Isla Mujeres, Mexico, and points south.

Starsinger, IP27-80, is currently alongside in Isla Mujeres, Mexico, having spent a year in Cuba. We made our way down from Thunder Bay, Ontario by way of the Great Lakes and the western river system, the Illinois, Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee, Ten Tom, Black Warrior and MObile rivers to the Gulf of Mexico.

From Florida we slipped over to Varadero, Cuba and from there to Marina Hemingway, thence to Cabo San Antonio and across the Yucatan Channel to Isla Mujeres, Qintana Roo, Mexico.

We are considering whether we should leave Starsinger here on the hard for hurricane season or move her down to Guatemala, by way of Belize.

Cathy and I each run businesses so getting away is a bit of a trick. We usually manage four to five weeks about twice a year so it has taken a while to get this far.

Any advice from those who have traveled the eastern Mexican coast and or Belize would be greatly appreciated. We have both electronic and paper charts of the area, but first hand experience is very valuable to us.

We are following in the footsteps of Starsinger's ( knee Indulge) former owner Bill Jones, who sailed her right round the Caribbean in the 80s' and 90's. We cheated. We picked a boat that had already been there, knowing she would look after us. So far she has done that very well.

Cheers

Cathy and Mel IP 27-80 Starsinger

Since it is already into hurricane season this response might be a little late. I kept one of my previous boats at Isla Mujeres year round at the Marina. We had the last hurricane to go over top of Isla and we went down to the boat and experienced it completely. The location is acutally a pretty good hurricane hole and the staff at the marina were excellent help.

Don't miss out on a stop over at Hut point as you head down the coast just past all the hotels, there is a break in the reef that will allow you to enter and you have 6 feet and sand and a perfect little anchorage. Also don't miss out on Isla Contoy, it is a bird watchers paradise.

Enjoy!

Starsinger is not on the hard, it was not recommended. She is being well looked after up in the lagoon at the south end of Isla Mujeres.

There are a few live aboards lookingout for her as well as the owner and his family and a young Mexican gentleman we have hired to be our surrogate Captain while we are not there.

The political and pirate situation in the Honduras and Guatemala have given us pause, but all in all I think we will continue south in November/December.

She now has new batteries (3), a new bottom and new through hulls and scupper hoses. We are considering whether to return her brightwork to natural bare wood, to be sloshed with buckets of salt water on occasion, or to get back in to keeping up a Cetol regimen. For those who have been there the sun in the Caribbean is very hard on a Cetol or Varnish finish. Starsinger came with canvas covers for all wood work, but time has worked its ravages on them and the cost of replacement and the on and off of them mitigates against this method of protecting the Cetol. Any thoughts in this direction from cruisers in the south would be appreciated.

Also noted what I took to be a 38 foot or larger IP at Puerto Isla Mujeres Marina. Not sure whose boat that is but am curious?

Cheers

and of course thanks to Hayden for getting this site together.

Mel

Mel,
I think you are seeing Andromeda, IP44-35. I was there 6-27 thru 7-5. My usual rotation has me there 1 week per month. Stop by sometime for a cervesa. George Henry

Janice and I spent time in Isla Mujeres on several occasions from June 05 to July o8 while using the Rio Dulce as a home port.
After a sail in 06 from Honduras to Isla Mujeres, I spent a month solo drifting back to the Rio It was grand.
In the three years we never had problems or felt we were in a bad situation.
The cleanist fuel you will ever find is in Progreso and Isla Mujeres.
Canvas work is cheap in Guat.(it was when we were on the river)
Bright work a good deal if you use Lupe she will do a top notch job. I did my own bright work but got her several other boats to work on.
Usr FREYA RAUSHER`S guide to BELIZE and MEXICO`S CARIBBEAN COAST and have a good trip.
If you stop at GARBUTT CAY in Belize tell Harry that Jim and Janice on s/v ISLAND TIME said HI.

We have managed to carve out another few weeks in the Caribbean and will end our way south following the good advice we gathered here. We have Raucher and have read it at carious times. David Neelon advises that the GPS and the charts don't necessarily agree south of San Pedro. We had similar experiences in Cuba. We were perpetually 100 yards SW of our GPS indicated position. Not a big deal in daylight with good visibility but a caution at night or in cloudy waters.

Bit of a rest first feet up and slushy drinks and enjoy the Island then we will head out. Maybe as far as Roatan, but the last thing we need is a schedule??

We had a full week lopped off the front end of this adventure by a combination of events but plan to make the best of it. Christmas in Mexico, New year in Belize maybe.

Cheers and the best of the season to everyone. Haven't got around to ordering the annual calendar but will do here before we shove off.

Cheers Mel and Cathy Starsinger IP27-80