Advice on summer in the Caribbean please

[pagan372]

My wife and I became live on boards last May and, so far, have sailed from the UK to the Caribbean. We put off planning further, wanting to see how we coped with the Atlantic crossing and enjoyed the Caribbean first. We have now decided that we want to continue with a circumnavigation via Panama, but stay for a full season in the Caribbean before crossing.

We don’t have visas to head north for the USA or a home to return to in the uk, so we need a plan for spending hurricane season living onboard in the Caribbean.

Our current idea is to reach Grenada in May then head for the ABC islands - spend most of the hurricane season there, onboard, then go on to Colombia in November then on to San Blas and Panama, to cross the canal late in January.

Can anyone who has sailed in these areas at that time of year advise on whether this seems practical? Our main concerns are safety re hurricanes, being able to get insurance cover and having a good summer - rather than just surviving the season

[Steadman Uhlich]

Howdy and Welcome Aboard CF!

You might also consider Trinidad and Rio Dulce (Guatemala) as other possible places to avoid Hurricanes.

Bon Voyage!

[pete33458]

Your odds are reduced in the southern Caribbean basin but not eliminated. Look at the tracks for 2005, there were other years as well that impacted as far south as the north coast of S America. So wherever you go, you need to have a hurricane plan, which means, you need to have either a guaranteed spot in a hurricane hole or haul out, or you need to be willing to do the best you can for your boat and fly somewhere safe.

In context, there is no where you can go and nothing you can do that guarantees your safety, and for sure, you are better off in the southern basin than anywhere in the Leewards or greater Antilles or the southeastern US! But you still need a plan if you want the best chance of survival for you and your boat/home.

Pete

[Cheechako]

Trini may be even safer than the A B C's but not sure those have had a hit very often at all either.

[TJ D]

Hi there,

Trinidad is safe-since Ivan in 2005, some insurers have taken Grenada off the list of places they'll let you summer over.

I'm not a big fan of Trinidad, honestly, but it does serve a purpose. There's decent refit work to be had at good prices, too.

That said, if your insurance will cover you for Grenada-it's highly unusual for them to get hit. If it were me, I'd probably choose Grenada, and then boogie to Trinidad if a hurricane looked like it was approaching.

The ABC's are nice stops, but light on facilities. I'd be a little reluctant to spend much of the hurricane season there. Bonaire is pretty much moorings only, Curacao is mostly anchoring. We haven't been to Aruba.

Cartagena's fantastic. It's a great, safe city. The marina's pretty good, and hurricanes are unknown there. I think that if I were going to pick anywhere to spend the summer, it would be there. Realize, though, that only a masochist goes back to the E. Caribbean from there!

Good sailing, TJ

[flyingfin]

The Caribbean is pretty large, what part are you in? It is pretty safe to stay in Cuba, DR, PR, USVI, BVI, Jamaica up until August, then start sailing south to Grenada or Aruba or Panama as hurricane season heats up.

[Bean Counter]

Assuming you are British, you can get a B2 visa to the USA for 6 months at a time. So then you can enjoy parts of America/Canada in the summer, catch the Gulf stream up visit historical places along the way, St Augustine, Savannah, Charleston, Chesapeake, New York, New England Rhode Island, Nantucket etc etc. If you don't do it now you may never do it. You can get B2 Visas at US Embassy in Nassau, Bahamas, tedious process but not difficult. Head back down in November and go via BVI or Jamaica or Honduras to Panama. You shouldn't have any difficulty with insurance North of Virginia.

[pagan372]

Thanks to all for your helpful replies

[Paul L]

Bonaire is a great place to hang. Best diving around and cruiser friendly. You are probably limited to a 90 day stay. Need to head to Curacao for a storm.
Cartegena is really worth visiting. Can be oppressively hot that time of year.

You don't want to arrive in the San Blas in lightning season - wait till after Nov.