Cayman Islands

[dMAC]

Does anyone know about safe harborage in any of the Cayman Islands?

I draw about 5.5' and was thinking about sailing there from Florida.

[Alan Brown]

I suggest you pick up a good cruising guide for the area.

For example, Steve Pavlidis publishes " A Cruising Guide To the Northwest Caribbean". He is an excellent source of cruising information! You can pick one up on Amazon for $49.95.

Good luck!

[dana-tenacity]

When you arrive you are guided to a mooring off Georgetown. If you are onl staying a short while that's good enough. For longer stays go to the north coast and enter the lagoon. There are a couple of marinas there, plus a bunch of privately owned docks on the canals., You can probably anchor for a while, but the Caymanians are into money and will probably insist you move on.

[Randy]

I don't know what the regulations are but my cousin has a house on the northside of Grand Cayman by The Rum Point Club and just emailed the other day that a 46' cat has been anchored just off their beach for about a week. I guess it was unusual enough for him to email about it. It is fairly well protected, we were staying there some years ago when a tropical storm blew through and while windy the bay was flat.

[John A]

I was given a 15 day tourist visa when I checked in.

There's only about four mooring bouys on the west side of Grand Cayman. Expect to move to the south side when the swell backs around to the north. Six cruise ships arrive every morning so check-in/out takes awhile. If you're staying longer move into the bay but watch your depth as six feet at low tide is considered deep.

If anchoring outside, do so in eighty feet of water! Anchoring on a coral bed is a $250,000 fine, and they do check!

If continuing east from the Caymens expect a VERY rough passage.

[duncan_ellison]

Hi All,

I am also contempating a trip this fall to the Caymans via Cuba. I potentially have a low rent dock there and was thinking of leaving the boat for up to a year.

Anyone know what the rules are on Cayman regading maximum length of stay before taxation kicks in ? Noonsite is silent on this.

We are Britsh on a British documented boat if that helps at all.

John A. I was indeed thinking of going east, but now reconsidering this in view of your comment. What consitutes a ROUGH passage in your book ? You sound like you have first hand experience of this ?

Duncan
S/Y TALISA
Currently in RI

[Mule]

One thing I will bet, some of the best food in the Caymans will be had on Little Cayman at Pirates Point. Friend of the Fam is the owner and 5 star chief.

[John A]

Originally Posted by duncan_ellison

John A. I was indeed thinking of going east, but now reconsidering this in view of your comment. What consitutes a ROUGH passage in your book ? You sound like you have first hand experience of this ?

First a bit of trivia. The Cayman Islands, athough owned by Britian, pay no taxes to the UK. After the residents of the Island saved everyone from a flotilla of boats that floundered during a hurrricane. King George declared that the Island would nolonger be taxed.(so said a cruising guide for the area).

Everything in the Caribbean Sea flows east to west: winds, swells, current, hurricanes, etc. Another side note: easterly winds and westerly currents flow iri the same direction.

I left the Caymans on December 15th. And sailed hard on the wind for over a 100 miles at which time I found myself directly north of the Islands, I flopped over on a port tack and 70 miles later found me 30 miles ENE of the Caymans. Four more tacks and several days later I was able to catch the NW corner of Jamica, Montigo Bay. I then stayed along the north coast and used the on-shore/off shore breeze to traverse the north coast as the island sheltered me from that damnable current/swell.

I had intended to go thru the Windward Passage to do the north coast of Hispanoul(sp) to Luperon, until a freighter hailed me on VHF and we discussed what a "Graybeard" was. (wind taking the tops off of waves and turning them to spray) so I went into Kingston. I then BEAT, with many tacks across the south coast of Hispanola, a lee shore, to Santa Damingo and from there across the Mona passage to the north coast of PR and San Juan. I didn't have charts for the south coast of PR.

I came within 30 feet of a water spout in the Virgen Passage but that's another story. I arrived in ST. Thomas on June 5th. Some lengthy stays along the way were the cause.

Talking to other boats along the way we figured that the conditions took about 5 years off the lifes of our boats.

One of the downsides to singlehandling, is that there's no one to tell you when something is a dumb idea.

regards John

[GordMay]

You might wish to consult the Cayman Islands Tax Information Authority
➥ Cayman Islands Tax Information Authority

Originally Posted by duncan_ellison

... Anyone know what the rules are on Cayman regading maximum length of stay before taxation kicks in ? Noonsite is silent on this ...