Belize Flotilla, February 2023
Astrid Davila Perlloni
Sailing season in the Washington, DC area begins in the spring, typically around mid to late April each year. However, during the long, cold winter months of February and March, many sailors seek refuge in warmer climates to shake off the off-season winter blues. And what better way to do it than by joining the DC Sailing Community Winter Flotilla!
Established in 2017, DC Sailing Community provides a social forum for sailors from various clubs along the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers to connect and establish friendships based on their shared passion for sailing. Our mission is to offer local sailors opportunities to expand their sailing skills and develop the confidence to handle larger boats in a wide range of cruising grounds. Our annual winter flotilla has become the most highly anticipated event on DC’s sailing calendar!
The 2023 winter flotilla destination was Belize, and without a doubt, it was an "unBelizeable" experience - pun intended! The flotilla consisted of six chartered catamarans accommodating fifty crew members. The boats ranged in size from 42’ to 50’ and had 4 or 5 cabins, each with ensuite facilities. All boats provided luxurious amenities such as watermakers, double fridge-freezers, and ample lounge and entertainment space across two decks. The boat selection was perfect for our group; we are passionate about sailing but also enjoy traveling in style. To ensure that our boats meet our needs, DC Sailing Community partners exclusively with Moorings and Sunsail, who provide boats in the selected locations."
For me, a wanderlust traveler and a sailor in the making, this event is one that I look forward to participating in every year. The trips are bareboat charters, where the skippers and crew are all members of the DC Sailing Community. The planning takes months, and the dedication that the DCSC team puts into curating such a memorable experience is tremendous.
I was lucky to be part of a crew aboard the largest vessel we had in the flotilla. The boat had everything we needed and more, I jokingly refer to it as the “floating condo”. It had five cabins, five heads (bathrooms), a very comfortable lounge and galley area, an aft deck lounge area, and, what I enjoyed the most, an upper deck lounge. It was absolutely what we needed for S/V “Sotally Tober”. Can you guess what the name means? Yes, as part of the flotilla, we come up with creative names for our boats and sometimes for our crew too! Our other boats this year were “Sips Ahoy!”, “Full Moon”, “Sea Señor”, “Sea la Vie” and “Three Sheets”.
Having the largest vessel in the flotilla allowed us to have a crew of 10 people in the boat. “Jovial Joe” was the skipper of Sotally Tober and this year our first mate was “Jolly Jeff”. The rest of the crew were, “Chatty Cassie”, “Mischievous Macon”, “Sotally Susan”, “Naughty Nicole”, “Mirthful Martha”, “Sassy Stef”, “GPS Greg” and me, “Audacious Astrid”. With that said, you can imagine what a joyful crew we are, and having a boat that size allowed us to host several social events during the flotilla. All boat systems operated as expected, and navigation wise it was very easy to sail, all of which made our 7-day sailing experience through the Belize Cayes an unforgettable one.
We took possession of our boats on a Saturday afternoon. Skippers and First Mates took care of the check-in process with the help of the truly wonderful staff at the Moorings Base at Laru Beya Marina. Shoutout to the Base Manager, Renee Brown and the Customer Service Manager, Diego Coc. They and their entire staff at the base provide exceptional service. The process was fast and smooth, allowing us to board our boats late afternoon that day.
While the check-in process was taking place the rest of us headed out to explore Placencia Village, and most importantly complete the task of getting all the provisions needed for the week. Placencia Village is a small town, full of charm and character. We were able to find everything we had on our lists, except avocados. Ask the locals and you’ll get a crack at many stories about why avocados are not easy to find. The reality is that they were just not in season and Belizeans prefer not to import any of their produce.
Provisioning for a large crew can be quite a lot of work, so naturally we needed a couple of breaks! We took some breaks at bars like Tipsy Tuna and Barefoot Bar, both located between the main drag and the beaches, called the Tipsy Strip. These places had a great variety of food and drinks, and were frequented by both locals and tourists. Later that day, after completing our grocery shopping, we headed back to the marina to stow our provisions and get ready to head out again for dinner. We had the pleasure of eating a delicious meal at Itz'ana Resort’s Limilia Restaurant. The food was amazing, offering a combination of Belize, Caribbean, and gourmet flavors. After dinner we went back to the boat to prepare for the next day's early departure.
Day 1, Sunday - Placencia to Pelican Cayes
15 miles, winds NE 18-21 knots
Promptly after sunrise, we started to get ready to set sail. We had a quick and hearty breakfast onboard and minutes after we were underway to our anchorage for the night. Sunsail staff assisted with departing the marina due to the shallows and obstructions that line the small channel exiting the marina.
That day, we sailed around 8 miles to get from Placencia to the Pelican Cayes. Conditions were optimal, we experienced some fantastic sailing in a robust breeze on moderate seas, managing to dodge a couple of squalls that came through along the way. On approach to our anchorage we dropped sails and motored in. Once on anchor, some of our crew members decided to jump in for a swim, others decided to paddle board and go visit some of the other boats, a good bunch decided to snorkel and I and a few of my crew mates decided to take the dinghy and go cruise around the mangrove areas and to explore the surroundings.
That evening we had dinner reservations at Hideaway Caye, quite literally ‘hidden away’ amongst the Pelican Cayes. Hideaway Caye is privately owned, with a cabana and a restaurant. The extremely welcoming owners, Kim and Dustin bought the island two decades ago and moved from Florida to build a self-sustainable personal paradise. They welcome cruisers to come hang out and exchange tall tales of the sea in their bar, and also offer accommodation for those wishing to stay on the island. We’ve been lucky enough to sail all over the Caribbean and we’ve eaten a lot of conch fritters! So we are very qualified to say that Kim cooks up the best conch fritters we’ve had anywhere we’ve sailed. The flotilla crews arriving at the bar on the island couldn’t get enough of them! Just before dinner that evening we took pictures and presented the DC Sailing Community burgee to Kim and Dustin, now proudly hanging in the bar alongside those of their prior visitors. Our dinner that evening was those delicious conch fritters, catch of the day and grilled lobster.
Day 2, Monday - Pelican Cayes to Coco Plum Caye
22 miles, winds ENE 5-15 kts
Filled with excitement, we started the day bright and early to be able to enjoy the most time possible at our next destination. All of our boats departed around the same time and we sailed together to our next anchorage, Thatch Caye Resort on Coco Plum Caye. However, while we all left together, we didn’t all arrive together! A little bit of competition always creeps into these flotillas, even though getting from one anchorage to the next is not a race… It’s always a race! Here’s where Skippers and First Mates get the chance to prove who are the better sailors, and who has the best crew. I’m not going to mention who’s best, as they are all very skillful, but I must say we had winners in our crew.
Once anchored at Thatch Caye Resort we had lunch onboard. The crew prepared a delicious Causa de Atun, a simple but filling Peruvian that’s become a Sotally Tober favorite. After lunch, we took our dinghies and went ashore to the resort’s Starfish Bar. All boats met there for happy hour and to talk about their trip experiences so far. Just two days into the trip it is amazing to hear all the great stories each boat has had and all the excitement for the upcoming days.
During the evening Thatch Caye Resort provided an amazing 4 course buffet dinner that several of our boat crews had made reservations for. The Resort complimented the food with entertainment, music and dancing, a fun and energetic end to a magical day! Our crew decided to have dinner on board and this time we cooked Lomo Saltado, a staple of Peruvian cuisine, and a must have for our crew.
Day 3, Tuesday- Coco Plum Caye to South Water Caye
Winds W 11-13 knots
Sotally Tober was the first boat to depart the anchorage on day three. While the rest of the flotilla was still sleeping we headed out to sail to our next destination. Did I mention that it is not a race, but it’s always a race?
As we were preparing to head out we noticed that a visitor came on board overnight. A squid was found laying down next to the swimming ladder. One of our crew members named him Sammy The Squid.
Unfortunately, we don’t know how or why Sammy decided to jump on our boat, but whatever the reason was, it was not a great idea. Poor Sammy was deceased by the time he was found, having been out of the water all night. We said our goodbyes to Sammy and returned him to the ocean before raising our anchor.
Our anchorage for the night was going to be South Water Caye, but before getting there we wanted to stop at Tobacco Caye for some snorkeling. Making way to Tobacco Caye gave us our first taste of crossing the shallows of the barrier reef. Due to good planning and a careful watch underway we had no issues navigating around any potentially hazardous waters. We anchored at Tobacco Caye around 9:00 am and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and some bonding time.Next, we gathered our snorkels, fins, and masks and went to enjoy the rest of the morning while snorkeling. We got to see some flounders, a lobster, some beautiful and colorful coral, and a few schools of tropical fishes. We then set sail for South Water Caye to prepare for the Flotilla's Dinghy Race.Typically on these trips, we take a day to “officially” race each other on our chartered yachts. However this year we didn’t feel it was safe or smart to do so. We were sailing around the second biggest barrier reef in the world so we wanted to avoid any risk of damaging such a beautiful gift of nature (not to mention our boats!) So why not do a dinghy race instead?
We arrived at the anchorage at around 2:30pm and immediately started to prepare for the race. It was hard to not be distracted by just how stunning the scenery is at South Water Caye. For the race, every boat would have a designated task or challenge to complete, for a total of six challenges. We had a strategy, we had a plan to win and we needed to sharply execute it. Once the first five challenges were completed, the sixth and final challenge was to get all your crew on the final boat and do a toast together. The catch was that to move from one boat to the other you needed to use the dinghy, but you couldn't use the engine. What that meant was a lot of paddling, and other creative ways, to get from boat to boat.
Needless to say, we aced all the challenges and won the race! Sotally Tober 2023 was the winner of the inaugural DCSC Flotilla Dinghy Race!
The day was not over yet. Our plan for the evening was to have a Mardi Gras party on one of our boats, but due to circumstances beyond our control we swapped our plans with those we had for the following night and instead, we held our Skipper Appreciation Dinner. This event is a strongly held tradition on a DCSC flotilla. We are seated by boat and each crew buys their Skipper their dinner and drinks to recognize and thank them for taking on the responsibility of keeping their crew safe and ensuring a week full of fun memories that last a lifetime. The host for the dinner was Blue Marlin Resort, one of three resorts located at South Water Caye. We had a pre-dinner happy hour and then a buffet-style dinner, followed by some kind words from DCSC Founder, Matt, thanking the Skippers and some key crew who helped with planning the trip.
Day 4, Wednesday- Blue Marlin Resort at South Water Caye
Winds ESE 15-25 knots.
Whenever possible our flotilla itineraries include a rest and play day, meaning we’ll stay at the same anchorage for two nights to enable crews to take advantage of any fun activities on offer ashore. So for Wednesday we had no plan to go sailing. Instead, we decided to enjoy the services offered by Blue Marlin Resort.
Some people booked scuba dives and snorkeling trips, others decided to take a massage on the beach. The owner of the resort, Rosalia, was a fantastic host and made sure we made the most of our time spent there.
After a day of relaxation another of our flotilla boats, Sea Señor hosted the Mardi Gras Party we had switched from the prior evening, including a dance contest!. All boat crews dinghied over to Sea Señor and proved their dance skills by performing a group dance. Oh boy! The things you see! Let’s just say that there are a lot of people in our group that are better sailors than dancers. Our boat, Sotally Tober, came up with original lyrics for a song that described how awesome we were as a crew and how we nailed all of the challenges at the dinghy race. We didn't win the dance contest, but in our minds we did and that’s what mattered to us. For us it was more about how we bonded as a crew and the things we were able to achieve together and in that aspect, we were clearly the winners.
By this point on the trip the wind was really starting to pick up, with gusts over 20 knots (~25 mph) throughout the night. SouthWater Caye gave us good protection and our anchor was very well dug in so we were able to get plenty of sleep despite the howling winds!
Day 5, Thursday - South Water Caye to North Long Coco Caye
Winds E 27 knots
All boats were underway by 9:00am. Our float plan for the day was to lunch at King Lewey’s Island Resort before heading to our overnight anchorage at Rendezvous Caye. However the strong gusts that had developed overnight had turned to blow from a southeasterly direction, and were forecast to increase even more in strength by the evening, meaning our boats would have been very exposed at Rendezvous Caye. The Skippers agreed that a neighboring island, North Long Coco Caye, offered better protection and decided the flotilla would anchor there for the night instead.
As we were once again crossing the reef we decided the flotilla would all sail together, following each other in a line to make sure we were staying on the correct route and alerting everyone of the extremely shallow areas, Sailing the Belizean Cayes was amazing but you need to be a skillful sailor to be able to read the water and spot the very shallow areas. Otherwise, you can easily run aground. We had carefully plotted our course, accounting for variances on the charts and the boat depth finder worked flawlessly. But what made us feel even more comfortable was knowing that the crews from all the boats were working together, paying close attention to the water and alerting each other of what was ahead and what we could expect to do when getting to those areas and to avoid running into any issues.
After an approximately 3.5 hour spirited upwind sail we arrived at the incredible King Lewey’s Island Resort. It was very windy and the water was choppy, some of the boats were able to get a mooring ball while others anchored. Once set, we dinghied over to the small island to grab some drinks and lunch, and hang out for a couple of hours. The island is very quirky and chock full of character, and it has all sorts of decorations simulating a pirate cove. You can spend hours taking great pictures and having fun. We got to meet the owner “King Lewey”, a very interesting character, with lots of stories to tell. He has been on the island for 16 years but is ready to go back to Washington State to spend more time with his family. The island is currently for sale, so if you are in the market for a piece of paradise, maybe this is your chance!
We headed out from King Lewey’s Island Resort at around 2:00 pm, making way for North Long Coco Caye. Upon arrival we set and dived on the anchor to ensure it was well set in readiness for the strong gusty winds.
That evening, it was our turn to host the Flotilla Theme Party. Our theme was “Get Ruined” and believe me, people got really creative with their costumes. Just before sunset, we started decorating the boat and getting it ready for the party. We prepared a delicious shrimp scampi dinner on board and in the blink of an eye, it was party time! People were dressed to impress (in a funny way). We were boarded by Roman Warriors, Egyptian Pharaohs, Mummies, Vikings, Mayans, Incas, and Native Americans. Even Moses decided to join the party! A melting pot and a tribute to the greatest civilizations of the world. All six boats had one goal...dance, mingle, and laugh until it hurt. The party lasted until midnight, and once all the other boats left, our crew continued to laugh, sing and dance. Without hesitation, we all pitched in to clean up, take down the decorations, and ended up closing the night out as we all sang and danced to Frank Sinatra’s classic “New York, New York”. We were able to sleep soundly as our anchor held well throughout the night, with good protection provided by the island.
Day 5, Friday – North Long Coco Caye to No Name Point, Monkey River Town
The time underway from North Long Coco Caye to No Name Point was about five hours in total, however a portion of that again involved crossing some shallow areas under motor, so our actual sailing was a little shorter. We invited over two crew members from “Full Moon '', Jane and Theresa, to sail with us to No Name Point while their boat spent more time sailing before catching up with the fleet at the anchorage in the evening. Those of us heading directly to No Name Point had scheduled a tour and needed to be set on time to be picked up by the tour guides.
We arrived at our anchorage at around noon, had a delicious lunch on board, and waited for our tour guide to pick us up to embark on the Monkey River Tour. We boarded the tour boats directly from our charter vessels and journeyed along the Monkey River while our tour guide and boat captain told us stories about their local community. Some way up the river we disembarked the boats to hike through the Belizean jungle. We got to see (and hear!) a few Howler Monkeys, and a huge colony of very hard working Leafcutter Ants as we walked through the jungle and learned about the native plants and species.
We had hoped to see more monkeys up close, they were high in the trees, but watching the ants and the huge colony that expanded for more than 10-12 feet was quite remarkable.
After the tour, we went back to the boats and played in the water for a bit. This was our last night on board so we started packing up to make sure we had an early departure and to be able to drop the boat at the base before 11am. The trip couldn't end without a closing party, so we invited, once again, all boats over for one last night together. This was definitely a party that was not planned and not part of the itinerary, but just a spontaneous invite from my amazing Sotally Tober boatmates to make our last night together with the flotilla a memorable one. What can I say... It was memorable! Seeing all our friends together, having a good time and enjoying each other's company is an amazing feeling. Some of us have been friends for a long time, others are new friends we met on this trip. The fact that we got to close out the week partying together on a boat, in paradise, and of course sail together all week, is something that not everyone gets to experience. We are very fortunate to have had such a truly magical week!
Day 7, Saturday - No Name Point to Placencia
Winds NNE 15-20 knots
As the week drew to a close, we made our way back to Placencia, taking in the final views of the beautiful Belizean coastline. This was the time for our last sail and to say goodbye until next year. The last day of the trip always brings mixed feelings, you get to think of the amazing time and how fast time went by.
We had a short 10 mile course to the Moorings Base in Placencia. The wind was strong and the seas rough, not good conditions for raising the sails so we decided to motor for the duration of the passage back to base. We were riding high waves most of the way until we got closer to the channel that would take us to the Moorings Base. We got there an hour before checkout. The Moorings staff was ready for us and helped check out our boat in less than 30 minutes. One of the things that we try to improve every year is reducing the number of provisions left at the end of the trip to avoid waste. We were pretty good at it but this year, we beat any other mark we had. We were just left with a few provisions that could fit a 12x12 box. Our Skipper, Joe, was very pleased with that. Soon after checking the boat back in, some of our crew mates and fellow flotilla participants parted ways for our last night in Belize, before heading back to the US the next day.
Belize offered us pristine, warm, crystal clear waters and robust winds in which we sailed, we laughed, we sang, we danced and we became better friends. It gave us spectacular reefs where we spent hours snorkeling and scuba diving, observing marine life that you won’t be able to find anywhere else in the Caribbean. It allowed us to explore Mayan ruins and immerse ourselves in hiking the trails of the different wildlife reserves. We got to learn about their people and culture; a mix of Mayan, European, Creole, and Garufana, all of which make Belize a very unique destination in Central America.
Looking back at the trip, I can honestly say that I’m very grateful and blessed to be able to live experiences like this one.The combination of sailing, exploring new destinations, and spending time with a wonderful group of people was truly magical. This was all made possible by the exceptional individuals responsible for them: the DC Sailing Community, their partnership with The Moorings and Sunsail, and my fantastic Sotally Tober crewmates. “All for one and one for all!” Once we crew together, we crew for life!
I can't wait to see where the DC Sailing Community Winter Flotilla will take us next year!
As they say in Mopan Mayan – B’otik... Thank you!
