Forkliftt, Ive made some 12 to 14 round trips to Cozumel and Isla over the past 40 years.* Some of the trips to Cozumel were so long ago that Cancun was only a sand dune.* Cozumel is my favorite in that the population is primarily Mayan.* The Mayans are (or were) intensly proud and excruciatingly honest people that I enjoyed being around and with.* Cozumel also had the advantage of being an island, not all that easlily accessible, and was more readily policed.
The waters in the area are incredibly clear.* I've looked at my boat from a quarter mile away, under water, and could tell that the rudder was slightly cocked.* There are no coral heads in the approaches to the sportsman's harbor and depths are 15 feet or more.* You could read a newspaper at 40 feet.
The approach to the Yucatan is as I told you and the 10 fathom curve is golden.* Isla has a pretty good marina on the east side*of the island that is well protected.* The one on the north end can be pretty exciting in any kind of a blow.* We had to move out with wave of about 4 feet.* At the time, the piers there were pretty rickety.* Remember that the Yucatan is not noted for tall, straight trees.* The approach to Isla is well marked, and care should be exercised in following the charted data.* The people of Isla are more sophisticated that those of Cozumel, but for the most part still very nice.* Isla does have the advantage of being in easy reach of Cancun (I know nothing of the marina situation there) and the site of Garafon Reef (on the southern end of Isla) that is world renowned for snorkeling.* It is, unfortunately, on every tour schedule so can be difficult.
DS
