Ratty1
New Member
We are thinking of chartering in Grenada at the beginning of August. Does anyone have experience of this area / at this time of year. The charter companies say it would be wonderful - but then they would !
Summer sailing around Grenada
- Thread starter Ratty1
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rivonia
Well-Known Member
Yes it would be wonderfull a very nice Island with very friendly people. However that is the Hurricane season so you must make your own choice. There is an old poem which the first part (for hurricanes) goes like this June too soon, July stand by and AUGUST a must.
Good luck
Peter
Good luck
Peter
KellysEye
Well-Known Member
I wouldn't go in August because of the hurricane risk - hurricanes generally peak in September. However, early season hurricanes tend to curve north of the island chain, thus June (the first month of hurricane season) should be OK. The down side of June is the Tropical waves have started, often one or two a week. These bring a NE/SE wind shift and not unusally squalls 30 knots plus. The nicest period is April/ May (with a few relatively weak TW's in May). And it's not peak season.
One thought there are some nice bays on the south side of Grenada (all reef entries) but not much else. East side is no go and the west side has a couple of uninteresting bays. If you want to sail the Grenadines you might be better to pick up a boat in St Vincent and head south. Same weather applies.
One thought there are some nice bays on the south side of Grenada (all reef entries) but not much else. East side is no go and the west side has a couple of uninteresting bays. If you want to sail the Grenadines you might be better to pick up a boat in St Vincent and head south. Same weather applies.
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Foxy
Well-Known Member
Agree with Kelly's Eye. Likelihood of a Hurricane is not too serious, but it could happen. Also, although Grenada is a lovely island if you are hanging out for a while - cheap, safe and lovely people- it isnt the best cruising venue as most of the bays are located next to each other. The water isn't always as clear as a short distance further North and August is in the rainy season. This doesnt mean much, as almost every month seems to be in the rainy season when I'm there, but it does make it hot and more to the point, really humid. This can make it very uncomfortable. The Grenadines, slightly further North have many more swimming options and lots more short sails to new locations. It will still be hot, many of the tourist restaurants may be closed, but you will have spots like the Tobago Cays to yourself (well.... ish!)
Shout if you want any more info!
Shout if you want any more info!
Bajansailor
Well-Known Member
It can be a long slog to windward from Grenada up to Carriacou - I would also prefer to start off from St Vincent and have an easy (usually!) sail over to Bequia as a shakedown trip.
Barefoot Yachts in St Vincent usually have relatively 'cheap' deals in the summer - www.barefootyachts.com - but the downside of summer is that it is hot and humid (as mentioned above), and the winds can be very squally or non-existent - in huge contrast to the 'winter' season when the trade winds have usually set in blowing a fairly steady 12 - 18 knots from the NE - SE.
Lots of free info about the islands at http://www.doyleguides.com/islands.html
Barefoot Yachts in St Vincent usually have relatively 'cheap' deals in the summer - www.barefootyachts.com - but the downside of summer is that it is hot and humid (as mentioned above), and the winds can be very squally or non-existent - in huge contrast to the 'winter' season when the trade winds have usually set in blowing a fairly steady 12 - 18 knots from the NE - SE.
Lots of free info about the islands at http://www.doyleguides.com/islands.html
Boat44
Well-Known Member
We did two weeks from Grenada six years a go over X-mas. Best X-mas ever, no relatives, sun, great sailing, rum, snorkelling, etc etc.
As others have said, lovely place, would love to go back. If we did, I would do a one way to/from St Vincent. Grenada is lovely and friendly but in terms of cruising the island doesn't really have a great deal to offer, other than a great start/end point. Tobago Keys is a must. Doing the customs thing in and out of all the countries was a bit of a pain, but only a bit. Sitting in the yacht club drinking rum and coke watching the blue of the ocean waiting for the customs man to get back from where ever he has gone is not too tough! There was talk at the time about trying to unify it between a number of them to make it easier and hence more desirable cruising ground. Not sure if anything happened. Anybody know?
Only thing I wouldn't bother with is The Resort on Petit St Vincent. We anchored off, lovely anchorage and would highly recommend it, but thought we would treat ourselves to dinner there on the evening. Don't think I have ever been somewhere so up itself. We had a drink and went back to the boat for BBQ steaks and beer instead of eating there.
Personally I wouldn't go in our summer. Go when its really s*** here and you have better odds of having good weather, unless of course you like it kind of windy!!!
But do go its great.
As others have said, lovely place, would love to go back. If we did, I would do a one way to/from St Vincent. Grenada is lovely and friendly but in terms of cruising the island doesn't really have a great deal to offer, other than a great start/end point. Tobago Keys is a must. Doing the customs thing in and out of all the countries was a bit of a pain, but only a bit. Sitting in the yacht club drinking rum and coke watching the blue of the ocean waiting for the customs man to get back from where ever he has gone is not too tough! There was talk at the time about trying to unify it between a number of them to make it easier and hence more desirable cruising ground. Not sure if anything happened. Anybody know?
Only thing I wouldn't bother with is The Resort on Petit St Vincent. We anchored off, lovely anchorage and would highly recommend it, but thought we would treat ourselves to dinner there on the evening. Don't think I have ever been somewhere so up itself. We had a drink and went back to the boat for BBQ steaks and beer instead of eating there.
Personally I wouldn't go in our summer. Go when its really s*** here and you have better odds of having good weather, unless of course you like it kind of windy!!!
But do go its great.
Ratty1
New Member
Confused !
Thanks for all the info. Grenada sounds great but maybe not this time. We usually sail in the solent and have chartered in Greece (Ionian), Croatia and Turkey (Fethiye) before and wanted somewhere warm and sunny ( teenage daughters !) and unfortunately can only go in school holidays in the summer. Any suggestions for somewhere different ? Which would be the best part of the Caribbean at this time - I guess all parts suffer from hurricane risk ?
Thanks for all the info. Grenada sounds great but maybe not this time. We usually sail in the solent and have chartered in Greece (Ionian), Croatia and Turkey (Fethiye) before and wanted somewhere warm and sunny ( teenage daughters !) and unfortunately can only go in school holidays in the summer. Any suggestions for somewhere different ? Which would be the best part of the Caribbean at this time - I guess all parts suffer from hurricane risk ?
john_morris_uk
Well-Known Member
Its the hottest time of the year - and although in theory its right in the hurricane season, in past years very few hurricanes have gone as far south as Grenada.
Having said that (and whether you believe in or ascribe it to climate change or not) Grenada was hit by a hurricane not so long ago.
Pay your money and take your choice...
Having said that (and whether you believe in or ascribe it to climate change or not) Grenada was hit by a hurricane not so long ago.
Pay your money and take your choice...
TQA
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Here is another vote for chartering out of St Vincent and heading South. The charter company will have a contingency plan for you in the event of a named storm warning.
I will be there with an ear to the forecasts. It is peacefull in the summer.
I will be there with an ear to the forecasts. It is peacefull in the summer.
Foxy
Well-Known Member
If you are going to head that way, then do as the posters above have suggested. The Grenadines arent to be missed. Have you tried Late Sail for anything in Mallorca? August can be hellishly busy, but if you are prepared to anchor all the time, its beautiful, as is Ibiza etc. Clear blue water, good food, stunning scenery. Dare I say, good old blighty can be stunning if you are lucky.... You might be able to get loads more for your money once you take into account flights etc - also, much longer on the water due to handovers, customs stuff, permits etc. How about Scotland? or Ireland.... Or how about a Sunsail beach club? or if you are really up for fun, then Wildwinds in Vassiliki! Its v cool there, beautiful place, fab sailing and great places nearby.
Bajansailor
Well-Known Member
Hottest time of the year out here is usually September / October.
This year has been relatively 'cool' - it was not tooo hot in August. This might help to explain why the hurricanes were very quiet this summer, despite fairly dire warnings at the beginning of the season that we could expect to see a few humdingers in the offing.
The probability of hurricanes happening increases as the sea temps increase - summer 2004 was noticeably scorchio from early on, and the sea temps were (I think) 2 degrees above average (similarly summer 1995) - and 2004 was the year when they ran out of letters for hurricane names.......
Hurricane Ivan hit Grenada in 2004 (here is a wiki link to him - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Ivan ) - he was forecast to go over Barbados, and then clobber Bequia / St Vincent, but he persisted on staying south, with no veering northwards as predicted.
We were lucky - if we had winds gusting to 150 knots we would have been properly flattened.
But looking on the bright side, the previous hurricane to affect Grenada was Janet in 1955. The odds of encountering a hurricane increase as you go northwards up the island chain.
If you go sailing from (say) St Vincent in August you can expect a rain squall (or 2) every day, and maybe one day a week where it might rain all day if a tropical wave is passing through. The winds are not as steady as during the winter, but still a lot more reliable re strength and direction than around Britain.
Summer temperatures are generally cooler than the Med - its a very hot day here if the temp is 32*C.
And you might even have some anchorages to yourself - even the Tobago Cays will be looking rather sparsely populated, whereas during the winter season the Cays are a bit like a larger, tropical version of Newtown Creek re traffic.
This website about the Cays does not really do them justice - http://www.tobagocays.com/
This year has been relatively 'cool' - it was not tooo hot in August. This might help to explain why the hurricanes were very quiet this summer, despite fairly dire warnings at the beginning of the season that we could expect to see a few humdingers in the offing.
The probability of hurricanes happening increases as the sea temps increase - summer 2004 was noticeably scorchio from early on, and the sea temps were (I think) 2 degrees above average (similarly summer 1995) - and 2004 was the year when they ran out of letters for hurricane names.......
Hurricane Ivan hit Grenada in 2004 (here is a wiki link to him - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Ivan ) - he was forecast to go over Barbados, and then clobber Bequia / St Vincent, but he persisted on staying south, with no veering northwards as predicted.
We were lucky - if we had winds gusting to 150 knots we would have been properly flattened.
But looking on the bright side, the previous hurricane to affect Grenada was Janet in 1955. The odds of encountering a hurricane increase as you go northwards up the island chain.
If you go sailing from (say) St Vincent in August you can expect a rain squall (or 2) every day, and maybe one day a week where it might rain all day if a tropical wave is passing through. The winds are not as steady as during the winter, but still a lot more reliable re strength and direction than around Britain.
Summer temperatures are generally cooler than the Med - its a very hot day here if the temp is 32*C.
And you might even have some anchorages to yourself - even the Tobago Cays will be looking rather sparsely populated, whereas during the winter season the Cays are a bit like a larger, tropical version of Newtown Creek re traffic.
This website about the Cays does not really do them justice - http://www.tobagocays.com/
snowleopard
Well-Known Member
Bajan - can you clarify the situation regarding clearing in and out between Grenada & SVG? Is it something that can cause bother? I don't know the local details as we only got as far south as the Tobago Cays.
Have they implemented the plan to make the Cays a no-anchoring zone? I heard about it a while back but nothing since.
Have they implemented the plan to make the Cays a no-anchoring zone? I heard about it a while back but nothing since.
Bajansailor
Well-Known Member
Re clearing in and out between Grenada and SVG - yes, you do have to (for example) clear in / out at Carriacou (GDA) and Union Island (SVG) when sailing up or down the chain of islands.
All of the English speaking islands have inherited a legacy of bureaucracy and paperwork from colonial days, and appear to embrace it all most enthusiastically - unlike the French islands, where they like to keep paperwork to a minimum.
Although if you were (say) anchored at Petit Martinique (GDA) and wanted to go and visit Petit St Vincent (SVG) just across the channel, I dont think anybody would be too fussed if you went across in your dinghy - most of the staff at the hotel on PSV come from PM each day.
Re the Tobago Cays - we were last there in March, and although there are a lot of moorings in place now, there is still lots of room for anchoring - they do ask though that you take care to anchor only in sand, not coral. You do have to pay a daily fee (per person) now to be in the Cays, and this is collected by the Tobago Cays Marine Park Rangers.
All of the English speaking islands have inherited a legacy of bureaucracy and paperwork from colonial days, and appear to embrace it all most enthusiastically - unlike the French islands, where they like to keep paperwork to a minimum.
Although if you were (say) anchored at Petit Martinique (GDA) and wanted to go and visit Petit St Vincent (SVG) just across the channel, I dont think anybody would be too fussed if you went across in your dinghy - most of the staff at the hotel on PSV come from PM each day.
Re the Tobago Cays - we were last there in March, and although there are a lot of moorings in place now, there is still lots of room for anchoring - they do ask though that you take care to anchor only in sand, not coral. You do have to pay a daily fee (per person) now to be in the Cays, and this is collected by the Tobago Cays Marine Park Rangers.
Foxy
Well-Known Member
Was there about May. As Bajan says, there is plenty of room to anchor. If there is no N swell, anchor at Hillsboro' Carriacou and clearing is quick and easy - also Carriacou is a wonderful place!
Boat44
Well-Known Member
What about the Baltic? Not quit string bikins at dawn till dusk but a) different and b) beutiful.
Bajansailor
Well-Known Member
This photo pretty much sums up what the Tobago Cays are like :
Well worth visiting!
Ok, you do have to pay a daily fee to be anchored there, but if you consider it as a small tax to help protect the coral reefs then it is excellent value, as the snorkelling is excellent.
(Perhaps not as good as the Barrier reef off Oz, but infinitely better than the Solent!
)
Well worth visiting!
Ok, you do have to pay a daily fee to be anchored there, but if you consider it as a small tax to help protect the coral reefs then it is excellent value, as the snorkelling is excellent.
(Perhaps not as good as the Barrier reef off Oz, but infinitely better than the Solent!
)
snowleopard
Well-Known Member
Here's one from the air....
The dark blue on the right is the open ocean and, as you can see in Bajan's pic, there is nothing but the surf on the reef between you and Africa when you anchor to windward of the islands. Fabulous.
jeremyshaw
Well-Known Member
Personally I think August is a great time in the Southern Caribbean and I'd be happy to charter then with a few caveats.
The beauty of it is that the winds and swells are down, so going up to Carriacou isn't such a slog (and it's only a few hours of slog anyway for heaven's sake).
Clearing out of Carriacou for the Cays takes an hour or two, no big deal, though some dollars do have to change hands. But if you clear in to SV&G at Union Island do take care at Roundabout Reef where for some reason the locals manage to make a good living towing charter boats off the reef.
The Cays in August are great because they are less crowded. And in December I've sat there for days with 20kts blowing over the deck. Yes it's lovely, but I'd rather be tucked behind a lump of island giving me shelter.
A lot of people don't even bother to clear in to SVC to go from Grenada to the Cays. I am told the park people in the Cays don't check clearance, but since we tend to be very dutiful in these matters I can't say for sure.
Some of the best sailing I've done in the Caribbean has been those waters in July/August - rummaging the East coasts, tying up to rocks you'd never get near when the wind is up, and enjoying the quieter anchorages.
Finally you'll get a better deal in August as it's low season.
The caveat is that there is always a risk of hurricane. But they don't come from nowhere so the most you get at short notice is a tropical storm. There are active VHF nets in Grenada and Carriacou to listen to and there would be time to run to Trini if you go straight away (people often hope they will bend north, and stay). With a charter boat you'd probably be asked to take it back anyway so they could stash it in the mangroves.
The beauty of it is that the winds and swells are down, so going up to Carriacou isn't such a slog (and it's only a few hours of slog anyway for heaven's sake).
Clearing out of Carriacou for the Cays takes an hour or two, no big deal, though some dollars do have to change hands. But if you clear in to SV&G at Union Island do take care at Roundabout Reef where for some reason the locals manage to make a good living towing charter boats off the reef.
The Cays in August are great because they are less crowded. And in December I've sat there for days with 20kts blowing over the deck. Yes it's lovely, but I'd rather be tucked behind a lump of island giving me shelter.
A lot of people don't even bother to clear in to SVC to go from Grenada to the Cays. I am told the park people in the Cays don't check clearance, but since we tend to be very dutiful in these matters I can't say for sure.
Some of the best sailing I've done in the Caribbean has been those waters in July/August - rummaging the East coasts, tying up to rocks you'd never get near when the wind is up, and enjoying the quieter anchorages.
Finally you'll get a better deal in August as it's low season.
The caveat is that there is always a risk of hurricane. But they don't come from nowhere so the most you get at short notice is a tropical storm. There are active VHF nets in Grenada and Carriacou to listen to and there would be time to run to Trini if you go straight away (people often hope they will bend north, and stay). With a charter boat you'd probably be asked to take it back anyway so they could stash it in the mangroves.
Ratty1
New Member
Thanks for all the helpful advice. Having talked all the pros and cons through with our whole party (which will now be 2 or 3 boats) we have decided to go for the Med this coming summer - probably Northern Sporades but we will DEFINITELY be going to Grenada / SVC in the future , hopefully the following year and perhaps a bit earlier than August .