Trinidad north - what would you do?

[Nickcreak]

Dear all,
I have just bought a boat (Weaterly Oceanlord) in Trinidad and want to get up to the BVI’s for some easy sailing. My wife is an inexperienced sailor and I want to make this as easy on her as possible. We will be in Trinidad from October and don’t have to be back in England until August (although appreciate the Hurricane season)
Since so many boats are based in Trinidad, I’m assuming this is a common route.

I have been told that I need to head West to Bonaire and further before heading north to Puerto Rico as the sailing is hard going north?

this seems like to long a journey to put my wife through straight off the bat.
I am after advice.

What would you do?
When would you go?

 

[TQA]

DO NOT GO TO BONAIRE! Who ever suggested that does not know much about sailing in the Caribbean.

Just island hop North. Trinidad, Grenada, Carriacou, Union Island Bequia St Vincent St Lucia Martinique Dominica Guadeloupe Antigua St Barts St Marten. This is some of the best cruising in the world. I chose to retire here and will keep cruising the Windward and Leeward islands as long as I can. If you see Elephants Child stop by and say hi, Dizzy will demand a belly rub as cruising tax.

All of the above are day sails except Trinidad to Grenada. If you have a fast boat and everything goes well you can leave Trinidad at first light and make it into Grenada before dark but it is not good practice to do this. It is much better to leave at dusk, jog gently up to Grenada and enter the anchorage in the morning with good light. [ heave to for an while if you get there too early}. If you have a slow passage and don't make it till mid day entry is still easy.

People who make entrance to harbors guarded by reefs in the Caribbean at night or in poor light lose their boats.

Think hard before making the jump to the BVI if you want to return to the Eastern Carib. The Anegada passage west to east breaks boats and sailors.

 

[ip485]

I have also thought of going through the "ABC" as they are commonly known and while I havent done it I have been in contact with plenty of cruisers that have been that way very recently. I hear what TQA says and would be interested why as that is not the accounts I have received, although of course everyone says dont get too close to Venezuela.

The reason for my consideration is again opinions are that it works for passages into the hurricane season both because of the prevailing winds and being outside the zone.

I agree with TQA pottering up the chain especially outside the hurricane season is far more sensible and easier sailing. Again from recent accounts a lot of people are still very keen to avoid Grenada but every where else is pretty much fine.

Are you asking about returning to the UK?

As you probably know port services in Trinidad are some of the best around so it is well worth getting everything and anything you need doing before departing.

Tobago is well worth the first hop but you will need to check out and check in, in Scarborough; Charlotteville is so well worth while visiting but strangley you will again need to check out and check in again.

I lived in Trinidad for many years so know that part of the world as a second home.

Oceanlord - a lovely yacht.

 

[TQA]

Visiting the ABCs makes sense if you are going on to Panama and through the canal. You will have a warm wind over your shoulder and some current helping you along.

Getting back from the ABCs to the Windwards and Leewards is a long hard slog to windward and don;t forget that current pushing you back towards the ABCs every hour.

It used to be that you could hug the coast of Venezuela and motor at night but with the situation there that is no longer a safe plan

Those with plenty of time might leave the ABCs with a forecast showing some SE winds and make a single tack North finishing up somewhere in Puerto Rico. Slog eastward to the BVI and wait for a cold front to come south and ride it to St Marten across the Anegada passage.

But don't just trust what I say get hold of a copy o Jimmy Cornel's Ocean Cruising routes and look up AN 96 which starts by saying " This can be a very rough passage"

 

[ip485]

TQA - no, I trust your comments. I hadnt appreciated you were taking into account getting back or across to the islands. Your comments would then be spot on. The ABCs I think we agree are a good route Trinidad going west up to Panama.

I am not sure where the O/P wants to end up?

 

[AndrewB]

TQA is absolutely right, island-hop north to BVI. It is mostly easy with reasonably short passages. The wind is nearly always ENE in the first part of the year - the best time to do it.

The hardest part is the initial crossing to Grenada. Why not first motor around the north coast of Trinidad to Tobago which itself is well worth visiting?

Scotland Bay on Trinidad to Crown Point Bay on Tobago is doable in a day, though a bit of a bash so don't put your wife off sailing, send her across by plane or the fast ferry. (Tobago airport is very close to the anchorage). Tobago to Grenada is then a relatively easy passage with the wind on the beam but needs to start very early to arrive in daylight.

Whoever suggested going via Bonaire and Puerto Rico was pulling your leg.

 

[Neil_Y]

I did a trip to St croix from Trinidad a few years ago, via Los Roques islands. Definitely worth a visit if you can fit it in.

It was a lumpy sail up to St Croix as I recall.

Defin

 

[phanakapan]

In my (limited) personal experience I would echo what others have very strongly intimated and go nowhere near the ABC’s, I really don’t see the point unless you were heading to Panama, which you’re not; and also you say you don’t want to put your wife off with tough sailing......
Here’s a true scare story to back my point up. We were in Grenada, intending to head for the Panama Canal maybe via Columbia. Beginning of March iirc. We were planning on doing the trip vaguely in company with another boat, ( a well found Tayana with experienced skippers). Both boats sat down the night before the trip and drew the same line on our charts, aiming to stay well north of the ABC’s, knowing the wind forecast was for fairly brisk northerlies. Day 2 or 3, we had managed somehow to stay north of the line, despite blowing out our Genoa in 35-40 knot ( not forecasted) winds, very lumpy seas, nasty conditions. They, however, couldn’t; very unfortunately stuffed their boat on a reef- boat a total write off (they were ok).
In contrast, when approaching Grenada from South America 3 years later, we passed by Trinidad and Tobago with no problems that I can remember; waited for suitable weather windows and day sailed/ hopped up the island chain from Grenada to St Maarten, again no problems- maybe some scary lightning. Again March / early April. FWIW.

 

[Roberto]

My wife is an inexperienced sailor and I want to make this as easy on her as possible.

Depending how relevant this is, you might consider bringing the boat on your own from Trinidad to say Antigua/Martinique where your wife might reach you by plane, then sail together more confortably towards the bvi. Likewise on your way back to Trini (should you want to spend hurricane season there): you sail alone from BVI to Antigua, where you meet your wife and both enjoy more pleasant sail from there southwards.
As a family we have found that this combination of periods spent together and longer/more difficult/more boring passages being made by myself alone while they travel by plane greatly increases overall enjoyment (and possibly contributes to avoid divorce )

 

[dansaskip]

I heartily endorse the others who have said hop up the island chain. I did this very trip in 2016. Don't leave before the hurricane season is over. You may well be hard on the wind for at least the early part of the trip, but going east to Bonaire would make it doubly worse - a crazy idea. Overnight Trinidad to Grenada and make a good allowance for leeway and the current on this leg, or maybe via Tobago first to get a better slant on the wind. As TQA says think where you want to go next before going to BVI as it would be hard to get back to more eastward islands. The problem with the BVI is that they are crowded with charter boats really crowded Best of luck

 

[PhilipH]

There is a lot of good advice here but some gaps and unnecessary off-putting. Totally agree on a trip North being excellent. Tobago is wonderful and one of the best islands in the Eastern Caribbean but it can be a bit of a slog to get to. Do not let that put you off. You can motor along the North coast of Trinidad and anchor for the night before continuing the next day. Charlottesville in Man O'War Bay is the place to go. If you choose not to do this then I recommend an overnight sail either to the south coast of Grenada or up the East coast to Carriacou. Overnight is most secure and set a course to the East of both of the gas platforms Hibiscus and Poinsettia - the westbound current is very strong and has to be accounted for. Carriacou is lovely. The Grenadines also but a bit busy with charters and consequent prices. Do not be put off by the scare-mongers about St Vincent - Cumberland Bay is delightful and safe. After that there is much on most islands although over time we have gone off St Lucia. Martinique and Guadeloupe offer great cruising and French supermarkets and restaurants. Dominica is a favourite but remember the devastation from last year's hurricane and take some things such as school supplies for the local people.

Antigua is great, especially the west coast.

If the weather is light then Montserrat is doable. Nevis is good but St Kitts very touristy. Sint Maarten us great for marine services and back in business after the 2017 hurricane. Do not be put off about the Virgin Islands - you can get back south and east. The hurricanes did vast damage to the BVIs and recovery progress was slow when we were there in February this year. You can have a fabulous time . Suggest you join the Facebook groups for Trinidad, Eastern Caribbean and Marinique. Not been to ABCs so cannot comment. Enjoy.

 

[KellysEye]

>I have also thought of going through the "ABC" as they are commonly known and while I havent done it I have been in contact with plenty of cruisers that have been that way very recently. I hear what TQA says and would be interested why as that is not the accounts I have received, although of course everyone says dont get too close to Venezuela.

We had had enough of Trinidad for hurricane then went to Venezuela until it got dangerous. We headed to Bonaire then Spanish Waters in Curacao for hurricane season. The issue is sailing back it's upwind and upcurrent, one year we had an un-forecast swell and we were pushed back and crossed 68 west three times, we decided to head to Puerto Rico where much to surprise there was no wind and no sea so we ended up motoring. I think going to the ABC's, Bonaire and Curacao are lovely, is a matter of whether you are happy with what is unpleasant sailing back to the island chain. Obviously we put up with it.

 

[SimonJ]

Sailing via the ABCs thence to PR is a crazy idea! It is a slow up wind and current bash even then you might end up west of PR. Some well found boats with experienced crews over the last two years have had to wait months for suitable weather windows.
Trinidad to Grenada from, say, late November onwards and thence north (roughly) is a well trodden path. You will need to wise up on current security issues as regards piracy risks on arrival in Trinidad. You may wish to participate in the passage notification process with TT coastguards before leaving- preferably at dusk. Some think however this may make your plans too public! On the way to Grenada be aware of the gas platforms and the strong tidal set to the NW. although the subsequent route though the islands looks easy, rather too much of the first half until past St Lucia could be a hard beat. Trinidad to Grenada will be one of your longer inter island passages and some say, most worrying. As others have said leaving from Tobago gives a good slant but getting there is not easy and when there the angulation of the island to the prevailing winds does not provide a Lee in the same way as other islands. Consequently not many boats visit until around May. The emptiness should tell you something - as it did us (too late!)
I would advise perusal of Chris Doyle’s biannually updated various excellent guides to Windward and Leeward Isles which have great guidance on inter island passage making as well as tons of other essential pilotage and Harbour info.

 

[siwhi]

As the others have said, the only sensible option is to overnight it to Grenada (possibly from Tobago) and then hop up the islands. Grenada is great, easily worth spending plenty of time in, and considered out of, or at least on the edge of, the hurricane zone. Once the season proper starts (if not before), the Grenadines are a perfect and straight forward cruising ground and shouldn't be missed - easily as good as the BVI's. Further up, we loved Dominica, Antigua and for a dose of something approaching normality, Martinique.

The BVI's were quiet this year, obviously due to hurricane damage, next year may be busier, but it will take many years to get back to where they were. Coming back from the BVI's to St Martin (Anegada passage) and then south is fairly tough, but it can be done by leaving at lunch and overnight motorsailing. Making progress to windward in the Caribbean is punishing.