Caribbean laying up - where else apart from Trinidad, Grenada or Venez

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SimonJ

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Now that the insurance companies (Pantaenius anyway) have realised that they can spread their risk more effectively by allowing boats to lay up in a wider range of places (provided certain conditions eg cradle anchoring, mast removal etc are met) during the hurricane season there is an opportunity to try somewhere new. Trinidad (probably the most popular choice but most expensive to fly to/from?) has in any case become more expensive, Grenada is still very busy and Venezuela although cheap and loved by many seems increasingly unsafe.
So, does anyone have any recommendations/contacts for other places such as Puerto Rico, St Thomas, Antigua or BVIs for example?
Any ideas welcome.
Simon
 
Re: Caribbean laying up - where else apart from Trinidad, Grenada or V

There is a small haul out yard in Carriacou, but then you have the hassles of getting to / from there by either ferry or puddle jumper.

Ottley Hall Shipyard in St Vincent has some storage for yachts, but not a lot. They are located a couple of bays north of Kingstown.

Rodney Bay Marina in St Lucia has quite a large haul out yard - they tend to get booked up early for the summer, from what I have heard. They also offer marina berths for the summer with just one (not 2) boats per 'slip', ie the boat is moored between the fingers with lines out on both sides.

There are various marinas / haul-out yards in Martinique and Guadeloupe, but I dont have up to date info on them.

Antigua has Jolly Harbour and Antigua Slipway in English Harbour, and I think there is a new haul out yard planned for the north coast in the near future (have heard rumours to that effect - can anybody verify?).
 
Can thoroughly recommend Jolly Harbour in Antigua. Flights are regular and at reasonable prices..try Sky Scanner website. Pits are dug for keels to drop in for security plus the whole harbour is fairly well protected anyway. Antigua hasn't had a hurricane for many years so statistically it may be due one but the wind gods may not have been told! It would be my first choice throughout windwards and leewards. Other plusses, good chandlers, restaurants, supermarket, swimming pool, blah blah! Loved it.
 
Nanny Quay in Tortola in the BVIs have Pantaneius approved cradles and a reasonable size yard but are not too cheap. Talking to them earlier in the year they say there are several other yards in the BVIs, not sure which though.
 
Re: Caribbean laying up - where else apart from Trinidad, Grenada or V

I've used Crabs in Antigua a few years ago, on the NE side inside Long Island, bit more basic than Jolly harbour,but pits dug for keels.
 
Haven't checked current UK originating prices but you may find some good deals into Trinidad with BA and Tobago with Virgin. BA have just bought the rights to fly into Trinidad's Port of Spain airport from BWIA and are doing so from Gatwick 3 times a week. However they are reducing their St Lucia schedule to 1 x per week to cope with this.

At Virgin I know we've got some low Tobago originating flights to match the cost of BA's Port of Spain originating flights. The BA flights go via Barbados. So you may find Trinidad isn't the most expensive to fly to!

Antigua continues to be well served by Virgin and BA and keep an eye out for Excel to Grenada, St Kitts and various others.

At the risk of thread drift if anyone is interested in cheap cruises there is a huge amount of capacity out of Barbados on Carnival Destiny due to cricket cancellations. If memory serves me correctly it means 8 day all inclusive cruises from a couple of hundred quid.

Disclaimer - I work for Virgin Atlantic in the Caribbean but have nothing to do with the cruise ships!
 
I laid up in Trinidad last year but cant honestly recommend it. Not the cost of air travel - not too bad, but the overcrowding and unsatisfactory security. Because there were so many boats (all yards were packed full) it was difficult to get work done and attitudes generally were casual. Trinidad is in the grip of a crime wave, so police give boater's problems (eg theft of dinghy) no attention.

Grenada still did not seem to be as busy as you suggest, in the wake of Ivan the year before. Another time, I would go there.
 
Hi, we are in the Caribbean at present. Most islands do not have the cradles required by the insurance companies, those that do have them are fully booked. Trinidad doesn't seem to be approved at all by Pantaenius. We are staying with the boat and cruising the ABC's and accepting that if we get hit by a named storm we will have to take the hit of the 25% excess. Marinas in Bonaire are reasonable and we are leaving the boat for a few weeks while we visit family. Good Luck.
 
Re: Caribbean laying up - where else apart from Trinidad, Grenada or V

Some friends of ours are currently in the BVI. They were planning to go down to Trinidad to lay up until I told them about the crime situation there. They have found a place to lay up in the BVI, Tortola I think, and an insurer who will cover them for the same in dollars as they were quoted in pounds by their UK insurer. If you want details, PM me.
 
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