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On 4 Dec 2005 16:49:23 -0800, wrote:

We are considering property in Belize. The Moho River area sounds
about right for us. However we can't find any substantive information
on the river itself. For example what is the depth over the bar? We
have a 33-foot cutter with about 5 foot draft. Having heard so much
about the poor condition of Belize charts I don't want to rely on
them.
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That's a common problem in lots of areas, even right here is south
west Florida. The charts are next to useless in most inshore areas,
and the realtors are not only unreliable but frequently unknowledgable
as well. What we did was scout around and see what types of boats the
locals are using, and try to find a few to talk with that have no
connection with a potential deal (possibly a local club?). If you see
other deep draft sail boats in the area that is a good start, but if
you see nothing but small outboards be wary. Another possibility may
be renting a boat that has a depth sounder and doing your own access
survey. Be prepared to do metric conversions.