How Far South is Hurricane-Safe in Caribbean ?

[kesey]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Mayreau sounds nice! thats right on 12º 40'


Mark

Mayreau is nice, not a place to be anchored in a heavy duty blow though! The advantage of the south of Grenada is that there are some good harbours there, and better still if you need to run further south you are not too far from Trinidad and Tobago. Ivan played merry hell with Grenada but a few of the harbours and marinas there fared better than others.

I missed Ivan by a week and was anchored in the Tobago Cays during Emily!

[hatteras]

Someone may have mentioned this already. Costa Rica. I was reading about IslaMoin, a new development that is in the works for a marina and resort. Their advertising plays up that, "There has never been a hurricane of any magnitutde on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica". It was also under the insurance limit of 10 degrees 50' north.

[Fishman]

Hi there
My wife and 2 kiddies are buying a Privilege 42 in Trinidad, climbing aboard mid April. For the first month or so we will be finding our feet...after that we are keen to have a nice "return trip route" in the S Caribbean or s-eastward towards F Gyuana and Brazil...if thats feasible...during Hurricane season...Once the H season is over we wish to cruise from Trinidad north to BVI, but: Where can we go from May till November without ending too far west (or east) so that we can still cruise through eastern caibbean at the end of the H season? I have no experience sailing in the Caribbean...but I don't want to be holed up in the same spot for the entire H period...I am trying to get the hang of this whole Hurricane season thing...can one get into lake Maracaibo (just looking at a low res atlas at the moment), read a great post on Lake Nicaragua, but thats probably too far west and will make it hard to get back too eastern caribbean after the H season...what about Suriname? We don't mind 3 world options as long as we don't end up in the middle of a revolution or being sold on some slave market! I will have my wife and 2 kiddies on board so need to be fairly safe area...

I am sure lots of cruisers must have this "Hurricane season wanna have fun dilemma" and I would appreciate any tips. I have been checking out Venezuela on noonsite.com and its looks great for H season...

This is my preliminary route plan:
2008 H season: SE Caribbean (Trinidad, Venezuela)
2008-2009 Cruising season: E Caribbean (Trinidad up to BVI and then westwards)
2009 H season: Pacific side (Panama, Colombia etc)
Early 2010: Cross Pacific to Marquesas

Is my route do-able?

Thanks
Fishman

[Rez]

Fisherman,
I've never boated in Lake Maricaibo, but I've flown over it in light aircraft many times - often took people from the states over it because it was so amazing- oil derricks everywhere!

I'm not kidding. I wouldn't recomend it for cruising. Some major pollution problems as well.

[anglooff]

Fisherman,

Lake Maraciabo is one of the worst sailing areas you could possibly pick in Venezuela. Oil derriks and a marine growth alge which is sucking the oxygen from the lake. However the rest offers some magnificent sailing. Probably the best is Los Roches and ranks with anything, anywhere in the world. Stunning and located around 100nm NE from the coast (La Guiria). You have equally many Islands and national parks east and north of Puerto La Cruz and between both los roques and Pde C you have Tortuga. Margarita is worth visiting but all to the west offers greater variety and Venezuela by all other standards is relative cheap and very freindly.

Email me if you need further information

Alan

[Troutbridge]

Originally Posted by Fishman

Hi there
My wife and 2 kiddies are buying a Privilege 42 in Trinidad, climbing aboard mid April. For the first month or so we will be finding our feet...after that we are keen to have a nice "return trip route" in the S Caribbean or s-eastward towards F Gyuana and Brazil...if thats feasible...during Hurricane season...Once the H season is over we wish to cruise from Trinidad north to BVI, but: Where can we go from May till November without ending too far west (or east) so that we can still cruise through eastern caibbean at the end of the H season? I have no experience sailing in the Caribbean...but I don't want to be holed up in the same spot for the entire H period...I am trying to get the hang of this whole Hurricane season thing...can one get into lake Maracaibo (just looking at a low res atlas at the moment), read a great post on Lake Nicaragua, but thats probably too far west and will make it hard to get back too eastern caribbean after the H season...what about Suriname? We don't mind 3 world options as long as we don't end up in the middle of a revolution or being sold on some slave market! I will have my wife and 2 kiddies on board so need to be fairly safe area...

I am sure lots of cruisers must have this "Hurricane season wanna have fun dilemma" and I would appreciate any tips. I have been checking out Venezuela on noonsite.com and its looks great for H season...

This is my preliminary route plan:
2008 H season: SE Caribbean (Trinidad, Venezuela)
2008-2009 Cruising season: E Caribbean (Trinidad up to BVI and then westwards)
2009 H season: Pacific side (Panama, Colombia etc)
Early 2010: Cross Pacific to Marquesas

Is my route do-able?

Thanks
Fishman

Well, yes but there are some buts! Firstly Trinidad and Tobago are 'generally' reckoned to be safe in the H season, but of course there are no guarantees. No real reason to venture as far South as Brazil (unless of course you want to see Brazil). starting in April you could head N up the Islands for a month then head back down South. Maybe staying in Grenada, monitoring the weather carefully during the Hurricane season. At the moment there appears to be some concerns about security in Venezuela. I'd be cautious about going to far westward to escape the Hurricane season, it's a bit of a bash to get back to the Islands. Also, the direct route from the BVI's to Panama can be a bit boisterous until May, which is a little late for transiting the Panama Canal and continuing westward. I'd suggest investing in some decent pilot books of the Caribbean, Doyles are good but perhaps a little weak on sailing directions as opposed to anchorage information. Also check out the Noonsite website which is a mine of useful information. Also Jimmy Cornell's world cruising routes. I'm told that Panama (Caribbean and Pacific coasts) are good cruising areas, but consider visa requirements and length of permissible stay (see Noonsite for more accurate information). I would think that it would be easier/more convenient to get the necessary Visas 'at home' rather than wait until getting to the Caribbean. Enjoy your cruise, we may bump into each other (not literally, I hope) as I should be in the Caribbean in 09 and transiting Panama 10 for a Pacific crossing ('the best laid plans etc' springs to mind, but that is the general idea)

[Fishman]

Thanks Troutbridge. I've been chatting to sailors about gunkholing Venezuela and it looks great. I think we are going to go as far west as Aruba during this 2008 H season, then head back to Trinidad by November 2008. We love snorkelling, spearfishing and surfing and would rather avoid the brown water East. Then after H season head up as far as BVI (December 2008 onwards), then back down to Trinidad/Venezuela by April 2009. Then across to Pacific Panama for 2009 H season. The direct route from BVI to Panama looks "unnecessary"!

[Troutbridge]

I think you'll be pretty hard on the wind heading back east from Aruba. Don Street (out of print, I think) suggests going back along the Venezuelan coast in short overnight hops, when an offshore breeze tends to counteract the Trades. Check out Chris Doyles web site and Noonsite for current info on the security situation in Venezuela. Also the Caribbean safety and security net have a web site (sorry, can't remember the actual web address). Whatever, enjoy and sail safely.

[camaraderie]

Note there ARE security issues in Venezuela. Here is THEIR own map!

ONSA - Mapa de Zonas de Riesgo para Embarcaciones

[GordMay]

Note that the vast majority of the Venezuelan coast is in the green “secure” region, tho’ I’d also note the purple “risk” areas.

ONSA is a Venezuelan organization dedicated to marine security. The site is in Spanish but there are pages in English with information on security problems in Venezuela.
Goto: National Rescue and Maritime Safety Organization of the Venezuelan Aquatic spaces

[GordMay]

A very interesting & informative article:
Finding Refuge From Hurricanes & Tropical Storms: The Finer Points
by David Pascoe
Goto: Hurricane Preparation: Finding Refuge

[GordMay]

Hurricane preparedness guide:

➥ http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/pdf/marinersguide.pdf

➥ Marine Safety

[annk]

There are some interesting thoughts and suggestions here.
We are currently spending our 5th hurricane season in the Caribbean. The first we started off in Tobago but had to make a run for Trinidad as Emily headed towards us. Even well tied in in Scotland Bay it was an unpleasant experience.

The following season saw us in Bonaire. We had thought it would be possible to remain on a mooring but the wind regularly went to the west which leaves you on a lee shore so we ended up in the marina there, not the plan!

Then to Panama. Okay some high winds but man those lightning storms have to be seen to be believed. One night 17 boats were hit in ONE anchorage. It was all a little stressful although the cruising in the San Blas is superb.

Last seasons in the Rio Dulce, Guatemala. Whilst technically within the hurricane zone the reality is that there have been NO hurricanes here. The river system and lakes are worth sailing although security has been an issue from time to time. There is still a lot of lightning here and one or two boats seem to be hit every year.

I was not aware that it was possible to cruise the lago Nicaragua. Cruisers have been pretty much warned off by seizure of boats by the Government.

Costa Rica may be hurricane free but there are NO secure anchorages on the Caribbean side.

And definitely stay away from Cuba in the season, slap bang in the middle of hurricane alley. I wouldn't want to be caught there.

[Bash]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

I would much prefer the northern summer 2008 to be cruising up the Chesapeake to Philadelphia and then New York for a cup of tea in the Waldorf Astoria.

The biggest problem with cruising Philadelphia is that once you get there you're in Philadelphia.

[TabbyCat]

Annk, What do you think about Spanish Waters, Curacao? Looks pretty protected in that lagooon, and it gives you relatively easy access to Bonaire for some good diving when there's nothing bad forecast....