Best Caribbean Location for Hurricane Season

[sobriyah]

Tobago Cays. Always breezy, but there's no way the swell can get in.

[John A]

Originally Posted by andreas.mehlin

Panama is free of hurricanes. Why not sail the San Blas Islands during that period.

From my personnal experience sailing North or East from Panama or the San Blas after the hurricane season is over can be very difficult.

[John A]

Originally Posted by sobriyah

Tobago Cays. Always breezy, but there's no way the swell can get in.

Oh My!! A word of caution.

Hurricains are those things in which the wind blows anywhere from 64nm to a max of 150nm creating something wierd called storm surge. And a 40 foot swell would not slow down very much as it swept acrossed the Tobago Cays.

I would direct your attention to Hurricane Ivan when, in 2004 or so it tracked acrossed Granada (below 12*N) as a caragory 3 and damaged/sank 800 boats including over 200 that were on the hard.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by John A

Oh My!! A word of caution...
...a 40 foot swell would not slow down very much as it swept acrossed the Tobago Cays...

Indeed.

[John A]

Originally Posted by defjef

Mangrooves in English Harbor, Antigua

Sunsail yacht charter will have filled the mangroves with their fleet long before the thought occures to you.

[Palarran]

Here's the best one anywhere in the Leewards. Can you name the harbor?

BTW Janice, who ever have you the idea you couldn't get insurance for a boat in the hurricane zone during hurricane season?

I'll find out how safe Oyster Pond is in about 4 days.

[John A]

Originally Posted by Palarran

Here's the best one anywhere in the Leewards. Can you name the harbor?

That's Anse Marcel in the NW corner of French St. Martin. Exposed to all swells from the NE.
And two words of caution. As Hurricans rotate counter clockwise, one which is well to the north could create a storm surge for that harbor. Second, winter storms coming off the east coast of the US can and do create 14 ft swells at the weather bouy just to the north of Puerto Rico, the same conditions would apply to this spot.

Sail Safe

[Palarran]

Sorry John, maybe I wasn't specific enough. Pull through the 30' wide channel into the marina. That's the spot.

BTW, I realize it's nearly impossible to get a spot there. My friend captains the Scoobie's out of there. It's pretty well packed right now.

[Janice]

"BTW Janice, who ever have you the idea you couldn't get insurance for a boat in the hurricane zone during hurricane season?"

I should have said you may not be allowed to be in the alley -but- whether I have insurance or not, I don't want to be there! Our boat is our life and I don't want to play the risk. This season has been mild but if we were in the middle of the 2005 season would I still be getting suggestions for the leewards?

I realize that I started the thread and asked the question, but I also stated a few tmes that I wasn't interested in being in the alley. That is a choice I get to make.

I really do appreciate everyones help, thanks

[S/V Antares]

Ease up to the BVI in April / May and then a nice 10 day (+-) trip to the chesapeake. Lots of hidey holes.

[osirissail]

In the Caribbean the proven (direct hits and no damage or out of the box altogether) hurricane holes are Luperon, D.R.; Trinidad; Venezuela (Medregal Village); Cartagena; Bocas del Toro; and Rio Dulce. Other locations have fared well when the hurricane does not make a direct hit or passes to the east.
So a lot of it is your personal luck and where you want to "hole up" and take your chances.

[avb3]

Originally Posted by wadda

Here is a link to a swf I made last October of the harbor:

http://sites.google.com/a/wadda.org/...eronHarbor.swf

Nicely done.. Thanks!

Is it my imagination or were there virtually no cats there? It also seems from what I could see that most sail boats appeared not to be the type usually seen in charter operations. Were most older then 2000?

[speedoo]

What about hanging about in the Grenadines or Grenada and quickly heading south to Trinidad or Venezuela at at the first sign of a problem? Of course here's where a fast boat helps.

[andreas.mehlin]

Originally Posted by John A

From my personnal experience sailing North or East from Panama or the San Blas after the hurricane season is over can be very difficult.

Well, You are right about that! It can be difficult but there are days when the wind shifts so you better take care of those days

[John A]

Originally Posted by speedoo

What about hanging about in the Grenadines or Grenada and quickly heading south to Trinidad or Venezuela at at the first sign of a problem? Of course here's where a fast boat helps.

Many do. But I'd skip Venezuela as Latitude38 just reported that more people are killed in Venezuela than are killed in Irag per year.

Plan your 80 mile jump from Granada to Trinidad to arrive at the entrance to the bay with enough daylight to run an additional 5 miles to check into customs /immigration before their office closes. NEVER tell them that you arrived yesterday!! Better to lie instead.