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Old 05-06-2021, 18:18   #1
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Hurricane Holes in the Caribbean

I am quickly approaching semi-retirement and would like to spend weeks to months at a time on my boat in the Caribbean. During this semi-retirement phase I will need to return to my job in the states for several months each year but prefer to leave my boat in the Caribbean year round including during hurricane season. I can’t control which months I may need to return to the U.S. but I would have enough notice to move the boat to any part of the Southern Caribbean before the hurricane season. Any suggestions on safe places (hurricanes/crime) to keep her during the months I won’t be aboard? Preferably with easy access by air.
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Old 05-06-2021, 18:50   #2
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Re: Hurricane Holes in the Caribbean

I have zero experience but I know that Grenada is south of the hurricane box and cruisers in other posts have sheltered there for the season.
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Old 05-06-2021, 21:29   #3
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Re: Hurricane Holes in the Caribbean

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Originally Posted by NPCampbell View Post
I have zero experience but I know that Grenada is south of the hurricane box and cruisers in other posts have sheltered there for the season.
Not for all underwriters. Grenada got whacked bad many years ago and some changed their policies.
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Old 05-06-2021, 21:31   #4
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Re: Hurricane Holes in the Caribbean

Not exactly the same subject but some relevant places discussed here:


https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/top...ink_source=app
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Old 05-06-2021, 22:39   #5
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Re: Hurricane Holes in the Caribbean

Curacao or Aruba
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Old 06-06-2021, 01:06   #6
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Re: Hurricane Holes in the Caribbean

Not Grenada it had hurricane Ivan that damaged all the yachts. Two options Trinidad the hurricanes bounce off the mountains in the north, or Bonaire which is out of the hurricane zones.
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Old 06-06-2021, 04:41   #7
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Re: Hurricane Holes in the Caribbean

current issue of Caribbean Compass has an article on hurricanes and where they have hit in the Caribbean
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Old 06-06-2021, 05:06   #8
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Re: Hurricane Holes in the Caribbean

In the W Carib, all hurricane free, with travel info:

Colombia: both Santa Marta and Cartagena are great ports of call. You can fly into either.

Panama: Bocas del Toro, Linton, Colon many marinas to choose from across these places. You can fly into Bocas, Colon (Shelter Bay Marina) is about an hour drive from Panama City, Linton about 2 hours. No airport in either Colon or Linton.

Guatemala: Rio Dulce, best hurricane hole in the NW Carib, many marinas to choose from, 3 boat yards, loads of goods and services, great place to stow a boat and to have work done. Travel to the Rio is a down side...its about a 5 hour drive from Guatemala City. No airport, but there is a private strip there you can get permission to use for a charter flight or private plane.
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Old 06-06-2021, 05:27   #9
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Re: Hurricane Holes in the Caribbean

Grenada is generally safe but nothing is 100%. Trinidad is safer but many boats stay in Grenada. The problem with the western Caribbean, if you want to spend your time in the eastern Caribbean is that it is long, harsh trip to windward. WRT insurance, our policy said that 10°N was the safe line. The funny thing along the south coast of Grenada is that your anchorage is just south of 10 and the place you haul is just north - we are talking about a few hundred metres at most. Our insurance company said that all of the yards on the south shore were deemed south of 10°N even though they were not.
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Old 06-06-2021, 09:13   #10
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Re: Hurricane Holes in the Caribbean

We used to leave our boat for the summer in the inner harbour at Nelsons Dockyard with a minder.
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Old 06-06-2021, 09:36   #11
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Re: Hurricane Holes in the Caribbean

Thanks for all the responses. I hadn’t considered the long trip against the trades back to the Eastern Caribbean from points further west. Central America would be further west than my home state of Florida so is probably out of the question. The ABC islands look to be about 500 miles downwind from Grenada. Seems like the trip from Bonaire to Grenada would be long and miserable. Although not 100% hurricane safe, Grenada might be the best alternative for me especially if insurable there. I know all about Hurricane Ivan. After hitting Grenada, it made it all the way to my home town in Florida with devastating consequences. Interesting comment about the safe line being 10 degrees north and running through Southern Grenada according to the insurance companies. Unless Google Earth is wrong, Southern Grenada is 11.59 degrees north. It is the south shore of Trinidad and Tobago that is 10.0 degrees north. But if insurance companies are OK with Southern Grenada then that’s great. A quick view from Google Earth shows Trinidad and Tobago to be pretty industrial and lacking any areas with significant numbers of yachts in the water or hauled out. On the other hand, Clarkes Court Marina and Boatyard in Southern Grenada looks like a great place to haulout. Rows and rows of large catamarans and monohulls. Their website gives the impression it is a first class marina. Anyone have any experience with them?
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Old 06-06-2021, 09:50   #12
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Re: Hurricane Holes in the Caribbean

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Originally Posted by sailorboy1 View Post
current issue of Caribbean Compass has an article on hurricanes and where they have hit in the Caribbean
Also see NOAA historic tracks database. You can choose a bunch of different criteria and it will plot the tropical weather events that match on a map.

Interesting note: I was just using the above and discovered there has indeed been one recorded hurricane that passed thru the Rio Dulce area. It was an unamed category 1 storm in 1887, none since.

https://coast.noaa.gov/hurricanes/#m...xlIjp0cnVlfQ==
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Old 06-06-2021, 09:59   #13
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Re: Hurricane Holes in the Caribbean

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Originally Posted by VChild View Post
Thanks for all the responses. I hadn’t considered the long trip against the trades back to the Eastern Caribbean from points further west. Central America would be further west than my home state of Florida so is probably out of the question. The ABC islands look to be about 500 miles downwind from Grenada. Seems like the trip from Bonaire to Grenada would be long and miserable. Although not 100% hurricane safe, Grenada might be the best alternative for me especially if insurable there. I know all about Hurricane Ivan. After hitting Grenada, it made it all the way to my home town in Florida with devastating consequences. Interesting comment about the safe line being 10 degrees north and running through Southern Grenada according to the insurance companies. Unless Google Earth is wrong, Southern Grenada is 11.59 degrees north. It is the south shore of Trinidad and Tobago that is 10.0 degrees north. But if insurance companies are OK with Southern Grenada then that’s great. A quick view from Google Earth shows Trinidad and Tobago to be pretty industrial and lacking any areas with significant numbers of yachts in the water or hauled out. On the other hand, Clarkes Court Marina and Boatyard in Southern Grenada looks like a great place to haulout. Rows and rows of large catamarans and monohulls. Their website gives the impression it is a first class marina. Anyone have any experience with them?
Actually you dont have to claw all the way back against the Trades from the W Carib to get to Florida. The usual route from the NW Carib is to sail up to Isla Mujeres, wait for a window, then jump to Florida. Where in Florida do you need to get to?

From the SW Carib it can be a bit more arduous, but its not uncommon. For example, from W Panama or Colombia wait for a window and jump N as far as possible then work your way on up to FL.

Rarely does anyone from the W Carib claw their way all the way back agaisnt the Trades to the E Carib...though I think there are a few folks on here who have done that. There is no reason to in order to get to FL.

Also: we got planes now ya know. Why not just stow the boat and fly back?
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Old 06-06-2021, 10:06   #14
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Re: Hurricane Holes in the Caribbean

If you are not totally set on being in the SE Caribb, let me suggest Puerto Del Rey Marina in Fajardo, PR. Yes, they've been hit by storms, but it is (by our observation and search) a very well run, professional, and as safe as it can get marina. We've hauled out and kept our boat there, on the hard, over the past 7 seasons. Between the dry-storage yard (a significant distance back, protected by mangroves, well elevated above the harbour level, chain-link fence and 7/24 guards protected, massive buried concrete beams to strap your boat to), the 7/24 guard protection, and a haul out crew that do seem to know what they're doing.....it's as good as we've found! They are not cheap, and usually fill up each season so you need to make advance reservations, but so far.....all we've lost was the windex at the masthead(during the 2, back-to-back hurricanes a couple of years ago). Perhaps something you may want to check-out......and NO, I don't work for them or have any investment interest in them!
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Old 06-06-2021, 10:12   #15
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Re: Hurricane Holes in the Caribbean

Trinidad
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