From the 25th of February until the 4th of March we will stay a week in Belize on a catamaran 404 called Seaing Double. That feels a bit like cheating. We have deliberately chosen for a cat in order not to be able to make a good comparison with the SeaQuest. This week is not so much about sailing, but more about being on the water in a beautiful area, with the freedom to look for a different place every day. And we totally succeeded!

It is a fantastic week with a lovely stay on a spacious cat. The weather is good, nice warm sun, in the beginning less wind, later in the week more wind. Regularly good snorkeling, nice anchor spots, fantastic nature and friendly people. Belize is still quite underdeveloped as a sailing area. We meet other charterers and leavers, but not many. The charterers are mainly from Canada and the USA. Also a few Europeans, no acquaintances for us. And only one charterer. This means that we are either alone at the anchorage, or with only one other boat.

Sailing on a cat is really different than we are used to. With less wind it goes fine, but with a bit more wind it soon gets bumpy.

We start in Placencia at the SunSail base. From there we sail to Lark Cay, an archipelago close to Plancencia with mangroves and beautiful coral. Then towards the outer reef to Southwater Cay. A wonderful sailing trip with calm weather, through the shallows at Blue Ground Range. Southwater Cay is a tropical island with palm trees and beautiful snorkeling. Unfortunately the next day the wind is too strong to snorkel at the reef itself.

In a fast sailing trip of 2 hours we sail back south to Pelican Cay. These are islands with mangroves again, and a nice little diner on the shore. Hide Away', run by an American family with a daughter of 4 years old. The wind keeps blowing and bumping with a cat against the wind is not that nice, so we made a short trip to North Long Cacoa Cay. A beautiful little island with palm trees where we are all alone. Then via a lunch stop at Wippari Cay back to Placencia. And the last day we take a river cruise up the Monkey River to see the wild life of Belize.

The provisions we have arranged through SunSail work very well. With delicious breakfasts, lunches and four dinners on the boat. We also go out three times. It is a very relaxed week with our family.

Air travel's going fine, too. Three flights, a long flight from Amsterdam to Atlanta USA, a 2 hour flight from Atlanta to Belize City, and finally a flight of half an hour with a very small plane.