....
a knew friend? probably not.
Luka getting a much needed bath
Lizzy Belle-Coming out of Hibernation
October 4th 2015- We finally set eyes on Lizzy Belle after months of anticipation. It's been years since I've seen her in Mahone Bay and the first time Jessica has layed eyes on her. It had been a long day of travelling to get to Isla Mujeres, two planes, two taxis and a ferry and by the end we were ready for a place to lay down, especially Luka. For those of you who don't know , Luka is our partner in crime. Part English mastiff, Bernese mountain dog, St. Bernard and some sort of Japanese fighting dog. Most would argue she's too big for a 28ft boat.... Probably true, but after we adopted her from Jessica's dad we knew she was with us to stay, and would join us in our adventures. She had lived on Swamba, an Alberg 30 for a summer in Mahone bay so we knew she could handle life on a small wooden sailboat.
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Oscars marina has been great. There are a group of boaters who meet twice a week for Taco Tuesday's and Pizza Fridays. It gives us a chance to get some boating advice and the do's and dont's of the island. The cruisers net on VHF 13 has also been an excellent resource for information and help.
Not 20 ft from where Lizzy Belle is docked is Oscars eclectic restaurant and grill, where we spend most of our down time when the sun is high, perched between two industrial fans with cold drinks in hand while we acclimatize. Oscars has been an excellent location to kick of this trip and get ourselves acquainted with LB.
We have been spending the early mornings and evenings cleaning and doing repairs while the sun is low. Middays are spent exploring and provisioning in Isla Mujeres... also gives us an opportunity to work on our Spanish and Jessica a chance to catch up on her studies. Jess has always been interested in health and preventative nutrition. To further her nutritional knowledge and travel on Lizzy Belle, Jess enrolled in a distance education course through Canadian School of Natural Nutrition, they allow her to write her tests over the Internet and mail her all the books she needs.
Lizzy Belle has been quietly tucked away since Dave and Sarah left her here at Oscars Marina on Isla Mujeres. As all you boaters know out there, a boat does not like to sit for too long, so we have a bit of work ahead of us getting her back to ship shape. Especially if we want to preserve her as well as the previous captain did.
I know many who follow this blog are wondering , "why did Dave choose these vagabonds to take over caring for and traveling aboard Lizzy Belle?" To be honest, we still aren't sure. Maybe it's because we share a hometown, or the love for travel, adventure and sailing. Whatever it is, we hope we can fill the large shoes that David Welsford has left for us, and we'd like to take this chance to publicly thank him, the Welsford family and everyone else who has been involved with TwentyEightFeet for bestowing this amazing opportunity upon us.
INTRODUCING SORCA ... and Keeping Lizzy Belle in the Family
Our new "family" sailing adventure...
Sorca in Gaelic translates to "Brilliance"
Hey Friends,
As with everything in life my sailing friends always told me, "Lizzy Belle is a stepping stone and it's okay when you are in a position to pass the torch and move on". Naturally, I resisted and reminded myself I would never leave Lizzy Belle as I felt as though it would take away from everything we had built up over the past 7 years... then we sailed a few years singlehanded in the Carribbean.. then we were blessed with Sarah coming into our lives... and of course the ball kept rolling until we found ourselves standing in the boat yard at the Lunenburg Foundry with my father introducing us to a, giant, 76 foot, Classic Wooden Schooner. I guess we truly never know what will happen tomorrow!
Well, this of course had the "wheels spinning", the "what if's?" around every corner and the main probleming being...what about the plan? and... most importantly what about Lizzy Belle? she is in Mexico, alone, waiting for us... it's kind of crazy what wooden boats do to their owners... :) so...
On the front page of this website there is a quote by Mark Twain, it reads: "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." This has been what Lizzy Belle has been all about from the beginning and after many conversations, tears, doubts and emotions we decided that it has to be recognized that the name Lizzy Belle isn't just a boat that sailed around the Carribbean, she has become something that stands for so much more than that... a name surrounding doing something unique, encouraging positive growth, pushing comfort zones, taking safe risks and most certainly - bringing people together... so how can we create a solution and continue what Lizzy Belle started?...
Mahone Bay Harbour, Nova Scotia
Alright...here we go! My family is from Mahone Bay Nova Scotia which is a small town on the South Shore of the province. A lot of young people grow up here and some eventually feel forced to leave to find work elsewhere. Most of those who stay find themselves having to stand in the shoes of an entrepreneur... and as we know this takes creative thinking. There is a small group of young people living on the water in Mahone Bay harbour. Some live in rescued sailboats, repainted old fishing boats or homemade floating houseboats. Amongst them is a young couple who we have known for years yet most recently have become quite close to. We are excited to introduce Patrick South and Jessica Ali to Twenty Eight Feet...
Pat and Jess ... along with their 2 year old puppy dog - Luka
We have known for a while that Pat and Jess were interested in taking their Alberg 30, Swamba south to the Carribbean. Over a few beers at the Mug and Anchor Pub and many conversations later we proposed to them the idea in "adopting" Lizzy Belle. And I say adopting because as we all know, she is a responsibilty and labour of love rather than just a sailboat. They were ecstatic and we feel honoured and thrilled that we chose them. Many evenings since then we feel that we could not have found a more perfect family to carry on The Lizzy Belle story created over the past 7 years. We found out later that Pat partially credits Lizzy Belle for buying his sailboat Swamba which they live on in Mahone Bay. How cool is that? What a perfect team!
Jess, Pat, Sarah and I on the day of Sorca's Launch
So here is the idea: as Sarah and I, along with our families begin to take on Sorca as a project... Pat and Jess plan on taking Lizzy Belle on as their own. We think of it more as "passing the torch", yet for interest sake and paperwork purposes, Lizzy Belle was officially sold to Pat and Jess for one canadian dollar... rememeber we never set out to make money with her... only gain experience, thrills and adventure and... we got that ten times over. The plan will be to share this blog space which will allow us to keep each other updated on each boat's experiences while working as a "fleet" to accomplish our original dreams...Refer to Mark Twains quote above. Above all, we plan on eventually bringing Sorca and Lizzy Belle together in the Carribbean. We will always be open to visiting each other and sharing galley space. Absolutely perfect!!! Bringing everyone together as one crew and blending two stories into one!
Pat and Jess, we wish you guys the best of luck yet I'm not sure you will need it. Lizzy Belle is one of the finest little wooden boats we have seen and knowing you guys, we are sure together you guys will have nothing but success and great adventures. Be safe out there and always know that if you need anything, we are here to help!
Sorca, Mahone Bay
Lizzy Belle, Grenada
CUBA - The Thor, Charlotte and of course... Liam and Riley! Destination: Cay Largo, Cuba
What a beautiful Schooner!
Hey Friends,
Hahaha, once again I know it has been a while and there are lots of spaces between each blog. I would guess that is simply because we were in CUBA and there is a lack of internet access and... sometimes it is nice to relax, travel and not worry so much about the resposibilities of photographing every moment and posting it here on the site. All good though, here is a brief update:
So we made it to Isla Mujeres and after a week or so of checking weather we had to change our plans again. By the way, if your sailing, always be ready to change your plans! Anyway, between weather, Lizzy Belle "needs" and the logistics of meeting up with my family in Cayo Largo we decided it was best to "store" Lizzy Belle in Isla Mujeres for the summer months and find an alternative route to CUBA for a few weeks before I have to head home to Nova Scotia for some work opportunities. Although it was a let down to leave Lizzy Belle there seemed to be many other sailing opportunities along the way...
First off, Sarah and Lukas hitched a ride to Havanna on the Thor Heyerdahl which is named after the dudes who sailed across the Pacific Ocean to proove Thaiti was originally colonized by South Americans way back in the day. The ship is now a training vessel based out of Germany and trains up to thirty, 13 year olds each year. Their route starts in Europe, crosses the Atlantic, continues through the Caribbean and back again all in 9 months. Super cool! Anyways, Sarah and Lukas took some awesome pics and they are showcased below. Awesome experience for sure!
As for me, I stayed behind for two weeks and prepared Lizzy Belle for storage and then flew to Havanna, meeting up with Sarah and Lukas and then onto Cay Largo where my parents, sister, brother in law, two nephews and we had the time of our lives for a week straight. We even got a chance to sail on a sexy Wooden boat named "Charolotte" carrying a US flag.
Enjoy the pics below and we will update again soon... I hope :)
Sails up...
Lukas on the helm of the Thor.
Beautiful boat. Steel hull with wooden spars and a square rig.
Climbing the rigging and looking down on Lukas.
Must be 100 feet high...
A CUBAN sunset...
It has been a long time since the entire family had a vacation together and I fully recomend Cayo Largo to others as a family vacation retreat. Our hosts were wonderful people, the beaches were beautiful and all and all I think we all agreed we had a blast!
All wood, teak decks, and she was built on the East Coast of the United States.
The crew working hard raising the sails!
These two are so Cute... and Sarah too!
Old Man and I loving the 50 foot wooden schooner!
Momsie and Sarah chillin in the sun and enjoying the blue waters of the Caribbean!
Liam and Grampa at the wheel!
Bill and Riley looking for Treasure!
Momsie - Happy to have the family together!
Lindsay being an awesome Mom!
Family Photo! Love you guys and thank you to everyone for making it happen!
Belize to Mexico's Isla Mujeres
Translation: The Island of Women...
Welcome aboard Lukas!
Hey Friends,
Lizzy Belle and her Crew has finally made it to Mexico! We arrived in Isla Mujeres about a week ago and are enjoying the luxuries of a Milagro Marina, one of the friendliest marinas we have seen on our way.
After waiting out the Northerner in Turneffe Cays off of Belize, we headed up north. Fortunately the wind and the swells were less intense than we had thought, and we made it easily up to St. George’s Cay, where we stayed for the night. The next morning we tackled the last 20miles up to Ambergris Cay. Belize was our first experience in sailing in shallow water and crossing back and forth across reefs and coral heads. It was always a nervous moment for us when we entered the protected anchorages, knowing that there is lots of sharp coral under the water that could easily puncture Lizzy Bellle’s hull - sending her to the botom quite quicly.
Having arrived in Ambergris Cay we finally had the big reunion with my brother Lukas who had already arrived 10 days earlier and was very excited to see us and even more eager to meet Lizzy Belle! We had a great night of beers, life music and laughter and the next day Lukas moved on the boat.
For the next days we enjoyed the relaxed island of Ambergris Cay and looked for a good weather window to get up to Isla Mujeres. When we left Belize it was a perfect 20knot breeze and right after leaving the reef we set all three sails. Lizzy Belle went up to her best performance and we had 40 hours of beautiful, sunny and dry sailing! The 3 knot current up to the gulf of Mexico is luxurious, the very low swells helped as well to make my brothers first sailing experience a great one! No squalls, no waves over the side of Lizzy Belle, no seasickness and great consistant wind - what else can you wish for?
Besides the great weather we were again lucky with our newly developped fishing skills! After the first night Lukas caught a big Mahi Mahi and we cooked it up right away resulting in a fresh, delicious breakfast. We kept fishing and in the late afternoon we caught another one! Seems that the Mahi Mahis like us =) Lukas did a great job with the fishing, he got used to the little space on Lizzy Belle very quickly and helped us a lot with the watches. All pretty impressive for a person who has never been on a sailboat before!
Now we are in Isla Mujeres and it seems like our plans are changing again. The last couple of weeks were quite draining: the broken transmission, the chain plates, sailing/motoring upwind, constantly checking the weather... All that would not be a problem if we would not have had a schedule. We were trying to meet my brother by the end of January in Mexico and Dave’s family is coming to Cayo Largo in Cuba in March to meet us. Having to be somewhere at a certain time is very difficult with a small wooden boat. The constant focus on trying to “be there in time” was starting to drain our energy. The next weeks seemed to be similarly tough as we had some way sailing against wind and current again in Cuba and could easily get stuck several times because of the strong Northerners who keep coming in.
So Dave, as always ready to creatively solve any problem, suggested we go an alternative route. We will leave Lizzy Belle in Isla Mujeres and will travel to Cuba all by ourselves. That way we can make sure to meet Daves family, we can find out how Cuba looks inland and travel a little more relaxed. It seems that all Crew likes that plan! So now we are researching and organizing everything to find a safe place for Lizzy Belle and a way for us to get to Cuba.
One thing that we are learning at the moment is that the only constant thing in our lives is change...
All sails up..
LB's main sail is gorgeous.
Trying to get some sleep mid day. It is truly exhausting out there!
Lots of people were asking about navigational gear. Thats it... and an ipad!
Fishing line 100 feet of our stern
FISH ON!
The hardest part is getting the fish on the boat...
Got em!
Wrestling him into the cockpit!
Good lookin Mahi Mahi!
Breakfast! Culdn't be any fresher! We cooked it in the oven and ate 20 minutes later!
Sunset on our second night at sea.
40 hours later docked at El Milagro Marina, Mexico.
January 31st, 2014
Our First Fish!
A four foot Mahi Mahi caught off of the Honduras Bay Islands
Written by: Dave Welsford
Nice looking fella!
I'm sure that the Sports Fishermen is looking at this and reflecting on the time they caught a 300 pound Tuna off Florida. I'm not sure if 4 feet is a big Mahi Mahi yet it was as exciting to us as catching a 300 pound Tuna. Sarah put the line out about an hour earlier and we watched it forever with much anticipation. Of course after sitting there for a long time with nothing happening our interest turned elsewhere... until Bam! We looked back and there was a beautiful green and blue fish jumping out of the water and doing everything it could to shake that hook out of its mouth. We screamed with excitment and then... pulled it together and started realing her in slowly, giving it just enough time to exhaust itself. 10 minutes or so later we had her in the boat and decided what to do next... Enjoy!
Sarah putting out the fishing line, we use a fake, plastic squid as bait.
We understand the fatsest way to kill a fish is to pour CHEAP vodka in its gills. It seemed to work, painlessly.
The poor fella went right under the knife as soon as she got on board.
Thinking we will get a few nice fillets out of this one.
Sarah took a turn filleting the fish.
Finally, after an entire year of talking about it we fished and caught a one... its only downhill for here.
The next morning we crossed a 5 foot sandbar and headed into the Turneffe Islands to hide from a breezy North Wind.
And we got to enjoy our prize... :)
It wasn't too long before a local traded us 6 lobster for half a pint of Rum. We made seafood chowder with the rest of the Mahi Mahi and the lobster.
Sarah made tortillas as well.
Drying out..again.
A beautiful place! We were on the southern tip, and we heard there were plenty of crocodiles in the water.
On our way to Mexico guys! Enjoy and talk to you soon I'm sure!
January 25th, 2014
Engine Maintenance and Repairs
Transmission problems and reinforcing our chainplates...
Written by: Dave Welsford
One might say we have more tools than boat...
That was a mission! After leaving Utila I started to get the feeling that something wasn't right with the gear box ( transmission ) on our Yanmar 2YM15. It was a rough 35 nautical mile journey upwind and by the time we arrived at Fantasy Island Marina and I had a chance to dive into the engine where we discovered the problem. An old wooden boat is always moving and in turn everything mounted, attached and bolted to it does as well. Our engine had become unaligned and I take full responsibility for not being on top of it earlier on in the journey. Luckily for us, the only thing that was damaged was a small oil seal that holds oil in the gear box. Although in North America it would be an easy fix, it took Sarah and I a week to source parts, lift the stern end of the engine up, take the transmission out, chat with locals and ultimately solve the problem. Sometimes it was stressful; hitchiking from store to store only to find out that the part will likely be "in tomorrow" and... possibly not. We figured it out and we were rewarded again after heading back out on the ocean! Enjoy the pictures!
I figured out later that I didn't actually have to take the entire transmission out to replace the seal; live and learn... yet it was cool learning how it all works!
Cleaning out of the bilge..oil everywhere...
There she is, a tiny little transmission.
Everybody was willing to help out, and we were happy to have them guide us along the way.
All cleaned up and ready to be put back together.
Sarah and I walked this driveway sometimes up to 5 times a day to find the parts...
Feeler guages helped me line up the the engine again.
I need to learn Spanish...Sarah is was awesome. She ran around sourcing parts and helping get it all organized.
In between waiting for parts we had the time to take on another important task. Old boats need constant nurturing. The chain plates ( stainless steel sheet metal ) that connect to the main mast, called: backstays, have become "soft". So the plan was to lengthen them, through bolt them and add a backplate as well. This way it added strangth and "sandwiched" the boats hull in between them. It was all successful and although they might not be the prettiest things on Lizzy Belle, the added strength will keep us going in rough waters.
Not too bad eh? A look at the outside plates bolted through to the inside of the hull.
Inside backing plate
Sarah took on some more jobs of her own in the menatime.
Hitchiking is easy in Honduras. Everyone has a pickup truck!
Once it was all done, we enjoyed Mojitos in Lizzy Belles cockpit.
And the next day we checked out and headed for Belize.
All and all after a hard week of work and the rewards were plentiful. We checked out of Honduras on our final afternoon and took off to The Turneffe Islands off of Belize where we will then head up to San Pedro to meet up with Sarahs brother Lucas. Good luck everyone, talk soon!
Continue Reading...
Continue Reading...
November 16th, 2013
KEVIN & MEL ATTEND DOC NYC SCREENING OF TWENTY EIGHT FEET: Life on a little wooden boat
Kevin and Mel - Director and Producer of Twenty Eight Feet - spent the last weekend attending DOC NYC in the Big Apple. This documentary film festival is held in Lower Manhattan each year and has become the country's largest documentary festival - hosting over 130 films. Their mission statement includes: Curate: To guide audiences to inspiring work. Kevin mentioned, as he gave me the play by play of how the festival was going down via email, that this festival was, "a serious documentary film festival" and that it is exciting for us to be a part of it. Twenty Eight Feet: Life on a little wooden boat opened for a feature film; TINY: A story about living small which documents a couples journey building a home smaller than a parking space. Well suited for Lizzy Belle's adventure.
From my understanding through correspondence with Kevin is that the film was a success and the audience enjoyed the story. Kevin mentioned he had many compliments after the showing and that he valued his time attending the festival. I am happy that together, they had the chance to see their vision on a larger screen, in a humungous city. Good on ya guys!
November 16th, 2013
VIMEO REPORTS SAY OUR TWENTY EIGHT FEET TEASER HAS BEEN VIEWED IN 52 COUNTRIES
In two weeks time I am headed back to Lizzy Belle who has been patiently waiting for my return for over 7 months. Although she is currently dry docked her spirit continues to gain fame. Our Twenty Eight Feet trailer has gone global. Kevin mentioned just yesterday that Vimeo's Analytics ( online video hosting site ) have tracked views in 52 countries. I will say, we have not done it alone! Friends and family posted links on facebook, twiiter and other social media sites and we thank them for their efforts. Fran and Ron Himmelman ( and friends ) from The Mug and Anchor Pub hosted an an event to raise money to help submit the film to more festivals. Michele Stevens Sailloft has been sending out emails to clients and friends. Just recently, WOODEN BOAT MAGAZINE gave the film and Lizzy Belle's website a shout out on facebook and we have been receiving email feedback and congratulations from many latitudes and longitudes!
Enjoy the fim my friends and thank you again for your support!
September 13th, 2013
Directed by Kevin Fraser
People always ask, "So what do you do again, sail around the Carribbean?" and what I hear most often is, "Well, why would you want to do that?" From there I believe many dream up the ideals that surround a five month vacation - sipping maragitas in a hawaian shirt while dangling my feet in the water. As much as I explain the concepts and challenges that drive the project I understand how difficult it must be to envision such an endeavor.
If you asked me 6 months ago while filming in the Caribbean what Kevin's final project or vision would look like? I couldnt even have guessed myself. I think more importantly if you asked me what the messages behind the film would be, I also couldn't have answered. That is the beauty of documentary filmmaking and creating works with such deep thought towards purpose. Kevin started with an idea, worked through it and now we get to truly understand the real beauty and messages behind the mystique Lizzy Belle.
I beleieve, Kevin Fraser, a long time friend and cinematographer recognized the potential Lizzy Belle and the impact the story could have on an audience - possibly long before even I had. For me, Lizzy Belle is an accumulation of challenges, sweat, blood and tears all amounting to meaningful, impactful experiences. Until now, it must have been really hard to comprehend... even for myself.
Twenty Eight Feet: Sample Clip
I'm always asked "why"... now even I have a clearer understanding. Twenty Eight Feet - Official Documentary.
Support the Cause:
As of today Kevin has submitted the film to multiple film festivals around the continent. The film has gained multiple sponsors from all over the country and of course any support you can offer will be much appreciated. The film has an Indiegogo account where products are being auctioned off and donations can be made:
Final Thoughts:
One of my favorite pastimes while cruising from island to island whether in the middle of the night, while watching the sunrise in the east or set in the west is reflecting back upon how far Lizzy Belle has come and how she has impacted others. After coming across her sitting on the hard cement in Bridgewater, NS almost four years aga until now the one thing that stands out in my mind the most is - how much support and love everyone has offered Lizzy Belle and I. Whether that support has came from sanding and painting her haul, to donations of dockage fees, or having friends and family sit down and go over charts and share their personal sailing experiences with me, the support is what is keeping us going. And now, Kevin has found a way to share what Lizzy Belle means in an entirely new univerasl way. Although Lizzy Belle maybe a sailboat in most peoples eyes, she is far more than that. She shapes relationships, builds bridges and most importantly - brings people together. Thank you Kevin for all you have done for us!
One thing about owning a sail boat...
Those who know me well might say that I’m always working on being more patient. One of the best ways to practice patience, is has been owning a sailboat. Lizzy Belle has by far been one of the most rewarding investments of my lifetime so far. And every time I fix one thing, there are four more chores to add to the list. After installing a brand new engine and getting ready to head out on my next journey I was quick to realize that reverse on the transmission was actually forward and of course the opposite. It was a task to remove the old propellor and try and figure out the measurements to order a new one. One thing was certain, It needed to be a right handed prop vs a left.
We ordered the brand new propellor from our home community. The boys at the Lunenburg Foundry reshaped her for me and my parents eagerly arrived the day after Christmas prop in hand. It took only 45 minutes to install the new propellor and is working seamlessly with our new engine. Lizzy Belle has become a rocket ship.
Now Heading 90 miles East to St Maarten.
December 27th 2012
You never know who you are going to meet at the beach...
I was walking the beach and a woman and her daughter approached me asking why I was climbing to the top of my mast earlier that day. After meeting the rest of the family, Mike, Traci, Danielle and Mikaela all became very close friends quite quickly. We enjoyed talking over the film “Captain Ron” which we all agreed was a family classic. They even got into the spirit the day we went sailing to Buck Island exchanging my large collection of bandanas and rubbing white Zinc on our noses. At the end of the day I became their very own Captain Ron and sailing as a team will never be forgotten. Shout out to my friends in Orange County, California. Thanks for being my friend!
December 25th 2012
Tyler Hill Camps Siegel Famly join us
from the Oasis of the Seas
10:45am, New York Time, Lindbergh Bay: We headed South out of Lindbergh Bay towards the open ocean with Skipper Maddie on the tiller, Joey acting as First Engineer and Dylan running the ropes and organizing the deckhands. Andy grabbed the Jib Halyard, raised the sails and instantly harnessed the wind. As we picked up speed Joey killed the engine and we plotted our course towards Whistling Cay taking charge of the winds sweeping off the mountains behind us.
12:30pm, Whistling Cay: Maddie, Joey and Dylan all spit in the lens of their goggles and wiped them clean with their bare fingers. Like professionals on TV they held their masks in one hand and plunged into the depths of the Caribbean Sea off the stern of Lizzy Belle. Snorkelling around in 20 feet of water over a magnificient coral reef we dove, we explored and we discovered the creatures in the depths below. The colours were unbelievable. Andy, it being his birthday and realizing he had become one year older on the day decided to challenge fate and stare one of the largest Baracuda Lizzy Belle has ever come across straight in the eyes. Obviously, that fish backed down and we were happily sailing within the hour.
1:30pm, Preserverance Cove - We dropped the hook 500 yards from
our completely deserted beach. Maddie and Dylan took turns driving the dingy to and from the beach delivering our cooler, drinks and the BBQ. Andy jumped on the
BBQ and grilled up some skewers of all types. The girls swam, laughed and ran the beach as we moved slowly into late afternoon.
4:30pm - Beachcomber Hotel: We made it safely back to the Beachcomber Hotel with plenty of time to get everyone back to the Oasisi of the Seas and happily on their way to St Marteen. It was Andy's birthday, a great day of sailing and a moment that will most definitely be remembered. Thanks again Siegel family for joining Lizzy Belle and I on our adventure and continuing to have a positive impact on our lives.
December 18th 2012
"It's amazing to think that we have known each other for ten years".
Andy Siegel
See you soon,
Dave Welsford
Captain/Division Leader
Tyler Hill Camp
Siegel Family Portrait, Lindbergh Bay
"It's amazing to think that we have known each other for ten years".
Andy Siegel
Joey, Maddie and Dylan snorkelling for the first time. March, 2012 - Oasis of the Seas vs Lizzy Belle
