Crusing the Caribbean

[dtj]

Those of you who are sailing or have sailed the Caribbean, what were your favorite places and why?

Thanks,

dtj

[Jimbo485]

Is this a serious question?

I already wasted too much O2 in asking that....

[dtj]

Yes, I was serious when I asked the question. I noticed that there were no replys but I don't understand why. Maybe someone would be kind enough to explain my fubar.

Thanks again

dtj

[IntoMyHealth]

Marigot Bay, St. Lucia!

[dtj]

Thank you IntoMyHealth. I will look it up. Can you tell me what you liked about St. Lucia?

[LH44 Anne]

Originally Posted by dtj

Yes, I was serious when I asked the question. I noticed that there were no replys but I don't understand why. Maybe someone would be kind enough to explain my fubar.

Thanks again

dtj

It ain't a fubar, really, it's more that the answer is actually "all of 'em." When you ask a question with a jillion answers, it's hard to know where to start.

[IntoMyHealth]

We stayed there for a week or so just bopping back and forth between Marigot Bay (nice and mellow) and Rodney Bay (party time!). Then daysailing to deserted beaches. Just a really great time.

[IntoMyHealth]

I would add that not all the islands of the Caribbean are the same. And even if they were, it's certainly reasonable to have some or even one favorite...even without a reason why. Antiqua is my favorite for no other reason than that's where I had the best time of my life with my wife on our honeymoon. Enjoy!

[Hud3]

dtj,

As LH44 Anne said, your question is so open-ended that it's hard to answer. Why do you ask--are you planning to charter, or will you be sailing your own boat there? Will you be spending a week or the whole cruising season? The Caribbean is huge--is there a specific area you're interested in? A bit more substance to your question would give people a lead as to how to best answer in a way that addresses your interests.

That said, I'll focus on the Lesser Antilles. My wife and I greatly enjoyed Dominica. It's a natural paradise with plenty to do and see if you like hiking and Nature. We loved Nevis for it's friendly people, it's beauty and it's laid-back atmosphere (that's why we moved her six years ago). The Grenadines are fun to visit--snorkeling and hike the Tobago Cays, visiting the many small islands there. Bequia is kind of funky/artsy and fun to visit. For first-time charterers, you can't beat the Virgin Islands. Martinique is very French and offers a lot to see and do. St Barth has great restaurants and shopping. St Martin is a bustling tourism center with many shops and restaurants. Antiqua has some interesting historical sites and wonderful remote anchorages amongst little islands and coral reefs.

Actually, the best advice is to see them all. We spend two years cruising up and down the chain and enjoyed each of the island for their unique character.

Here are a few links to threads on the topic that have a lot of suggestions...

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...bbean-587.html

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ean-52206.html

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ean-20571.html

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ter-77397.html

[dtj]

Sorry my question was so broad. I was trying to get information in a positive way. We have lived in the USVI for the past 7 years. We bought a boat a year and a half ago and hope to be sailing the Caribbean in November. Our boat is in a Marina and we have met a few cruisers and listened to their adventures. One in particular was extremely negative about some of the down islands. She had tales of danger and locals chasing people with machetes and people being killed. I know on our island that a black man on the side of the road with a machete is most likely clearing bush and most of our friends are West Indian. I didn't want to make assumptions about her experiences even though when I asked direct questions she was vague. I know everyones perceptions are different. Before we moved to the USVI we heard all sorts of horrible things about why we shouldn't move there and we have never felt unsafe but we do not engage in risky behavior.

So I guess a better question would have been what places to avoid but I didn't want to ask that question. Everyones experiences are different and I don't really want to avoid anywhere unless there is a clear danger.

Thanks everyone!

[impi]

Have to say the BVI is proving to be our best experience so far. Apart from that we enjoyed the French Islands (Iles Des Saintes) for its splash of colour and charm, Guadeloupe in particular Pigeon Island (for its diving), Mayreau for its lovely Salt Whistle Bay and Tobago Cays (the turtles and little islands). BVI ... here now and well impressed!

[Hud3]

Originally Posted by dtj

...One in particular was extremely negative about some of the down islands. She had tales of danger and locals chasing people with machetes and people being killed...

...Everyones experiences are different and I don't really want to avoid anywhere unless there is a clear danger...

Some people enjoy spreading rumors. It's been a few years since we were sailing in the Windwards, but they were our favorites, and we never had a single negative incident. The only spot we stayed away from is Chateaubelair on St Vincent, as it has had a bit of a history of robberies with physical violence involved. That may have been cleaned up by now.

Don't let the naysayers influence your decisions. Just take normal safety precautions, as I'm sure you do in the USVI, and you'll be fine. Let your experiences with your West Indian friends there guide you, and you'll make more such friends as you cruise down island.

[Tday01]

Turks and Caicos. Dominica. Guadeloupe, St. Eustatia

[sv Winterlude]

Vivorillos Cays, Honduras; Lighthouse Reef Atoll, Belize; Placencia, Belize; Providencia, Columbia; San Andreas, Columbia; Sapzurro, Columbia; Kuna Yala/San Blas Islands, Panama; Portobello, Panama -- all Western Caribbean, obviously. Never been to the Eastern Caribbean so this is no reflection on islands we have yet to cruise.