Trinidad?

[Debzz]

Hi,thinking of sailing in Trinidad this month but don't know of weather conditions apart from googling,would November be best?Thanks for any replies in advance!

[boatman61]

You should be fine till July... just keep a weather eye open

[Debzz]

What about crime & storms?
Thankyou for your quick reply & help.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by Debzz

What about crime & storms?
Thankyou for your quick reply & help.

Plenty

[Cheechako]

Some crime for sure. I would avoid the big city at night, events at night etc if you want to be super safe. Or go in a group. I wouldnt rate Trini as the best sailing spot around but great place and fun culture etc. Tobago better sailing etc, but limited destinations in both compared with much of the Caribe.

[armido]

Originally Posted by Debzz

Hi,thinking of sailing in Trinidad this month but don't know of weather conditions apart from googling,would November be best?Thanks for any replies in advance!

Most important consideration is WHY you are going to Trinidad? Next is do you plan on anchoring or using a marina? Then, do you have a good level of tolerance for LOUD noise (cannot call it music, not by any stretch of my imagination) dominated by base so LOUD you cannot hear anything but?

Trinidad is a place where the cops wait 'til the bad guys are gone before even responding.

Gotta admit though, the rotis are pretty good.

armido

[marcos989]

Very high crime rate. Take no chances.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by armido

Most important consideration is WHY you are going to Trinidad? Next is do you plan on anchoring or using a marina? Then, do you have a good level of tolerance for LOUD noise (cannot call it music, not by any stretch of my imagination) dominated by base so LOUD you cannot hear anything but?

Trinidad is a place where the cops wait 'til the bad guys are gone before even responding.

Gotta admit though, the rotis are pretty good.

armido

It sounds like you made some wrong choices on the way. We enjoyed being anchored in Scotland Bay or at Monos Island and we enjoyed visiting friends in the Cruise Inn marina too, with pot lucks etc. then there was the pan bands that were just great, and jazz nights out in the garden of a famous jazz musician while enjoying a dinner they served. We also enjoyed our haul out at Peake's and the facilities they offered.

It's not all bad in Trini as long as you stay away from the booze/drugs/girls circuit where danger is always close by in Trini.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

It sounds like you made some wrong choices on the way. We enjoyed being anchored in Scotland Bay or at Monos Island and we enjoyed visiting friends in the Cruise Inn marina too, with pot lucks etc. then there was the pan bands that were just great, and jazz nights out in the garden of a famous jazz musician while enjoying a dinner they served. We also enjoyed our haul out at Peake's and the facilities they offered.

It's not all bad in Trini as long as you stay away from the booze/drugs/girls circuit where danger is always close by in Trini.

Yeah, I wouldnt go there for anchoring, but there are some great things there. Roti's, Pan bands, shops, comraderie....

[SVTatia]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

It sounds like you made some wrong choices on the way. We enjoyed being anchored in Scotland Bay or at Monos Island and we enjoyed visiting friends in the Cruise Inn marina too, with pot lucks etc. then there was the pan bands that were just great, and jazz nights out in the garden of a famous jazz musician while enjoying a dinner they served. We also enjoyed our haul out at Peake's and the facilities they offered.

It's not all bad in Trini as long as you stay away from the booze/drugs/girls circuit where danger is always close by in Trini.

++ 1

I have not heard of Trini as a cruising destination, much as place to work on your boat and wait out the hurricane season.
But, there are several guides if you want to find out more - google it:

A Cruising Guide to Trinidad and Tobago: Stephen J. Pavlidis: 9781892399137: Amazon.com: Books
Cruising Guide to Trinidad and Tobago

[keepondancin]

Last time there was about 13 yearts ago. First went when Peakes was being built but not opened yet. Crews Inn became the luxurious marina, saw all the growth in Chagaramus over the years. There was and I think still is a strong Cruiser's community that is constantly having events from shopping to excursions around the Island. The Pan music is great, rotis in St James, the town that doesn't sleep. Yes, there is crime, but what Island, or for that matter, what country doesn't have areas of crime. Got to keep the radar on to be aware what's going on around you, but with common sense, no worse than anywhere else. Cruiser friendly Maxi cab drivers go out of their way for cruisers. Also, the Trini's are good people. No Palm tree lined beaches to anchor off, but there are some get away anchorages, and you can sail in Golfo Paria. Great place to wait out hurricane season. I wanna go back.

[s/v Jedi]

Don't forget the Shark 'n Bake

[Teknav]

If you're sailing towards Trinidad, I suggest that veer towards Tobago instead; its sister island. Tobago is a laid-back small paradise worth your time; it has nothing in common with Trinidad. Mauritz

[landonshaw]

I'm in Grenada and most of the people I know go to Tirnidad for hurricane season. So November they are leaving or preparing to leave and enjoying points north. Where are you coming from?

[CarinaPDX]

Some pretty harsh comments here. I'm with Jedi on this one. I spent a long winter there in 1995-6 and several weeks in 2009 for Carnival and boat work after the Atlantic crossing, and I really like the place. Also, Tobago is a nice cruising ground.

In the past American cruisers have organized something for Thanksgiving, so you might look into that and plan accordingly. The Christmas season is pretty special - by all means go find some parang music (beautiful Christmas music) and try to get to the Christmas music concert downtown. Seeing a full pan orchestra in concert is an amazing experience, as is the choral music. And once the Christmas festivities are over the long ramp up of partying for Carnival starts. In the Caribbean I wouldn't prefer anywhere else at this time of year.

Crime? Yes, it is there. Don't be stupid and you will likely never encounter it. Learn when and where you will be safe and act accordingly. If you want to explore a bit I recommend making arrangements with Jesse James in Chaguaramas (yep, that really is his name); he is very protective of his customers, and is also a delightful tour guide.

Go and enjoy T&T - you will have a great time.

Greg