20 February 2000 - Sunday

We reached Belize , 900 miles north from Colon and only 300 miles away from Cuba - the former territory of 'The Brothers of the Coast' - the buccaneers who set traps for the passing Spanish galleons filled with silver and gold. Subsequently an English colony - British Honduras, nowadays an independent country of not more than 200 thousand inhabitants, full of magnificent monuments of Mayan culture and the second largest coral reef in the world.

Antica is lying on the roadstead in the lagoon opposite Belize City waiting for the new crew members. Before, though, after a month's staying in Colon and after a serious repair of the main engine on January, 25th we left for Bocas del Tor the destination of the first stage of the trip back home. Through the Chiriqui lagoon and the Crawel Cay Canal we entered the Almicante Bay sailing among the island of the most interesting next to San Blas archipelago in this part of the Mosquito Bay. Bocas del Tor is a very exciting and recommended by number of sailors and guides place. Continuing our sail north we stopped in Purto Limon in Costa Rica and then we sailed to a Nicaraguan island called Isla Grande del Maiz in order to make up water, petrol and food supplies. The island itself made a bad impression on us so we left it almost right away. From then on right to the reaching of the Roatan island (400 miles) our sail was extremely difficult and tensed. We were sailing on the shallow sea, full of reefs and shoals, against the current and wind. From Cabo Gracias a Dios we hoped for the conditions to get better but unfortunately Neptune was not kind to us. In bad weather conditions we lost the entire sail, my favourite genoa . On the 10th of February we anchored in a well-shielded bay opposite Coax Hole a town on the Roatan island belonging to Honduras. We met 'Parody' a familiar yacht from Baltimore and we made friends with Mike McDouglas (a very colourful figure) who settled here for good. The stage from the island to Belize (120 miles) was far easier and nicer, we were sailing with the fair wind and sun. In Belize City we organised an excursion to Mayan pyramids in Altun Ha.

A new crew should arrive on February, 25th. First we'll sail to San Pedro and then to Mexican islands Cozumel and Mujeros. This stage is to be finished in Havana about March, 10th.

Capt. Jerzy Wąsowicz

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