Curacao

typhoonNige

typhoonNige

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Anyone here had experience of Curacao as a place to spend the hurricane season? We were considering the San Blas Islands but the long trip upwind back to the Windward Islands is putting us off. Frank Virgintino's latest guide to the ABC's is complimentary but we would value the opinions of others.
 
It is still 500 miles upwind and up current back to Trinidad or Grenada. You have the added issue of deciding how far off the coast of Venezuela you want to stay for safety. Current thinking is 200 miles.

However immigration is giving 180 days so sitting the hurricane season is feasible.
 
typhoonNige said:
Anyone here had experience of Curacao as a place to spend the hurricane season? We were considering the San Blas Islands but the long trip upwind back to the Windward Islands is putting us off. Frank Virgintino's latest guide to the ABC's is complimentary but we would value the opinions of others.
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Haven't spent a hurricane season there. My only comment is that Spanish water, the main anchorage, can get pretty crowded. Not sure I would like to be there in a big blow- although it is very sheltered.

Spent much longer in Bonaire which we loved. Sat out a couple of tropical storms in the marina without any problem. It is a very small island though and you might get a little stir crazy for a whole season!
 
+1 above... I lived in Aruba for 4 years. I expect to take our boat to Bonaire when we want to avoid the hurricane season. We never experienced anything other than high winds during hurricane seasons... they pass well north of the ABC's. Enjoy the diving in Bonaire!!
 
We spent three hurricane seasons in Curacao one at anchor and two in the marina. We didn't have a hurricane the strongest wind was about 50 knots so a second anchor out. One year there was a wind reversal as a hurricane reversed course it destroyed docks and put lots of debris on reefs on the west side of Curacao and Bonaire. As said it's five hundred mile upwind, upcurrent, the third year we sailed up to Puerto Rico and island hopped from there. At night there is no wind on the south coast of PR. If you want to spend all your time girly sailing I wouldn't go there, but it's actually quite fun because of the challenge.
 
Many thanks for the replies, especially those with direct experiences of Curacao to pass on. As we are quite happy sailing to windward we may well be going there. For anyone who hasn't discovered them yet I recommend www.FreeCruisingGuides.com. The latest ABC one has just been published and is a mine of information.

Enjoying the Cape Verdes currently and in no hurry to leave!
 
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