Quote:
Originally Posted by savuti
[1] What are Leeward Antilles and Windward islands like for cruising?
[2] Am I correct to assume that anything north of Grenada is a no-go during hurricane season)?
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Well, you asked: here's my two cents' worth:
(1) The Leeward and
Windward Islands are beautiful. They have more topography and lush vegetation, and larger populations, than the
Bahamas. I would say the
Bahamas are, in general, prettier underwater than those islands. The Leeward and Windward islands seem to have more
boat traffic and more crowded
anchorages than the Bahamas, and those
anchorages are often rolly. I've cruised extensively in both sets of islands, as well as the
Virgin Islands. Honestly, I think the Bahamas are more interesting and easier to get to from the U.S. (And for what it's worth, I think St. John in the U.S.
Virgin Islands is the best cruising
destination in the
Eastern Caribbean.) The Leewards and Windwards are easy to
cruise by
charter boat. Also, it appears to be reasonably easy to buy a boat there and sail it back to the U.S. (at least compared to sailing out there from the U.S.)
(2) June and July are nice times to
cruise the
Eastern Caribbean, I think. The anchorages aren't as crowded and the
weather is nice. You have to keep a close watch on the
weather, but this area is not usually affected by tropical systems in those months. In August, the weather is often still o.k., at least compared to most of the U.S.
East Coast at that time of year. But you get a lot of European vacationers on the
water. When we lived in St. John, our friends usually did their chartering in the BVI's in early September. The rates were
cheap and the weather was still reasonable, unless there was a tropical system, of course. By October and early November, the weather is muggy and rainy in the Eastern
Caribbean, and many businesses are closed.
But do understand that you must watch the weather
forecast daily (at the very least) throughout
hurricane season in the Eastern
Caribbean, and you must be prepared to put your boat in a hurricane hole and GET OFF OF IT within a day or two's notice. Your lives could very well depend on it.
IMHO. There are plenty of others out there with more experience on the subject, I'm sure.