Miami to Trinidad

[southernstars]

Hurricane season approaching, I am planning to take my sail boat Catalina 470 from Miami, by end of May, to Trinidad. Anyone to advice on best route, timing, marinas/shipyards in Trinidad to keep the boat on its own until November?

[Hud3]

Welcome to the Forum, southernstars.

I did a bit of research on laying my boat up for the summer in Trinidad three years ago, but ended up in St. Davids, Grenada, instead. I wasn't too keen on Trini after talking with a number of folks who'd taken their boats there. If you've decided on Chaguaramas, you'd better get your reservation set. They fill up quickly. The most popular boatyards there are Powerboats, Peakes, and IMS.

Here's a thread that includes some discussion of southern Caribbean boatyards that might help: http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f19/southeastern-caribbean-safety-24152.html

As to routes from Miami, do you intend to sail directly there, or island hop?

[osirissail]

I have spent considerable time in both Grenada and Trinidad - 3 years out of the last 5 years. I was in Grenada for Hurricane Ivan and would not recommend leaving your boat there if you have an alternative. Staying on the boat during the hurricane season however is not a problem - I did it for 3 years - as you can make the run to Trinidad if any hurricane actually threatens the island.
- - If you do not have a choice and have to stay in Grenada then for all means use Grenada Marine Boatyard in St. Davids. It had a very good record of boat survival during Hurricane Ivan.
- - In all cases you need to have your reservations in for any boatyard in Grenada or Trinidad "last week" as there are a thousand boats in the area and room for maybe half that number. Grenada fills up faster than Trinidad.
- - Trinidad is not as bad as its reputation. It is more like being in Baltimore or New York or any other major industrial city area. There are areas you need to stay out of; there are common sense rules of not wandering around at night; and others that you would follow if you were staying in a heavy populated industrial area. I have not had any problems there for the half dozen times I have been there over the last 3 years. But I was born and raised in NYC, so am aware of the common sense things to do and not to do in such a high population place. Although the officials in Trinidad are "cruiser-unfriendly or indifferent" versus Grenada's "you-all come on down" attitudes.
- - Currently there are only 4 boatyards in Trinidad available to cruisers - Coral Cove Marina/boatyard; Power Boats Mutual boatyard; Peakes boatyard; and IMS boatyard. They all have websites. Coral Cove and Power Boats have "secure yards" within their bigger yards. These are areas that are fenced off from the main yard and are offer high security storage.
- - Surprisingly, (not really) all the boatyards on both islands manage to charge almost identical prices. Trinidad has the added advantage of offering access to many different sources of supplies and services from Grenada - but at a higher prices - unless you know where to shop.
- - Life is much more peaceful and pleasant in Grenada as they only have about 100K people versus Trinidad's 1.8 million people. Kind of like Peoria versus Chicago kind of thing. So pick the island best matching your lifestyle preferences - big city versus country town.
- - But make your reservations soon . . .

[southernstars]

Thank you Hud3 and Osirisail for the tips. My preference is for Grenada but the experiences of some friend during the Ivan did not give much incentive. My intention is to leave the boat there without my presence for the whole hurricane season. As for security in Trinidad, although I am an American citizen and living here for 25 years, I was born and raised in Brazil, so I can relate to that environment.
Any idea of costs of shipyards there, hauling, storage, etc...?
The route I am planning at this point is Georgetown/Exumas, Turks, Dominican Republican, Puerto Rico and down ... My availability of time for the trip is 30 days. How many miles did you log to Trinidad from up here? Any better suggestion and what are the most critical points? What type of weather should I expect by end of May/beg. June?
It looks like time is running short now so I should decide this week. My alternative is to head north to the Chesapeake Bay, which also sounds very attractive, but not the return through the Intracoastal in November (cold) and the shallow waters (I draft 6ft) and bridges (my mast has 63ft).
Thank you for your advises and I welcome any other comments that you may have.

[osirissail]

Miami to Trinidad/Grenada in 30 days is "hauling it" - - It is technically possible but highly unlikely unless you are willing to accept some nasty weather and seas and have a boat that can handle such conditions. Generally the winds in June/Jul are east to southeast so you will be motoring a lot.
-- Several years ago I "fast-tracked it from Miami to Luperon, D.R. - crashing and bashing some of the way - and it took me 15 days. Waiting for a south thru west wind and low seas to cross the Gulfstream to the Bahamas can take 2 days to 2 weeks. The Bahamas is not a problem until you get to Georgetown and the long leg to Mayaguana and the Turks and Caicos - that can take another 2 days to 2 weeks before acceptable weather appears.
- - The crossing from the Caicos to Luperon is generally awful to horrible but mercifully short as you have to plan your arrival there for the hours between just after sun rise to about 10AM. The harbor has no markers or nav aids and some nasty reefs.
- - From Luperon to Mayaguez/Boqueron, Puerto Rico is about 48 hrs and waiting for a weather window is again 2 days to 2 months. You try to ride just before a cold front coming down from the USA.
- - The south side of Puerto Rico is not too much problem as you can stop in five different places. Normal weather is 20-25 kts on the nose with 6-8 foot seas except between the hours of sun rise to 11AM so each hop is about 25nm.
- - Once you turn the corner at Point Tuna you enter the shelter of the Virgins and can truck through in 2 - 3 days.
- - The Anegada to St. Martin is a nasty crossing unless you wait for a window - again the 2 days to 2 weeks.
- - I did an overnighter from St Martin to Guadeloupe (Deshaies) and got pounded good from midnight to sunrise. Never go on the east side of St Kitts/Nevis, always head along the southwest side then north of Monterrat to Deshaies.
- - From Guadeloupe there are about 5 legs or about a week with "perfect weather." Or if you do not stop anywhere maybe 3 days and nights to Grenada. Then it is a day-hop (about 14 hours at 6 kts) to Trinidad. Then 2 to 7 days to get out of the water at a boatyard.
- - Whatever all that adds up to is about 2-3 months to get down island unless you go direct to the Virgins via "I-66" (5-7 days); Virgins to Guadeloupe (2 days & nights); nonstop to Grenada (another 3-4 days). But you will be bashing and crashing for a good portion of that time. All of these estimates are at 6 - 7 knots over the ground. If your boat does 5-6 add a week; under 5 kts, add two weeks.
- - These are ball park figures based on a half dozen trips north and south in the last 7 years.
Good Luck, Jim on OSIRIS

[camaraderie]

This may help a bit. Usually the BoatersEnterprise.com publishes a full listof Trini yards with prices but they are re-doing their site right now.
Quick Guide to Trinidad Boatyards and Marinas

[ka4wja]

Southerstars,
I sent you a detailed private message (PM) with info on routing, as well as some C470 website / discussions / projects, etc....

Fair winds...

John
s/v Annie Laurie, C470, #26

[southernstars]

Dear Jim,
Thank you for the illustration of what trip I should expect. It looks very realistic and consequentelly very helpful. It will send me back to the drawing board for this trip.
Southernstars

Originally Posted by osirissail

Miami to Trinidad/Grenada in 30 days is "hauling it" - - It is technically possible but highly unlikely unless you are willing to accept some nasty weather and seas and have a boat that can handle such conditions. Generally the winds in June/Jul are east to southeast so you will be motoring a lot.
-- Several years ago I "fast-tracked it from Miami to Luperon, D.R. - crashing and bashing some of the way - and it took me 15 days. Waiting for a south thru west wind and low seas to cross the Gulfstream to the Bahamas can take 2 days to 2 weeks. The Bahamas is not a problem until you get to Georgetown and the long leg to Mayaguana and the Turks and Caicos - that can take another 2 days to 2 weeks before acceptable weather appears.
- - The crossing from the Caicos to Luperon is generally awful to horrible but mercifully short as you have to plan your arrival there for the hours between just after sun rise to about 10AM. The harbor has no markers or nav aids and some nasty reefs.
- - From Luperon to Mayaguez/Boqueron, Puerto Rico is about 48 hrs and waiting for a weather window is again 2 days to 2 months. You try to ride just before a cold front coming down from the USA.
- - The south side of Puerto Rico is not too much problem as you can stop in five different places. Normal weather is 20-25 kts on the nose with 6-8 foot seas except between the hours of sun rise to 11AM so each hop is about 25nm.
- - Once you turn the corner at Point Tuna you enter the shelter of the Virgins and can truck through in 2 - 3 days.
- - The Anegada to St. Martin is a nasty crossing unless you wait for a window - again the 2 days to 2 weeks.
- - I did an overnighter from St Martin to Guadeloupe (Deshaies) and got pounded good from midnight to sunrise. Never go on the east side of St Kitts/Nevis, always head along the southwest side then north of Monterrat to Deshaies.
- - From Guadeloupe there are about 5 legs or about a week with "perfect weather." Or if you do not stop anywhere maybe 3 days and nights to Grenada. Then it is a day-hop (about 14 hours at 6 kts) to Trinidad. Then 2 to 7 days to get out of the water at a boatyard.
- - Whatever all that adds up to is about 2-3 months to get down island unless you go direct to the Virgins via "I-66" (5-7 days); Virgins to Guadeloupe (2 days & nights); nonstop to Grenada (another 3-4 days). But you will be bashing and crashing for a good portion of that time. All of these estimates are at 6 - 7 knots over the ground. If your boat does 5-6 add a week; under 5 kts, add two weeks.
- - These are ball park figures based on a half dozen trips north and south in the last 7 years.
Good Luck, Jim on OSIRIS

[southernstars]

Thank you for the input.
southernstars

Originally Posted by camaraderie

This may help a bit. Usually the BoatersEnterprise.com publishes a full listof Trini yards with prices but they are re-doing their site right now.
Quick Guide to Trinidad Boatyards and Marinas

[s/v Moondancer]

We just arrived in Charaguamas, Trinidad and checked into the Crews Inn Marina, which is located directly across the bay from Coral Cove and is where the Customs dock is located. This is a lovely location with very well built docks, superb facilities and a huge, covered boat maintenance hanger. There are cameras everywhere and 24/7 manned security patroling the grounds and the docks. It is not the cheapest in price but I suspect it is as safe as you can get.
Crews Inn is also a very nice hotel with a beautiful pool and pool bar available to their live aboard cruiser/guests. The have a new laudrette with large machines, a great gym, a pastry and coffee shop and a first class resterant that also provides meal service poolside. The prices include water, cable tv, phone and daily delivery of the local newpaper to your boat. The car rental company, local grocery store, dive shop, telecommunications shop and many other service providers have set up shop at the crews inn mini mall development, which appears to be new construction and very nice.
I am suprised nobody mentioned this place in this thread. I suggest you check this place out.
By the way, our trip from Miami was to windward until St Maartin and it was hard work. We sailed over several nights to make up lost time due to repairs needed while in Miami. It's hard work but worth every second. The Grenadines are beautiful, Tobago Cay is one of our favorite locations and the sailing is magnificent. We have decided to sail these waters for at least one more year and make the Crews Inn our hurricane home.

[S/V Ruth]

Echo. Crews Inn is really good. I kept my my boat at Coral Cove in the so called secure fenced area!!!! what a joke anyone can & does walk in there & out with (stuff) with no one to stop them.

[s/v Moondancer]

My wife's description was a little more graphic when we were pounding into wind and seas for days on end...how easily a lovely anchorage makes you forget the pain!!!! We motored a total of 275 hours between Miami and Trinidad.

Phil the other post was Nell.

[GordMay]

Congratulations on a successful voyage Moondancer!

Noonsite’s Trinidad & Tobago Profile lists the CrewsInn Marina & Boatyard
➥ Noonsite: Trinidad & Tobago

For more information on Trinidad, see also “The Boca”, T&T’s free waterfront newspaper.
➥ Boca Coming Soon

And, the Boaters’ Enterprise Boating Directory appears to be back up:
➥ Boater's Enterprise Limited

[s/v Moondancer]

Thanks Gord, what Nell said at 04:00 off the coast of the Dominican Republic cannot be printed in a public forum!! But once we got to Tobago Key in the Grenadines all was forgotten.

If you are still on the hard fly down and visit we have lots of room on the Tayana; we can run up to Grenada and Tobago Key when you come.

Phil

[osirissail]

No matter which marina/boatyard you are in in Trinidad, be wary. Crews Inn has the worst record for security than the others, maybe because of the more expensive boats tied up there. But really, the main access for the "bad guys" is the water and all the boatyards/marinas are openly accessible to anybody in a dinghy or small boat. Also the main "fisherman's harbor" is just east of all the boatyards/marinas and the local's love to see how high a wake they can generate as they go by each marina. Also there have been plenty of incidents where collisions have occurred and cruisers injured. As a foreign visitor you have no recourse other than to leave the country if you cannot put up with the locals. Bottom line, be a good guest, be cautious and street-wise as you would in any major industrial city, and take all the tours and trips you can from Jesse James. Then you will really like the place as I do. Attitude is the whole difference between being pissed and resentful or easy going and having a good time.