Caribbeans: all things must end.

[Papasail]

For those who are experienced cruising the caribbeans…. does there come a time (on an annual basis, I suppose…) when it’s just time to move on?

3 months, 6 months, or “I could do this forever”? What is the timeline for when it begins to lose some of it’s luster?

[robert sailor]

It depends on you! If you get bored easy and always like something new going on then you just keep moving. We are a bit in that club but that’s the life of a cruiser. Some folks like to stick close to home, others yearn to cross oceans…unfortunately if you’ve never done that much distance sailing you just have to put miles under your keel before you know. Which camp you live in.

[Orion Jim]

Originally Posted by Papasail

For those who are experienced cruising the caribbeans…. does there come a time (on an annual basis, I suppose…) when it’s just time to move on?

3 months, 6 months, or “I could do this forever”? What is the timeline for when it begins to lose some of it’s luster?

The approach of hurricane season convinces most to move on.

[Papasail]

Originally Posted by Orion Jim

The approach of hurricane season convinces most to move on.

I suspected this reply might come….
[emoji948]

[Shrew]

Originally Posted by Papasail

I suspected this reply might come….
[emoji948]

Are you asking about cruising in general? Then there is no need to make 'Caribbean' the subject of the discussion.

If you're specifically talking about the Caribbean , then the answer is 'yes, The Caribbean is hot and subject to a string of hurricanes all summer long.

Which is it you're really asking about?

[SailingHarmonie]

An impossible question for anyone who doesn’t know you intimately to answer.

If you are a “shallow tourist” then all Caribbean islands will feel kind of the same, and you’ll need to move on quickly. Most people are more shallow than deep.

If you are an “immersive tourist” then you can spend months exploring one island, then come back to it a year later and discover more. You can relish the differences between islands as superficially similar as Martinique and Guadeloupe.

[Mike OReilly]

The question is not about the Caribbean. It's about you. Some people can't sit still, others never move. It depends on who you are.

If you're easily bored, and need constant new stimulation, then the 'grass is greener' itch will take hold quickly. If you're constantly amazed by all things great and small, and are 'Zen' about life, then you'll be content no matter where you are.

Like Robert (and probably most people) I find myself in between the extremes. In truth, I'm probably closer to the Zen side of the scale, but our practice has been to make a big hop (big for us), and then stay in an area for a few years. We explore the area, getting to know the place and the people. Then, after about three to five years (depending on if a pandemic gets in the way ) we tend to move on -- rinse and repeat as they say.

[Zanshin]

I peregrinate; spending time in the Caribbean and then elsewhere (usually Europe).

I use a pretty simple formula which has served me well over the past 20 years doing doing this. I usually end up doing between 4-6 months aboard in the Caribbean.

When in the Caribbean and I realize that I'm tired of beach bars, trade winds, and Reggae I start looking for my next opportunity in Europe. When I start dreaming of going to a big city, museums and even the opera (which I disklike) and symphony orchestras/blues bars then I know it really is time to switch.

While in Europe when my music playlist starts featuring Reggae and I daydream of beach bars and swimming off the back of the boat, or I start spending more time than usual on internet sailing/Caribbean forums then it is time to talk with whomever my employer is and wrapping up my work.

When I start looking at airline tickets, I know that I need to rethink my spatial location ASAP.

[donradcliffe]

We have friends who have had a boat based in St Lucia for more than 20 years. If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, its a great place to spend the cold winters.

We did the annual commute between Maine and Trinidad for a few years, but its probably easier to button up the boat and leave it in the Caribbean.

[Papasail]

Originally Posted by Zanshin

I peregrinate; spending time in the Caribbean and then elsewhere (usually Europe).

I use a pretty simple formula which has served me well over the past 20 years doing doing this. I usually end up doing between 4-6 months aboard in the Caribbean.

When in the Caribbean and I realize that I'm tired of beach bars, trade winds, and Reggae I start looking for my next opportunity in Europe. When I start dreaming of going to a big city, museums and even the opera (which I disklike) and symphony orchestras/blues bars then I know it really is time to switch.

While in Europe when my music playlist starts featuring Reggae and I daydream of beach bars and swimming off the back of the boat, or I start spending more time than usual on internet sailing/Caribbean forums then it is time to talk with whomever my employer is and wrapping up my work.

When I start looking at airline tickets, I know that I need to rethink my spatial location ASAP.

Totally made me laugh….

*money bet, your a wry conversation at any beach bar…. keep being you

[Papasail]

Originally Posted by donradcliffe

We have friends who have had a boat based in St Lucia for more than 20 years. If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, its a great place to spend the cold winters.

We did the annual commute between Maine and Trinidad for a few years, but its probably easier to button up the boat and leave it in the Caribbean.

Good to know…

I chose Maine (in a rush) as a cheap port (which it really is), but didn’t think the commute to the Caribbeans through, particularly price wise.

Maine: is amazing!
Spring is wonderful, if you can dodge the blackflies.
Summer is >shockingly< Hot.
Fall is just dreamy… grabs you in every way.
December and you’re all Christmasy inside, catching large snowflakes with your tongue, and enjoying the foot bench in front of the woodstove.
But January & February are a bit much… walls start getting a little tight: sailing will be better!

[Papasail]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

The question is not about the Caribbean. It's about you. Some people can't sit still, others never move. It depends on who you are.

If you're easily bored, and need constant new stimulation, then the 'grass is greener' itch will take hold quickly. If you're constantly amazed by all things great and small, and are 'Zen' about life, then you'll be content no matter where you are.

Like Robert (and probably most people) I find myself in between the extremes. In truth, I'm probably closer to the Zen side of the scale, but our practice has been to make a big hop (big for us), and then stay in an area for a few years. We explore the area, getting to know the place and the people. Then, after about three to five years (depending on if a pandemic gets in the way ) we tend to move on -- rinse and repeat as they say.

I think I can see my way to several ends: walking a white sands beach, completely deserted island, all alone, and have a feeling of relaxed serenity. And I know I would equally enjoy a tropical resort with every fancied-up amenity. I suppose unique experiences are as much as an adventure. [emoji2]

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by SailingHarmonie

If you are a “shallow tourist” then all Caribbean islands will feel kind of the same, and you’ll need to move on quickly. Most people are more shallow than deep.

If your idea of a great life is to hang out on the beach day after day...sure it's great. The older we get the less we find we are beach people. After 3-4 days, it gets old.

While there is some history and culture, so many other places have much deeper history and culture.

Doesn't help that we aren't a fan of most Caribbean foods.

[geoleo]

I love all waters-ponds rivers, lakes.bays large and small-but beaches have alays bored me--am I weird?

[CruisingCouple]

Originally Posted by Papasail

For those who are experienced cruising the caribbeans…. does there come a time (on an annual basis, I suppose…) when it’s just time to move on?

3 months, 6 months, or “I could do this forever”? What is the timeline for when it begins to lose some of it’s luster?

We've cruised the Caribbean twice, once aboard a ragbag, once aboard a trawler. Both cruises lasted 2 1/2 years, our latest cruise is coming to an end in about two weeks when the new owners of our boat move in. For us, it is the end of an era and we're not coming back. We have other things in life that we want to move on to, and do. We don't like crowds and the Caribbean is crowded.

Asking something like this on a forum is kind of a misnomer. We rarely check into this forum, maybe once a year if we get to someplace where there's internet. Back in the old days these forums were kind of like the new version of ham radio for people that had internet. But nowadays you got people on here that maybe been on the forum for 10 years or more and they got 12,000+ posts. You have to ask yourself what these people actually have experience with - cruising the internet, or cruising on a boat?