With a water maker on board, and to help keep the boat light and increase fuel efficiency, the Ozimek's filled their water tanks ½-full. They also carried two 6-gallon Jerry cans of fuel. While initially they were concerned about fuel capacity, they quickly realized that alternating the use of their engines greatly increased their range - a reassuring fact when making a long passage.

By far, the longest crossing was the 400-mile traverse from Key West to the Dry Tortugas and across to Isla Mujeres off Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. Cruising at 6 -7 knots, the Ozimek's ran on one engine for 80 percent of the time on the 36 hour, non-stop crossing - and at 96 gallons, using up a little more than half of their fuel capacity.

While making their way to Puerto Aventuras to spend a few inland days in Tulum and Chichen Itza along the Mayan Riviera, the Ozimek's had a close encounter with the Mexican Navy. They pulled up next to RhumbLine in 3-foot seas with their submachine guns and full intention to come aboard.

"They just about killed themselves getting on our boat," said Jean, who's major concern at that time was making sure the Navy's 30-foot fiberglass boat didn't ram into theirs. With limited Spanish, a lot of sign language, and no drugs on board, they were eventually given the green light to continue.

Besides the navy, the Ozimek's hardly encountered another person.

"There were very few people along the Western Caribbean Coast, and unlike the Bahamas, there aren't many islands or safe harbors to tuck into in case of bad weather - if things get bad you're hung out to dry," said Stan.

The coastal area for 60 miles leading down to Belize catches all the currents, winds and waves coming across from the Caribbean Sea with prevailing easterly winds. Add to that recipe the Yucatan current, which runs up to 4 knots from the south to the north, and you get very, very rough seas.

"Sometimes it was uncomfortable, a lot of times we couldn't stay on the flybridge. We were at first worried that the boat wasn't going to make it, then we were worried that we weren't going to make it," said Stan. Fortunately, their cat Scamper - of the feline sort, suffered the worst hardship with a few bouts of mal de mer.

With nothing but an ocean in all directions, and only a handful of safe harbors along the coast: Bahía de la Espíritu Santo, Bahía de la Ascensío, and Bahia de Chetumal, their ultimate destination was the tiny Yucatán port town to the southwest called Xcalak (pronounced ISH-ka-lak), which is about 7 miles from Belize. And when you measure the town by the number of dirt roads it has, Xcalak, with one-dirt road, is a small town.

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