25 YEARS AGO ON AMBERGRIS CAYE   BY ANGEL NUÑEZ

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First Speedboats and First Vehicles

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FIRST SPEEDBOAT- Vernon Hammon, a U.S. citizen who retired in San Pedro, was about to inaugurate a resort known as the Reef Colony Club. Well obviously he needed transportation to communicate between San Pedro and Belize City and for that he used a speed boat. It was a small boat, about 18 feet long with a 40 horse power outboard engine so it moved really fast by the standards of the 1950’s. Well this speedboat which he used to commute from San Pedro to Belize City was also called the Reef Colony and was captained by Cruz Nuñez (+) and Libby Azueta. Scores of Sanpedranos traveled this speedboat for free- students, sick people, any emergency or simply one desiring to go to the city and it coincided with a trip of the Reef Colony. No wonder Vernon Hammon and his wife Terry were very much liked by all the people of San Pedro. Kudos to Mr. Hammon for introducing the speedboats to San Pedro. Fast transportation was first by sea rather than by air or land and that is understandable for an island that is so linked to the sea. The first speed boat was owned by one Mr. Vernon Hammon and Terry Hammon, a U.S. couple who came to Ambergris Caye in the 1950's. bought a lot of land and went into real estate. Obviously Mr. Hammon needed good transportation to go to the city for his legal transactions. Also he was about to inaugurate a resort known as the Reef Colony Club. Well obviously he needed transportation to communicate between San Pedro and Belize City and for that he used a speed boat. He, therefore got himself a wooden skiff, large and beautiful, , about 18 feet long with a 40 horse power outboard engine so it moved really fast by the standards of the 1950’s. It had 2 big outboard motors and he named it "Reef Colony" after the resort he was working on.

Mr. Chico Gomez and Mr. Oscar Aguilar on first jeep

The boat was painted all white with-red trimmings and San Pedranos looked at that skiff with admiration and amazement. They had never seen anything like that before. Cruz Nunez Jr.. and Libby Azueta used to captain it, and they Made frequent trips to Belize City, giving free rides to some lucky San Pedranos. Mr. Hannon did not mind and during emergencies, Cruz was willing to move the "Reef Colony" day or night. to take ill patients to the city for medication. San Pedranos remember that skiff with or great fondness. Scores of Sanpedranos traveled this speedboat for free- students, sick people, any emergency or simply one desiring to go to the city and it coincided with a trip of the Reef Colony. No wonder Vernon Hammon and his wife Terry were very much liked by all the people of San Pedro. Kudos to Mr. Hammon for introducing the speedboats to San Pedro.

It was from then that San Pedranos longed to have their own speed boats and looked with optimism to the day when they could lower the sails of the boats or throw away the paddles and Put an Outboard hind a skiff. Soon, Armando Graniel a great fisherman, had " The Veloz" (speed).

FIRST VEHICLE- 600 golf carts, close to 125 taxis and many private cars and trucks. WOW! And which was the first vehicle? Well, an oil exploration company brought a few trucks and tractors to the north end at Basil Jones ' but they never hit out grassy Streets. It was Caribena Fishing Cooperative which needed a vehicle to transport blocks of ice for the fishermen and to carry boxer of frozen lobster tails to the main pier for exportation that brought the first vehicle to San Pedro. It was an olive green Land Rover and the first driver was Oscar Aguilar, plant operator at the cooperative. This was the first vehicle to start killing the streets' grass and grinding our coral sand to dust and making large potholes on the streets. This was the commencement of San Pedro's traffic nightmare.

Just about the same time there was a yellow jeep belonging to Jerry McDermott driven by Cruz Nunez Jr., called the Yellow Cab. This was was used for personal transport. Can you guess how many speedboats we have on Ambergris Caye today? I say some 500. And cars and vehicles?About 1,000? Wait a minute. I see an application at the Transport Department for a limousine. And San Pedro High is thinking of a school bus. Give me a break!

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