The "Cayo boats"
A lightly built craft that flourished from around 1911 until 1945.
Passengers rode in the boat and cargo was towed behind it in large pitpan.
These boats had replace pitpans as the principal vessel of the Cayo trade. During this period, pitpans evolved from a very fine end boat, designed to be propelled by paddles and poles.
The main builders of Cayo boats were Mr.Clifford Betson of North Front Street and Mr. Aslin.
Shipwrights published in 1925 in"The Handbook of British Honduras"
CLIFFORD BETSON
CHARLES YOUNG
FREDERICK FISHER
FRED BANNER
GEORGE OSLING
GOWER FULLER
HILDEBRANDT HILL
JOHN FRANKLIN
JOHN E. LESLIE
JOSEPH MAHEIA
JOHN ROBINSON
JOSEPH L. COLLINS
RICHARD (DICK) HINDS
RICHARD JONES
ROBERT GENTLE
VIVIAN GABOUREL
Wm. A. SEBASTIAN
WILLIAM BEVANS
WILLIAM FLOWERS
SIMEON YOUNG
Some of the Historic boats that were built in Belize included:
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"Radio" (36 feet, 6 inches in length; 9 feet, 6 inches in width;
4 feet 9 inches hull dept) an 108 years sailing sand lighter, that was still in commission in 1993. Originally, it was a smaller lighter owned by some "Indian People", in the northern part of Belize, who used to bring logwood from the Rio Hondo in her.
In 1908, she was lengthened about 10 feet more by a shipwright named Joe Mejia, who added 4 ft. to the stern and 6 ft. to the bow.
Radio was a frequent winner in the annual Baron Bliss Day Regatta. Radio was also used a lot to carry construction sand to Belize City from the mouth of the Sibun River.
"Reliance" (36' x 10' x 4' hull) built around 1917 by Simeon Young Sr. at Caye Caulker for Leopold Bevans. It was sold to Carlos Franco who used her to transport coconuts, and subsequently sold her in Mexico, from where she was sold to some Americans. "Reliance" was last sighted in Florida in 1952, by Simeon Young Jr.
The "Heron-H"was Belize's premiere carrier of passengers and cargo between the old capital and southern towns including Stann Creek.
