Perchance to dream - Caribbean

[CharlesM]

Hello all

sorry about the crosspost (with Livaboard forum)

Now that I own my first boat, I need to plan /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

I have touched on this subject in earlier posts, but would like to get more advice.

Imagine yourself...

2 months in the Caribbean with limited experiance and 1 crewmate SWWNO (She who will not obey) also known as My Love. A newly purchased boat without any electronics, radios or safety gear and loads of excitement. You arrive to the boat which is in the lagoon in St. Martin.

Question. What do you do for the two months?

Parameters.
1) Diving kit will be purchased for those that dont have it (although not sure of the compressor).
2) My Love may not be scared off by crazy scary stunts.
3) About £5k to spend on gear (although keeping this down for the initial 2 months may be advisable)


go wild

Charles /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[cgull]

I am going there next week for 2 weeks,i will have a look for you if you like!

 

[CharlesM]

Cool - you going for a charter?

Would love to get an idea of places to visit, things to see and do.

Wooo - I am so excited.

With which airline are you flying?

Cheers
Charles

 

[TigaWave]

Make sure you have a wind gen/solar panels, and fridge to keep cool drinks for SWWNO....head for St Eustatia, great diving and food. (you need a good kedge to keep the bow into any swell) that will keep you busy for 10 days...or it did for us.

 

[TigaWave]

Oh....forgot...dont plan just talk to other cruisers and then decide where to go. You'll find you like a place and want to stay for a week diving, and have planned an over night stop!

 

[snowleopard]

a good circuit would be statia, st kitts, nevis, montserrat, antigua, st barts & return. i'd avoid going to the BVIs only because the return trip will be a slog.

 

[AlexL]

Definately go diving - from St Martin I can highly recommend Statia, St Kitts and Nevis and St Barts and Saba (must do) - We went there last year on our Honeymoon. Also the BVi's are not too far away. St Martin is very nice - all the superyachts winter there and the French and Dutch sides are very different. Also go to Maho (?) Beach for a couple of hours - the experience of sitting on a beach at the end of the runway and having a 747 or A340 Here , Here , and here part your hair is something else - we were pi**ing ourselves laughing for hours afterwards.

 

[snowleopard]

the airliners drop pretty steeply so half a mile out they are several hundred feet up. one day we were motoring past the beach when we saw a military airdraft approaching from the sea at less than 50 ft. we stopped and it passed 100 yds ahead below masthead height. good job we saw it!

(and by the way, the nudist beach is the next one along)

 

[jimboaw]

A simple suggestion perhaps? Arrange to fly via Miami or better yet Ft. Lauderdale with maybe a 1 night stopover. Pre order all the goodies you want for the boat and arrange to collect them stateside. It may even be possible to avoid paying Florida's 6% sales tax. Check with West Marine? Travel very light from the UK. Purchase warm weather stuff here at a huge discount on UK prices. After a good fixed GPS and a stand by hand held, put a laptop and charting software next on your list. Maptech works fine and is about the cheapest. Not so sure about purchasing dive gear, it would seem to me it would be cheaper to join daily dive charters and use theirs for starters? Itinerary? NEVER HAVE ONE!!!!