Thank you for considering a yachting holiday with TMM in Belize! As you are probably well aware, Belize boasts some of the most pristine, unspoiled, natural beauty you will find anywhere in the world. An ample supply of deserted islands and beautiful cruising grounds await you! We have put this informative package together to help you decide on your sailing destination. Following you will find some of the "most frequently asked questions" about Belize. We have done our best to omit the sales hype, stick to the facts and hopefully answer many questions for you!

What can you tell me about chartering in Belize?
Whether it's calm water cruising, world class diving, rain forest trekking, Maya ruins, cave exploring or simply relaxing under a coconut tree enjoying the warm trade winds, you will find most things you are looking for in a charter destination right here in "Little Old Belize".

What can you tell me about the Barrier Reef?
You may already know the #1 tourist attraction in Belize is the Barrier Reef. This reef offers not only unlimited dive locations, but great protection from the large open ocean swells. Most people find this a very comfortable place to cruise and it's certainly not without its challenges! Navigating is line of sight and you nearly always are within sight of an island. Keep identifying islands as you sail along, and you "should" never get lost. The challenging part is learning to read the shallow (sometimes known as "skinny") waters and recognizing coral!

What charts or cruising guides are available?
The best charts available for Belize navigation are contained in the Cruising Guide to Belize & Mexico's Caribbean Coast by Freya Rauscher. The Belize office will provide you with a laminated copy of the charts that are marked up with routes, recommended day and overnight anchorages, areas to stay away from and also lists snorkeling areas and islands with restaurants. If you are booking your trip through TMM, upon confirmation we send you a free copy of the Freya Rauscher Guide. If you are booking your charter through another agency we suggest you contact them regarding the guide as we encourage them to purchase in bulk and pass the savings on to you. Should your agent not have the guide available please contact info@windmillhillbooks.com making sure that you get the 3rd edition as it is the most up to date. You can also purchase a guide at the Belize office; the price will be higher due to shipping costs, duties and taxes. During your chart briefing your briefer will mark up your guide for you to help you enjoy a safe and memorable trip. When the guide is followed with a large degree of sobriety, it makes your trip quite safe. However, you do need to watch the road carefully and learn to read the water! We don't recommend setting sail for your next anchorage plugged into your GPS, putting it on autopilot, and heading below to make a drink!

What provisions and water are available when sailing inside the barrier reef?
Although there are several restaurants at various islands along the reef, provisioning must be done at the start of the charter in San Pedro. In San Pedro you can order a standard full or split provisioning package from TMM. You can also self provision in San Pedro as the stores are well stocked. Once away from our base you can purchase ice and drinking water at Caye Caulker, St. George's Caye, Spanish Lookout Caye, Tobacco Caye and South Water Caye. Tank water is only available in San Pedro or Placencia. Water conservation is the key in Belize - so no singing in the shower!!

Why doesn't TMM allow bareboating outside the reef?
The reefs are not very well charted, which makes it dangerous coming in through unmarked "cuts" in the reef. Getting out is easy, getting back in...not so much. Once inside the atolls the shoal waters are full of coral rock formations that lie in many areas in such numbers that the charts simply say "numerous coral heads or patch reefs". Additionally, communication is non-existent and we may not be able to come to you even if we knew you were in trouble. We do not have a dedicated search and rescue organization in Belize and therefore we prefer to steer people clear of any potential difficulty. If for instance you put a hole in the hull of your vessel outside the reef, we would have to wait for a calm weather window to bring a crane and barge to assist us. Once out there, we would have to complete the repair and wait for another weather window at our expense before bringing the barge back inside the reef. These calm times in the blue can be few and far between, so it can turn into an expensive, time consuming operation. However, if you stay inside the reef we can be there in a day, and have our boat back in service within a week. With so much to see inside the reef, it won't spoil your sailing adventure to steer clear of the outside. Many people want to go to the outer atolls for the diving, but in reality the southern reef is every bit as spectacular. Our local TMM captains have been sailing outside the reefs for years so if you really have your heart set on sailing outside the reef we would be happy to provide you with a captain.

How do I get to Belize?
U.S. gateway cities are Miami, Houston, Dallas (all 2 to 2.5 hours) and Atlanta (3.5 hours). Carriers are American Airlines, United, Continental or Delta. Because of constantly changing flight schedules, We won't elaborate on times, other than to say that most flights arrive between 12:00 noon and 3:00 pm.

Once in Belize how do we get to San Pedro or Placencia?
Once at Belize International, a 15 minute commuter plane with Tropic Air takes you on your first breathtaking experience with the largest barrier reef in the western hemisphere. If you send us your international flight itinerary we will make you Tropic reservations for you. We will provide you with a reservation # and will have vouchers waiting at the Tropic Air desk at Belize International Airport the day of your arrival.  If incoming flights are delayed, it's not a problem!  They fly every hour and they know you are arriving on the international flight we tell them; they simply get you on the next flight available.  If you have too much luggage, they may put some of the pieces on the following flight.  Don't be alarmed!  This works well and they're very good about making sure you get your luggage by the end of the day.  In return for this inconvenience, they don't charge people for excess luggage. Flight cost: San Pedro $128.25/person round trip. The planes are Cessna 208 Caravans. 
Please note that there is a Belize City "Municipal Airstrip" as well as Belize City "International". If you have an early arrival you can take a taxi to the Municipal Airport and save a few dollars on the trip to San Pedro, This is only worth it if you have 4 or more in your group. If you arrive later in the day do NOT use this option, if you miss your flight at Municipal or check in late you will be out of luck! They will not put on an extra flight for you. Flight cost to San Pedro from Municipal is $74.50/person round trip.

TMM - How do we get there?
We highly recommend taking the Tropic Air flight from the International Airport. While you can catch a water taxi from Belize City it's a 90 minute ride on a crowded boat, depending on your flight arrival time you may be cutting it close for making the last water taxi. Tropic Air will fly you to the airstrip in San Pedro, Ambergris Cay. It's a spectacular flight lasting about 15 minutes; take a look down and you may see Manatees, sharks and rays swimming through the waters. We highly recommend spending the night before your charter in a hotel to ensure you get out on the water and start your charter relaxed. Boats must depart the dock before 3pm to make it safely to the next anchorage and if you arrive from the International Airport on the day of your charter it will be very difficult to meet that time. Unfortunately we do not allow sleep-aboards as our dock is situated in front of several hotel beaches and all sewage goes overboard as there are no pump out facilities in Belize. If you miss the 3pm cut off you will need to anchor out in San Pedro. Our office is located 5 minutes walking distance south of the San Pedro airstrip. Although it is only a short walk to our base, most people require a taxi to carry their luggage. Because we never know exactly when people will be arriving, we ask that you simply grab any cab that's waiting at the airport and ask to be taken to TMM (unless overnighting at a hotel elsewhere of course!) For those of you who choose to get a bit of exercise and walk to our office, we are located just south of the Wings department store on the east (left coming south) side of the street. Our entrance is at the rear of the building. The TMM base in San Pedro, Ambergris Cay is one of the most perfect places in Belize to begin your yacht charter. The town of San Pedro has long been the tourist capital of Belize with the main attraction being diving and water sports. San Pedro has experienced rapid growth in the last few years and boasts amenities to match most any other island in the Caribbean. There are more golf carts than cars, and a plethora of restaurants, bars, dive shops and souvenir shops. The cost of living in San Pedro is rather high due to two things, the cost of shipping from the mainland and of course tourism!

What are the local hotels like?
Right across the street from the Tropic Air terminal you'll find the "Sunbreeze". It is quite nice, with a beautiful pool in the courtyard. Our dock is only 200' away which makes flow to your yacht very easy. The "Sunbreeze" has one of the highest rated restaurants on the island along with reasonable prices and of course there is a convenient "watering hole" by the pool. BC's Beach Bar is right next door with the most diverse (and sometimes strange) group of locals, ex-pats and cruisers you'll find in the Caribbean. Another option which is clean, neat, and under new management is "Coconuts". They offer a continental breakfast and free bicycles that make life quite convenient for their guests. The cab ride won't cost any more as it is only a 4-5 minute ride south, but it does mean you'll have to cab back to your boat in the morning. The Phoenix Resort is luxurious and only a short ride from the base.




Dining out while on charter - Are there many restaurants?
There aren't a huge number of restaurants out on the islands but there are more than enough that you won't have to eat aboard your whole trip. During your chart briefing you will be provided with a full detail of the islands and our charts mark islands with restaurants. If you download our "Welcome Aboard" document we list several of the restaurants along with their phone numbers.

Cell Phones
We put cell phones on all boats because VHF communication is only good for approximately 15 - 20 miles depending on weather conditions. Cell phones provide excellent coverage within the barrier reef. A bonus is that you can use your calling card and not have to pay locally. Additionally, you are not charged for any incoming calls! The cell phone rental charge of $1.00/day includes 10-15 minutes of local calling time. Sorry but cell phone numbers are not available prior to arrival.

Can you provide us with snorkel gear, windsurfing equipment or scuba gear?
SNORKEL GEAR is included with your charter, so please be sure to get fitted before leaving the TMM base. The gear is in the dive shop on the dock and any of the dock can assist you with fitting.

WINDSURFERS can be rented through SailSports Belize. This popular water sport is perfect inside the reef with an undisturbed breeze and calm waters, which is ideal for beginners when winds are light! Please visit www.sailsportsbelize.com for a listing of the available rental boards.

DIVING EQUIPMENT - Belize is renowned for its excellent diving and no doubt a lot of you will come to scuba dive. For optimum safety and specific locations, we encourage you to dive with the local dive shops along the way. We will provide you with a list of these shops and their phone numbers on board in the boat binder. Most dives need to be booked a day ahead. Booking a dive before you come down is not recommended as all diving is weather dependent. Please remember that you cannot dive by yourself. The law requires that a licensed Tour Guide be with you while diving. If you wish to dive from the boat you may only do so if you are taking a TMM skipper with you on your charter. A list of recommended dive shops is located on our "Links" page. The benefits of going with a local scuba diving shop are: It's safer. Shops offer expertise with local knowledge of wind and sea conditions and should have oxygen available along with an emergency evacuation procedure to get you back to San Pedro for re-compression if necessary. They know all the best dive spots and will ensure that you maximize your diving experience. They save all the damage that occurs from tanks on fibreglass boats as well as coral that is unwittingly killed by those who didn't mean to!!

Can I fish in Belize?
Trolling while sailing is most popular, but you can also toss a line just about anywhere and catch a fish or two. Most people catch jacks and barracuda while trolling inside the reef, but you might also catch a small snapper while at anchor. FISHING GEAR - we rent fishing poles for $30.00 per week .We do not provide tackle but it can be purchased at Captain Shark's on the other side of the airstrip and they can give you tackle recommendations. Belize requires every person to purchase a fishing license. The cost of a license is $25US.

Should I visit inland Belize?
Maya ruins, rain forests and jungle trekking, river rafting, cave exploring - what more could anyone want? It's small but powerful, meek and mighty, adventurous yet comfortable. That's inland Belize! Your trip is not complete without a peek at the other half of Belize. Our Belize staff can arrange pre or post charter day tours to the mainland and work with only the best operators. Don't let that guy you met on the beach talk you into doing a tour with his "Brother". He's likely not licensed or insured!

Pre and Post Charter Adventures in Belize One of our Base Managers formerly worked for an expedition company in Belize and specialized in custom itineraries for visitors to Belize. Given at least a month's advance notice he can put together an itinerary to suit your tastes or can arrange with his former company to take care of all your needs.