SAIL, WINDSURF, KITEBOARD

[These trips will be available when Camp Toucan starts operating.]

Lake Bacalar is a long, narrow lake that runs north-south, while the afternoon wind always comes from the east – the trade winds of the Caribbean. The lake is only one to two kilometers wide, so the swells don’t build up much, even when the wind is strong. Therefore it is ideal for sailing, windsurfing, and kiteboarding (kitesurfing), because as you sail north or south, the wind is always coming from beside you (rather than from in front of you or behind you), and the water ahead of you is fairly smooth. And there’s never a risk of getting blown out to sea. In addition, the spring-fed water of the lake is clear and warm, and is turquoise in hue, while the shore is mostly soft reeds and grasses, on both sides of the lake, rather than being rocky. (Bacalar, originally Bak-halal, meant place where the reeds grow in ancient Mayan.)

So the conditions are ideal, and at Camp Toucan we take advantage of these ideal conditions using sailing catamarans, and windsurfing and kiteboarding rigs, in small groups with local guides, in the following ways:

If you just want to ride along, you can join a small group sailing a catamaran. The shore is never more than a kilometer away, so from the boat you can see the coconut palms, thatched roofs, and scenic hillsides in the distance. If you happen to fall in, the water is warm and clear, and you are wearing a lifejacket, so it’s more refreshing than alarming. The guide will help you get back on board, and your wet clothes will tend to feel comfortable (due to evaporation) in the warm, breezy air.

If you want to learn to sail (or expand your present sailing skills), the guide will show you how to sail a catamaran, then have the participants take turns sailing it themselves, observing the direction of the wind, and adjusting the angles of the sails and rudders accordingly, so as to cruise along at good speed. After you have successfully sailed a catamaran with a guide for a while, on a subsequent day you can sail one yourself, with the guide on another boat within sight, so either boat can help the other if needed.

If you want to learn to windsurf or kiteboard, a guide will outfit you with a board, and a sail or kite, for your size and ability. Beginners practice on shore with a guide first, while experienced participants proceed to the water. Whenever you are ready, the guides take you to a good spot along the shore of the lake to launch from, and demonstrate launching and sailing under the conditions, then help you get started. When you fall in, a guide helps you as needed, and gives you further advice if you want it. The guides may use kayaks or paddleboards to help in the instructional process, or a rowboat. The instruction is provided in short increments, through the day, with time to practice each new technique in between. (It's not a nonstop two-hour lesson, because many people can’t absorb, retain, and apply that much information all at once.) The instruction is included with the use of the equipment.

If you are an experienced windsurfer or kiteboarder, the guides will outfit you and go with you to the launching area, to get you going in these conditions, then you can continue on your own. The guides will be present for instruction or equipment adjustments as needed.

Each day, we meet in the Bacalar plaza at 8:30, when the wind is typically about to start. (Please note the different meeting times for different Camp Toucan activities, due to the different activities involved.) Before we meet, you can get breakfast at one of several small restaurants on the plaza and along adjacent streets (see the Town & Lake web page). After meeting we proceed to our launching area, where we make sure everyone is fully outfitted, then proceed to the water to depart, in different small groups for sailing, windsurfing, and kiteboarding. During the day you can stop for breaks when you want. At lunchtime we bring a group lunch, a sort of mini-buffet, to have in the shade by the water (included in the trip). In the afternoon you can stop when you want, or continue up to 5:15, when we head back to the plaza for Social Hour, where we compare our experiences with those of other travelers over a drink and appetizer (included in the trip, and your drink can be with or without alcohol).

WEEKLY SCHEDULE:

Monday is the best day to get acquainted and get started, and it’s the day when the guides are the most prepared to help all participants get outfitted, and help beginners learn the basics. So the Monday trip is the easiest and most instructional, while the trips later in the week are more advanced.

Tuesday is a good day to continue developing your skills and enjoyment, in the particular wind and water conditions of Lake Bacalar. 

Wednesday is the official “rest day” for Lake Bacalar, to allow the delicate ecosystem one day a week without people. Because of this rest day on Wednesday, there is sailing, windsurfing, and kiteboarding available on Sunday, even though the other camp activities do not continue on Sundays. So Wednesday is a day to do something else, such as Kayak and SUP Trip 3, which includes swimming in clear spring-fed pools in the jungle, then paddling a kayak or paddleboard down the Rio Hondo, which is the border between Mexico and Belize. Or you can go on Mayan Trip 3, which goes to the ancient ruins of Kohunlich in the morning, then goes to the same clear jungle pools for swimming in the afternoon. Or you can go on Mountain Bike Trip 3, or Folk Dancing, or Seminar 3 on Mayan Astronomy and Religion. 

Thursday, back on Lake Bacalar, is a good day to advance your sailing, windsurfing, or kiteboarding skills. It may be a day to try more advanced equipment if you want.

Friday is the day to enjoy your newly increased skills, going up and down this beautiful lake as much as you want.

Saturday you can continue sailing, windsurfing, or kiteboarding, or you could join one of the two trips to Mahahual, on the coast of the Caribbean Sea. The wind along the coast is often pretty strong, and the reefs have sharp rocks in some places and sensitive living coral in other places, so it’s not a good place to sail, windsurf, or kiteboard. However, it is indeed a good place to paddle a kayak or paddleboard down the narrow strip of water between the reef and the beach. So you could join either Mayan Trip 6 (without paddling), or Kayak and SUP Trip 6 (with paddling a kayak or sailboard along the coast). Note that if you have friends or family on either trip, you could plan to meet them for a late lunch at one of the many restaurants along the beach in Mahahual.

Sunday you can continue sailing, windsurfing, or kiteboarding as desired. If you want, you can sleep a little longer in the morning, and perhaps get a massage later in the afternoon, as you wish.

Catamaran, windsurf, and kiteboard making:

The present Camp Toucan catamarans, like other similar catamarans, were designed to fit on a trailer going down a U.S. highway, so they are limited to 8 feet wide. The optimal dimensions for a fast and stable catamaran of this sort would be substantially wider than 8 feet, and somewhat longer, with larger sails. At Camp Toucan we plan to make catamarans with those optimal dimensions and sailing results. There will be rudders both front and back (as Polynesians used centuries ago), so the boat ends up going where you direct it to go, not way off course to the downwind side. We also plan to modify currently available windsurfing and kiteboarding equipment so that one set of equipment is more enjoyable for experienced people, while another set of equipment is more enjoyable for beginners, compared to the currently available equipment. Windsurfing is not as popular as it was for a while, but it’s still the best way to glide across the surface of the water on your own in a gentle tropical breeze. The goal at Camp Toucan is to expand and improve participant experiences, for casual users and experts alike, not just provide the same equipment and experiences as are available elsewhere.