First Caribbean sail, Martinique vs BVI

[My Wind Lass]

I agree with most everyone here. We sailed south from Martinique to St-Lucia and then returned and went north to Dominica and then on to Les Saints in Guadeloupe on a cat. Much better sailing from Martinique, as well as food, culture, nightlife, variety, sights, etc. We also had a couple along who had never sailed before and they loved it. Most sailors I know call the BVI's a scenic but glorified, parking lot.
And as TheOffice pointed out, if you are comfortable sailing SFBay the hop between the islands will be invigorating. Dominica and St Lucia are English speaking but you can get by in Martinique and Guadeloupe with limited ability in French. My only additional thought is that Martinique et al is worth so much more than 8 days. To truly appreciate the area you ought to give yourselves two weeks at least. Have fun choosing your destination but my bias is clear.

[sailon46]

Martinique, and Dominica with the Saints of Guadeloupe maybe the diamonds of the Carib hands down. BVI is a parking lot of cats with groups of people overcrowding the anchorages with jet skis and dingies towing their beach toys.
Ernie on the Mary Jane

[sailcrazy]

following. We've spent the last 5 seasons just sailing the BVI, USVI, and PR. It's good, but not that special compared to Asia and the Medd. The BVI is very interesting and things are close......but you will need to fight off/be prepared for the overwhelming number of charter boats-with some operators who know what they're doing, and some who don't! If you want a mooring in the BVI, be prepared to be in the mooring field by 1-2pm, with your billfold ready; anchoring is limited. And the party's are on and loud. And the almost always E wind (20-25kts+ midday) make going west-bound easy, but e-bound a slog.

[SundayMorning]

We've been sailing the windwards for several seasons. However, for 8 days I think the BVIs (or including the USVIs) are a better choice. Especially if there is a beginner aboard and you like beaches. The time it takes to go between islands is the main issue.

There's more cultural variety in the other islands. If you think you could be happy visiting several places on Martinique, perhaps with tours on land or hanging out for a beach day once in a while, then Martinique would work well. There is good sailing just a ways offshore, especially in the lower-lying southern end. Spending 2 long days sailing to reach another island and get back might be a bit much for 8 days with a beginner.

The BVIs are a great introduction to sailing. If you don't like crowds just head to an anchorage without moorings. The charter boats rarely anchor. Deadman's bay on Peter island is our favorite, with a nice hike on land and lots of turtles in the bay. St John has lots of good hiking and we love Waterlemon Key for swimming and hiking.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, corsaircpt.

[corsaircpt]

thank you all, amazing trove of information. 4-6 feet waves with 20-25knots of wind is not uncommon where we sail in SF Bay, though admittedly I personally am not a super fan of such conditions and instead like the smooth sailing experiences in the Mediterranean. That said, if forced I can handle it with an inexperienced crew member and have done so for many 3-4 hour sessions over here in the Bay. However if this was to be the prevailing "vacation sailing" then I think we may not enjoy Martinique.

On that note, which bays do you recommend in Martinique on the Windward and Leeward sides to escape to if the weather proves too much for us to handle ?

[corsaircpt]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, corsaircpt.

Thank you GordMay, learning a lot here already , so thank you all

[SundayMorning]

Highly recommend St. Anne on the southern side.

[TheOffice]

You would start in Le Marin. The whole west coast is in the Lee of the island. Just stay within a couple miles of the island. Get the Chris Parker guide to the Windward Islands and pick the anchorage’s that fit your goals.

[corsaircpt]

Originally Posted by Flagman101

Hello
How are your anchoring skills?
For a first time, yes Martinique will be challenging.
BVI's are much easier to sail and this might make it more relaxing.
If your sailing partner is not experienced Martinique might be a bit too challenging.
Some of the anchorages in Martinique are harder then most in the BVI's
St-PIerre for exemple is a deep water anchorage.
.
.
.
In short depend on your skills and confidence BVI's will be much easier then Martinique.
If you want a challenge try Martinique but think of your partner to in this.

Try Ken at Tropical yachts. They are brokers and will find you the best deals.
They actually get me better pricing then if I go direct.
Dream Yacht Charters is the major charter company in Martinique.

Thank you Flagman, wrt to anchoring I do have good experience in mainly sand and mud bottoms, admittedly in shallow water anchorages. In Martinique with this in mind which anchorages can you recommend on windward and leeward sides ?

[corsaircpt]

with all said, I am leaning towards Martinique. If we have sufficient coves and anchorages to escape to, and we honestly really need like 3-4 good ones for an 8 day trip, then we are set. I like to just pick up the food and water and fuel from Marin, then have a basic and relaxed plan that visits 3-4 places with 3-7hrs of sailing in between and then come back without having to deal with crowd drama and associated hazards. All the partying we need we can do in Marin so I think we are fine with secluded but safe anchorages( Safe from overnight wind/swell exposure, or thieves)

[Flagman101]

Originally Posted by corsaircpt

Thank you Flagman, wrt to anchoring I do have good experience in mainly sand and mud bottoms, admittedly in shallow water anchorages. In Martinique with this in mind which anchorages can you recommend on windward and leeward sides ?

I will ot recommend any windward anchorages. On the lee side they are all very weel documented in most cruising guides.
St-Pierre is perharps the hardest. Gets deep real fast.
St-Anne the easiest.

[Flagman101]

Originally Posted by corsaircpt

with all said, I am leaning towards Martinique. If we have sufficient coves and anchorages to escape to, and we honestly really need like 3-4 good ones for an 8 day trip, then we are set. I like to just pick up the food and water and fuel from Marin, then have a basic and relaxed plan that visits 3-4 places with 3-7hrs of sailing in between and then come back without having to deal with crowd drama and associated hazards. All the partying we need we can do in Marin so I think we are fine with secluded but safe anchorages( Safe from overnight wind/swell exposure, or thieves)

Not many theives in Martinique.
Get provisions in le Marin. Next opportunity would be fort of France
Many anchorages get waves from fast ferries.

[corsaircpt]

thank you , great information.

[corsaircpt]

So this is quite sad, I have been trying to get the boat from Dreamyacht Charters and they gave the boat to someone who paid more money, after we booked all the flights. Boats seem hard to get and those available are crazy expensive. Not a great experience overall dealing with Dreamyachts in Martinique compared to past experiences in the Med.