Caribbean Costs

[Gryphon2]

We are hoping to take our current boat, a Moody 38cc, to the Caribbean next autumn and leave it somewhere over there for the hurricane season 2020 and return again the following UK winter. However it seems that the costs of leaving a boat there are much increased on earlier times.

Does anyone have direct experience odf a) where the best place to leave a boat is and b) the likely costs both of storage and insurance ?

Thanks in advance!

 

[macd]

The Caribbean is rather large: comparable in size to Europe, and consequently quite varied. It might help if you specified which bit you have in mind.

 

[Gryphon2]

We intend to spend at least 6 months there so we do not intend to be in one place! We know the Windwards well and have also been to Colombia and Panama in the past but the point of my question is that we would consider anywhere that was reasonably cheap, reasonably safe, does not incur heavy extra insurance costs and has access to flights to the UK. Curacao has been suggested but it is a bit uphill if you want to return to the Windwards and a bit steep on flights. I am now thinking north of N30.5 in Georgia might work.

Hope that is a bit more specific in a vague way...

 

[PhilipH]

We are big fans of Trinidad and had our boat there for three seasons including 2017 season. The cost of haul out and storage is quite reasonable. We stayed at Peakes and liked it. Many go to Power boats and the cost are much the same. We like Trinidad more than Grenada because of the wider range of service providers and the availability of materials, chandlery etc. One of the most important benefits though is the food with its fusion of Indian, African, Chinese and European. Flights to Europe are good too. One word of caution though - the paranoid and the panicked are forever hyping the risks of sailing between Grenada and Trinidad but ignore them. Stay East of the gas platforms and sail overnight, file a float plan and enjoy.

 

[KellysEye]

Same with Trinidad.

 

[dansaskip]

Another vote for Chaguaramas, Trinidad. I stored my boat at Power Boats for 2015 hurricane season and would recommend it, But Peakes has also a good reputation and there is also Coral Cove. You should be able to get current rates from internet eg http://powerboats.co.tt.
They are also pretty good at answering emails.
I think there is also a Facebook pages for Trinidad cruisers which might yield more info.
As Trinidad is out of the Hurricane zone insurance shouldn't be a problem and cheaper than other lay up areas
PhilipH is quite right about the passage from Grenada - plan a night passage and keep to the East of the platforms.
Forget about going to Curacoa if you want to go back to the Windwards.

 

[Gryphon2]

Thanks for the advice. We stayed at Trini for a few weeks in early 2015. One reason I am not totally in favour is my insurer is not keen....ie it will cost more for insurance. He reckons that sooner or later it will experience a hurricane with potentially devastating results.

As for the crossing to Grenada we did the passage in 2015 with no problem. However in 2010 we were moored in True Blue alongside a big German motorsailer with 2 men and a woman who had been boarded ,tied up, and robbed on the passage from Trini.. They even had their toothbrushes stolen and were very traumatised. So it pays not to be too complacent!

 

[BobnLesley]

...Curacao has been suggested but...a bit steep on flights....

We hauled and stored for a month in the Curacao Yard and we were very impressed with the yard there; a contributing factor in our choosing that yard were the cheap flights:
At the time (Sept/Oct 2017) the going rate for return air flights to the UK seemed to be around $1100 each, irrespective of which island you flew from but flying with TUI Airlines (spare seats on their charter flights?) out of Curacao it cost us less than half that for flights to/from Amsterdam, to which we added about another £60 each getting to the UK and back using Easyjet one way and Jet2 the other.
Curacao is still an 'uphill' passage back to the eastern Caribbean, though still probably easier than returning from the US east coast - it's certainly a warmer passage.

 

[TQA]

Don't wait till the last minute to book your storage spot. It is not unusual for the popular [ cheaper] yards to be fully booked by Feb. Also read the small print on your insurance before committing to a yard.

 

[KellysEye]

>He reckons that sooner or later it will experience a hurricane with potentially devastating results.

There is a mountain range on the north side of Trinidad which the hurricanes bounce off. We were in the marina when a hurricane was due to pass north so we doubled up the mooring lines, maximum gust was 50 knots.

 

[Palarran]

Thanks for the advice. We stayed at Trini for a few weeks in early 2015. One reason I am not totally in favour is my insurer is not keen....ie it will cost more for insurance. He reckons that sooner or later it will experience a hurricane with potentially devastating results.

That's really weird with your insurance company. Trinidad is the ONLY island that my carrier will cover my boat without paying for an additional TS rider. Getting TS coverage now is extremely difficult and needs to be purchased well in advance. In my case, right now for next season. My carrier, which is the largest US based marine insurer, basically only covers so many $ of boat in so many areas. So if they have 20% of their coverage in the Leewards, they cut off taking anymore policies.

I liked Antigua alot. Their haulout and storage quotes were in line with all other places I checked.

 

[TQA]

Antigua is one of the last places I would choose for a hurricane season haulout.

It is in the middle of hurricane alley and overdue for a big hit.

Trinidad is the safest place to haul for hurricane season.

The south coast of Grenada is pressty safe but gets hit every 25 years or so. Hurricane Ivan was the last strong storm to hit Grenada 14 years ago.

View attachment 74256

Grenada boatyard after Ivan

 

[Palarran]

I don't disagree with Antigua's location but have to say that a lot has changed with haul-outs since Ivan and even Maria and Irma. Again, looking at my underwriter, it costs less for the TS rider in Antigua than PR or the Bahamas. I would think Antigua has direct flights back to the UK and am not sure about Trinidad.

 

[Gryphon2]

Thanks again for the helpful advice

 

[ip485]

>He reckons that sooner or later it will experience a hurricane with potentially devastating results.

I wonder what he basis that on?

Although English, I lived in Trinidad for many years. As fas as I am aware there has never been a hurricane. The only one close went to the North with lots of devastation in Tobago BUT even then it wasnt the full force and the devastation was sadly a reflection of many of the houses being poorly built then.

As an earlier contributor said the Northern range and the location of the moorings and haul out storage is also very sheltered from pretty much every direction.

Anything in possible especially with climate warming, but I doubt there is very much if any scientific basis for his assertion.

and how much do I know, a quick Google reveals the 1933 Trinidad hurricane, but one in 100 years ish seems a pretty small risk.

 

[BobnLesley]

...costs less for the TS rider in Antigua than PR or the Bahamas...

If you're considering Antigua we saw a very safe/secure looking yard only a mile or so below the airport that was hauling monohulls and sitting them in holes which looked a much better bet than sitting them on props/cradles; sorry i can't recall it's name, but it's on the west side of Parham Harbour, no more than a mile south of the main airport, from where you'll be flying back to the UK.

 

[Seven Spades]

Thanks for the advice. We stayed at Trini for a few weeks in early 2015. One reason I am not totally in favour is my insurer is not keen....ie it will cost more for insurance. He reckons that sooner or later it will experience a hurricane with potentially devastating results.

As for the crossing to Grenada we did the passage in 2015 with no problem. However in 2010 we were moored in True Blue alongside a big German motorsailer with 2 men and a woman who had been boarded ,tied up, and robbed on the passage from Trini.. They even had their toothbrushes stolen and were very traumatised. So it pays not to be too complacent!

Reading these two posts it sounds as these there is a security problem in the area. Is the problem Trinidad or Grenada I thought that both were safe to visit. Where can you get information regarding the safety of the different islands?

 

[typhoonNige]

Reading these two posts it sounds as these there is a security problem in the area. Is the problem Trinidad or Grenada I thought that both were safe to visit. Where can you get information regarding the safety of the different islands?

Have a look here:
https://safetyandsecuritynet.org/