Caribbean in August?

J

joss

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Thinking of maybe goig to Caribbean in August. Would that be a stupid thing to do (w.r.t. hurricanes) or is it a reasonable proposition? Have not been there before but am considering BVIs for 2 weeks. Any views welcome!

cheers,
Jo
 
I live in the Bahamas (not strictly Caribb but close) and you'll find it unbearably hot. You may get more tradewinds in the BVI's (than the Bahamas) to keep things a little cooler but not by much. You may also find that some of the restaurants e close down because of a) the temps. and b) fewer visitors.
 
Make it as early as you can in August and you may be ok. Hot and humid but the trades will make it bearable, and the chances of a hurricane are not as high as they will be in late August, September and October. You might just catch the end of season parties for the charter crews, good fun!
 
I generally go to the Caribbean at the end of October to get some really good charter deals, but also to lessen the hurricane risk. The risk in August is very high as the worst months are August and September. I found in the BVIs that going out of season wasn't too bad if you are happy with quiet bays with the odd bar still open. The big resort type places are all closed although there are not that many off them anyway. The temperature is not too bad as long as you are in the open with constant breeze. Sheltered bays can be hot at night with mosquitos to annoy you. All in all a great place to relax with eyeball navigation and everywhere to go at easy reach.
 
Even if you dont get the odd hurricane or tropical storm, it may well be very very wet, and hot. You only have to look to see how cheap it can be at that time of the year to give you some idea how popular it is. The best time to visit the Caribbean is between Nov and April.
 
As far as hurricanes go, they are well forecast so the chances of getting caught in one are minimal. If one is forecast you simply have to get the boat back tot he chater base in good time. BUT - make sure you're covered for a refund and early departure if that happens or you'll have lost a lot of money.
 
I'v been there three times end June - mid July as well as twice October / Nov. Cooler than the Med in summer, and luckily missed the bigger tropical storms, though we were weather bound in Antigua for a week. Might be better to avoid Aug / Sept if you can, but excellent deals around with the charter cos. then. I'd probably pick the BVIs over the other destinations during this period, but in the end it's a toss of the coin whether you get hit by storms or not. You'll not be at risk, but your holiday is...just bear that in mind.
 
Many cruising yachtsmen I know prefer the Abacos to the BVIs. The water is gin clear. Local cruising in and around the Sea of Abaco is line-of-sight. Plenty of beach bars, the best probably being 'Pete's Pub' in Little Harbour or 'Cracker P's' on Lubber's Quarters, Nippers at Great Guana Cay, etc. Once you've been there, people keep going back year after year.
 
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