General Weather for Caribbean Sailing:
Weather forecasts for sailors in the Caribbean usually follow the same pattern all year round. Except when threatened by a topical depression they can be summarised as Northeast to southeast winds, 10 to 25 knots with slight to moderate sea state between the islands. Rain when it usually comes in short lived squalls but these downpours can be seen on the horizon well before they arrive. Their appearance should be noted and taken as advanced warning. Rainsqualls in the tropics can sometimes be accompanied by winds up to 40 knots and wiser sailors reduce sail before they hit
In winter, high pressure to the northeast causes winds to be stronger, regularly reaching 30 knots. Locally named as Christmas Winds for obvious reasons they are relished experienced sailors, but for novices sailing can be less enjoyable outside of the wind shelter of islands.
Winter also brings storms and cold fronts from farther north with sea swells that can reach down to Trinidad. Anchorages open to the north or west can be uncomfortable and can even force sailors to find a more sheltered spot in the middle of the night reposition but luckily this is a rare occurrence.
June to October is hurricane season and sailors especially need to listen closely to local weather forecasts. The southern most Windward Islands are considered by many to be outside the hurricane belt but locals in Grenada still talk of the devastation wreaked on their nation by Hurricane Ivan in 2004.
Recommended Reading:
Caribbean Passage Making by Les Weatheritt
Caribbean Cruising Your Guide to the Perfect Sailing Holiday by Jane Gibb, John Kretschmer and John Gibb
Sailing the Windward Islands
Main Islands from north to south: Martinique, St Lucia, St Vincent, Grenada
Named from a time when sailing ships regularly crossed the Atlantic serving the slave trade triangle. The prevailing winds and currents forced sailors to beat to windward to reach islands in this group. Those seeking landfall in islands to the north sailed to leeward.
For the less experienced passages and island hopping between St Vincent and Grenada is the better option. This stretch of water is the perfect stepping-stone from the baby slopes of the Virgin Islands to what many describe as a real Caribbean experience. True there are fewer mooring buoys and more anchoring becomes the norm but the scenery is magnificent. Save for the passage between Carriacou and Grenada sailing between islands is done on short easily manageable trips. In the days before GPS and electronic chart plotters navigating the Tobago Cays was considered challenging. Now it is relatively easy although it still requires careful use of the buoyed channels and it is definitely worth the effort to stay here overnight.
Sailing southwards down island usually offers easier passages when compared to travelling north. Consider charters with a drop off in a different location and fly locally between islands to join or catch your airflights home. Sailing south from St Lucia to St Vincent can be an exhilarating sail in smaller sailing yacht and going northward can be somewhat more bumpy.
Between islands, Caribbean sailing is usually exciting. Seas become calmer and passages smoother when sailing in the lee of the islands on the western sides of the islands. Often in a sailing yacht it will be necessary to use the motor on these passages. Even when the Christmas winds are blowing strongly it is usually possible to have calm conditions along an islands lee side. Most islands offer plenty of water depth making it ideal for tucking close in shore. Watch out for sudden increases in wind at the northern ends of islands, especially off St Vincent, which can often be stronger than out in the open sea.
Recommended Reading:
Sailor’s Guide to the Windward Islands: Martinique to Grenada by Chris Doyle, Virginia Barlow and Sally Erdle
Windward Anchorages by Chris Doyle
The Windward Island Cruising Guide by Stephen Pavlidis
Sailing the Leeward Islands
Main Islands: Anguila, St Martin, St Barths, Saba, St Eustatius (Statia), St Kitts, Nevis, Montserrat, Barbuda, Antigua, Guadeloupe, Dominica
More large islands make up the Leeward Island group than the Windwards and there is an island here to suit everyone from nature lover to party princess. Packed with French, Dutch and British history most islands especially in marinas and harbour areas speak English.
St Martin, St Barths and Anguilla are islands where superyachts carrying rich and famous passengers come to pose. For sailors they offer the easiest of sailing and are favoured by the less experienced. Sailing here offers short passages, plenty of anchorages and a scattering of marinas for those who prefer the comfort of tying to a dock.
If sailing and sightseeing rather than shopping and showing-off is the reason for coming here then the chain of small volcanic islands including Saba, Statia, St Kitts, Nevis and Montserrat is a must. Even for the most adventurous these islands should be avoided when the Christmas Winds blow strongly. Northerly swells can make anchoring unpleasant even for yachts with stabilisers. But in good weather they are a delightful sailing destination offering plenty to see do and explore. Dive in Saba, marvel at the destructive power of volcanoes in Montserrat and when really calm stop and explore the Kingdom of Redonda
Antigua is a major Caribbean destination for English speaking yachts whilst Guadeloupe is the French equivalent centre. Both offer great cruising without going far. Each is perfect as jumping off points to sail to the other islands in the chain. One of our favourite spots is the tiny group of French islands Iles des Saintes off the southern end of Guadeloupe. It is delightful here especially once day-trippers have left and it makes a good jumping off point for a passage to the nature lovers delight Dominica the most beautiful and southern most island in the chain. 298 words
Recommended Reading:
Cruising Guide to the Leeward Island: Anguilla through Dominica by Chris Doyle
Leeward Anchorages by Chris Doyle
The Leeward Island Cruising Guide by Stephen Pavlidis
Sailing the Virgin Islands
Three groups are collectively known as Virgins Islands: Spanish Virgin, US Virgin and British Virgin Islands. Each is very different and it is quite possible to sail between at least two of the three on a week-long sailing trip.
Lying between the USVI and Puerto Rica, the Spanish Virgins or Passage Islands are a world away from the bustle of St Thomas. If you yearn for unspoilt white sandy beaches, crystal clear water and quiet anchorages set sail for these peaceful islands and get away from the crowd. We particularly love Vieques it is untouched by developers due to its recent use as US bombing practise site - we probably shouldn’t be telling you about it!
The BVI and USVI are definitely the nursery slopes for sailing but that does not make them any less fun even if you are an experienced sailor. We fell in love on our first visit and keep returning.
Three islands make up the US Virgins: St Thomas, St John and St Croix but most people only visit the first two and carry on to the BVIs. Ashore St Thomas is crowded but you can still find quiet anchorages and there are comfortable marinas too. Sailing to St John is usually calm even in windy conditions though this often means sailboats move under power. As most of the island is a US National Park the anchorages are pristine.
The British Virgin Islands: When most people talk about sailing in the Virgins they are thinking about the British Virgin Islands. Once you have visited you can understand why. Short sailing trips never far from land, flat seas even in strong winds and a calm anchorage to spend the night - this is the perfect vacation for a mixed experience and age group. There can be no better way to enjoy these islands than on a boat, in fact you need a yacht to visit most of them. The exception is Anegada, separate from the rest with a challenging shallow water approach that makes it off limits to most bareboats charterers.
Recommended Reading:
Cruising Guide to the Virgin Islands by Nancy & Simon Scott, Ashley Scott, Affinity Design and Ann Sabo
Virgin Anchorages by Simon Scott
The Virgin Island Cruising Guide by Stephen Pavlidis
Puerto Rico, the Spanish, U.S. and British Virgin Islands by Don Street
Sailing around Trinidad and Tobago
The most southerly of the eastern Caribbean islands, Trinidad and Tobago are a popular destination for cruising yachtsmen. Visitors on charter yachts are rare and they are definitely missing a superb destination.
The two islands of Trinidad and Tobago are very different. Trinidad offers a rich cultural heritage, abundant wildlife and the most famous carnival in the Caribbean. Tobago on the other hand is a quieter more typically Caribbean island and a divers paradise. The two together make an idyllic holiday for those seeking a bit of everything.
Between June and December Trinidad enjoys its rainy season. When rain falls it does so in true downpour fashion it seldom lasts long and is gloriously warm! Tobago is drier but unlike Trinidad is still considered to be inside the hurricane belt.
The bulk of the yachts sailing here are found at anchor near or in the marinas of Chaguaramas in the north west of Trinidad. Except in southerly winds this is a calm spot and the ideal place to leave a yacht when visiting the bustling and lively capital Port of Spain, exploring inland or “playing mas” (joining the carnival). Taking your yacht to the nearby island of Chacachacare is a must. Apart from the lighthouse keepers the island is deserted but the ruins of a leper colony abandoned in the 1980s after the cure was discovered make for wonderful exploring.
Wind often drops at night around Trinidad and yachts, sailing to Tobago, take advantage of this to motor along the coast in the calm conditions. If time permits, cruise the north coast of Trinidad. It is a wild and rugged place with some wonderfully scenic anchorages. If the wind is from the south it is a comfortable sail from the northeast tip of the island across to Tobago. Strong winds from the northeast make the passage less enjoyable.
Despite the growth in tourism in Tobago it is still a wonderful island to visit and features many great anchorages. The island is set at an angle that does not give an obvious windward or leeward side so the best anchorage will depend upon the current wind conditions but luckily the island offers plenty of choice.
Recommended Reading:
Cruising Guide to Trinidad and Tobago Plus Barbados and Guyana by Chris Doyle
A Cruising Guide to Trinidad and Tobago by Stephen Pavlidis
Sailing the Bahamas
The barrier reef that protects the Bahamas is the third largest in the world and it protects thousands of islands that sparkled in a turquoise sea like gemstones. This is boating country and the Bahamas are a wonderful destination for sailboats and motor yachts alike. Depth of water is important throughout the area and because it is relatively shallow the one metre tidal range can be significant. It becomes important while sailing here to be aware of the times of high and low water each day. One good way of staying abreast with the tide times and, at the same time, staying informed on weather conditions is to listen to the net. This informal and chatty radio forum is run primarily for the benefit of those living on board yachts in the area, but they welcome visitors chartering locally and happily offer advise to all. It is a useful source of cruising information, which includes what restaurants are serving specials and even helpfully lists the times of happy hour in bars that abound the various anchorages.
Close to the U.S. mainland, with plenty of ports and easy-to-find anchorage sites, many American based sailors consider the Bahamas as their first and favourite overseas trip and it is from here that they later venture to the islands of the Eastern Caribbean.
The infrastructure that surrounds boating in the Bahamas is strong and as a result there are many opportunities for the visitor to take to the water for either just the day or for longer. Sailing yachts and motorboats are available for charter and fishing boats can offer the excitement of big game fishing.
Flotilla sailing is another option popular in these islands. Here, groups of people sail together, but take more than one boat where the lead boat is captained by a professional who knows the region, and is experienced in leading groups of boats. Other boats are skippered on a self-drive basis, and this offers opportunities sailing in international waters, without being completely in charge of the sailing itinerary.
Recommended Reading:
The Cruising Guide to Abaco, Bahamas: 2011 by Steve Dodge
2011 Yachtsman's Guide to the Bahamas by Thomas Daly
Dozier's Waterway Guide Bahamas 2011
The Northern Bahamas Cruising Guide Volume 1 by Stephen Pavlidis
The Southern Bahamas Cruising Guide Volume 2 by Stephen Pavlidis
The Exuma Guide by Stephen Pavlidis
