Welcome to Caliban Caye
(pronounced KAL-ih-ban KEY)
just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water, we’re sharing our adventures and mishaps in finding, buying and building our dream private Carribbean island. we’re both self-made from modest backgrounds, so every penny counts, but we’re determined to stay on this Mr Toad’s wild ride to develop our neglected Belize island into a home and eco-resort. we’re focused on an environmental do-no-harm approach, and all boats rising in this tide. we’ll share with you every step along the way, from shopping, purchase, permits, finding contacts and resources, working both ourselves and with contractors on islandscaping, installing infrastructure, to building all the things, and learning to live in a new country.
read ‘em and weep for sheer pity, share with your friends and family, just don’t try this at home kids.
now, here, hold my beer ..
we purchased a small (1-2 acre) neglected island offshore from Belize, and are underway on the entire process.
our goal is to share guideposts (some are gonna be “DON’T DO THIS!”, but hopefully, more will be “After a few tries, we found this is the best way to … “), for folks considering something similar, even if just a portion of the pie. as of the date we launched, we hadn’t found much else out there quite in this track. we’ve added a (minimal) paid subscription option ($2/month, or $12/year for first 100), primarily to minimize putting our personal information, fine-level checklists and financial details, out there for anyone to see. we’d prefer to limit more private stuff to friends & supporters.
we do have some chops. Anthony Blair has built a few homes with his father and brother, every step from design, to measuring and pouring foundations, framing, mechanicals, all the way to shingling roofs. also restored a handful of century homes. with Allie’s mad design and purchasing skills, we’ve redesigned & rebuilt a few homes together. Anthony Blair was a finance geek for 30+ years, which helps with the budgeting/cost tracking.
The Cast
who are these crazy people? more background on us. click here if you've (paid) subscribed ..
As Blair’s brother Greg says, building a house is like jumping off a cliff, and hoping you figure out some kind of parachute on the way down. there’s just no way to know everything you need to know before you begin. so, we’re fucking around and finding out.
we have a couple guiding principles in this effort. we’re both environmentally focused, and our long term goal is to make a sustainable haven that can be enjoyed for generations, and nourish this rare, rich and diverse ecology, both on the island, and the marine reserve that cradles it. we’ll elaborate on this as the rubber hits the road, but for starters, we’ve purchased a 100% electric boat to be our workhorse tender, and of course are planning to be almost entirely off the grid.
we also intend to ensure that all of our efforts and success are shared with the local Belizean community. we’re focusing on local employment at better wages, and engaging anyone we partner with for their long term development. again, more detail as all grow together..
share the journey with us, learn from our mistakes, benefit from our experience .. and brace yourself, Effie!
