Searching for a Marina home in the Caribbean

[robert sailor]

Take a close look at the Western Caribbean, great cultures and reasonable prices plus it's very safe in many areas. Take a gander at the Bay Islands in Honduras, excellent weather, close to 30% of the population in Roatan is Canadian/American. Excellent diving plus a touch of first world shopping makes this area very attractive for someone like yourself.

[jrau18]

Originally Posted by tartanblue

We have cruised the Eastern Caribbean for the past 9 seasons and I would recommend considering Grenada. This is a lovely friendly island and there are three marina/haul out facilities along the southern shore.Also check out Hog Island.Crime is as low as anywhere or lower. You have sailing access to all the islands from Grenada to St Martin.

Grenada is a great place to live cheaply, but with a large expat community that has driven demand for groceries and other goods "from back home."

I would suggest grenada or st martin for sure over usvi or bvi for reasons of cost, safety, and availability of non essentials a typical expat may want.

The only upside to the VIs is that there is sailing to be had within the protection of the islands, either in Pillsbury sound or the sir Francis Drake channel.

The sailing in the Grenadines is the best in the eastern caribbean chain though, imo. But it can be rougher than within the protection of the virgins.

Obviously regardless of where you go, have a viable hurricane plan.

[meatservo]

Originally Posted by Symphony

Meatservo - where in T&C islands? I found Grand Turk very reasonable prices but no marina there. Rolly anchorages often. Loved the weather every day.

Go into provo, it ain't cheap... but beautiful.


meatservo

[chuckr]

We have sailed most of the places you mentioned. Your issue in the Eastern Carib is a thing called hurricanes that take up June or so until Nov. You may pay a huge premium on your insurance to be inside the hurricane zone during that period and that zone goes from Grenada to North Carolina.
you can get some insurance if you go on the hard say in Grenada or even in water in Trinidad as we did.
We were also in the western Carib and as above Bay Island, Belize are great but our choice would be Cartagena - we loved it there and an couple of day sail and you are in one of the greatest cruising grounds in the world - San Blas Islands.

Good luck with your decision

[robert sailor]

Originally Posted by chuckr

We have sailed most of the places you mentioned. Your issue in the Eastern Carib is a thing called hurricanes that take up June or so until Nov. You may pay a huge premium on your insurance to be inside the hurricane zone during that period and that zone goes from Grenada to North Carolina.
you can get some insurance if you go on the hard say in Grenada or even in water in Trinidad as we did.
We were also in the western Carib and as above Bay Island, Belize are great but our choice would be Cartagena - we loved it there and an couple of day sail and you are in one of the greatest cruising grounds in the world - San Blas Islands.

Good luck with your decision

Can't disagree with your love of Columbia, very cool place and more than affordable. San Blas were just ok in our books but maybe we were spoiled by the Pacific Atols.

[Heliades]

Good points. I did live in Bogota for a few years and have visited Cartagena and Santa Marta and have land travelled to San Blas...I had not really considered Colombia but will def put on my radar.


Will have to put more thought into hurricane implications. Maybe another posting on the forum but do some/most boaters pull their boats or shift to no hurricane areas or take their chances??