Places to sail
in the Caribbean

Caribbean In General

Northeast Caribbean

• Cuba:
  
  Illegal for USA citizens to spend money in Cuba. USA government is demanding receipts that prove someone else paid for everything. Also need a special free permit from USCG to go from Florida "security zone" to Cuban waters.
  
  Cuba article by Todd Scantlebury in Oct 2000 issue of Cruising World magazine
  Cuba article by Theresa Nicholson in 6/2002 issue of Cruising World magazine (USA cracking down hard on US citizens who go to Cuba; must-read)
  
  From "Exuma Grouper" 5/2009:
  
  My friend had his boat there for almost a year in total but was not always on it. He said that the Cubans were really getting into a big money-grab any way they could, without a clue as to long-term or even short-term consequences. No freedom to just cruise around, as they want you in marinas and under their surveillance 24/7. Permission needed for every move you make. He also said there were no local fruits, vegetables or meat to speak of. What you might find was really scarce and usually poor quality. Stuff like charging $3 per minute for internet seemed to hit home how clueless they are about providing value. Any business sense has just about been bred out of the population, with the worst Cubans finding their way up the administration ladder. If they went back the Cubans want 5% duty on the value of their boat as they add up all the days the boat has been in the country and if over a year, even if you move it out and then go back again it still isn't considered valid.
  
  The only thing that will benefit when it opens to American travel is the all-inclusives that have been going well for 30 years now but they of course are all foreign operations. With many Cubans begging on the beaches for handouts of anything it gets a bit tiresome I guess ...
  
  From PorFin on the SailNet forums 11/2010:
  I understand your desire to go to Cuba, and hope you don't take this the wrong way.
  
  I'm probably one of the few folks around here who has first-hand, on-the-ground experience of living in Cuba. And yes, I'm a US passport holder.
  
  First, you will drive yourself crazy trying to apply reason as an argument relating to the US-Cuba political relationship. It's a very emotional subject on both sides, and pragmatism rarely prevails in discussions. Just accept things that you cannot change, while keeping your hope alive that policies can and will change. (For the record, I'm not advocating radical change or full repeal of the current policies -- they will almost certainly evolve at their own pace.)
  
  Second, don't take the glowing reviews of Cuba as a cruising Mecca at full face-value. The people of Cuba are warm, friendly, and for the most part great folks. Yes the waters are beautiful. SCUBA diving, particularly on the southern coast, is great. However, keep in mind that Cuba remains a very bureaucratic and fairly strictly regulated state particularly in regards to foreigners. Many of the vacation resorts catering to foreign tourists, which are a very important source of hard-currency income for the government of Cuba, are closed "communities" that keep tourists in and locals (other than the staff) out. This is intentional. The Cuban government maintains its grip on power, but remains cognizant of what Glastnost did to the Soviet Union.
  
  Third, maritime facilities are somewhat spartan and in less than tip-top condition. The Coast Guard and maritime Border Patrol organizations have in some instances proven themselves to be less than friendly, less than helpful, and in some instances complicit in screwing cruisers -- and avenues for seeking redress or compensation for an American are very, very limited.
  
  Fourth, you run a very significant risk of losing your vessel if US authorities determine that you have violated US travel restrictions. Is your desire to visit Cuba so strong that you're willing to take that risk?
  
  In the long run, my guess is that sanctions will ease and travel will become possible. Until that day comes, I for one wouldn't even consider going there.
  
  Sorry to rain on your parade, but I hope you take this to heart.
  
  ...
  
  Oh, and to your question about seeing the interior of the island -- could you do it? Maybe. You'd probably need to get Cuban government permission to do so, and would be under close supervision and "minded" very carefully. What could happen if you just went on your own without Cuban government permission? Detention, expulsion, and probable loss of your vessel to the Cuban government. Again, a fairly high-risk endeavor.
  
  From bljones on the SailNet forums 11/2010:
  Even for those of us who can legally travel to Cuba, the country can be a bureaucratic nightmare. A kid who works in the yard where we store our boat just spent almost 6 months detained in Cuba because of a minor car accident. Apparently, if a Cuban national is injured in an accident that a foreign national is involved in, the foreigner is detained, even if he is not at fault, until the case is resolved.
  
  
  
  
• Cayman Islands:
  
  British.
  Wind-surfing regatta: January at Tortuga Club.
  Pirates Week: late October.
  Batabano festival: after Easter.
  Great diving, good snorkeling.
  "Stingray City": feed stingrays.
  
  From Noonsite:
  
  • Port Security should be called on VHF Channel 16 ... Officials are extremely strict and insist that procedures are followed to the letter; visiting boats have been fined for the smallest infringement. Boats must fly the Q flag from the moment they enter territorial waters. Boats are usually visited by the mosquito control officer who will spray the inside of the boat, for which a $25 charge is made. Boats must clear in and out of every individual island.
  • Overtime fees are payable after normal working hours (0830-1630 Monday to Friday).
  • Malaria still occurs occasionally and there are lots of mosquitoes and sandflies.
  • Yachts are to use fixed moorings only. Boats of less than 60 feet may anchor in sand, as long as no grappling hook is used and no coral is touched. Anchoring is permitted in designated anchorage areas and in replenishment zones.
  • Dumping anything at all in the sea is prohibited. All yachts need a holding tank.
  
  From a quick look at a chart: most of the shore bounded by very close reefs; no good bays or anchorages except North Sound.
  
  
  
  
• Jamaica:
  
  Guidebook: "The Yachtsmans Guide to Jamaica" by John Lethbridge (1996).
  Free Cruising Guide
  
  Jamaica courtesy flag
  
  British.
  
  Uses Jamaican dollar; J$??? = US$1. Keep all currency exchange receipts; you must show them to exchange back to US$ when leaving.
  Expensive: Fielding's 1995 "Western Caribbean" guide mentions Jamaica as one of the most expensive destinations in the north and western Caribbean.
  
  From Lethbridge's guidebook:
  
  • The climate is windy.
    From January through October, the offshore tradewinds blow 20-25 knots day and night.
    Daytime wind in Kingston Harbor and Portland Bight often is 30 knots.
    North coast tends to be about 5 knots less than south coast.
    
    
  • At night, land-breeze helps to counteract tradewinds.
    Do eastward travel at night.
    
    
  • Winter storms ("northers") occur December through April and can last several days.
    On N and E coasts, you'll have to huddle down through the storm.
    On S coast, can be calm during the day and have strong wind at night.
    
    
  • Best cruising period (calmer winds) is mid-October through January.
    
    
  • Constant west-setting current of about 0.7 to 1.0 knot everywhere.
    
    
  • Rainy seasons are April/May and September/October/November.
  
  Reggae Sumfest: in August at Montego Bay.
  Reggae Sunsplash week: usually in July at Kingston, or August in Montego Bay ?
  Jazz festival in Ocho Rios in June.
  Carnival islandwide in April.
  Carnival in Negril in May.
  
  Great waterfalls. Reggae, barbecue, rainforests.
  North coast is overfished.
  Hiking: especially near Blue Mountain Peak.
  Cricket: Sabina Park in Kingston, Kaiser's in Discovery Bay, Alcan's near Mandeville.
  BBC radio 104 FM.
  
  From "Insider's Guide to the Caribbean" by Jonathan Runge:
  Very touristy in Ochos Rios and Montego Bay, and large cloistered resorts on the North Coast. Negril is fun and mellow, and Port Antonio is quiet and untouristy and very lush. Kingston for art and music and history.
  
  
  Montego Bay: Cornwall Beach, Greenwood Great House (antiques, musical instruments, etc), Appleton Estate Express (train 40 miles into mountains to estate and rum factory). Beaches not impressive ?
  Negril: beach, snorkeling, Booby Cay (nude bathing), limestone cliffs, cliff diving, moorings, nude beach (Bloody Bay).
  Ochos Rios: Dunn's River Falls (600-foot waterfall), beaches, Harmony Hall (house and art gallery).
  Kingston: National Gallery, Hope Botanical Gardens, Devon House, Gunboat Beach, St Peter's Church (Port Royal), Archaeological Museum (Fort Charles), Contemporary Arts Centre (1 Ligunae Ave), student art at The Cultural Training Centre (1 Arthur Wint Dr), student art at Institute of Jamaica (12 East St), huge wall murals at University of West Indies.
  
  Kingston: crime after dark, and don't ever go to West Kingston.
  
  From article by Paul Bennett in 11/2003 issue of Cruising World magazine:
  
  • Port Antonio very nice: great food, music, scenery, provisioning.
  • Kingston a bit rough.
  • Hard to get marine supplies in Jamaica.
  • Inexpensive entry fees.
  • Going from Jamaica to Honduras: 1 to 2 knots of favorable current [Jan 2003].
  
  From seaplane pilot in Dry Tortugas: Port Antonio nice; Montego Bay full of resorts and hustlers.
  
  From Rick Kennerly on World-Cruising mailing list:
  
  Re: why there isn't much talk about cruising Jamaica:
  
  Well, Jamaica is not bad, as long as you stay inside your heavily guarded resort properties, stick with the tour buses at the guarded stops and stay in the tourist districts. Generally the Rasta drug and crime culture has just about taken over the island. You remember the Rastafarians, they're the guys who have Biblical proof that the White man is the devil, that all women are chattel, and that you can find God through Jamaican Gold and dreadlocks. Government has just about given up in Kingston, where they have passed but not put into force a bill allowing marijuana use. As far as cruising goes, the waters are polluted with sewage runoff from shore (actually most islands have this problem -- I'd not swim in Charlotte Amelie bay, St. Thomas, USVI, either), prices are sky high, and the divide between the haves and the have-nots so great that crime flourishes. There is just not much to recommend Jamaica, if you're not into rolling your own doobies.
  From Rob Ritchie on World-Cruising mailing list 1/2004:
  
  I have just come back from Jamaica, where I had vacationed for the last 14 days. There is plenty of documented info on the crime in Jamaica, but I have to say that the crime mentioned is centered in Kingston. And very little of it is against tourists or cruisers. The crime is mainly against other Jamaicans. I stayed in Negril for 14 days in a little guest house on the beach, and never had the slightest bad moment. The Jamaican people are a proud, happy, and friendly, but mainly poor group of people. Your statements about Jamaica are both over-generalized and ignorant. It's as if you had gone to inner-city Detroit and just naturally assumed that the entire state of Michigan was the same. A very closed-minded way to look at the world. I never saw a bit of crime in Negril during my last two stays. The water was not polluted. I was able to walk the beaches of Negril (which in itself has a beautiful 7 mile beach) as late as 11 pm without fear or hesitation. The "Rasta drug and crime culture" that you refer to is minimal. A strong "no thank you" is all I needed if I was approached by someone selling something. Prices, if anything, are much lower in Jamaica than the USA. I could walk down the beach in the morning and get a plate full of Akee, saltfish, plantains, callaloo, johnnycake biscuits and pineapple juice for around US$2.50, have some meat patties and fruit for lunch for a couple of dollars and then have a great dinner of jerk chicken and rice and peas for around $6 or $7. If that is considered expensive, I would like to know where to go for cheaper prices. ... The Jamaica that you describe and the one that I know are two very different islands. I hope that everyone doesn't take your narrow-minded view to heart, and bypass this beautiful place.
  From Mike Smith on World-Cruising mailing list:
  
  Rick - You are correct that many of the harbors in the large cities are polluted. In Montego Bay, I'm told that much of the sewage is from the numerous cruise ships. There is also industrial (bauxite-handling) pollution at one site on the south coast which pollutes several miles of the coast. However, nearly all of the small bays which I have visited are incredibly beautiful and clean. Outside of the tourist areas, prices are extremely reasonable; you can find wonderful produce and small boating needs (lots of local fishermen), but not much in the way of yachting supplies.
  
  ...
  
  I have been going to Jamaica for over 20 years and have often bicycled the interior and sailed the coasts without any problems. The people of Jamaica are warm and friendly folks. Drug and violence problems, outside of Kingston gang areas, are located and supported by the tourist areas. Away from the tourist traps, many families are fairly conservative. I have found the true Rastafasarians to be gentle vegetarians who live in more remote areas and are shy until they get to know you. The "Rastas" that prey upon (and service) the tourist trade adopt the look, but not religion, and are ostracized by true Rastafasarians.
  
  ...
  
  You can clear customs and immigration in the larger cities such as Montego Bay (MoBay) and Port Antonio on the North Coast, Kingston in the East and the smaller Savanna La Mar (SavLaMar) in the Southwest. I have avoided Kingston due to it's dangerous reputation, but can recommend the others. MoBay is the most tourist-intensive, as is Negril at the West End. Port Antonio is an interesting mix of Old Jamaica and the emerging tourist scene. The only time in over 20 years I lost anything to theft was on Admiralty Island (Errol Flynn's Island) in Port Antonio, but we never felt unsafe there.
  
  From John Titterton on World-Cruising mailing list:
  
  Re: why there isn't much talk about cruising Jamaica:
  
  One of the main reasons for Jamaica not being a "cruising ground" is that it is such a pain for a cruiser to spend days (and nights) beating back to the main cruising grounds to the east. Easy getting there but a pain getting back by boat. You will find that a lot of cruisers who have spent some time in the Caribbean and who are heading to the Canal and the big pond beyond, stop off in Jamaica en route. Some of those that have done so do report high crime and high fees whilst others have not been bothered and enjoy themselves.
  
  From Christina on World-Cruising mailing list:
  
  JAMAICA, AUGUST, 2003
  
  ...
  
  Jamaica on first view is a lush green tropical paradise. Sailing into the [Port Antonio] harbor we passed a private island once owned by the infamous Erroll Flynn. Tall coconut and palm trees rose their bush heads up from the deep green jungle foliage, and red, yellow and orange flowers peppered the trees and hillsides. The water color was a rainbow spectrum of blues and greens with patches of gold and brown where the underwater reefs lurked.
  
  Instead of our usual antics of pirouettes and high speed tacking through the anchorage, we dropped the sails and motored to the dock like 'civilized' yachties. Before even the officials could come aboard to clear us in we were attacked by a barrage of boat boys with offers to clean, sand, paint or varnish the boat, offers of tours and excursions, offers of any goods or services we may need, want or desire. One young man brought a tall bunch of bananas and swiftly, with his razor-sharp machete, sliced us off a few hands which we hung in the rigging to ripen.
  
  The officials we had to deal with in Jamaica were, to put it kindly, a little inept. When we cleared in with immigration our passports were stamped with the wrong date, several months in the past. However when we cleared out a week later the correct date was stamped. This showed that we had been in Jamaica for over eight months. We didn't notice the mistake until we were on our way once again.
  
  When the customs agent came aboard the boat to clear us he told us we should take down the 'Q' flag, the yellow quarantine flag every yacht is required to fly until it is officially cleared in. And so we did. The following day a big angry Jamaican in clunky brown leather shoes calling himself the quarantine officer paid us a visit, stomped black marks all over our clean white deck, then berated us for removing the Q flag before he had come aboard. Never mind that he was a day late, never mind that we had no idea we had to deal with a quarantine officer - whatever that was - never mind that we had been told by another official to remove the flag. This man's puffed up self-importance and anger were comical, but it was making me angry too. I told him I would call customs so he could take this matter up with his colleague. This quieted his grumbling a little and he proceeded with the redundant paperwork. When that was completed he just sat there sucking his teeth and tapping his ugly shoes on the deck. Offers of coffee and food were turned down and we didn't know why he wouldn't leave. After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence he said, 'Captain, I think you should give me a little something for my time.'
  
  I couldn't believe it. This rude man was waiting for baksheesh. Jack was shocked too. No official ever has just asked us for a bribe. Sailors are generally counseled ahead of time by marina staff or other sailors if something extra is required, or the bribe is concealed in superfluous paperwork. Nobody ever just asks for a bribe. We knew that not giving him what he wanted would only cause trouble for us.
  
  'How much?' Jack asked.
  
  'Oh whatever you can afford,' he said casually.
  
  It was all I could do to keep my mouth shut. Jack gave him $10 and he and his shoes finally got off our boat.
  
  We had several offers of taxis from the boat boys to take us to town so I had thought it would be a long walk from the marina. It turned out that 'town' was a only a short two blocks from the marina entrance. I thought that we were just getting hustled, but when I got to town, I could see why everyone was so hungry for the Yankee dollar. Poverty in Jamaica is the rule rather than the exception. We were told that the unemployment rate is over sixty percent. It is a grinding and ugly poverty, much more discernible here in Port Antonio than anywhere else we had visited so far. There were beggars in rags in the streets, and on the dirty sidewalks filthy children sold rotting fruit and vegetables. There were clapboard shacks falling under the weight of rusty corrugated tin roofs, and shredding plastic tarps and lean-to's provided a semblance of shade for prematurely aged women selling akkie, mangoes, fish and bananas. Shop windows were covered in so much dirt that you couldn't see what was being sold inside. Trash and squalor were everywhere.
  
  All along the waterfront in Port Antonio a major construction project was underway. The government was building a huge marina and resort complex. We saw flyers and pictures of the proposed completed project and couldn't understand how there can be such a contrast, such decadence and wealth separated from such grisly poverty by nothing more than a stone wall. I hope that the completed project will provide a few more jobs for the people of Port Antonio.
  
  The Jamaicans I met were mostly very friendly to me; the women at the laundry, the girls at the grocery store, the shopkeepers I visited. I sat for a while and chatted with an old woman on a stoop, she gave me a banana and wouldn't take any money for it. It seemed the women had most of the jobs while the men lazed around under trees drinking and smoking. I was harassed by one filthy-haired Rastafarian with a shiny denim jacket, smelled like it was a very long time since his last bath. He kept following me, trying to chat me up. I tried to be pleasant and shrug off his attentions but he wouldn't go away.
  
  "Let me give you some good Jamaican loving," he slurred while holding his crotch. I laughed so hard I thought I was going to pee my pants. I turned to him and told him not so pleasantly what he could do with his smelly self and his 'good Jamaican loving' and he slumped back to his shade tree cursing me.
  
  One night during our stay there was a mini-festival in town. There were street vendors selling jerk chicken and ribs, baked breadfruit, boiled peanuts and beer. The smell of ganja perfumed the air and reggae music blared out from speakers in front of shops and bars. There were young girls dressed in sexy clothes and Rasta men in colorful but droopy attire. There were families gathered on the corners, children playing on the sidewalks, and a general feeling of good cheer was in the air. One raggedy old man performed contortionist tricks for us while we sat on a dirty stoop eating street food. There was a parking lot that had been boarded off for a concert but we didn't attend - the music playing was rap and hip-hop, not our style.
  
  Most of our time in Jamaica we spent on board fixing this and that, varnishing the teak, and getting ready for the next leg of our trip to Columbia. We did a little dinghy exploration but we didn't take much time exploring inland. No trips to the rivers and waterfalls, no trips to Kingston or Montego Bay, we didn't even trespass on Errol Flynn's island to raid the mango trees. Many of our yachtie neighbors went on various excursions and tours but we just weren't in the mood to join them. That was about it for our stay in Jamaica. The poverty we found here was really depressing to us and we were anxious to get going.
  
  From Robert Bonney 8/2004:
  
  I enjoyed Jamaica, but I have been to better places. We were there for 8 days. By the end of the trip, we were ready to leave. I had always heard how inexpensive things were, but I didn't find it to be that much cheaper on a lot of things. You can get local fruit, etc. very cheap, but other items are expensive. We were in one of the bigger tourist areas (Ocho Rios). Lots of cruise ship traffic. The scenery is beautiful. Make sure you see Dunns River Falls in Ocho Rios. The people are extremely friendly and helpful. There is a major crime problem, especially in the cities. The countryside is not so bad.
  
  I had planned to do some sailing while we were there, but the charters were just too expensive. The diving and snorkeling were pretty good.
  
  From Noonsite:
  
  • Clear in at Montego Bay or Kingston and then cruise to the other ports, as officials will be easier to locate and are used to clearing cruising boats. Yachts must advise the authorities of any movements before changing ports. ... The authorities must be notified every time one moves to another port and boats must clear in and out at every port.
  • According to recent reports, formalities in Jamaica are difficult and time-consuming.
  • Overtime is charged after 1600 Monday to Friday and at weekends for customs and immigration.
  • USA citizen without visa may stay up to six months.
  • Yachts may stay up to six months.
  
  From Jerry on "Persephone":
  There are many hustlers and con men, and the general attitude toward visitors is "spend your money and get out".
  
  From "World Cruising Routes" by Jimmy Cornell:
  Going from Jamaica to Panama: Leave from east end of Jamaica. Strong winds and high seas most of the year. Strong west-setting current. Avoid offshore banks. Expect breaking seas over shallows.
  
  Good but tiny beach: Frenchman's Bay at Port Antonio.
  
  From Rikava on Latitudes and Attitudes Cruisers Forum:
  [From Montego Bay:] Try the White River Raft trip ... unbelieveable. Bring your beverage of choice.
  
  From Steve Pavlidis on Latitudes and Attitudes Cruisers Forum:
  I was in Jamaica April/May 2005. I cruised the north coast from east to west before heading to the Caymans. There ARE places you don't want to walk around at night if you're white, this is true (Kingston comes immediately to mind), and one "anchorage" where you don't want to stay overnight (San San Beach, east of Port Antonio). But for the most part, the northern coast is not bad, certainly not nearly as bad as Kingston.
  
  I'd recommend Port Antonio (I walked around there at night with no problems, no feeling of being an intruder or outsider), Montego Bay (extremely touristy), Bogue Lagoon (great shelter for frontal passages), and Falmouth. Oracabessa and Ocho Rios are also good stops, Ocho Rios being very busy with lots of day charter cats and jet skis running around until late in the afternoon, while Oracabessa possessing a tiny protected anchorage near the main highway.
  
  From Ilene on Latitudes and Attitudes Cruisers Forum 1/2006:
  I have been to Jamaica four times since 1984. It has gone downhill fast. The last time I went was about 6 years ago [approx 2000]. I told myself then that I wouldn't be back until they cleaned things up a bit. The crime rate has gone up a lot in the last 10 years. I used to feel safe there. It's also gotten very dirty. The government needs to give some of the tourist income to the locals instead of keeping it all. They also need to clean up the streets of garbage and crime. If I went back, I would stay in the mountains at a resort and away from the tourist beaches.
  
  From Lethbridge's guidebook (1996):
  
  • Mini-bus system is a very cheap way to travel all over the island.
    
    
  • Yacht clubs charge $12-$15/day to land dinghy and use their facilities.
    
    
  • Frequent comments: lock your boat, we do not recommend leaving your boat unattended, arrange for your dinghy to be looked after while you are away from the landing area.
    
    
  • Major cruising areas:
    • Kingston Harbor and the cays just outside it.
    • Portland Bight (just west of Kingston Harbor).
    • Montego Bay to Negril.
    
    
    
  • Other cruising areas:
    • North coast: Falmouth, Rio Bueno, Discovery Bay, St Ann's Bay, Ocho Rios, Oracabessa Harbour (not much protection) all look like decent anchorages.
    • Northeast coast: Port Maria, Foster's Cove (small), Port Antionio, San San Bay, Manchioneal Harbour (small) all look like decent anchorages.
    
    
    
  • The only decent-looking hurricane hole: Bogue Lagoon at Montego Bay.
    
    
  • Arriving from E: Port Morant / Bowden Harbour on SE corner of Jamaica is a Port of Entry.
  
  Article in 7/2014 issue of Caribbean Compass magazine.
  
  
• Turks and Caicos:
  
  British.
  Currency is US$.
  
  Guidebook: "Turks and Caicos Guide" by Stephen Pavlidis.
  Some info in "A Gentleman's Guide to Passages South" by Bruce Van Sant.
  
  Charts: Maptech's Region 9 Bahamas chartkit includes T+C (but 5th edition has no good chart of Providenciales).
  
  Turks and Caicos courtesy flag
  
  South Caicos Regatta: at Cockburn Harbour at end of May; all day on a Saturday.
  Provo: Annual Fools Regatta and Great Raft Race: June 11-15 2005.
  Provo Summer Festival: end of July.
  Carnival: September.
  Migration of humpback whales through Turks Island passage Jan through March; close to Grand Turk, and hover off Salt Cay.
  Great snorkeling at Point Pleasant.
  Great snorkeling: Princess Alexandra National Park (cays NE of Provo).
  Pink flamingoes, and nature preserves: North Caicos island.
  
  Turks and Caicos Islands Information Directory - TCI Mall
  
  From Sharon Stepniewski on Facebook 3/2012:
  "Turks & Caicos have changed their Customs/Immigration fees. Instead of $15 to enter the country it is now $50 and then $300 for a 'cruising permit' if you stay more than 7 days. I'm told that if the weather is raging and you are on the 7th day, trying to check out, they give you a bit of leeway so as to not send you out in the storm ... But ... that is not written anywhere ..."
  and
  "Another $50 to check OUT, so $100 to be here and another $300 if one stays past 7 days."
  
  From Noonsite:
  
  • Clearance formalities can be completed at the following ports and marinas:
    Providenciales: South Dock (mainly for large yachts), South Side Marina, Caicos Marina and Shipyard, Sapodilla Bay, Turtle Cove Marina, Leeward Marina.
    South Caicos: Government Dock at Conch Ground Dock, maybe Seaview Marina.
    Grand Turk: Government Freighter Wharf (south end of the island), Coburn Town Dock (1/4 mile north of radio tower), Flamingo Cove Marina.
    In all ports, customs should be contacted on channel 16.
  • Boats anchored at Sapodilla Bay can clear in at the nearby commercial dock, where there is a Customs office.
  • Most cruising boats anchor in Sapodilla Bay. This is a shallow anchorage so attention should be paid to the state of the tide.
  • The main town of Provo is quite far and spread out. It is best reached by taxi (can be ordered on channel 68) or rental car (there are several firms that will deliver a car to Sapodilla Bay if contacted by telephone).
  • Boats in transit can have parts and equipment shipped duty-free. There are several direct flights every week to the USA and UK, also two air freight flights weekly to Florida.
  • A transire (cruising permit) is needed to visit the other islands.
  • Overtime fees are charged outside of working hours on weekdays and all day Saturday, Sunday and on public holidays. This includes work during the lunch break. There are also customs fees and light dues.
  • Sport fishing without a permit is forbidden, as are spearguns, pole spears, Hawaiian slings and using scuba gear to take any marine life. Lobster may be taken in season (August 1 to March 31) by hand or noose.
  
  From Lee Haefele on The Live-Aboard List:
  
  If possible, unless you are SCUBA diver, avoid T+C, not a cruiser-friendly place. Caicos Banks are a DEATHTRAP of uncharted reefs and corals. Much worse than anything in the Bahamas. Charted routes do not work to avoid obstructions.
  
  My experience clearing-in at Provo 5/2005:
  
  $5 per boat to stay for 7 days; all paperwork done at the South Dock port; exact change required. South Dock is very busy with large ships; best not to dinghy over to it. From Sapodilla Bay, I landed the dinghy at the wooden dock at "The Point", walked down dirt road and then turn right and right and through gate into port; about 3/4 mile total. Office is at back-left corner of port area; opens at 9 AM. No questions asked about radio licenses; no request to inspect the boat.
  
  To stay longer, at end of the 7 days, go back to the office at the port, hand in your old paperwork and they'll give you a cruising permit, then go to Immigration office in town and pay $50/person for 30-day Visas.
  
  More about the "7 days": Don't delay after the end of the 7 days before getting the 30-day visa; you might get fined $100/day for each day you're in the country without clearance. It's not clear to me if you're supposed to do the 30-day visa on the 7th or 8th day you're in the country; I did it on the 8th (cleared in on Thursday; did 30-day visa on next Thursday) and didn't have a problem.
  
  The "Immigration office in town" is in the "SAMS" building, next to Island Price supermarket, in the "downtown" area. Start at the Immigration office on the second floor, where you'll have an interview with an officer. I was asked for a "crew manifest", but it seemed to be no problem that I didn't have one. After the interview, they send you to the Immigration office on the first floor, to get a "receipt". Then you leave the building, go past the Island Pride supermarket, to a Treasury office in the Island Pride building complex, where you pay $50. Then back to the first building, to the Immigration office on the second floor again, where you hand in your paperwork and then get passport and part of the paperwork back again, and you're done ! Took me about 90 minutes.
  
  I believe the maximum stay is 90 days. Then you have to go to another country, but can come right back and start another 90 days if you wish. Not sure about this.
  
  Excite about Turks and Caicos
  
  
  • Providenciales:
    
    • Sandbore Channel to Providenciales: Van Sant says: arrive in morning, and be cautious.
      [But I found it to be wide and simple to navigate; I used Pavlidis' chart.]
    • Sapodilla Bay anchorage is totally exposed to the S, SW, W. Good holding, but no services nearby except Customs and a 7-11 store.
    • Turtle Cove on north side has a tricky, narrow, shallow entrance route; call marina on VHF 16 for a guide (free for first-time marina visitors; tip expected; but Pavlidis' sketch shows the route as well-marked).
    • In Sapodilla Bay, can land dinghy on beach, or at wooden dock near E end (which is abandoned development "The Point"). Wobbly dock.
    • Shopping malls and good supermarkets; shipyard; marine store; engine and outboard repairs; banks; NAPA Auto. But everything is so spread-out that you need a car to get around. And none of it is near Sapodilla Bay. Biking would be difficult in the heat and hills and some rough roads. Hitchhiking seems common. Best to talk to other anchored boats and see if anyone has a car.
    • To catch a mini-bus, stand at a blue bus stop shelter and look hopeful. Negotiate price and destination when boarding. Often the "bus" is just a private sedan; they usually toot the horn twice to see if you respond.
    • Shuttle bus (Gecko Bus) runs only among north-side resorts.
    • IGA supermarket: prices about same as in Georgetown, but quality of produce is much better, and selection of everything is much larger. Milk and beer cheaper than in Georgetown; liquor more expensive. Contrary to Pavlidis, I didn't see sales tax charged on food in the supermarket in 2005. Credit card $25 minimum. No debit cards, but there is an ATM in the lobby.
    • Internet kiosk in 7-11 store near Sapodilla Bay.
    • Internet access somewhere in IGA supermarket building complex ?
    • Internet cafe at Ports of Call Shopping Village ?
    • Tourist Office at Stubbs Diamond Plaza, Bight Road.
    • NAPA Auto is about a mile west of IGA supermarket.
    • East end of island and north side are touristy/resorts; west end is locals.
    • Propane place near South Dock port no longer does propane refills.
    • I'm told there really is only one smallish marine store (Walkin Marine; 649-946-4411); no good store at Caicos Marina and Shipyard.
    • Stores are closed on Sundays.
    • Several FM radio stations.
    
    
    
  • Cockburn Harbor / South Caicos:
    
    • Van Sant says: anchorages here are poor, shallow and rocky.
      I found the harbor to be fine, although a bit rolly in SE wind.
      I couldn't find my way into the Long Cay anchorage; too confusing.
    • Seaview Marina is where you see 6 or 8 large silver fuel tanks on a concrete pier. Inside the breakwater seems shallow and there is a sunken barge; don't take a big boat in. Outside along the pier is used by fishing boats and for fueling.
    • Best place to land dinghy is deep inside Seaview Marina.
    • Fuel pumps and marine store at Seaview Marina; if closed, ask at supermarket.
      Diesel $3.95/gallon (about 55 cents/gallon more than Georgetown) 6/2005.
      Gasoline $3.99/gallon (about 30 cents/gallon less than Georgetown) 6/2005.
      4% surcharge for using credit card.
      Water about 60 cents/gallon.
    • Grocery store "Seaview Supermarket" next door: decent selection, including some hardware and marine stuff, but prices are hideous, probably 20% to 40% higher than in Georgetown.
    • Mailing/internet store next to "Seaview Supermarket", on second floor. Internet access $20/hour 6/2005.
    • Bakery: in green house, about a block W of supermarket, across street from Insurance Board.
    • Many small dry-goods stores, and a couple of small grocery stores scattered through town.
    • Library near waterfront in NE end of town, at base of wooden dock pointing at Dove Cay, next to yellow Parade structure. No internet. Not sure of hours; was open W 12-3, closed F at 2.
    • Green wooden enclosures along the streets are for disposal of bagged garbage.
    
    
    
  • Grand Turk / Cockburn Town:
    
    • Customs at South Dock (the Government Wharf).
    • Front Street anchorage: dive mooring float marking entrance was present 6/2005. I think holding in the anchorage is marginal.
    • Dinghy ashore to nice big public dock in front of Scotiabank. But be aware of aggressive kids swimming off the dock; 6/2005 they played in dinghies, demanded dinghy-rides, got hostile and abusive, threw a full soda-can at a cruiser in his dinghy, and swam out to an anchored cruising boat to get on its dinghy and swim platform.
    • Library: small pink building on waterfront just south of Scotiabank. MTWRF 8-5, S 9-1.
    • Gas station: one block inland from Scotiabank.
    • Inland on street between Scotiabank and library: 1/4 mile to bakery, and bulk food store.
    • Filtered water from vending machine: 75 cents/gallon.
    
    
    
  From "Turks and Caicos Guide" by Stephen Pavlidis:
  • Best charts are Wavey Line charts.
    
    
  • Prices here are a little lower than prices in the Bahamas.
    There is sales tax on food.
    Do major provisioning in USA or DR for better prices.
    
    
  • Tidal current on the Caicos Banks is northwest-setting on the flood, southwest-setting on the ebb, averaging about 1 knot.
    
    
  • Never cross Caicos Banks at night. Eyeball the water even when on the "suggested routes", and steer around dark patches/heads.
    
    
  • In Grand Turk, weather forecast at 8 AM on VHF 13.
    
    
  • Have packages sent by UPS or FedEx, never regular mail.
    
    
  • Provo:
    
    
    • Some dinghy/motor thefts at docks in South Provo area.
      
      
    • Customs building at South Dock just east of Sapodilla Bay.
      If staying more than 7 days, must go to Immigration (in town) after Customs.
      
      
    • Taxi's are very, very expensive.
      Call "Morris Bus" on VHF 16 for $4 roundtrip from Sapodilla Bay to town; runs during day only.
      There are other buses on VHF 70; agree on price before boarding.
      
      
    • Many stores, restaurants, etc. Only one boating supply store: Walkin Marine. NAPA Auto, several building-supply/Home-Depot-like places, ICS (auto parts and service), several supermarkets and a price club, etc.
    
    
    
  • Cockburn Harbour on South Caicos: good holding in many spots, bad holding in some spots. Best holding at west end; note where the locals anchor.
    Good sand on NW side of Long Cay; don't anchor in the sea-grass areas.
    Ashore: grocery store, bakery, auto parts store, hardware store, fuel, water, garbage disposal, etc.
    
    
  • Ambergris Cays: fabulous snorkeling, but tricky piloting.
    
    
  • Turks Island Passage: north-setting current up to 1 knot. Whales migrating January through March.
    
    
  • Grand Turk: North Creek anchorage is great, but:
    Have to clear-in first at SW end of Grand Turk (if you need to clear-in).
    North Creek entrance is impassable/breaking in north swells; eyeball it, or call on VHF 16 to see if anyone can report condition of the cut. Enter at slack water or slight ebb, with good light.
    
    
  • Whale's winter breeding grounds are Mouchoir and Silver Banks E and SE of Turks Islands.
  
  Many people (myself included) have a very rough passage from the T+C to Luperon; be careful. Don't trust the weather forecasts.
  
  
  
  
• Windward Passage (between Cuba and Haiti):
  
  Lots of containerships.
  Prevailing current is ???
  Tricky during a front or a low.
  
  
  
• Haiti / Hispaniola:
  
  Charts: chartbook from Bellingham Chart Printers.
  
  Free cruising guide
  Guidebooks: "Gentleman's Guide to Passages South" by Bruce Van Sant.
  
  Good hurricane hole: Fort Liberte.
  
  Extremely poor country, lots of civil unrest, lots of AIDS and other disease, overpopulated, rainforest has been devastated, country devastated by 2004 hurricane season.
  
  
  
  
• Dominican Republic / Hispaniola:
  
  See my Dominican Republic page
  
  
  
• Mona Passage (between Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico):
  
  Currents are unpredictable, affected by relatively "shoal" water of 100-200 feet deep.
  
  "Gentleman's Guide to Passages South" by Bruce Van Sant has a couple of pages discussing how to transit this passage from DR to PR.
  
  Lots of stories about strong winds and huge seas, but "Too Lazy II" was becalmed in the Passage, so anything is possible.
  
  Plenty of large commercial traffic; keep a good watch.
  
  From Scott in Georgetown: Mona Island in the middle of the passage has good caves, fish, plants. Narrow entrance through a reef, but there is a clear range to use. [Entrance is detailed in Pavlidis guide to Puerto Rico, and 8th edition of Van Sant.]
  
  From US Coast Pilot 5, chapter 13:
  Canal de la Mona (Mona Passage), 61 miles wide between the W end of Puerto Rico and the E end of Hispaniola, is one of the principal entrances to the Caribbean Sea. Three small islands are located in the passage: Isla de Mona and Isla Monito about midway in the S part, and Isla Desecheo about 12 miles W of the extremity of Puerto Rico in the N part.
  
  On the W side of Canal de la Mona, a bank extends from Cabo Engano, the E extremity of Hispaniola, for 23 miles, with a least depth of 26 fathoms. Depths of 5 to 20 fathoms have been reported on the bank about 7 miles SSE of Cabo Engano. Strong tide rips and heavy swells, caused by the meeting of contrary currents, are visible for many miles and mark the position of this bank. On the E side of the passage, an extensive bank makes off from the W coast of Puerto Rico extending up to 15 miles offshore.
  
  Tidal currents set generally S and N through Canal de la Mona. Varying nontidal flows, depending to a great extent upon the velocity and direction of the wind, combine with the tidal current. An average nontidal current of about 0.2 knot setting approximately NNW is generally experienced during all seasons. In summer, when the trade wind has slackened and blows more from the E and ESE, a strong countercurrent sets E off the S coast of Hispaniola. This countercurrent occasionally induces a N set in the passage.
  
  A 3.5-knot current, setting approximately WSW, has been reported in the passage N of Isla de Mona. Observations made on the NW edge of the bank about 13 miles W of Punta Guanajibo, Puerto Rico, gave a velocity of about 1 knot for both S and N strengths.
  
  The tidal currents also set with considerable velocity, especially near the shore S of Cabo Engano, where they have been reported to set with a velocity of 3.5 knots during the month of May, with ebb currents setting NE for 3 hours and flood currents setting SW for 9 hours. The duration of these currents has also been reported to be the reverse, and at other times to be of the usual duration of 6 hours.
  
  The passage presents little difficulty in navigation, except that caution must be used in the vicinity of Isla Saona off the SE coast of Hispaniola, which is low and foul. This island should be given a berth of at least 6 miles. Heavy squalls may be expected in the passage, particularly in the summertime.
  
  ...
  
  Isla de Mona, 6 miles long E and W and 4 miles wide, lies in the middle of the S part of Canal de la Mona. Temporary anchorage and landing can be made in places on the S and W sides of the island during good weather, but on many days anchorage and landings are impracticable. The attendants for the Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources and a State police detachment are the only inhabitants of the island.
  
  With a strong wind from any direction, the sea draws around the island and generally into all the anchorages. Anclaje Sardinera, on the W coast, is the best anchorage during SE winds, and Anclaje Isabela, just S of Punta Arenas, is good during NE winds. Boat landings can be made at Anclaje Sardinera and Playa de Pajaros.
  
  An experienced cruiser in Luperon told me: expect to get boarded by the USCG for a safety check when crossing the Mona Passage, and especially if you anchor at Isla de Mona.
  But Bruce Van Sant says the opposite: stopping at Mona Island makes boarding less likely, because they're looking for illegals trying to dash from DR to PR.
  
  When the USCG boards a boat in the Mona Passage, they open every compartment, probably looking for illegal aliens. They wouldn't have to do that to search for drugs.
  
  I'm told (from a boat that hit the reef, and snorkeled it later) the entrance into Anclaje Sardinera is extremely narrow, not more than a couple of boat-widths, and you have to line up on the range markers precisely.
  But another boat told me the entrance is narrow but straightforward, and the range markers are even lit at night. They loved the place; terrific snorkeling right in the anchorage.
  
  
  
• Puerto Rico:
  
  See my Puerto Rico page
  
  
  
• Spanish Virgin Islands (between PR and USVI's: Vieques, Culebra, La Cordillera):
  
  See my Virgin Islands page
  
  
  
• US Virgin Islands (USVI's):
  
  See my Virgin Islands page
  
  
  
• British Virgin Islands (BVI's):
  
  See my Virgin Islands page
  
  
  
• Anegada Passage (between Virgin Islands and Leeward Islands):
  
  Turbulent and unpredictable. Seas confused, no pattern. Sudden squalls.
  
  About 80 NM wide from Virgin Gorda (The Baths) to St Martin (Marigot); about 105 NM wide from St Croix, but a better angle to the SE wind. About 95 NM wide from St John (Coral Bay).
  
  Pavlidis guide says George (7241 SSB @ 0715 EST, and 7086 SSB @ 1630 AST) is a good source for Anegada Passage weather.
  
  Pavlidis guide says: expect wind and current from ESE; never cross when a strong northerly swell is running.
  Best to cross eastward before the "Christmas winds" (and seas) start, which seems to happen as early as December 1.
  
  
  

Leeward Islands

• Anguilla (ang-gwill-a):
  
  Anguilla courtesy flag
  
  Fees very low (zero for under 20 net tons) if you stay in Road Bay. [But: as of 1/2008, there is a $20/person "Embarkation Tax"; less for children, and less if you don't stay overnight.] To go to other anchorages, need a cruising permit, for which there are high charges ($38 per day for 5-20 net tons ! Plus mooring fees, I think!). Probably best to leave boat in Road Bay and go to other beaches and snorkeling spots over land.
  
  From Steve Pavlidis 8/2006:
  
  > Can you dinghy to Sandy Island for free,
  > or do you need a cruising permit ?
  
  As of two years ago it was fine to dinghy to Sandy Island, but things change so quickly and Anguilla is so cruiser-unfriendly in the fee structure this might have changed.
  
  Former British.
  Anguilla Day: May 30.
  Carnival week: beginning of August.
  Some BBC content on 95.5 FM ?
  Lots of super-rich people visiting.
  Beaches good, but not in Road Bay, which is very built-up.
  
  Most anchorages are in marine park; use moorings ($15/day).
  Lots of beaches; nice one right in Road Bay.
  Marine store and supermarket right in Road Bay. Bigger supermarkets in main town, The Valley, about 3 miles away.
  Snorkeling: at Sandy Island (1-mile dinghy-ride from Road Bay), Prickly Pear Cays (7-8 miles NW of Roady Bay), Pelican Point in Crocus Bay.
  
  
  
• St Martin and Sint Maarten:
  
  See my St Martin page
  
  
  
• St Barts (St Barthelemy):
  
  St Barts (French) courtesy flag
  
  Clear in/out in Gustavia (SW side of island); call VHF 12 (or 16 ?) ahead of time. From Doyle guide: "No one seems to worry too much if you visit a few anchorages on your way in or out."
  Fees: 4€/day outside the inner harbor; more inside; $5/person departure tax.
  
  Liability insurance required if you want to stay in the inner harbor in Gustavia.
  
  Most anchorages are in marine park.
  
  Main harbors:
  - Baie St Jean (can be rolly; can't anchor close in because of airport);
  - Gustavia (exposed to S; crowded; $5/day anchoring fee).
  
  French.
  Music festival: mid-January.
  Regatta: Feb or March.
  
  Crowded but fun.
  Lots of very pretty women.
  Extremely expensive.
  From "Maranatha" 4/2006: For 2 BLT sandwiches and 2 beers it was $45 US.
  Good beach: Anse Gouverneur.
  Nude beach: Anse De Grande Salines.
  
  From Zanshin on cruisersforum:
  I loved anchoring out in Anse Columbier but anchoring outside of Gustavia is usually a bit rolly to very rolly. Isle Forchue is also a nice anchorage - but there one needs to pick up a mooring ball while Columbier lets you anchor between the two mooring fields. The French mooring balls have no pennant so picking up a ball is a lot more work than elsewhere. If you want to nestle amongst the superyachts at the Gustavia promenade then you will be looking at about €70 per day plus water/electricity and they warned me that if a real behemoth anchors next to you then you need to pay for the (required) diver that sorts out the anchors.
  
  
  
  
• Saba:
  
  Saba (Netherlands) courtesy flag
  
  Doesn't look like very good cruising to me: no protected anchorages, lots of steep terrain. Well's Bay looks like the best anchorage, and is supposed to have great snorkeling.
  
  
  
• St Eustatius (Statia):
  
  St Eustatius (Netherlands) courtesy flag
  
  Dutch.
  Doesn't look like very good cruising to me: only half-decent anchorage is Oranje Baii, and it's "neither comfortable nor safe in heavy swell".
  Some snorkeling in that anchorage, and the town sounds nice.
  Mooring or anchoring in marine park costs $10/night or $30/week.
  Customs/Immigration on VHF 14; Park Office on VHF 17.
  
  
  
• St Kitts (St Christopher) and Nevis:
  
  St Kitts and Nevis courtesy flag
  
  British.
  Fees: St Kitts about $15, Nevis about $10.
  National Carnival: 10 days in late December.
  Music festival: June.
  
  Doesn't look like very good cruising to me: no protected anchorages, and seems to have diving instead of snorkeling. Nevis is a little better on both scores.
  
  Rawlins Plantation is spectacular.
  
  Hiking: 2-3 hours to 3792-foot top of Mount Liamuiga; route is easy to follow but through rainforest and then very rocky; mile-wide volcanic crater at top. Also: to Dos D'ane Pond (3000 feet above sea level); challenging, several steep hills, trails wet and slippery.
  
  One person told me the officials on St Kitts were extremely rude to him, but everyone on Nevis was nice. And the people on Nevis told him they think the people on St Kitts generally are rude !
  
  Weather radio: AM 555 or FM 90.1 at 0825.
  
  Scam reported 5/2010, on St Kitts: some cruisers had their dinghy pulled onto the beach, well-secured, they said. They took their eyes off it for 10 minutes or so, and then some guy came up to them and said "I found your dinghy floating away and rescued it for you; pay me $200 for doing that". They ended up giving him $20.
  
  
• Barbuda:
  
  See my Antigua and Barbuda page
  
  
  
• Antigua:
  
  See my Antigua and Barbuda page
  
  
  
• Redonda:
  
  Doesn't look like very good cruising to me: no protected anchorages, and nothing much there.
  
  
  
  
• Montserrat:
  
  Montserrat flag
  
  Doesn't look like very good cruising to me: no protected anchorages except maybe Little Bay / Rendezvous Bay, steep terrain, and seems to have diving instead of snorkeling.
  
  Might be worth a drive-by to see the volcano from the water.
  
  Fees: about $15.
  
  Radio Montserrat FM 91.1 or 95.5.
  
  
  
  





• Guadeloupe:
  
  See my Guadeloupe page
  
  
  
• Dominica (dom-e-nee-ka):
  
  Dominica courtesy flag
  
  Former British.
  
  Doesn't look like very good cruising to me: no protected anchorages.
  But I'm told that Portsmouth is nice.
  I'm also told: avoid Roseau.
  Island residents are poor.
  
  Fees: very low.
  From Chris Doyle in 2/2007 issue of Caribbean Compass magazine: There is a new two-week in-and-out clearance: once you have cleared in, you can leave any time in the next two weeks without having to go back for additional paperwork.
  
  Rain forests; incredibly lush; 200-300 inches of rain per year.
  Great hiking. Trafalgar Falls near Papillote.
  Hiking: Morne Trois Pitons National Park: rainforest, woodland, hot springs, waterfalls, many different trails and destinations.
  90-minute guided bus tour through Morne Trois Pitons National Park from west coast: US$55/person.
  Whale-watching.
  
  Mas Domnik (Carnival): Feb and March.
  Creole Music Festival: late October.
  Some BBC content on 88.1 FM, 89.5 FM, 103.2 FM, 88.7 FM, 93.1 FM, 107.9 FM ?
  
  From Ed on "Angel Louise: skip Dominica.
  
  Harbors/anchorages:
  • Toucari Marine Park:
    Not allowed to go there on your boat; you must hire a guide/water-taxi from Portsmouth.
    Might be better to go by bus to the beaches, and snorkel from there.
    
  • Portsmouth:
    Deep water; have to anchor close to land.
    Port of Entry.
    Some theft from boats.
    Don't leave dinghy at town dock: boat-boys will demand fees for watching the dinghy.
    Lots of boat-boys/water-taxis/river-guides; some professional and trustworthy, others not.
    From "Maranatha": lots of boat-boys as you come into harbor, but not too aggressive.
    Anchorage at south end of bay (Coconut Beach Hotel / Portsmouth Beach Hotel) is quieter and out of reach of most boat-boys, but a bit far from town.
    From Chris Doyle in 2/2007 issue of Caribbean Compass magazine:
    "Security is currently no problem as long as you anchor among the other yachts down off the Purple Turtle area. There are nightly security patrols. [Patronize only businesses that contribute to the security fund.]"
    Notice in 2/2010 issue of "All At Sea" magazine: nightly security patrols in north end, between Blue Bay Restaurant and Purple Turtle; south end is not patrolled.
    Hardware store, small supermarkets.
    Trip up the Indian River is a must-do. Don't try to dinghy up it; the locals will chase you out. Get a professional guide, and insist on seeing their Guides Association membership card. Make sure they don't use an outboard motor: it is undesirable, and may be illegal by now. Best to go early in the morning.
    Nice hiking trails in Cabrits National Park.
    Syndicate Rainforest and Milton Falls: require car or bus.
    From "Maranatha": full day minibus tour was great, the tour guides were real pro's, worth every penny.
    From letter in 8/2010 issue of Caribbean Compass magazine:
    Coming into Portsmouth in 4/2010, was harassed by half a dozen very aggressive boat-boys.
    
  • Roseau:
    Capital and main town; lots of nice buildings.
    Deep water, shifting winds, and no protection. Moorings $5/night ?
    Port of Entry.
    Several supermarkets, two hardware stores, lots of shops, botanical garden.
    Lots of hiking and waterfalls inland, but you need transportation and a guide.
    A couple of people told me: don't come here (I guess because of lack of protection, and boat-boys).
    From "Maranatha": boat-boys were polite.
    Moorings in front of Anchorage Hotel are suspect; snorkel on yours to check it.
    Moorings in front of Fort Young Hotel are US$10/night; convenient for doing Customs.
    
  • Scotts Head Marine Park / Soufriere Bay:
    Not allowed to go there on your boat; go by bus or taxi from Roseau.
    Fee charged for snorkeling.
    Lots of hustlers (maybe in Soufriere town itself).
    
  
  From Scott in Georgetown: some aggressive boat-boys here.
  Weather radio: FM 93.3 at 0703 and 0930.
  
  
  

Windward Islands

• Martinique:
  
  Very French. Currency is Euro. Propane totally unavailable.
  Carnival: just before Ash Wednesday (early March).
  
  Ports of entry: St Pierre, Fort-de-France, Le Marin, La Trinite, now St Anne (at Snack Bou Bou's Cafe near the town square, turn left on the road near the church 200 ft).
  From Lynn Kaak on Caribbean Navigator Group on Facebook 1/2013:
  "Apparently checking in and out with Customs in St. Pierre is no longer an option. Next closest is Fort de France or Anse Mitan. As of Feb 1, they will be charging for the moorings in Grand Anse d'Arlet."
  From Don Street: east coast is covered in my guides, but to really explore it, get guide written by Jerome Nouel.
  For USA boat: no entry fees; can stay up to 6 months per year before VAT and import fees are due; there's some way to avoid having "I flew out to USA" time counted as part of that.
  
  From Ed Kelly on "Angel Louise" 5/2009: "$6 checkin - free checkout".
  10/2010: my check-in at Sea Services in Fort De France was free.
  4/2015: my check-in at St Anne cost €2.
  4/2015: my check-out at Sea Services in Fort De France was free.
  4/2015: a Douane boat boarded and searched me in St Anne, and I saw them boarding a cruising boat in Fort De France.
  Best beaches are in SE corner of island.
  Nude beach: Anse Trabaud; SE corner of island.
  Good bus system.
  
  From "Maranatha": Fort de France rolly from ferries; were able to check in at the marine store; Trois Islets a little disappointing; Anse Mitan very touristy; beaches and hiking at St. Anne very nice; bay of Marin has huge concentration of sailboats, good marine stores.
  
  From Ed on "Angel Louise:
  "Loved St Pierre which was the Paris of the Caribbean till their volcano wiped out all but a couple folks in the city of 30,000, giving power to the locals. After St Pierre it's a day-trip to Le MARIN ... pure and wonderful romantic France. Beautiful women galore and Radio Sherie!"
  
  From letter from S/Y Moon Dog in 8/2010 issue of Caribbean Compass magazine:
  East coast is wonderful: few boats, many great anchorages and coves, nice snorkeling. Basic provisioning in towns of Francois and Robert, but only small-boat marinas, and very difficult to obtain fuel or water, few restaurants or bars.
  
  My experience in Martinique in 2010 and 2015:
  
  Harbors/anchorages:

  • St Pierre: ???
  • Case Pilote: ???
  • Baie de Fort de France:
    • Schoelcher: beach area ?
    • Baie des Flamandes / Fort de France town:
      • Sometimes big ferry wake in the anchorage. Ferries run about 6:30 AM to 7 PM. Few ferries on Saturday morning, and none the rest of the weekend.
      • Customs/Immigration computer: in Sea Services marine store. Free.
      • Book-swap: small one in Sea Services.
      • Warehouse-type supermarket Leader Price across from Sea Services has some really good prices.
      • Guidebooks say can dinghy up canal to W of cruise-ship docks to get close to Sea Services and Leader Price, but I don't see any easy way to get between dinghy and street. Can be done, tying up to red side-stream flanges, but it will require some agility.
      • Doctor: Alain Amra, next to Police Hotel.
      • Receiving a package/mail from overseas: couldn't find any place that would do it; everyone says "the Post Office". But lines in there are too long to ask if/how you would do that.
      • Only gas station I found in town is an Esso, sort of diagonally across town from the anchorage, out past Hotel de Ville and the mall with Carrefour in it.
      • Fuel dock in Tourelles / Carenantilles: looks too small for big boat to me, but guidebooks talk about fueling big boats there. Dinghy over first and ask. Sells gasoline with and without tax, diesel only one price. Diesel price about halfway between Guadeloupe's with and without tax prices.
      • Free Wi-Fi from Tourist Info, but it's very faint in the harbor. Works okay if you're sitting in the waterfront plaza.
      • Easy bus access to a couple of HUGE modern grocery markets and malls which are very nice, a Carrefours and a HyperU out at the Galleria.
      • You can not visit the actual Fort, as it is still an active Navy base.
      • Bus to the Botanical gardens, but do not go on weekend.
    • Cohe de Lamentin:
      Great anchorage, lots of space and shallow water. Good hurricane hole, but a big fetch from the SW.
      Marina La Neptune: just a lot of slips and storage bays for sailing-schools; no fuel dock, office wasn't open. Garbage and used-oil disposal. Walk out to highway is flat but bleak. Nice walking-park right next to marina entrance.
      On N shore, can beach dinghy between boats clustered E of the refinery, in a couple of spots. But there's a big ridge between the shore and the highway; walking out to any stores would be pretty strenuous. I walked out to the Antilles Gas Cimex place (walk E on Californie, which turns uphill and N, then W), only to be told they don't sell propane, and nowhere on Martinique does.
      Couldn't find entrance to creek W of refinery; I think it's overgrown with mangroves. That would have been a nice path up to the stores.
      Marina de Cohe: just a mangrove creek stuffed full of boats; no office, no facilities, no fuel.
    • Trois Ilets:
      Tricky entrance channel; make a hard left as you pass the green marker; watch how the ferry does it if you can.
      Saw a couple of boats go aground in channel or anchorages.
      Not much to the town. A couple of small food stores W and uphill from ferry dock.
      Hospital is a psychiatric hospital; no ER.
    • Trou Etienne: ???
    • Anse Mitan: nothing but tourist-stuff; the Mecanique Plaisance marine store / mechanic has moved to Marin.
      Everything useful is by the main intersection on the peninsula: ATM, pharmacy, thinly-stocked grocery store.
      One gasoline pump with exorbitant price by Budget car-rental place, but I don't know how you'd get someone to operate it for you.
      Le Ponton marina is just ruins, and can't even get ashore from there; there's a locked gate.
      Can get ashore from tricky floating dock in swimming cove N of Le Ponton, S of Meridien Hotel.
      Meridien Hotel looks closed and ruined, probably by hurricane.
    • Anse a L'Ane: ???
  • Trip S and E from Fort-de-France to Cul-de-Sac du Marin is slow and rough; current and wind and swells oppose you.
  • Anse Noire: ???
  • Grand Anse D'Arlet: ???
  • Petite Anse D'Arlet: ???
  • Baie du Marigot: ???
  • St Luce: ???
  • Cul de Sac du Marin:
    • Dinghy-docks: at Bichik fuel dock at boatyard (crowded), at Leader Price next to Bichik, in marina on N side, in marina at SE corner.
    • Two fuel docks, but Bichik at boatyard not really accessible for big boats. Other dock is in middle of marina.
    • Book-swap: at Bichik fuel dock at boatyard.
    • A couple of nice supermarkets: Leader Price has own dinghy-dock, next to boatyard. Supermarche SE of SE corner of marina.
    • Chandlery in marina (near Customs) seems more expensive than chandlery in boatyard, at least for batteries.
    • Cheapest internet access I found: €3/hour across street from SE dinghy-dock in marina.
  • St Anne: lots of boats 4/2015. Check in at Snack Bou Bou cafe by computer, costs €2. Also can exchange US$ to Euros at the cafe, decent exchange rate. No way to get fuel here ?

  
  Some BBC radio on 9740 from 0600 to 0800.
  
  Plane flights from Vieux Fort St Lucia (UVF) to USA are half the price and fewer stops than flights from Martinique (FDF) to USA.
  
  
  
  
• St Lucia:
  
  British. Currency is EC$.
  Clearing in:
  From noonsite:

  At Rodney Bay:
  One should tie up alongside the Customs dock in the marina, which is marked by yellow posts, although this is not enforced, and boats usually dock wherever they can find a space. The captain must report immediately to the customs and immigration office inside the marina, open 0800-1200, 1300-1630 every day including Sunday, except Friday when it is open until 1800. The crew must not disembark until formalities have been completed. There is no docking charge if only coming to clear.
  
  From Ed Kelly on "Angel Louise" 5/2009: "not much cost checkin - free checkout".
  Good beaches on north and west coasts; Atlantic side is rough.
  Friday night street parties ("jump-ups"): Gros Islet.
  
  From "Delirious": heading south, this is the first place with aggressive "boat boys". Their policy: the first one who reaches them becomes their boy; get his name and his boat name; the others will leave you alone once you tell them who your boy is.
  From "Maranatha": "boat boys" here are real pests, plus panhandling crackheads and drunks ashore.
  The Usual Suspects "Boat Boys"
  From Ed Kelly on "Angel Louise" 5/2009: "We hauled out at the boatyard at Rodney Bay ... You can do your own work there ...".
  Guy from "Tabascocat" recommends St Lucia as a hurricane hole; maybe he meant on the hard ?
  
  My experience in St Lucia in late 2010:
  
  Harbors/anchorages:

  • Rodney Bay:
    Port of Entry. Call marina and ask where to tie up to do Customs.
    Some room to anchor in SW area of Lagoon, but probably still and buggy and hot at night.
    Dinghy dock in far SW corner of Lagoon gives access to supermarket, several banks, many other stores.
    In marina: propane refill at laundry; tiny book-exchange in upstairs restaurant (Bosun's).
    Hardware store across street from marina.
    No stores in or around boatyard.
    Internet cafe in Gros Islet.
    Huge book-exchange in waterfront restaurant at Pigeon Point.
    Hike up to top of fort is nice.
    Fill up on diesel here; cheaper here than the French islands to the N, and cheaper than in Bequia or Grenada.
    Dinghy-thefts at night reported 7/2011; locking cables were cut.
    
  • Castries: call port control on VHF 16 to get permission to enter/exit.
    Vigie Creek small and totally full; no room to anchor there.
    Anchor at east end of harbor, at town.
    Several supermarkets in town; best probably is the one closest to waterfront.
    
  • Marigot Bay: no room to anchor in inner harbor, or on S side of outer harbor. But there is room on N side of outer harbor.
    I'm told there may be a book-exchange in the big hotel, but I didn't get there.
    
  • Soufriere: didn't stop there, and didn't see many boats there. Maybe better seen by bus ?
  • Trip S and E from Marigot to Vieux Fort is slow and rough; current and wind and swells oppose you.
  • Vieux Fort:
    Port of Entry; go to Customs office at commercial dock; tie up dinghy on outside of SE corner.
    Harbor is a fishing harbor; no room or facilities except for a gasoline pump.
    Diesel available only from Shell gas station at far end of town, near airport ?
    I'm told there's cheap propane refill available in the commercial port.
    Water available in the commercial port ?
    Good supermarket, NAPA Auto, various other stores.
    Several internet cafes, most about EC$5/hour; WeGoSite charges double what the others charge.
    Theft problem in SE corner of bay, and from dinghies ashore at night. Daylight mugging of a cruiser down a side-alley in town 1/2011.
    Foul bottom in extreme SE corner of bay, inside of the big iron post.
    
  
  My experience in St Lucia 3/2015:
  Cruiser's net VHF 68 at 0830.
  
  Rodney Bay boatyard answers on VHF 16 to "boatyard". Have to have insurance to get hauled, but they let me in without it. Can live aboard while in boatyard. Fuel dock outside yard: have to be cleared out to get duty-free price.
  
  
  
  
• St Vincent and The Grenadines:
  
  See my St Vincent and the Grenadines page
  
  
  
• Barbados:
  
  Barbados courtesy flag
  
  British.
  Densely populated.
  Not cheap.
  Poor harbors.
  
  When checking in, may have to bring boat to a large and inconvenient seawall dock exposed to the swells.
  
  Carlisle Bay south of Bridgetown: the only anchorage. Full of tourists, and loud beach music. Dinghy dock at Boatyard restaurant; internet cafe 3 blocks north.
  Bridgetown: good provisioning and restaurants; fuel docks hard to use.
  
  Wind-surfing tournament in January.
  Cricket.
  Crop-Over Festival: mid-July to early August.
  
  Barbados
  Some BBC content on 92.9 FM, 90.7 FM, 900 AM ?
  
  
  
• Grenada:
  
  See my Grenada page
  
  
  

Southern Caribbean

• Trinidad and Tobago:
  
  Guidebook: "A Cruising Guide To Trinidad and Tobago" by Stephen Pavlidis.
  Guidebook: "Cruising Guide to Trinidad and Tobago Plus Barbados and Guyana" by Chris Doyle.
  Free guidebook: Trinidad Cruising Guide
  
  Trinidad Cruisers Group on Facebook
  Yacht Services Association of Trinidad and Tobago (YSATT)
  BOCA free newspaper
  Boaters' Enterprise
  
  Wet season is June to December; dry season (but windy) is January to May.
  Currency is TT$; about TT$6.4 = US$1 5/2011. 15% VAT on most items.
  Carnival: generally in February. In Port of Spain, Mon and Tues before Ash Wednesday.
  Steel band festivals in Port of Spain in late Feb through early March.
  Jazz festival in November.
  Folk festival in late November.
  Cricket season: January through April.
  Tobago "Swim With Giant Rays": November-April.
  
  In late 2009, there are reports of piracy as cruisers transit between Trinidad and Grenada, as the route passes close to Venezuela.
  
  From Glynn de Klerk on Facebook 3/2012:
  "Anyone visiting Chaguaramus, Trinidad be aware of the speeding taxis and fishing boats while anchored or moored in front of Peakes. Pete is lucky to be alive after being rammed by one from behind, hitting him square on the back, almost sinking the dinghy, and smashing the engine to smithereens. Luckily culprit brought to book and made to buy a brand new engine!"
  
  Legalities:
  Starting 10/2010, use of holding tanks will be required in Tobago Cays Park.
  
  When entering country, must go directly to Customs dock (no anchoring, docking or mooring first), and everyone on board go to Immigration and Customs. Normal hours are MTWRF 8-4; outside of those, overtime charged. Officials may charge overtime based on time you entered the country's waters, not just time you appeared at their office !
  From John and Janet on "Ventoso" 5/2011:

  When you tie up at Customs dock, go well forward as the nearest end of the dock is raw concrete and further on has rubber edging. This will be a one-man job with no one to help you! Try to get some tt dollars before you arrive, as the nearest ATM is a 10-minute walk away.
  
  We found the anchorage at TTSA (3 miles round the peninsula) very pleasant. They charge US$45 for a week to use dinghy dock, showers, swim pool etc.

  
  USA citizens get 3-month stay without visa.
  Navigation dues of TT$50/month while in country; first month paid when you arrive, balance when you leave.
  If traveling between the Trinidad and Tobago halves of the country, must file a form with Immigration and Customs before going, and get it stamped upon arrival on the other side, but there are no extra charges.
  If you wish to check into the country at one island and then clear out of the country at the other island, must arrange ahead of time at the first island.
  
  In Tobago, need to check in and out at each port as you move around.
  
  
  
  Carnival: pre-season starts in late September. Taste of Carnival is several Wednesdays in Jan or early Feb. Main action is Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday (Feb or early March).
  
  Boaters' Directory of Trinidad and Tobago online at Boaters' Enterprise
  
  From letter from BJ and Temple Page in 11/2001 issue of Seven Seas Cruising Association bulletin:
  huge crime problem in Trinidad.
  
  From Jerry in Marathon:
  
  Tobago is lightly populated and lovely, but not many cruisers go there because there are few facilities and it is a hard slog upwind and up-current from Trinidad.
  Chaguaramas harbor in Trinidad has lots of great marine facilities, but it is deep, holding is poor, it's crowded, the bottom is foul with things including a radio tower and a Jeep, and there are strong currents that even create breaking waves in the anchorage sometimes.
  
  Tobago: Scarborough: anchorage is small.
  Store Bay: good anchorage.
  Parlatuvier: nice view from ashore, but rolly bay.
  Charlotteville: protected but deep anchorage, good provisioning.
  
  
  From Judy Rouse on World-Cruising mailing list:
  
  We have a sea chest rather than a bunch of separate seawater intake thru-hulls. After just 3 weeks here in Trinidad, the intake to our sea chest became totally solid with barnacles. We have found that the intake needs to be dived on and cleaned out about every 2 weeks. We have never seen barnacles grow so quickly and prolifically as they do down here.
  
  From ex-cruiser in Puerto Rico 2006: nothing in Trinidad is cheap any more.
  
  From Don Casey in Puerto Rico 2006: Trinidad in hurricane season is hot and still and rainy; go to Grenada instead.
  
  From Rob on "Mattkoray" in Puerto Rico 2006: Trinidad is worse than Luperon (and Luperon sucked).
  
  From Andrew Rooney 10/2006:
  ... Around Delgada Point, we went north of Gasparillo Island into the large industrial Chaguaramus Bay, wending our way through the hundreds of yachts, fishing boats, barges, oil supply vessels, tugs, and other anchored ships to the farthest inlet, to the Immigration and Customs dock at Crews Inn Marina. I thought of anchoring and taking the dinghy through the hodge podge of vessels, but the regulations are quite strict and no anchoring for any reason is allowed before checking in, regardless of the time of night or day, or day of the week. We had heard horror stories of boaters who were fined for not reporting in directly. At least we were reporting in during regular working hours and did not have to pay the overtime charges.
  
  ... The check-in was reasonably efficient with only one form to be completed in each (Immigration and Customs) office, in quadruplicate using carbon paper. We then anchored in the midst of the conglomeration of yachts, some on their own anchors and others at YSATT mooring buoys, in about 30 feet of water. We were quite nervous for the first day or so to be sure we had enough swinging room to avoid the other yachts anchored and at moorings nearby. The combination of weird currents, tides, and variable winds would cause the vessels to swing every which way, often pointing them in opposite directions and swinging them (and us) perilously close. The waters were noisy, dirty, oily, and rough, with wakes from dinghies, water taxis, tugs and fishing boats added to the currents, winds, and tides, stirring the anchorage in what has been described as the unpredictable pattern of a washing machine.
  
  Love it or hate it, Chaguaramus has all the haul-out and storage facilities, marinas, chandleries, metal shops, rigging shops, sail lofts, electronics, fibre glass, and inflatable repair services a cruiser could want; not to mention dinghy docks, bars, grocery stores, internet and Wi-Fi facilities, tour agencies, car and DVD rentals as well as a handy bus route and maxi-taxi service into downtown Port of Spain. Because of insurance restrictions on being outside (south) of the hurricane zone from June to November, Trinidad has become a cruisers' Mecca, with thousands of boats spending months or years in the area. One of the several yachting magazines (Compass) indicated that over 1400 boats were located in Trinidad by June of this year. Yachting is big business in the Caribbean and especially in Trinidad.
  
  We heard so many horror stories of cruisers being robbed, boat invasions and murders, that we were quite apprehensive about being here. There were so many dinghies stolen over the past few months that the cruisers organized their own anchorage watch with three boats sharing the night hours to patrol the anchorage and keep a lookout for any security problems. We volunteered our services for the 0300 to 0600 shift on Sunday nights for the couple of weeks we were there. We were asked to just keep a lookout over the anchorage and shine a spotlight periodically around to deter any suspect security violators. Since this system has been in place over the past few weeks, no thefts have occurred. If any violators were identified, VHF channels could be used to warn other boats and to contact police or coast guard, as well as sounding our air horn to alert other boats, and shining spotlights in the direction of the problems.
  
  There is a VHF net at 0800 each morning, not unlike that we had in Grenada. It extended through Chaguaramus, Scotland Bay, Carenage Bay and even over to Chacachacare Island. ...
  
  Pavlidis says: Hurricanes are unlikely to hit Trinidad, but if one approaches, flee to Venezuela.
  
  From Rob on "Mattkare": Chaguaramus is a terrible anchorage, holding is bad, water eats the galvanizing off your ground tackle.
  
  From Mac / Wonderlust 11/2006:
  Was reading about your concerns about Venezuela. My neighbor is from Trinadad, which is supposed to have the highest crime rate in the area right now. Frank, my neighbor, said what is going on is the little mafia of sorts is kidnapping cruisers and holding them ransom. Usually one to five thousand or what ever they can get. Usually not hostile and if they can't contact your family for a ransom they often let you go because they don't want to feed you. Frank says if you go ashore don't wear any jewelry or watch. Dress down and look like you don't own anything and they will leave you alone.
  
  Venezuela is another story. Stay away from the pass between Trinadad and Venezuela, on the southwest side of Trinadad. Pirates are bold in this area, and while they haven't killed anyone yet, they do sometimes ruff you up. Go in a group of 3 to 4 boats at a time and you should be fine. Pirates don't like confrontations or witnesses. They seem to pick on single boats. Other than that if you look at the statastics you stand a greater chance of getting car-jacked in New Jersey when you go home for the holidays. I say go and enjoy. Can't wait to get there myself.
  
  From Tony Bullard on SSCA discussion boards 10/2006:
  I am sorry to have to inform everyone that we had a serious incident here last night involving cruisers. Things had been very quiet for several months now, until last night.
  
  An armed robbery took place at Tropical Marina's restaurant. It was BBQ Rib night so there had been a large crowd of cruisers present. At about 9:30, after many cruisers had left for the evening, several armed men robbed the restaurant and many of the remaining cruisers. The robbers came from the water side of the marina and therefore bypassed the gate guard completely. The restaurant manager and several cruisers were pistol-whipped and had to be taken to the hospital. Authorities have been notified including the US Embassy which is requesting the Police Commissioner provide them with the status of the investigation.
  
  From Tony Bullard on SSCA discussion boards 1/2007:
  I got heavily involved in trying to get some positive response out of the marina owners and government while in Chagauramas, Trinidad concerning the crime and immigration situation there. It was very frustrating, particularly the attitude of the marina owners who were spending far more money trying to cover up the crime situation there than spending even a dime to try to improve the situation. The situation did improve but mainly because of the efforts of a few (too few) cruisers who formed a harbor watch.
  
  We are now in St Lucia and WOW!!! what a difference. St Lucia has done an absolutely incredible job of improving the security here and many of the improvements have occurred in the last six months. Now some may say they had to do something after the rape incident here back in the summer, and you're right. But they have responded in very positive ways, unlike Trinidad, who just doesn't get it.
  
  We had been warned not to go to Soufriere, but found it to be a charming place and everyone was so friendly and helpful. Customs and Immigration officials, were not only pleasant, they were down right neighborly. Benny, at Harmony Beach, reminded me so much of Jesse James in Trinidad. He even put a guard on our boat and patrolled the moorings while a bunch of us ate at his restaurant. Would Crews Inn or the Bight, etc ever consider doing such a thing? Not on your life.
  
  The boat boys in St Lucia are the most professional I have seen and it is obvious that many of them have now had training, with their ID cards and what amounts to a script when they talk to you. It's kinda funny, but, Hey, they're trying.
  
  Rodney Bay has police patrolling in the bay and lagoon nightly and these guys are serious. A fellow cruiser, near Pidgeon Island the other night got up to check his anchor. The next thing he knew there was a blue light flashing and a spotlight on his boat. It was 0300 and the police wanted to make sure he was not a thief.
  
  Since leaving Trinidad in November we have seen a number of security improvements on many of the islands and it has made us realize just how bad the attitude is in the Trinidad government and with YSATT. We now have seen what can and will be done when people realize how important cruisers are to their livelihood.
  
  One last comment. I continue to hear people talk and write about incidents which occurred as much as ten years ago and use those incidents in their decisions not to visit a particular place. The other day I read an article that went even farther back than that. Is this really a good thing to do? Just 6 months ago I would not have come back to St Lucia because of the crime situation, but with the dramatic effort I have experienced in the last 2 weeks I would recommend any part of the west coast to anyone. So I recommend you use current information in deciding where to cruise, not ancient history or "CNN" redundant reporting. There are lots of good, safe places to cruise in the Caribbean.
  
  From Robb Triton on The Live-Aboard List 7/2007:
  
  After leaving our catamaran for six months at Aikanes Boatyard in Chaguaramas, Trinidad last year, we have a lot to say about the yard, the nearby port, the available services and especially about the Immigrations and Customs officials of Trinidad. There are lots of details on our blog (look for posts from about mid March until early April, 2007), but the summary is as follows:
  
  Aikanes Boat Yard: Pronounced "eh - caines". A medium-sized boatyard specializing in catamarans, with very good yard security (I would argue it was the best in the area) and the ability to address pretty much any boat maintenance issue, refit, or rebuild project you might have. We found the owner/manager Philip, and boatyard staff (Jimmy, Frank, et. al.) to be excellent; honest, hardworking and quite knowledgeable. We did have significant problems with the office staff, who were horrible about returning our calls, providing proper communications, directions or handling emails or wire funds transfers, but that was the only negative in dealing with them. Our recommendation would be that if you have a catamaran, this is the place to bring it in Trinidad. Their rates were reasonable, the work they did on our boat was superb, and the advice and help they offered was always forthright, professional and of the highest quality. Our only reservation is in dealing with their office - our advice would be to demand Philip's direct cellphone number and bypass his office staff. Also, double-check everything that comes out of the office, and do not count on it ever being right.
  
  Crews Inn Marina: Probably the most upscale place around; very, very pricey with a host of marine service shops located directly behind the hotel. While the hotel itself was quite nice (gorgeous pool, great restaurant, convenient shops), and the marina staff did their best to make our stay pleasant, I'd advise against staying there if you are having work done or are awaiting parts from any of the shops associated with the complex. We experienced ourselves (and observed and were told by many others as well) of mysterious delays and/or very slow responses from any of the vendors located on the back property. Now this might all just be absolute coincidence, but we heard it enough times that it bears mentioning. Work that was done by the other yards, or from independent shops seemed to always be done better, faster and cheaper.
  
  TTSA: Just in between Aikanes and the T&T Coast Guard station, this small bay contains a yachting center with about a hundred mooring balls for smaller ships, areas for anchoring (although we found the bottom to be of poor holding) and limited protection from the ocean swell. It did get a bit bouncy when the winds picked up in the afternoon. There is a small pool, restaurant, laundry, bar and other services. The folks were very friendly and helpful, and if we could have arranged it differently, would have spent more time there than we did.
  
  Boatyards in general: We spoke with many, many folks who, in general, seemed to find the yards satisfactory, the prices reasonable, and the service adequate, at a minimum. We met lots of folks who thought they got great work, prices and service there as well, only a few who complained, but never noticed a trend about any specific yard. Nothing was fabulously cheap, at least by our S.F. Bay area standards, but it was usually available somewhere.
  
  Customs and Immigration: Probably the worst Customs officials I've experienced, with agents who were discourteous, arbitrary, demanded "presents" and who seemed to believe that since we appeared to be on an expensive boat we should therefore not mind being charged unreasonably. Having equipment shipped in was always an issue, the agents were never easy to deal with, and any equipment delivery dates should add at least a day when dealing with them. I hope to never have to visit this country again, solely because of the despicable behavior of their Customs officials. While Trinidad is supposed to be the place to go in the Caribbean for parts and repairs, I would caution you that the red tape and Byzantine layers of bureaucracy will play a factor in your experience. Immigrations was only marginally less of a hassle, perhaps the process has less wiggle room for corruption or incompetence, but it didn't stop them from randomly detaining my arriving crew, each for differing reasons, demanding that they didn't have the required paperwork. In all cases the identical paperwork they provided was supplied by myself, which required a two hour trip to the airport and back. If you don't rent a car, expect expensive cab rides if your crew is meeting you there.
  
  Chaguaramas: Overall the port was relatively easy to enter by sea, although finding a reasonable anchorage was less than easy. The "free" area is usually very crowded, quite small, and in about sixty feet of poorly holding bottom - at least as was described to us by numerous other cruisers who tried. To get there from the airport allow yourself anywhere between thirty minutes and two hours, depending on the phase of the moon and other mystically determined factors.
  
  Trinidad: Hope you like KFC, cause there are more chicken stands than gas stations. Overall the folks were friendly, but crime was a constant issue, there were areas described as "no go" sectors, and although the situation has improved dramatically, it was still not the safest place to be. Do not leave anything unattended, unlocked or unchained. Everyone we spoke with brought their dinghy up on deck and/or locked it with heavy anchor chain. Apparently this problem only started occurring within the last decade (many of the old-timer cruisers bemoaned the loss of the good old days) and this issue seems to be related to the problems coming out of Venezuela, as well. Every day we read the local newspaper and there were always complaints of armed robbery, or kidnapping for ransom, or some other such issue from the locals. It isn't clear if this is a real issue getting worse, or a trend in decline. Time will tell, but be careful and observant when traveling about there.
  
  From Paul on "Adios" in Salinas PR 9/2007:
  
  Don't anchor in Chaguaramas; anchor near TTSA and pay $50/month for dinghy-dock privileges there. The dinghy dock is secure, and maxi-taxis pick up right outside the marina gate. Nice grocery store is an easy ride to the south; boatyards and marine stores are a ride to the north near Chaguaramas.
  
  The serious crime is in the city of Port Of Spain; there's a drug-murder per day there.
  
  From Mark Bryant 3/2011:
  ... I see you are thinking of going to Trinidad. I hated the place. Worst water I have ever seen in the harbor. Crazy place. The sailing association anchorage just around the point was a better place to anchor. It was US$100 a month, for dinghy dock, showers, wi-fi, laundry and kinda of security. Dinghy theft is rampant. Port of Spain was ok, but not any cheaper than Grenada. They say they speak english, I couldn't understand sh*t they said.
  
  Grenada is a nice island, you might want to email St. Davids's boatyard, I think that's the name, that is on the Atlantic south end of the island. In my mind a much better place to haul than Trini. If you go to Trini, be really aware that anything left out will get stolen. Even in the boatyard if you are hauled you have to lock stuff up.
  
  BBC radio 98.7 FM.
  Some BBC content on 610 AM, 730 AM, 104 FM ?
  
  From hurricane season article by Phil Chapman in 4/2010 issue of Caribbean Compass magazine:
  
  Anchorages are few; most people stay in one of the marinas or rent a mooring buoy in Chaguaramas, but the moorings have been known to drag in bad winds and are crowded. One downside is that it does rain a lot.
  
  From Olivier / SY Mary Ann on Yahoo's Trinidad Cruising Sailor's Forum 4/2011:
  
  We spent 4.5 months in Trinidad, having a huge list of stuff to be done on the boat.
  
  1. Security:
  Not as bad as often reported. The Chaguaramas area (marinas and boatyards) is mostly secure. A couple of outboards stolen while we were there, but certainly not a war zone. Authorities seem to have changed their mind towards yachting, and are more supportive. The level of violence (body count) in the city is very bad, but mostly concerns the locals. Stay away from the city at night time, and DO NOT walk alone anytime. We had no problems in the time we were there, but did take the usual precautions.
  
  2. Marinas:
  Crews Inn is the only 4/5 star marina (swimming pool, hot showers, BBQ area). Service on the docks is good, restaurants however are bad. Coral Cove has good facilities, but terrible service and is quite rolly.
  
  3. Haul out:
  The biggest is Peakes, excellent gear and very professional service. Problem is they only allow in-house workmen, which limits the choice.
  Power Boats (not for power boats specifically, the name is misleading) has good gear, good service, and allows outsiders to do work. Some of the better workmen are also there.
  Coral cove is quite small, and would be more adequate for those who want to do the work themselves.
  
  4.Technical services:
  The best are in Power Boats.
  - Mechanical: Klaus (blue container in Power Boats) is probably the best mechanic I've ever met. He tends to be slow (lots of work), but what he does will LAST! Trevor, also at Power Boats is a very good all round handyman, highly recommended (he often works with Klaus, and Klaus will find him for you). Gittens (Adean) is excellent for diesel engines and generators.
  - Electrical: Jim at Shure Power (Power Boats) is excellent, while Western (Tardieu Marine) is the expert for starter motors. I've tested other electricians but was not satisfied.
  - Sail making: Socca Sail is good, albeit slow.
  - Rigging: Budget rigging (Budget Marine) is excellent.
  - Car rental: Steward (Nice Car rental) is very good. His cars are OK, and his service in case of trouble is first-class. He also knows all the handymen in Chaguaramas and is a great source of information.
  
  The carnival was awesome, and we'll go back to Trinidad for the hurricane season.
  
  I gave up on crossing from Grenada to Trinidad:
  
  I started to cross from Prickly Bay Grenada to Trinidad in 5/2011, in forecast ESE 15 wind / ESE 5-foot wave conditions. I have a slow motor-sailer (1973 Gulfstar 44) that sails poorly.
  
  I had to motor-sail. I found strong WNW current forcing me off toward Venezuela. Wind and waves opposed me more than I expected. The rhumb-line course was about 175 T. I could motor-sail at 3.6 knots on 205-210 T, or motor at 2.2 knots on 175 T, apparently straight into wind and waves. All told, this threatened to turn an expected 20-24-hour trip into a 35-40-hour trip. I turned around and gave up on going to Trinidad. Made 5 to 6 knots motor-sailing back to Grenada, same throttle setting.
  
  From Osiris on Cruising World message board 6/2011:
  
  Re: flying in to Trinidad and maybe doing some cruising while there:
  
  I have spent considerable time in Trinidad over the last decade with my boat. First off, Trinidad is not a Caribbean Island, it is an industrial gas-oil centered country. Sort of like comparing Chicago to Plains, Iowa.
  
  Anyway, there is no authorized cruising around Trinidad, you take a marina or the TTSA anchorage and that is where you stay until you check out to leave.
  
  On the good side, there are plenty of activities and things to do ashore including zoo's, botanical gardens, nature centers, waterfall and gorge hiking, etc. Lots of mega-malls, 10 screen theaters and shops and stores for just about everything.
  
  On the down side, Trinidad has 1.8 million people and work for maybe a third of them. So, like any major industrial city, crime can be a problem unless you are street-smart and don't make yourself an easy mark.
  
  There are no sailing or cruising boat rental operations there. And there is very little land tourism.
  
  Tobago is a whole different kind of place but not that much tamer than Trinidad. It is not cruiser-friendly as much as the islands to the north. And it is upwind, up current.
  
  Hotel I used when connecting through airport: The Palms Hotel.
  
  Some tips: maintenance supplies, spares, alcohol, diesel probably cheaper in Grenada. Propane refill from Chaguaramas is difficult ? Few good places to anchor in Chaguaramas harbor.
  
  Trinidad:
  • The Bocas / Boca Del Dragon:
    
    • Monos Island:
    • Huevos Island:
    • Chacachacare Island:
  • Chaguaramas:
    
    • Chaguaramas Bay:
      • Cruiser's radio net: VHF 68 at 0800 MTWRFSS.
      • Officials charge overtime after 1600.
        If you stay overnight on the clearance dock/jetty, you'll have to pay dockage fee to marina.
    • Gaspar Grande Island:
    • Sometimes difficult to get incoming parts through Customs ?
    • 5/2011: diesel about TTS$7.6/liter, which is US$4.51/USgallon. About 12% cheaper than in Grenada.
  • Carenage:
    
    • Carenage Bay:
    • Five Islands:
    • Cumana Bay:
  • Port of Spain:
    
    • Sometimes difficult to get incoming parts through Customs ?
  • Point-a-Pierre:
  • San Fernando:
  • South Coast: no decent anchorages, and very strong west-setting current.
  • East Coast: no decent anchorages, and very exposed to tradewinds and seas.
  • North Coast:
    
    • Mal d'Estomac Bay:
    • La Vache Bay / Cyril's Bay:
    • Balata Bay:
    • Maracas Bay:
    • Las Cuevas Bay:
    • Chupara Point:
  Tobago:
  • Scarborough / Rockly Bay:
  • Store Bay:
  • Pigeon Point: good snorkeling on Buccoo Reef.
  • Bon Accord Lagoon: anchoring prohibited except in case of hurricane.
  • Buccoo Bay: good snorkeling on Buccoo Reef.
  • Mt. Irvine Bay:
  • Grafton Bay / Stone Haven Bay:
  • Great Courland Bay / Plymouth:
  • Castara Bay:
  • Englishman's Bay:
  • Parlatuvier Bay:
  • Man of War Bay / Charlotteville:
  • Tyrrel's Bay / Speyside:
  • Little Tobago Island / Bird of Paradise Island:
  • King's Bay:
  
  
  
• Bonaire:
  
  Dutch.
  Least populated of the ABC's.
  Great diving and snorkeling.
  No anchoring; must go in marina or take mooring.
  Busiest September through November, especially Regatta week (first week of October).
  
  From letter from Tom Davis and Donna Poe in 11/2002 issue of Seven Seas Cruising Association bulletin:
  • Costs about the same the Virgins Islands.
  • Mooring fee is $6/day. Harbormaster may ask boats to leave moorings for a couple of hours during "wind reversals", which are infrequent but may start in September.
  • Pleasant but very breezy in winter and spring; very warm in October and November; rainy with mosquitoes in January and February.
  • Insect repellent to avoid dengue fever, which is common.
  • Adequate medical care and good dental care.
  • Supermarkets close to the dinghy dock.
  • No haul-out facilities.
  • Great diving, and free dive moorings.
  • Great sailing conditions off west coast.
  • Drawbacks: lots of brown dirt blowing off the island onto the boat, and little rain.
  
  From Ed Kelly on "Angel Louise" 9/2009:
  "Wow. What a place. Before this St Martin was a favorite, but this place ties for it, except you have to fork out $10 a night to stay on their 6-ton mooring and anchoring is prohibited because of the live coral. ... Diving is unbelievable. ... Bonaire has super stores and we stocked up ..."
  
  
  
  
• Curacao:
  
  Dutch.
  Great diving and snorkeling.
  
  From Chrissi on World-Cruising mailing list:
  
  We had planned to stay a couple of weeks but the boat anchorage is very inconvenient, far from town, far from grocery store, far from internet, insane prices for laundry, high-priced everything.
  
  
  
  
• Aruba:
  
  Dutch.
  Very dry climate.
  Scrubby, tough, arid terrain.
  Wind-surfing tournament: June.
  Carnival: Jan and Feb. Grand Parade is Sunday before Ash Wednesday.
  Jazz and Latin Music festival: June.
  Snorkeling spots: Antilla wreck; DePalm Island (take free ferry).
  Beaches: Palm Beach; Manchebo Beach.
  Aruba courtesy flag
  Some BBC content on 94.1 FM ?
  
  
  
• Venezuela:
  
  From Carlos Gonzalez on the SailNet Caribbean Islands list 8/2004:
  Forget about anything that you may have heard about the political problems in Venezuela. All of that goes on the capital Caracas. Here at Puerto la Cruz life goes on as normal as it can be.
  
  We have many marinas and haul outs in town. The quality of work here is outstanding: paint, fiberglass, canvas, woodwork, stainless steel, electronics, engines, etc. We also make the famous Caribe dinghies here so prices are unbeatable. ... Your dollars will carry you very far down here (and even further if you exchange on the black market). We also have very close to here Margarita Island which is tax free, where you may send all the equipment you need and avoid paying all the taxes that you would have to pay in mainland Venezuela.
  
  I run a ship agency Sailboats and Yachts here at Puerto la Cruz (Charlie Alpha Marine Service) and I can tell you that we have had no low season this passed two years due to the exchange. Most of my customers were at Trinidad and Grenada and the reference that I have from them is that they are much happier with the quality of work that they got down here compared to other places.
  
  Also remember we have never had Hurricanes here. All the coast is beautiful and safe (except for the North Peninsula of PARIA eastward coast close to Trinidad).
  
  From Feb 2005 issue of "The Boca" in Trinidad:
  When traveling along the northwest coast of Venezuela, stay 50 miles offshore. 25 miles is too close; pirates can see you from shore and come out to intercept you. Don't use running lights at night. And avoid the Puerto Santos area completely.
  
  Summarized from John on "Buddy" 7/2006:
  The security situation in Venezuela is getting worse and worse. The "it's not so bad" reports are from people who spend the whole season in Puerto la Cruz; it's a different story if you actually cruise.
  
  From Rob on "Mattkare" when I said everyone says Venezuela is beautiful but very unsafe: It's probably worth going there once, to see for yourself. But it may be a one-time trip, not worth repeating.
  
  From Steve on "Nonsuch": Locals have said it's best to fly a big USA flag; the robbers know that lots of Americans carry guns, so they'd tend to pick a non-USA boat.
  
  Stories I heard 11/2006 are about boat-invasions where four heavily-armed men come aboard at night, stay for hours, and strip the boat of just about everything, including all clothing and even built-in appliances.
  
  A boater 11/2006 in Salinas said he heard noises on deck at night, got up and got his gun, and was two steps up the companionway when an armed man put a gun in his face. The robbers took everything.
  
  Met a boat in Culebra 12/2006 that had a Venezuela-invasion story too: in the process of being invaded and robbed, one of the robbers smashed the man in the face with a heavy frying-pan and knocked out half of his teeth; he has a mouth full of "new teeth".
  
  A boater in Culebra 12/2006 told me that in Venezuela, he sleeps on deck with a .38 pistol under his pillow.
  
  In late 2009, there are reports of piracy as cruisers transit between Trinidad and Grenada, as the route passes close to Venezuela.
  
  From mudbug on Latitudes and Attitudes Cruisers Forum 9/2006:
  Diesel is about 17 cents a gallon ... but TWO DAYS before we arrived they passed a really screwed up law that foreign vessels have to go through many hoops of paperwork and even a wire transfer of money in prepayment at the world market price before a fuel dock will sell. The law was aimed at large vessels buying 100's of thousands of gallons, but the legal geniuses who wrote the law made no exception for foreign pleasure vessels -- so, it's not as easy as it was.
  
  From 2007 log of "Maranatha": check-in cost $70, departure cost $30.
  
  From log of Indigo Moon 9/2006:
  • Bahia Redonda Marina in Puerto La Cruz: docking is stern-to med-mooring, with moorings for the bow line.
    
    
  • Marina Margarita in Margarita: docking is stern-to med-mooring, with anchors off the bow. Water is from a tank-truck, and of questionable quality.
    
    
  • Only bottled water is safe for drinking in Venezuela. Bottled water, at $1.50/gallon, is tremendously more expensive than gasoline. Also, beer is very cheap, about 30 cents a can!
    
    
  • Inflation has gone wild here, though, and the Venezuela economy is very volatile. ... While gasoline and beer are almost free, all other goods are very pricey and very low quality. Many goods are simply not available at all.
    
    
  • ... [researching before arriving] we came to the conclusion that Venezuela was no more dangerous than Trinidad (where there have been some 280 murders already this year). In fact, from what we hear now, statistically Trinidad is tremendously more dangerous than Venezuela. ... [now that we've been here] we are probably safer here than we were in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, and definitely safer than we would have been in Trinidad. ... the locals here in Puerto La Cruz, which is basically a seaside resort area, are especially "laid back" and great. ...
    
    
  • ... The air conditioners are humming 24/7. By 9 a.m. the South American sun is hot enough to soak your shirt in less than two minutes. ...
  
  From article by Angelika Gruener in 1/2007 issue of Caribbean Compass magazine:
  
  ... all prices have nearly doubled or tripled in the last two years. ...
  
  ... some yacht clubs in Venezuela do not want to offer any more shelter in their marinas to us foreign cruisers ... they are sick of us, of our [bad] behaviour, of our know-it-all attitude !
  
  Heard on SSB 9/2007: skip Trinidad, and go to Venezuela (Puerto la Cruz). Among other things, much less humidity in VZ.
  
  Good beach: Playa El Agua on Margarita.
  Puerto La Cruz: cruiser's radio net: VHF 72 at 0745 MTWRFS.
  
  From letter from Diane Exler Rudnick in 11/2007 issue of Seven Seas Cruising Association bulletin:
  There have been food shortages on goods that the government has "price fixed"; mainly eggs, meat, milk, chicken, butter, cooking oil, and sugar have been in short supply. There had not been a regular sugar supply in Puerto La Cruz for almost a year when we left [6/2007].
  
  Boat parts are extremely hard to come by and difficult to import due to Customs fees. We strongly urge cruisers to bring all necessary boat parts with them for anticipated repairs in any of the yards.
  
  From Judy / BeBe on World-Cruising mailing list 8/2008:
  
  Haven't been to VZ this year but visited in 2006 and summer 2007. ... we heard the same type horror stories before we reached VZ each time we visited, and found nothing of the sort once we were there. Common sense definitely is required. One does not ever anchor alone anywhere (except Chichiriviche was very safe as visitors there are a real novelty and the locals get excited about having you there. In fact, Chichiriviche was the highlight of the entire Caribbean for us.). Cumana has been known for crimes for years and should only be visited in groups of boats, not just a couple of boats. We skipped Cumana.
  
  The only crime this year that I have heard about that surprised everyone was a shooting in Los Testigos. There had never been any problem in Los Testigos prior to this incident. I find it extremely doubtful that La Guardia Costa in Los Roques are robbing boats. Sounds like just another rumor. La Guardia Costs was quite professional in their actions when we were there. The only boats that had any problems were the ones that had already cleared out of VZ but stopped in Los Roques enroute to Bonaire and stayed weeks. Can't do that. Or they did not pay the Park fee -- again because they had already cleared out of VZ. La Guardia Costs does check boats daily in Los Roques just for this reason. Los Roques is a popular vacation destination for wealthy Venezuelans and the local law enforcement is well-provided for, unlike many places on the mainland.
  
  Sailing without lights is downright stupid. Friends did exactly that in VZ waters in Sept 2006 because they had heard all the bad rumors and thought it would be safer to be unlit. Radar picked up a target closing on them, so they diverted course; and the target diverted also to follow them. This happened several times and our friends began to panic. They finally decided to light up and also took the big flashlight and lit the sails. Then the radar target zoomed up near them. It was La Guardia Costa simply checking on the unlit boat because drug smugglers travel unlit down there. No problem at all for our friends and they resumed sailing with proper lights.
  
  ...
  
  [Re: news story about USA cruiser shot and killed 12/2008:]
  
  ... These 2 boats had left the marina in PLC and were anchored at Isla Borracho intending to stay only one night and clean their hulls before departing for Bonaire the next morning. I have no idea why they chose to anchor there because that area has been known to be very dangerous for at least a decade. Even the old guidebooks warn sailors not to anchor there. It is very close to the mainland. Very small boats have easy access since the island is so close, making it very easy for criminal element to search out victims in secluded anchorages. Isla Tortuga is a different situation because it is much farther from the mainland. We thoroughly enjoyed VZ in 2006 and 2007. Although since attacks have escalated in VZ this summer, I doubt we will be returning there until things improve.
  From Roland on World-Cruising mailing list 8/2008:
  
  We've been in Venezuela the past two seasons (currently in Golfo de Cariaco, hauled-out yesterday) and this season things have gotten much worse. We lost our liferaft, 200 feet of nylon anchor rode, and 3 large fenders, off our boat in Porlamar one evening while at a bonfire/singalong. One of the strange things, several long-term cruisers who regularly anchor in Porlamar, continue to suggest the theft are "petty thefts". We do not consider our losses as petty!
  
  Boardings have become more common, even in the middle of crowded anchorages. We no longer feel that Porlamar is one of the two safe anchorages in Margarita. Now, as far as Margarita's concerned it's only Juan Griego that's reasonably safe.
  
  We still feel safe in the Golfo de Cariaco, but people here are much more wary and certainly aware of the increased activity in the Margarita area. Talking with other cruisers here, more and more of them are arming themselves. It's only a matter of time before some banditos are blown away. I hate to say it, but maybe that's what's necessary to slow the increased crime lately.
  
  On a slightly different note, we hear that the weekend sale of used nautical gear in PLC is busy with pinero's coming in loaded with dinghys, outboards, etc. Wonder where they're getting the loot?
  
  From Ed Kelly on "Angel Louise" 7/2009:
  We are still in the beautiful port just south of Isla Margarita, at Porlamar 15 miles North of South America and the north shore of Venezuela. This place is a paradise for Americans living on a budget. You can write checks that will be turned into 1 dollar to 6 Bolivars (the local currency), which go a long way. For example, Polar Ice bottled beer is only 2 Bs (that's the equivalent of 33 cents). We had empanadas (little fried sandwiches) and two beers for lunch downtown the other day and the cost was only 10 Bs, the equal of $1.66 for the full meal and beers. I bought a fancy French polo shirt that cost me a total of $16 which would have cost around $45-50 in the USA. Wow. This is fun. We went to the great Supermarcado, nicer than any in the USVI, and bought Brazilian Filet Mignons and Tenderloins (frozen in large cut) which we sliced into 1 1/2 to 2 inch steaks, and the total cost when converted to dollars ended up being only $1 per steak!
  
  From hurricane season article by Phil Chapman in 4/2010 issue of Caribbean Compass magazine:
  
  Can check in a Porlamar in Isla Margarita. Porlamar is a popular anchorage, though I'm not sure why. It is rolly at best and quite uncomfortable on many days, even in good weather. ... the shopping is good ... [many seasonal and permanent yachts] it can get crowded and noisy.
  
  Many cruisers stay in the marinas at Puerto La Cruz ... [some sit in the marina all season and don't sail or travel on land, even locally].
  
  Mochima, a fjord-like bay set in a National Park, is a good place to visit, with some nice restaurants and lovely beaches, but restrictions apply for length of stay.
  
  [Near town of Cumana is a good fuel stop, some shopping, etc.]
  
  [Gulf of Cariaco: isolated and quiet, but protected, can day-sail, hike, lots of anchorages.]
  
  Anchorage between Cachicatos and Guacarapo is a popular spot to base a yacht. ... never rolls here ... Medregal Village's boatyard here is a good place to haul out ...
  
  Golfo de Cariaco is the best hurricane-avoidance destination. [south enough, no mooring or marina fees, tranquil, can day-sail or move around, safe]
  
  Posted by Fred on Yahoo's Trinidad Cruising Sailor's Forum 4/2011:
  From s/y Little Ben:
  
  People should be aware that it is very common here when having their gas bottles filled you will often be sold short. This has happened to me twice. A spring balance with which you can weigh the bottle before and after is very useful.
  
  Puerto la Cruz market is amazing and very, very cheap, the produce is fresh of good quality and of course you buy what's in season. It has an amazing fish and meat market attached; the stuff in there is also of very high quality and very reasonable. Joints of beef are particularly good and if you're lucky enough to have a freezer, fill it here.
  
  The coffee shop next to the market is a great meeting point, it is air conditioned, clean and the coffee is superb. The bus ride from the yacht marinas is an experience in itself, it costs 3 bolivars each way as of 5th April 2011. It is not a good idea to walk to the market although it is only about 2 miles.
  
  Water in the yacht marinas is sometimes not switched on for the odd day or two, so do not arrive in Puerto la Cruz expecting to do an "in and out". The paperwork alone takes at least 3 days and sometimes a lot longer.
  
  The woman who runs "Keigla's Boats", Bahia Redonda, is very helpful and does speak good spanish, french and english. Her staff are not fluent in anything but spanish however and senora Keigla is often out of the office for ages. Her staff will tell you she'll be back soon, have a seat. Forget it, go away and come back, try again in 4 hours.
  
  After 3 days of running about between offices I've finally got my Cruising Permit / Salid Zarpe (customs clearance) / immigration documents / passport stamped etc etc. My shipping agent, who did all the work apart from where my personal presence was required, had to make a contribution to the port captain's retirement fund to make it happen at all. The bill in the end for these totally pointless bits of paper was 77 U.S.$. Clearing into the country cost me 90 U.S.$, so it must be a bargain?
  
  ...
  
  Along the way I've met cruisers who've been in Bahia Redonda Marina, Puerto la Cruz for 18 months and love it there. I felt it was like being in the UN mission to Somalia, a little green zone, safe from the outside world (and reality).
  
  If I were doing this again, this is what I would do - Go to Porlamar, Margarita, clear in and out yourself, it's easy, you don't need to pay Juan 50 US for doing basically SFA. The officials there speak English !
  
  From Porlamar go to Tortuga, the anchorage at the western end of the main island called Cayo Herdurra (or something like that) is brilliant and well sheltered, the fisherman are friendly and will swap fish and lobster for cigarettes or rum. From there head to Los Roques, wonderful ! What Doyle says about clearing in ... nobody bothers. I'm anchored right outside the customs post. They whizz by every morning and wave cheerily and go fishing for the day. Fine by me. Your clearance from Margarita should either be for Curacao, Bonaire or if you want to head north you should make St Martin.
  
  Summarized from letter by John and Ruth Martin in 7/2011 issue of Caribbean Compass magazine:
  
  Spent Feb through June 2011 in VZ. Enjoyed the visit. Crime remains a real concern, economy is difficult, but much to enjoy. Climate is marvelous, people are lovely, food is good and cheap, fuel is cheap, medical care is good and affordable.
  
  Fewer boats going, because of crime, and that has reduced crime numbers. Margarita and Testigos seem to have worst record for crime. Most cruisers who have been in VZ for more than a year have experienced some "criminal event", usually street crime such as purse-snatching or petty theft. At anchor, slept locked inside the boat.
  
  Unsafe to anchor off PLC; stay in a marina. PLC a good place to get work done.
  
  Los Roques Archipelago very nice, with no crime.
  
  Mochima area and W part of Golf de Cariaco considered unsafe; E end considered safe.
  
  Many areas: travel in groups, lock yourself inside at night, keep nothing stealable on deck.
  
  From Patricia Brooks on Facebook 8/2013:
  
  Been cruising in Venezuela since 2004. We know quite a few regulars here also. Much of the hype is unfounded but of course there are areas that should be avoided. Areas where the Guardia Costa (police) are active are generally very safe. Testigos and most of the outlying islands are not a problem; Gulfo de Cariaco is fine but I would not anchor on the South side. Areas to avoid are the north coast of Araya (Carib side) and Margarita. Good boatyard there 'M&M Marina' which is safe and a good place to put your boat up. Not too keen on Mochima national park.
  
  ... I should add that Venezuela is not the place for those who like to party or go regular shopping etc. If one intends to put up in M&M Marina then it is advisable to bring everything you need with you. We enjoy the South American towns and places which are so different to what we know in our own countries. This is the place to come to enjoy cruising at is best where there are not too many others and one can often have an anchorage to oneself. The flag of your vessel is not relevant and you will generally find very friendly and welcoming people. ...
  
  ...
  
  Political unrest has near zero impact on cruisers and should not be considered a reason for not going to Venezuela; political problems are mainly confined to the major cities. Porlamar in Margarita was once (2004-6) a thriving destination for yachts hosting more than 150 yachts now it is a place definitely to avoid as it is unsafe. Last time we were there (last year) there were about 4 yachts anchored; a couple attacked a week before. If you want 'safe' stay at home. I would add that due to the element of risk I would not advise cruisers with children to venture here just in case however I am not sure other islands are any safer. The entrance to Cumana Goto marina in the entrance to the Gulfo de Cariaco is currently silted to about 2m so those wishing to book in with greater draft can anchor outside without much trouble. The marina officials are friendly and welcoming and will arrange an agent to do the paperwork (which I would advise) otherwise you will be tramping around the city all day. Very few speak English so be prepared to brush up on Spanish phrases.
  
  ...
  
  The cities such as Caracas are to be avoided. I have been there 4-5 times and found it to be dreadful with one instance where there was a body in the street by the bus station. The Favelas on the outskirts are something to behold. I am aware of shootings and robberies that have taken place and I did say that Margarita should be avoided. As you have said the outlying islands where there is Guardia Costa presence is not generally a problem. What I was trying to get across is there are relatively safe places ... We and others that cruise here enjoy it.
  
  ... It is worth remembering through the hype that Venezuela probably has the worst murder and kidnap rate in the world but these crimes are largely but not entirely centered around the cities and if certain areas are given a wide berth and certain rules are observed it should be safe.
  
  Going up the Orinoco river:
  From Eric in Salinas PR: ask about charts at headquarters of "The Boca" newsletter in Trinidad.
  
  
  
  From Anne Dunlop on Facebook 6/2012:
  Mike Perrin from s/v "El Lobo" reported the following on the Trinidad Cruisers FB forum this morning:
  
  "The Manamo River in Venezuela has always been a good getaway destination from Trinidad and is inhabited mainly by Warro Indians who are a pleasant and peaceful race and have a reputation for their friendliness.
  
  However that peace was broken last week-end. Friends of ours, Nils and Hanneke on their catamaran "Pelagie" were anchored outside the Orinico Delta Lodge, about twenty miles upriver, and entertaining their friends from another boat when they were boarded by four armed men. At gunpoint they were told to stay still with their heads down whilst the gang proceeded to rob them of computers, cameras, cash and clothing. One of the gang then took the other skipper across to his boat and took money. Luckily no-one was harmed.
  
  The men were all wearing military-type boots and were well disciplined. Make your own conclusions about that. Our friends immediately wrote out a report in Spanish and proceeded the next morning to Perdinales to report to the river police. The officer on duty took the report to the office of his superior who was not interested and refused to come out of his office to see them. You can also make your own conclusions about that.
  
  This is a great blow to the cruisers in Trinidad as The Manamo has been a great destination to see things 'in the wild'. I believe that it has now gone sour like the rest of Venezuela."
  
  
  
  
• Colombia:
  
  Tips from Cartagena article by Bernadette Bernon in Mar 2003 issue of Cruising World magazine:
  
  • Cartagena is beautiful and safe.
  • Nowhere else on the coasts of Venezuela and Colombia is safe.
  • Colombian coast guard is supposed to monitor boats in their waters; maybe contact them to make them aware of you ?
  • See Decker Sailing's "Cruising Guides"
  
  From "A Cruising Guide to the Caribbean" by William Stone and Anne Hays:
  
  Going east (the hard way) from Panama to the Windward islands, from Kitt Kapp:

  • Seriously consider having the boat shipped, instead of sailing it.
  • Do it in April to December; best is October or November.
  • Allow plenty of time.
  • Be sure the engine is in good condition, because you will have to power much of the way.
  • Carry all the fuel you can, and top off tanks wherever possible.
  • Secure all hatches, ports and deck gear for heavy sea conditions.
  • Do not tow the dinghy.
  • Plan to live on sandwiches while underway; cooking may be impossible.
  • Plan to make short hops while weather allows. Take advantage of daily wind cycles in each particular area.
  
  From 2/2007 issue of Caribbean Compass magazine:
  The Colombian Coast Guard wants to provide support for vessels traveling between Cartagena and Panama. You can file a float plan with them, contact them via email, and check in with them at stations along the way. Details may be on DestinationCartagena
  
  From John Hovan on Facebook 3/2012:
  "Cartagena certainly is not boater-friendly, with high-speed water taxis, run-down marina, single point of secure dinghy shore access, highest check-in fees in the Caribbean. BTW: The vessel Bamboo was struck by a water taxi while I was there."
  
  Three at Sea's "Club Nada" (Cartagena)
  
  
  
  

Western Caribbean

• Panama and San Blas Islands:
  
  Zydler's "The Panama Guide".
  
  From Judy S/V BeBe on World-Cruising mailing list:
  
  I doubt you will find any updated (accurate) charts for the Caribbean coast of Panama in any form. But an absolute must-have is "The Panama Cruising Guide", Third Edition, by Eric Bauhaus. Don't get first or second edition but 3rd edition is fantastic. The satellite imagery with grid is dead-on accurate and the GPS waypoints are accurate. We had electronic raster and vector charts but neither were accurate, but all that was really required was the Bauhaus guide and a large scale paper chart.
  
  Avoid rainy seasons Nov-Dec and Jul-Aug; very rainy.
  
  When approaching from east, expect rough water as counter-current runs against trade winds.
  
  From letter from Antoine in 9/2002 issue of Seven Seas Cruising Association bulletin:
  • Popular San Blas anchorages: Cayos Holandes, Green Island, Chichime. Lots of other good anchorages.
  • Can obtain anything you need in Panama City. Easiest access from San Blas is through airport at Corazon (near Rio de Diablo or Nargana).
  • Linton: diesel available at dock; 1-hour bus ride to big El Rey supermarket.
  • Portobelo: wonderful forts from Morgan's time.
  • Colon: very destitute town.
  
  From letter from Jim Punter and Vicki Juvrud in 12/2002 issue of Seven Seas Cruising Association bulletin:
  In San Blas, watch out for guy named Serapio or Apio who delivers groceries but charges exorbitant prices.
  
  From letter from Thomas and Kathryn Knueppel in 10/2002 issue of Seven Seas Cruising Association bulletin:
  • Rio Chagres: pure nature, very isolated.
  • Rio Euero: anchorage very rolly.
  • Isla Escudo de Veraguas: beautiful, but anchorage not very sheltered.
  • Punta Alegre: off the tourist track.
  • Bocas del Toro: funky ambiance, lots of young travelers, two internet cafes, nice beaches and islands, many nice anchorages nearby. Limited provisioning.
  • Often high humidity and huge afternoon rainstorms. Mildew is a major problem.
  
  From article by Bernadette Bernon in 2/2003 issue of Cruising World magazine:
  Good place for boat work: Bocas del Toro.
  
  From Paul Gebert on Cruising World message board 12/2004:
  
  Well, the San Blas Islands of Panama did not live up to the hype of the cruisers we met in Cartagena (Columbia) and along the way, all of whom insisted that there was no place other than the South Pacific that could match the superlative cruising. Our first anchorage on the extreme eastern end of the archipelago, near the Panama-Columbia border was near perfect – clear water and good protection. The Kuna (Indian) village of Caladonia was a rewarding cultural experience. The village was neat and clean and sized for the very short (five feet or less) Kuna. However, we were soon to be disappointed as we cruised on westward and the villages got larger and a bit more civilized. Two things stuck in our throats – a fee of $5-10 dollars for EVERY anchorage even though only a few miles apart, and a fee of $2 to walk the islands. That is $2 to go east around the island, $2 to go west around the island, $2 to go up the hill, $5 to go up the river, $2 to take a picture. Also the reefs near the villages were totally stripped of life – dead. NO edible fish in sight bleached and/or fished to death.
  
  Tom Zydler, in his Guide to Panama, lauds the Kuna for their sustainable existence, living minimally from the forest and jungle along the rivers, which part is true. However, their crowded villages packed sardine-like on tiny islands have outhouses on stilts out from the waterfront all around the circumference. On a calm night if one anchors near a village, as Tom suggests, the eau de outhouse can nearly gag a fellow. The kids swim, play and fish right next to the outhouses – they must have great immune systems. Once you get south and east of the Turks and Caicos Islands you discover that our Caribbean Island friends have no regard for their environment whatsoever, and true also of the San Blas, WHATEVER is not needed or wanted is thrown into the ocean. Trash abounds around every village and shoreline from the Dominican Republic to Grenada, Venezuela, Columbia and Panama. I could have started a shoe store – if you needed only the left or right; never have I seen so many shoes in the ocean! Plastic bags are going to kill our oceans. In the 9 years since we were last in the West Indies we have seen a marked decline in the number and variety of fish of fish on the reefs and a decided increase in the amount of junk on the reefs. Rules and regulations are increasing in the islands, but of course, they only apply to the cruiser. The locals pay no mind to any rules or laws. To snorkel or scuba off your own boat in Soufriere, St. Lucia, for example, you must hire a guide or pay a stiff penalty. The reef quality is pretty grim at best.
  
  The sailing skills of the Kuna Indian population are well known as they paddle or sail their narrow dugout log canoes many miles across relatively open bays. Why, I watched this Kuna fellow paddle his deep draft, 8 inches, canoe from one island a quarter mile to the next, everyday. Everyday he ran aground on a small sandbar with deep water 30 yards to one side. Everyday in the same place he was grunting, pushing and shoving his canoe across the bar. Shows you what hundreds of years of finely honed sailing skills will do for you.
  
  The Kuna have a matriarchal society – the older ladies have a way with words, though I could not understand them. They get up close and shout in your face "bakke mola", which means "buy a mola". One older lady walked by me as I was standing aside a path, she raised her fist and shook it in my face, scowled and snarled something at me – "nice day to you, sir" I think is what she was saying. Actually found out that there is a great deal of hostility towards all white people by the older ladies since they feel that the "white" influence is degrading their culture – their young women sometimes don't wear traditional dress. Actually the men carry car batteries to town and charge them, bring them back to their huts and watch TV on little AC/DC portables.
  
  Oh, by the way, be sure to have super-shiny topsides before you get to the San Blas. After the hundred or so canoes are crunched into the sides you will have an artistic mosaic of pretty red, yellow, blue and black marks. You see, every lady in every village just knows you will buy a mola from her. If you bought a mola from each one you would sink the boat in short order. The guys are more polite, they just crash into the side of your boat and try to sell you a big crab, lobster or octopus, then they go away, maybe – or not - they may just stay alongside for an hour or so and stare into the boat and at you. As a general rule staring is the national Kuna pastime. If they aren't looking in your portholes, they may just stand off a few yards and stare at your boat for an hour or so – no kidding, really true.
  
  Now, a really good point – the kids – are just totally too cute and friendly and may even speak some English. Of course, when you tie up the dinghy to the dock they politely stare at you until you are out of sight then they all jump into your dinghy, sand, dirty feet and all. Kids paddle their own 8 or 10 foot log canoes to school, sometimes several miles. Every village has a school, so the literacy rate is high. Cruisers are their own worst enemy by handing out little "gifts" to the kids – how nice, now you've made beggars out of them. They will come to the boat and hang around for hours expecting something for nothing. It is fine, in my opinion, to give them a little payment if they do something for you, otherwise not. At first many of the kids came to the boat and asked for "pills", in Spanish of course. We had no clue – finally another cruiser said what they wanted was candy.
  
  There are a few islands away from the Panama mainland standing out into the Caribbean and, yes, they do have clean water and pretty coconut palms and little beaches, but no fish – all gone. The locals catch and eat anything of ANY size. We were told that folks from the Smithsonian Institute tried to educate the people regarding conservation. They responded that if the fish were gone from one place they would just fish at another. The Smithsonian no longer operates in the San Blas.
  
  Now, what about the rest of Panama, that is westward from the Comarca de Kuna? Better, much better. Islas Grande and Linton are excellent. The Canal zone is, well, the Canal zone – and Colon is just the anatomical part it seems to be named after. But, even still farther west, about 130 nm, one hits some real cruising ground. Laguna Chiriqui and Bahia Almirante, two large landlocked bays with dozens of anchorages, mostly clear water (if you are not near a river outflow), and the touristy village of Bocas del Toro – remember that name – you will want to cruise there. Except for the anchorage off Bocas del Toro, we had every anchorage to ourselves. BTW stuff in the San Blas is expensive, stuff elsewhere in Panama is cheap – live it up. So far we have been in Panama for three months and actually like it a lot. We have seen parrots, monkeys, toucans, sloths, and every possible kind of tropical plant and flower (or so it seems), and wild orchids for starters. One of our favorite activities is to take the dinghy up the rivers. We have seen the real jungle up close with its associated flora and fauna. Some of the rivers are cold, clear, clean and swift-flowing. The Rio Chagres is clean, deep, scenic and we took Daydream upstream for 3 miles. In the rainy season (October) some of the rivers are chocolate-colored. We probably will return to the Bocas del Toro area in the future.
  
  We spent a few days in Isla San Andres, a Columbian possession. We are in love – clean, prosperous, duty free, many up-scale shops with world-class goods, clean anchorage, nice clear water with snorkeling nearby, and a well protected anchorage. Goods and services are cheap. Hard to get here but super when you do. Sixty miles to the north is Providencia, also Columbian, and about as opposite from San Andres as you can get; mountains, rural, easy-going. The Bay Islands of Honduras are still good, did some excellent snorkeling and diving. We are in Florida for the holidays, left the boat in the Rio Dulce of Guatemala, still a nice place though much grown.
  From Jack Tyler on Cruising World message board:
  
  This discussion lacks perspective, altho' there is IMO much truth ... The whole time I've been sailing (3 decades) this same "paradise is spoiled" view has been expounded on ... and to a degree, justified. But things are hardly black and white and, as Paul points out, there are great cruising grounds even in small bodies of water like the Caribbean. ...
  
  From 5/2006 issue of Latitude 38 magazine:
  There can be long waits (more than 2 weeks) to get through the Canal, since global trade has increased and the Canal is a bottleneck.
  
  Very good canal-transit article by Lena Padukova in 9/2011 issue of Caribbean Compass magazine.
  
  From article by Steve and Maria Siguaw in 4/2010 issue of Caribbean Compass magazine:
  
  Visa and cruising permit usually valid for only 90 days.
  
  Summer is rainy season, and is very wet. These deluges are daily occurrences and they are accompanied by lightning. The chance of getting hit by lightning in Panama is around 99 percent. Those boats that do not get struck are definitely in the minority !
  
  The cruising area of the San Blas islands is so large that the morning net uses marine SSB instead of VHF radio. 0830 on 8107 USB.
  
  Most popular anchorage in the San Blas islands is within the Lemon Cays.
  
  There are very few marine stores in Panama.
  
  
  
  
• Costa Rica:
  
  "Charlie's Charts of Costa Rica" by Margo Wood.
  
  Catalina Islands: cold currents. Surge, current and low visibility make them an advanced dive. Best season is December through May.
  
  Dry season is November through March.
  
  Hiking: in remote Rincon de la Vieja National Park (5-hour drive from San Jose), or La Selva Biological Station (1.5 hours from San Jose).
  
  Tamarindo: lots of expats, good surfing.
  
  
  
  
• Nicaragua:
  
  From Noonsite:
  
  • The shallow reef-encumbered Miskito coast has many attractive anchorages, but navigation is difficult and even in the past when the area was not off-limits, most yachts restricted their cruising to the more accessible Corn Islands.
  • In their fight against illegal fishing, the Nicaraguan authorities have confiscated boats and arrested their crews, as a result of which the USA have warned all US vessels to avoid Nicaraguan waters, both on the Pacific and Caribbean side. Cruising yachts do not appear to have been affected, but those which intend to stop in Nicaragua should proceed directly to an official port of entry.
  • Provisioning in many places is still difficult. Even essential goods are difficult to obtain in some places, and this includes fuel.
  
  Lots of high-speed drug-running along the coast ?
  
  
  
• Isla Providencia, Colombia (about 100 NM NNE of Isla San Andres):
  
  Guidebook: some info in "Cruising Ports: Florida to California via Panama" by John and Patricia Rains.
  
  Check-in cost about $50 in 2000.
  
  From letter from Bob and Barbara Gilmour in 2/2004 issue of Seven Seas Cruising Association bulletin:
  • Great beaches, steep jungle hills to hike, good restaurants and provisioning.
  • Catalina Harbor: good holding (once set in grass/sand bottom) and depth. Dinghy dock to left of town dock.
  • Manchioneal Bay: reported good anchorage.
  • Check-in: call harbormaster's agent Mr. Bernardo Bush on VHF 16.
  • Good diving on the reefs.
  
  From article by Pnina Greenstein in Jul/Aug 2000 issue of Blue Water Sailing magazine:
  Nothing much of interest on the island.
  
  
  
  
• Isla San Andres, Colombia (100 NM east of Nicaragua):
  
  Guidebook: some info in "Cruising Ports: Florida to California via Panama" by John and Patricia Rains.
  
  Check-in cost about $50 in 2000.
  
  From letter from Ken Avison and Bonnie Ladell in 1/2003 issue of Seven Seas Cruising Association bulletin:
  • Cheap Colombian prices. Duty-free port. Parts shipped in are duty-free for first 2 months of your stay.
  • Good facilities for medical, dental, boat work, provisioning, shopping.
  • Pretty safe; patrolled by Colombian CG.
  • Best anchorage NE of Santander Cay / Cotton Cay.
  • Must use an agent to clear in and out.
  • Mail is difficult; flat-package through DHL may work.
  • Water is expensive. Dock water is not potable.
  • Good snorkeling and diving; clear water.
  
  From letter from Bob and Barbara Gilmour in 2/2004 issue of Seven Seas Cruising Association bulletin:
  • Less charm than Isla Providencia, but much more shopping.
  • Have to weave through fishing fleet, staying near shore, to get to anchorage in front of Nene's Marina (best place for fuel).
  • Better anchorage for cruisers: near Club Nautico, but route from Nene's has only 3-foot depth. From harbor entrance, turn to starboard between R10 and R12; follow deeper water between shoals.
  • Check-in via agent; call Rene Cardona of Serena Agency on VHF 16.
  • Dinghy dock and all facilities at Club Nautico: $50/month.
  
  
  
  
• Honduras:
  
  Guidebooks: "Honduras and its Bay Islands" by Rick Rhodes (1998; ISBN 0966586611; hard to find, but try Cruising Guide Publications; new edition due out in May 2005).
  "The Cruising Guide to the Northwest Caribbean" by Nigel Calder (1991; ASIN 0071580166).
  Some Roatan info in "Cruising Ports: Florida to California via Panama" by John and Patricia Rains.
  
  Charts: Bluewater sells a photocopied set of Yucatan-to-Honduras charts (Set G for $68).
  
  Honduras courtesy flag
  
  From Noonsite:
  
  • Roatan, Utila, Guanaja, on the Bay Islands, and La Ceiba on the mainland, are the ports of entry where officials are most used to dealing with yachts.
  • The Bay Islands are the country's prime sailing attraction ... although the mountainous north coast is scenically attractive, the lack of harbours make cruising along it very difficult ...
  • Rain is frequent on the Caribbean coast all year round, but heaviest from September to December. The drier months are April to May but these months are very hot. The east and north coasts have strong NE trade winds throughout the winter months. The best time to cruise the Bay Islands is at the end of winter or early spring when the northers of winter are no longer a problem.
  • Arriving yachts must fly the yellow flag. The captain and crew must visit Immigration and Port Captain in their offices. The Port Captain requires the zarpe from the last country visited. Yachts clear in with the port captain at each port, and must obtain outward clearance (zarpe) before proceeding to the next port.
  • Immigration $3.50 to $5 per person. Port Captain $30 per boat to clear in; $20 per boat to clear out. There is an immigration fee per passport, and customs charge a fee for each zarpe.
  • Some identification should always be carried, as the police often do spot checks.
  • Dysentery and stomach parasites are a problem for those travelling inland. Water must be treated everywhere. Malaria prophylaxis recommended.
  • Provisioning and repair facilities are best on Roatan.
  • Roatan:
    The port of Roatan (aka Coxen's Hole) is the main port of entry in the Bay Islands. The Q flag and Honduran courtesy flag should be flown to attract the attention of the officials. The boat is usually boarded by the port captain accompanied by a customs officer. ... Immigration must also be visited. Yachts heading for the Bay Islands should try and make straight for Roatan, rather than clear at one of the mainland ports as formalities are simpler and officials are used to dealing with foreign yachts.
    
    West End and West Bay is an excellent place to anchor. There are mooring lines installed so the reef isn't damaged by anchors. West End is a small, casual town and West Bay is the beautiful beach.
  • Utila:
    Puerto Este is not an official port of entry but the port captain will issue a zarpe and give permission for a few days' stay before continuing to Coxen's Hole for full clearance.
  • Guanaja:
    At Guanaja Settlement, visit the port captain, and also immigration if clearing into Honduras. Boats must not move from Guanaja until clearance formalities are complete. Boats that have gone directly to El Bight have been fined.
  
  From "World Cruising Routes" by Jimmy Cornell:
  If approaching Honduras from the east, go south of Swan Island, enter at Guanaja.
  
  From article by Bernadette Bernon in 2/2003 issue of Cruising World magazine:
  • French Harbor at Roatan: cruiser's congregate there, provisioning, shelter from northers.
    
    
  • Bay Islands (Utila, Roatan, Guanaja, Barbareta): spectacular diving. But relentless sand flies (no-see-ums).
    
    
  • Mainland: jungle rivers and waterfalls.
    
    
  • If heading east to Panama, Trujillo is a good stop: secure, clean, historic, provisioning.
    
    
  • Hurricane holes: French Harbor Yacht Club and Brick Bay on Roatan; La Ceiba on the mainland.
    
    
  • Good place for boat work: La Ceiba on the mainland.
  From article by Bernadette Bernon in 8/2003 issue of Cruising World magazine:
  • Cayos Vivorillo: very remote, great diving and fishing.
    
    
  • Media Luna reefs at NE corner: rendezvous for drug traffickers, very dangerous; also, charts inaccurate.
  
  From article by Paul Bennett in 11/2003 issue of Cruising World magazine:
  
  • Bay Islands have lots of good anchorages.
  • Roatan has marine supplies and provisions.
  
  From article by Pnina Greenstein in Jul/Aug 2000 issue of Blue Water Sailing magazine:
  Cruising Honduras:

  • Clear in once, pay about $35, don't have to clear in and out between ports.
  • Cayos Vivorillo: frequented by cruisers.
  • Media Luna reefs: a cruiser was shot there.
  • Mainland Honduras not really of interest to cruisers: few protected anchorages.

  Transiting from ABC's to Honduras:

  • Northerlies from November through March.
  • Lumpy sea conditions in height of trade-wind season (January through March), because water piles up in western part of Caribbean.
  • Best times for passage are Nov-Dec and April-May.
  • Head more N, to pick up favorable W-setting current.

  Transiting from Panama to Honduras:

  • Best windows: April through June, or November.
  • Usually go via Isla de San Andres and Isla de Providencia.
  
  From Little Gidding's logs:
  • [Since 1997, real estate has gotten hot, and:] The other big change to affect Roatan is the arrival of cruise ships. On a busy day, there might be two or three bloated behemoths stationed off Coxen Hole, the main port. ... The island's only decent large beach at West Bay is inundated with pale bodies for a few hours when a cruise ship is in port and the main highway (now paved) is choked with taxis, but in the other bays and inlets along the coast there's barely a stir. Our friend Susan advised, "Just don't try to do your errands in Coxen Hole on a cruise ship day; wait until they've cleared out."
  • [in 2005] ... our fourteen-year-old copy of Nigel Calder's cruising guide to the Northwest Caribbean. Some of the information it contains is obsolete, there are some glaring omissions, and it's bereft of any GPS waypoints -- but of the few guides that cover the Bay Islands of Honduras, it's still probably the best that's available.
  • Other than an invasion of Internet cafes, the main town of Puerto Este looks pretty much the same as we remembered [from 1997]. Lots of kids, loud music, and 50 cent cuba libres at the rickety seaside bar.
  • We found a bakery in West End, Roatan, that provided free wireless service.
  • ... Cayos Cochinos, a cluster of smaller islands lying halfway between Roatan and the Honduran mainland. The waters surrounding the islands are an underwater park and anchoring is prohibited. Visiting boats must tie up at one of the dozen free moorings located on the leeside of Cochino Grande.
  
  Lots of high-speed drug-running along the coast ?
  Probably worst on NE corner (Cayos Vivorillo / Mosquito Coast).
  
  "Habitat" told me: Honduras is great for diving.
  
  Paul on "Adios" told me: Roatan has viable hurricane holes.
  
  In mid-May 2005, hurricane Adriane came across from the Pacific and hit Honduras.
  
  On BBC radio 2/2012: "Honduras has the highest murder rate in the world".
  
  
• Guatemala:
  
  Guidebook: "Insider's Guide to the Rio Dulce" by Frank Schooley.
  
  Guatemala courtesy flag
  
  Rio Dulce sites:
  Maya Paradise
  Rio Dulce Chisme Vindicator (very good forum; must-read)
  Sea Trek's "Life On The Rio Dulce"
  
  From Noonsite:
  
  • On arrival yachts are normally visited by customs, immigration, police, health and port captain.
    Procedure on departure: A zarpe (clearance) must be obtained from immigration and the port captain must sign it. Passports must also have exit stamps from immigration.
  • Passports should always be carried especially if travelling inland.
  • Amoebic dysentery is endemic. Malaria prophylaxis is necessary.
  • Immigration 10 quetzales per passport. Customs 70 quetzales.
  • Puerto Barrios:
    The approaches are much easier than for Livingston, 9 miles away. Entry as well as exit formalities are dealt with quickly, as all offices are within a short walking distance. One should visit the port captain first, who will arrange for the other officials to visit the yacht.
  • Livingston:
    There is a wide sand bar at the entrance to Rio Dulce; boats with a draft of over 5 ft must enter at high tide and the maximum draft that can be carried through at high tide is 7-1/2 ft. Advice on the state of the tide may be obtained on Channel 68. Clearance is best done here as officials are used to dealing with yachts. Fly the Q flag and the officials will come out to the yacht in office hours (closed 1300-1500), for initial clearance and inspection. Customs will take the zarpe from the last port and ship's papers, immigration take the passports. The captain must collect these later from the shore offices, with the necessary entry stamps as well as a new zarpe and cruising permit. This can all be done in one day if arriving early enough. Quetzales will be needed to pay various fees.
    
    La Marina, the marina in Livingston, is a convenient place to stop to complete formalities and the marina can also help with formalities and visa extensions. They monitor Channel 68 and will help with negotiating the difficult entrance.
  
  As of 3/2010, there are warnings against overnight anchoring at Livingston: there have been many boardings for theft there.
  
  From "The Sailing Life On The Rio Dulce":
  
  We don't recommend the months April, May and June for being on the river. There's a change in the trade winds at that time which causes a stillness in the air.
  
  From Eldon McMullen on the SailNet liveaboard-list:
  For 5 years I always lived on the hook, but this last year (on the Rio Dulce, in Guatemala) I lived in a marina. It is safer in Guatemala to live in a marina because otherwise you may get robbed at gunpoint. Also the marinas are Cheap, and the one I live in has a workshop out back that you can work in, and they have really good help that you can hire for about 1.85 an hour. These people really know their trade. Also it's a beautiful place with a breeze in the afternoon and a family-type atmosphere. It costs me 130 bucks a month when I live there and 110 bucks when I just store the boat.
  
  From article by Mary Heckrotte in 5/2006 issue of Caribbean Compass magazine:
  "It is possible to anchor out on the Rio, but generally only near the marinas and only if you plan to stay on the boat. As in other cruising areas of the world, there have been occasional robberies on the Rio and it is best not to leave your boat unattended, especially after dark. And you'll want to hoist the dinghy and lock it to your boat."
  
  From article by Paul Bennett in 11/2003 issue of Cruising World magazine:
  
  • Great prices.
  • Safest not to stop in any remote areas on Rio Dulce.
  
  Avoid Rio Dulce in the summer: hot and so rainy that you have to huddle inside the boat.
  
  From article by Mary Heckrotte in 5/2006 issue of Caribbean Compass magazine:
  "wet season is May through October, and gets 60 to 100 inches of rain."
  
  From sailmarcella on SSCA discussion boards 4/2005:
  [Re: Leaving boat for hurricane season:]
  
  The Rio Dulce in Guatemala is a great place to store a boat. Most marinas have ventilation services and there are two forms of 'haul-out' services for bottom jobs or repairs. One is Abel's and the other is Carlos. The area is constantly growing and there are so many places to travel and see that it takes a few weeks to see it all. Also, the plus side of the Rio Dulce is:
  1. better filtered water systems,
  2. fresh water (no salt water)
  3. very friendly local people and other cruisers.
  
  The slip fees range from $120 USD per month up to $200 USD per month.
  From Heather on SSCA discussion boards:
  I do have a few additional questions:
  
  1) It seems the marinas in the Rio are quite reasonably priced. Do many people anchor long-term or do most cruisers stay in a marina? Is it necessary to make reservations much in advance?
  
  2) When you say most marinas have ventilation services do you mean that they rent air conditioners? If not, should we look at purchasing one before we leave the US? How hot does it get?
  
  3) How much rain can we expect in the summer/fall?
  
  4) What charts do you recommend for the river - my cursory search so far has only turned up a chart for the entrance to it.
  From christal on SSCA discussion boards:
  My husband and I have been living here in the Rio Dulce for over a year now and plan on longer. Last year's rainfall wasn't much at all, unusual. The rain isn't that bad really, mostly off and on with mostly sunny days. As far as ventilation, the owner's housekeeper, wonderful woman, opens the boats many times a week to let the air flow through it, keeping the mildew away when boats are stored here. Most marinas offer that sort of service. As for a/c, it's definitely helpful if living on your boat in the summer here. A window unit in the companionway or a carry-on over a hatch do a good job. The highest temperature last summer was about 96 degrees F. And most boats are in marinas. A few anchor here and there near the marinas. But since the cost of slips are so low, most just reserve a slip with a marina.
  
  The most important item as far as charts go is to have the cruising guide by Freya Rauscher. She has hand-drawn charts in the book. The funny thing about her charts is they say "not for navigational use". Ha ha! 90 percent of all cruisers who have come down to the Rio Dulce say her charts are the only correct ones available. We are part of that 90 percent. Although the book was last revised about eight or nine years ago, they are better than most Chartplotters, GPSs, and paper charts. Freya has a lot of info in her guide from the Yucatan down to Guatemala.
  
  When you get close to Livingston, Guatemala you will see the buoy (the exact coordinates change due to many things, but isn't that far off) then you will see some little black flags to your starboard as you get even closer. The flags should stay to your starboard. (Keep clearly left of them, that's shallow there.) A good high tide is 1.8 and boats with almost seven feet of draft can clear that.
  
  The Port Captain and Customs stand by on VHF channel 16. Raul at the customs office speaks English fairly well. When you get to Livingston you can anchor outside the Texaco Fuel Dock and radio the Port Captain. Don't leave your boat until they come and clear you in. They'll take your passports and papers into town and process them. Meanwhile, you can tie your dinghy to the fuel dock and wander around town for a bit. Enjoy the hill. You'll earn a drink or a beer after that. (You'll see ;-) )
  
  And yes, reservations are necessary! Each year the marinas get full earlier and earlier. Right now [April] Catamaran is full, Mario's has only moorings left, Monkey Bay has only a couple of slips left, and several others are full or almost full with reservations! That's a month earlier than last year. Especially after the horror of last year in Florida.
  
  From article by Mary Heckrotte in 5/2006 issue of Caribbean Compass magazine:
  "The only roads are in the town of Fronteras - none go to the marinas."
  
  From Little Gidding's logs:
  When we visited Fronteras [in 2005], we discovered that the road was paved and lined with all sorts of new businesses, including three banks, five ATMs, a large supermarket, and -- best of all -- several Internet cafes. Fronteras is no longer the sleepy little town we remembered from eight years ago.
  
  Land-trips in Guatemala:

  • Guatemala City: grimy, congested, few interesting buildings, comfortable temperatures because of altitude.
  • Quetzaltenango: nice central park, a bustling market, some good inexpensive restaurants, not many tourists.
  • Panajachel on Lake Atitlan: three stunning volcanoes, bustling town, lots of tourists, hotel was $10/night.
  • Antigua: beautiful and well-preserved, could have stayed weeks and not seen enough.
  
  From article by Mary Heckrotte in 5/2006 issue of Caribbean Compass magazine:
  "Unfortunately, Guatemala City is a 5.5-hour bus ride away and requires an overnight stay. ... Guatemala highlands where temperatures are cool and scenery is spectacular. Travel is quite inexpensive. ... Guatemala is one of the most uniquely beautiful countries in the world."
  
  From article by the Treleavens: "The road to Guatemala City is very dangerous with thousands of heavy trucks on the go, 24/7."
  
  "Habitat" told me: Guatemala is great for history and land-trips.
  
  From article by Mary Heckrotte in 5/2006 issue of Caribbean Compass magazine:
  "A railroad haulout facility has been on the Rio for many years and offers good service. A new facility with a 50-ton travel lift is scheduled to open in time for hurricane season 2006."
  
  From J. R. Beutler in 5/2006 issue of Latitude 38 magazine:
  Swarming of bees and their nesting in boat masts is a common problem in the spring.
  
  Sail World's "Piracy: Romance, Fact and Fiction" says Guatemala and especially Rio Dulce "can be very dangerous" (crime).
  
  From Pat Miller Rains on World-Cruising mailing list 8/2008:
  
  > ... recent news story about a sailing couple in Guatemala who
  > were attacked and robbed. The husband died from his injuries
  > and wife was badly injured.
  
  There's been a rash of petty thefts and even a few belligerent attacks on tourists in the Rio Dulce over the past four or five years. This particular event might have ended in some robbers getting away with some cash, but unfortunately Mr. Dryden resisted. According to his wife, he got out his own machete to fight them off, but was overwhelmed.
  
  Dan and Nancy Dryden, retired couple from Alaska, 67 and 66, were fairly new to the cruising lifestyle. They had bought the boat, Sunday's Child - a Southern Cross 39 - in Rio Dulce in February 08. They'd hauled it out at a local yard for a while, then spent some time in El Relleno Marina. The night before the attack, they had anchored in a little cove between two marinas on the Fronteras side of the river. This cove was known for petty thefts, but the Dryden's evidently weren't aware of that problem there.
  
  They were fixing dinner just after dark when the bad guys swam out and climbed on board. They may have been after the dinghy or motor - at first, but Dan Dryden confronted them on deck and they forced him back below decks.
  
  Nancy Dryden said the attackers seemed to know their way around the boat, because the first thing one of them did was go right to the electrical panel and turn off the cabin lights. The maleantes (bad boys) had flashlights and the Drydens didn't. Mrs Dryden said they then went to her jewelry box, knew where it was kept, and then demanded US dollars, not Guatemalan quetzales. When the Dryden's said they didn't have any dollars, the malenates started stabbing them with machetes. I guess from there it got worse, when Mr Dryden grabbed his own machete, but it was 4 to 1.
  
  When the maleantes left, Nancy Dryden got on the VHF and called for help. There must be dozens of cruising boats within five miles, so help arrived pronto. They got them into a hospital nearby but he was already gone.
  
  ...
  
  I asked a very knowledgable Rio Dulcea what she suggests cruisers should do to prevent such attacks. She said, if you hear something suspicious out on deck, lock yourself in down below immediately. Don't go out on deck and confront them if they're already on board. Think how many seconds it would take you to lock yourself in. Maybe add some slide bolts.
  
  Other solutions? Make use of the cruisers' nets, so you don't anchor alone in troubled spots. Buy an inexpensive motion sensor rigged to the lifelines, or an AIS perimeter alarm, or radar perimeter alarm, take your dog cruising, sleep on deck?
  
  2/2009: Naval patrols started on Rio Dulce
  
  From Lou Hunt 5/2009:
  Re: Rio Dulce:
  
  This place is amazing. The Caribbean coast of Guatemala is only 45 miles long from north to south. Right in the middle of the Caribbean coast there's the mouth of the Rio Dulce ("Sweet River") and the town of Livingston.
  
  You enter the river over a 6' shoal (eeeeeeeek!) and clear Customs and Immigration at Livingston. Cost is $125. BUMMER!!! (For this, you get a 90-day visa; not sure how much it is to renew the visa after 90 days. No per-month or anchoring fees. If you leave the country and come back in, cost is $125 again. Except: Guatemala has an arrangement with Belize that you can leave Guatemala, go (only) to the Santanilla Islands, owned by Belize and near by to Livingston, and return to Guatemala without checking out or back in.)
  
  Guatemala is a poor country with 60% Mayan indians. You don't want to anchor overnight at Livingston because of pirate boardings and boat theft. So you continue up river with the current (somewhere from low to high tide) and anchor at a place called Texan Bay. The upriver route to Texan Bay is 17 miles of 300-foot limestone walls on both sides and the look of Jurassic Park. Monkeys are howling. Birds are singing. Some Texans from the USA have opened up a marina/restaurant at Texan Bay and are very nice people. The Bar-B-Q is delicious and cheap. Texan Bay is a protected bay and a great anchorage with a mud bottom and good holding. Great place to spend the night.
  
  The next morning you're off ... again up river ... for 10 more miles of Jurassic Park. Then you come to a big, shallow (10' - 15' deep) lake called El Golfete. Across the lake, you enter the "cruiser area", just west of Fronteres on the map. Last count there was over 500 boats here, mostly in small 6- to 30-slip marinas. (Marinas cost an average of $150 per month, plus electricity. Potable water is free.) And mostly sailboats.
  
  The river is beautiful and nearly 100% hurricane-proof. There's LOTS of things to do, including Spanish forts to explore, trips to Mayan ruins such as Tikal, waterfalls and hot-spring day trips, day and weekend trips on your boat to other lakes, such as Izabal.
  
  Lots of fuel docks in the cruiser area. Diesel today is $2.25/gallon. Gas is $3/gallon. 8 feet of water or deeper at the fuel docks and they all have water and convenience stores. Water is free on the Rio Dulce and and available boatside if you're in a marina.
  
  EVERYBODY offers Wi-Fi and it's free everywhere. Browser speed is so-so. The whole YEAR is hot here, no winter cooling to speak of. At least in the summer you have the rains. Never a hurricane here. But in the summer ... about once every two years ... there's a storm called a Bianca that blows up to 50 miles per hour.
  
  The Cruiser Community makes this place ... and has even caused the springing up of an unincorporated town of about 5,000 people called Fronteras.
  
  Fronteres is a dinghy ride away and has good shopping (1 supermarket only but it's owned by Walmart), many smaller markets, street stands with the world's best and cheapest fruits and veggies, and "some" boat parts. Boat labor (sanding, varnishing, hull-cleaning) is about $10 - $20 per day. There's lots of hardware stores but no "marine store" per se. It's a bus or van ride to better shopping.
  
  From article by Jan S. Irons in Nov 2008 issue of Blue Water Sailing magazine:
  "... almost every boat coming out of the Rio Dulce has blisters, whether or not they had blisters prior to spending hurricane season there. ... the warm, fresh water apparently contributes to blisters."
  
  From article by Jan S. Irons in Nov 2008 issue of Blue Water Sailing magazine:
  "Shipping (parts) to Guatemala is almost nonexistent because of the tendency of packages to vanish. Lots of parts are unavailable."
  
  From Sea Trek, in 2005:
  ... Inland travel is fairly easy since there is a bus terminal in Fronteras, the main town here, to anywhere in the country you choose to go. ...
  
  ... [In the Rio] Petty theft can be a problem. ... [Security:] From what we determined, no serious crimes have been reported here for years. However, incidents from years back are still retold as if they happened last week. ... Once we determined that things were pretty safe we began to spend more time exploring and cruising. Every anchorage on the river — as well as El Golfete and Lago Izabal — is spectacular. ... one village, El Estor, should not be used as an overnight anchorage [likely theft problem] ...
  
  ... If you arrive after mid-August, space at the marinas becomes hard to find. Don't expect to find U.S.-style marinas here. Almost all are set up for a Mediterranean mooring, or Med-moor, type of a tie up and not conducive to coming and going frequently. They are designed to cram as many boats as possible side by side. The process of getting in and out usually involves a day or two notice, a small boat or two to assist, and retying all your neighbors once you are out. There are no finger piers or pilings, with few exceptions, and the outer tie consists of lines run to something under the water. We could not find anyone to clarify for us just what that something is. Then you are tied in a criss-cross fashion to your neighbors on both sides. Plenty of fenders are also required since, depending on where you are, the boat traffic and wakes can be constant and at times excessive. ...
  
  From chuck on SSCA discussion boards:
  Rio Dulce Marinas:
  
  Only two of the marinas are accessible to town via road. Mar Marine which we don't recommend, is under the bridge. The marina refuses to deal with the wealthy boat owners that keep boats there in storage and enter and leave the marina at full power. The Pangas dock at the restaurant next door and they come and go at full power. Several boats were damaged while we were there. The other is Bruno's, right in town. The wakes from boat traffic are horrendous there also and there have been many security issues. Our two favorites are Catamarans and Tortugal. All of the marinas near town are a short dinghy ride away. There are no roads to most marinas on the river. Of course Mario's is party central and the hub of the social activity.
  From Jack Tyler on SSCA discussion boards:
  My two cents would be ...
  
  -- Tortugal has a kind of European 'feel' to it and has land tourers passing thru and staying at their guest cabins, as well as a fairly large collection of yachts ... so you'll find lots of interesting folks coming and going. General ambiance was, we thought, very nice ... but the management has changed since we were there, so the feng shui may have changed.
  
  -- Suggest you defer making reservations until you are on the river, so you can make your own choices. Personally, I valued the close proximity of the "town" (aka: village) to Tortugal and would find it a waste of time and fuel to motor back and forth from a place like Mario's.
  
  -- Also suggest you be really certain that you want to spend an entire storm season up the Rio. It can be hot, very humid, rainy, buggy, and keeping the mold at bay may be part of your new lifestyle. And even in the good seasons, it struck us as one of those cruising backwaters where a portion of the folks don't really aspire to do more than bitch and groan. And, as they say, there really isn't much 'there' there. If you plan a lot of inland touring, it's not a bad place from which to venture off to G City and then C and S America. But as a friend who recently spent a few months there (at Mario's, in his case) told me, "I think we should make T-shirts: The front would read 'The Rio Dulce isn't the end of the world ...' and the back would read '... but you sure can see it from here.'"
  From Larry Shick on SSCA discussion boards:
  Every post has gotten it right, but as usual, we all have different tradeoffs we bring to the decision. A couple of additional thoughts:
  
  We've been happy at Tortugal. As with any marina, management changes from time to time, and management makes all the difference. Whatever marina you're looking at, make sure that the reputation you're basing your decision upon was built by the manager who will be in place when you're there. Not to put too fine a point on it: talk to the manager, and ask them when they arrived, and whether they're planning to be around next year.
  
  Most marinas that accept reservations will require you to start paying as of 1 May, whether you're in the slip at that date or not. So your tradeoff is to take your chances on not having a spot at all, versus making a reservation at a place sight-unseen. The marinas do fill up as the start of hurricane season approaches, and your options become narrower.
  
  The wakes from the river traffic can be nasty. Med-moor arrangements (most marinas, including Tortugal) limit the potential damage, because you're not right up against anything hard. Alternatively, pick a marina that is off the main channel (there are a few).
  
  Dirty secret: not every marina that is in operation is licensed/zoned to do so. If you pick one of the unlicensed ones, you may have no marina at all when you get there, or halfway through your stay.
  
  We have been at Tortugal for two seasons (May '08 through -- hopefully -- October '09). Our original plan was for one season, but, well, stuff happens (story on our website). I will second the earlier posts that you need to be pretty hardcore to enjoy staying in the Rio during the hurricane season. The "bitch and groan" was not unfair (see http://riodulcechisme.com/bbs/ ), but it would apply to any port with a large population of static cruisers.
  From Steve Fredrick on SSCA discussion boards:
  My wife and I stayed at Mar Marine on the Rio in 2008 for 5 months. We were in two different slips while there, the second one for our convenience as it was easier for my wife to get on and off, and we could come and go as we pleased. Wakes from passing boats rarely bothered us, and we were facing the lake, but you will have boat wakes just about any place near Rio Dulce. It was a 20-25 minute walk over the bridge to Fronteras, and we always enjoyed the walk. You can zip over in the dinghy in about 5 minutes if you need something quickly. A great friend of ours is currently running Nutria Marina, quite close to downtown. Other friends of ours have their boat at Bruno's and have been there for 18 months.
  
  Summarized from article by Buddy Stockwell in 5/2009 issue of Latitude 38 magazine:
  
  Interview of the Parsons, cruisers who were boarded and thoroughly robbed at gunpoint while anchored on the river:

  • Apparently there is at least one large community of pirates/thieves on the river, and the police are almost powerless to deal with them.
    
    
  • With some suspects and some recovered items in hand, no justice was available and the suspects went free. The cruisers never were allowed to testify before a judge; judges stalled and stalled and never appeared. Perhaps you must bribe a judge to get justice. Most stolen items were not recovered. [Similar thing happened in the Dryden murder case: suspects went free.]
    
    
  • The local liveaboard community seemed to deny that there were any problems, and claimed that people had been warned not to anchor out (the Parsons hadn't been warned). There seems to be a divide between long-term resident liveaboards and seasonal cruisers.
    
    
  • "We have sailed the entire Caribbean, including high-risk areas in Venezuela and Colombia. The Rio Dulce is just as risky in our opinion because information about crime is suppressed and that puts cruisers at risk."
    
    
  • People (mostly Guatemalans, of course) in Guatemala sometimes get murdered for testifying or going to the press about corruption or crime or piracy.
    
    
  • "It finally dawned on us that the Rio Dulce is not a typical cruising community. It is largely a liveaboard and expatriate community that keeps to itself and protects local business interests. In our opinion, cruisers like us are just tourists passing through for hurricane season, that's all."
    
    
  • "Understand that once you come into the Rio Dulce, it is very hard to relocate. Once hurricane season begins, you are at a higher latitude on a leeward coast. In Venezuela, Colombia and Panama, you are far south and have many options. You can move to different countries and still comply with boat insurance requirements. Once deep into the Rio Dulce, however, you are there for the duration of the season.
    We advise making sure you have a reservation in a marina that provides armed guards."
  
  9/2009: Government, marina owners and hotel owners have formed coalition to deal with security issues, and announced increased naval patrols. Now distributing maps showing which areas are being patrolled 24x7.
  
  On BBC radio 1/2012: "Guatemala has one of the highest murder rates in the world".
  
  On BBC radio later in 1/2012: "After Haiti, Guatemala has the worst levels of malnutrition in the hemisphere". Apparently a couple of decades ago there was a genocide there against the Mayan-descent Indians, and many areas of the country still are very damaged.
  
  From someone on reddit:
  "The best way to stay safe in all of Guatemala is not to go out after the sun goes down."
  
  
  
  
• Belize:
  
  "Cruising Guide to Belize and Mexico's Caribbean Coast" by Freya Rauscher (2nd edition 1996).
  
  Charts: ???
  
  Betsy on "Salsa" told me: Rauscher's guide is good, but it's hard to match the sketch charts up with real charts.
  
  Belize courtesy flag
  
  Currency: approximately US$1 = Blz$2 in 2005.
  
  Rainy season is June through October; August can be humid, still and hot; March very windy.
  
  Cashew Festival in Crooked Tree Village: May.
  Commonwealth Day festivities: May 24.
  Dia de San Pedro festivities: June.
  Independence Day festivities: September.
  Sea and Air Festival (lots of music) in San Pedro in August.
  Whale Shark Gathering (swim with gentle 40-foot sharks): April-June.
  
  Relatively cheap prices.
  
  Jungle trekking, caving, Maya ruins.
  
  Great ruins, fishing, and diving, but few swimming beaches.
  
  Caves Branch (somewhere SE of Belmopan ?): float on inner tube through miles of underground river caves with Maya carvings.
  
  Belize City: lots of crime, no beaches.
  "Blue Cornfield" area: lots of outboard theft ?
  San Pedro: lots of nightlife.
  Placencia: laid-back, lots of ex-pats.
  
  Idyllic sailing conditions in the protected waters inside the reef.
  
  Approach to Belize City: Eastern Channel is main ship channel.
  
  From Noonsite:
  
  • All boats must clear customs, immigration and quarantine. Customs require four crew lists, four store lists and ship's papers. Yachts must clear in immediately on arrival in Belize waters, not more than 24 hours after; similarly, after clearance to depart has been completed, yachts must leave promptly, within 24 hours. The authorities do patrol their waters to enforce this regulation.
  • There is a visa charge of US$25, extensions US$5. The navigation charge is calculated per ton. There is an exit fee.
  • Malaria prophylaxis is recommended.
  • Yachting facilities are limited in Belize: Belize City has some repair facilities, good provisioning, a limited supply of hardware but very little yachting equipment. Frequent theft from boats and lengthy formalities means however that few boats now go to Belize City if this can be avoided.
    A more convenient and safe place to leave the boat if intending to visit the interior, which is one of the main attractions of Belize, is Mayan Marina at Moho Cay, just north of Belize City. It has been reported that the marina is also a good place from which to visit the Mayan sites in Guatemala, such as Tikal.
  
  From Jan Griffin on Cruising World message board 12/2004:
  
  Belize new fees:
  
  I'm sure you've heard the negative publicity on Belize from the NW Caribbean Net -- we're going to try and cruise the islands there, but have no idea what impact this new national reserve system will have -- the NW Caribbean net has a list of the islands in each part of the country we CAN stop at with no charge (Belize Fee and Non-Fee Areas). Reports are the reserves are charging $10 US per person per NIGHT to anchor -- includes such places as South Water Caye, Pelican Cayes, all the best places to stop.
  
  From Rick Rickert on Yahoo Sailing mailing list:
  
  The time I spent in Belize was wonderful. Found no difficulty getting ice, a cold beer, or a local to share it with. Very nice people. Try to avoid Belize City after dark, or walking there alone at any hour if you are a female. All other areas (Cayes, smaller towns, etc) are generally safe.
  
  "Habitat" told me in 2004: diving in Belize was disappointing; all the reefs are dying.
  
  From kmp4321 on SSCA discussion boards:
  Enter at the english cay lighthouse (belize city) unless you have a very calm day and are guided through the ambergris cay cut by a local who knows. The reef is not very visible from the windward side and the entrance doglegs. The entrance at english cay is huge and well-marked. You can then traverse the country with relative ease either south along the 60 ft channel between the mainland and cays or north carefully (mud, no coral) in 7-10 ft depths for 30 miles to ambergris cay and san pedro.
  
  Freya Rauscher's guide is good and accurate (particularly south of belize city). Caulker cay, st george cay, south water cay, placencia, hunting cay are all good anchorages where you shall have no problems. Belize is a dream, and depending upon the time of year, you may see few or no other yachts outside of ambergris cay and placencia.
  
  From Roger on Latitudes and Attitudes Cruisers Forum:
  Belize is english-speaking, an advantage for USA sailors; great reefs - diving. Good sightseeing inland and relatively safe towns (not including Belize City!).
  
  From Zero Latitude on Latitudes and Attitudes Cruisers Forum:
  I've been there twice, once in '95 and again spring 2003. There are some really great Mayan ruins in the jungles, plus some eco-resorts which provide river trips, rafting, etc.
  
  As far as the islands go, I stayed on Ambergris Caye in '95, and Caye Caulker in 2003. Ambergris is the more "developed" of the two, but even then you're just talking nicer and more hotels. The streets are still sand and there are no high-rises. You'll have a variety of places to stay and can rent sailboats, snorkel gear, and book day trips, river trips, jungle trips etc to anywhere from there (or Caye Caulker). Caye Caulker was great, sleepy to the point of being almost unconscious. It is very undeveloped by Caribbean standards, mostly cheap guesthouses that cater to the backpacker crowd, though there is one really nice modern Inn called the Iguana Reef on the leeward side of the island. Iguana Reef Inn has lots of good information. There is maybe two cars on the island, otherwise it's bikes and golf carts.
  
  My primary reason for going was to dive, and that was great. A trip out to Turneffe Atoll was a highlight. Lots of great marine life. I did venture inland for for day trips, driving across to the Guatemalan border to see some jungle areas and ruins, but didn't spend enough time out there to recommend anything. I hear the southern part of the mainland is also very nice. That's my next trip.
  
  Belize City itself is probably to be avoided, except for transiting as the airport and water taxi to the cayes are there. The country is still somewhat in it's infancy with regard to tourist infrastructure, but that's what I liked about it. Expect some fun getting around; for instance our plane to Caye Caulker was a 6-seater, the airport was a small metal building, and the taxi was a golf cart. The water taxis were crowded souped-up speedboats but good fun and inexpensive way to get from the mainland to the Cayes.
  
  Almost everyone will speak some English, if that's a concern, and it's still a very safe destination in my own opinion. It's been attracting many expats from the USA who like the lifestyle down there.
  
  From christal on SSCA discussion boards 4/2005:
  Belize fees update:
  
  Sapodilla Cayes: $20 Blz per day or $50 Blz per week
  Port Honduras: $10 Blz per day or $30 Blz per week
  Gladden Spit: $20 Blz per day or $50 Blz per week ($50 Blz per day at the whale shark zone)
  Laughing Bird: $20 Blz per day
  Glovers Reef: $10 Blz per day or $30 Blz per week
  Caye Caulker: $10 Blz per day or $30 Blz per week
  Hol Chan: $20 Blz per day
  Bacalar Chico: $10 Blz per day or $30 Blz per week
  Blue Hole: $60 Blz per day
  [Currency: $1US = $2Blz.]
  
  The above are the government-approved entrance fees. The persons collecting the fees are reserve rangers. You can ask for identification but the rangers are now using a fisheries uniform with the government of Belize logo on the shirt pocket. Visitors are urged to obtain a ticket. The ticket is a receipt. However, when any company buys tickets in bulk they get another official receipt for accounting purposes of the purchasing organization. The fees collected will be used directly for the management of the protected areas.
  
  ...
  
  ... The fees are per person. ...
  From anonymous on SSCA discussion boards 4/2005:
  Several cruisers report the fee is per boat, per night. In some of the [other] Cayes they are charging $10 (USD) per night per boat to anchor.
  
  From Sal on The Live-Aboard List:
  
  Re: chartering in Belize:
  
  I would leave Belize for your last place to charter. We were there and left from Placencia; absolutely nobody around for days. We finally met 2 cats sailing together after 10 days and then didn't see a vessel until we went back to the base. It's not the easiest place to sail and I would not do it if I was a novice. The coral and reefs can create big problems. You need someone on the bow whenever you are sailing or motoring and observe the color changes in the water so you don't ground the boat. The GPS/Chartplotter is not very accurate and puts you on islands and some of the names don't match the charts.
  
  From Bad Matt on Latitudes and Attitudes Cruisers Forum 9/2006:
  My wife and I chartered there a couple of Februarys ago and really liked it. ... The boat was a little beat up. I think they have a hard time getting parts down there. ... Chartering Belize is all about anchoring behind these little islets and being totally out there alone. It has kind of a Water World feeling to it. It's HOT, which I personally like. Very pretty water and coral, not much land-based activity.
  
  From Barfly on Latitudes and Attitudes Cruisers Forum 9/2006:
  We chartered with TMM out of Placencia about 3 years ago. Everything that is being said about remote sailing is true. It is pretty easy to navigate and find where you want to go. Not many places if any to go ashore and dine in the south. We liked Placencia.
  
  At that time TMM was allowing you to go to the Rio Dulce. That was one of the best parts of the trip. Entered at Livingston and stayed at La Marina just about a mile up river. Make sure you clear out and in at Punta Gorda, not Hunting Cay. There is a ragtag Military post on Hunting and they tell you they can clear you out. Stamp your papers and all but it caused issues in Livingston. The trip up the Rio Dulce was WELL worth the trouble. Livingston is a neat town and only accessible by water. Just managed to day trip up to the first lake and the rainforest park but the cut through the mountains was spectacular. 7 miles with 300- to 600-foot cliffs on both sides.
  
  TMM's operations are on a little island with a really unique resort on it. Individual huts with thatched roofs. Cool setting. You dink across a small channel and you are right in from of one of the best local bars.
  
  Good exchange rate and friendly people. We wished we had gone to the Rio first and then out to the reef. Stay away from Belize City.
  
  
  
  
• Southeast Mexico / Quintana Roo:
  
  "Cruising Guide to Belize and Mexico's Caribbean Coast" by Freya Rauscher (2nd edition 1996).
  
  Charts: ???
  
  Mexico courtesy flag
  
  From 'Lectronic Latitude 4/2005:
  
  DOMESTIC CLEARING IS OVER IN MEXICO!
  
  ... the Mexican government published a notice in the official newspaper that says mariners will only be required to check in with a port captain when they are coming from or going to an international port. This means that 'domestic clearance' - clearing in and out every time you enter a new port captain district inside Mexico - is history! Boatowners will now only have to let a marina know when they arrive, and the marina only has to have a record of who comes and goes." ...
  
  From Capt. Chuck on Latitudes and Attitudes Cruisers Forum 1/2006:
  The following is info we have acquired about the check in procedures for Mexico.
  
  Upon arrival you must call the Port Captain on VHF and notify them that you have arrived. They should make arrangements for Sanitation to come to the boat to do their inspection. No crew should go ashore until that is done. Once they have inspected, the Q flag can come down and you can proceed. There is no charge for this.
  
  Next you go to Immigrations with your passports. They fill out a short form and stamp the passports. They will give you a form to take to the bank to pay the Immigration fees. They were $21 US per passport. The bank stamps the form and returns it to you. Don't lose that form.
  
  Next stop is the Port Captain. Upon our arrival we were told we must hire an agent. We had been expecting this. We informed them that we were aware of the change of law and that an agent is not required. They told us the law here in Isla Mujeres is that an agent is required. We knew that was not true. We had a copy of the December issue of Latitude 38 stating all of the changes for clearing under Reglamento 69 passed and signed in to law by President Fox which applies to ALL of Mexico of which Isla Mujeres is part. Our next contact was to Tere Grossman of the Mexican Marina Owners Association. She was instrumental in getting this legislation passed. She is in constant contact with the Director of Port Captains in Mexico City on just these issues. By the end of the day we received a email from her stating that she had passed our email on to the Director and he was to call the Port Captain here and inform him that he was not to require an agent. When we returned to the Port Captain office we were processed with no problem but we had been told that they were only doing this for us and others would have to use an agent. The charge depends on the size of the boat and was $26 US for Sea Trek which is 40 feet. You still must have or acquire the Importada for the boat and that is another process.
  
  Under Mexican Federal law it is illegal for a Port Captain to require a PLEASURE boat to hire an agent. It is also illegal for a Port Captain to charge additional fees to check in to other ports after you have cleared in to Mexico officially. Tere Grossman can be contacted at "grossman at sancarlosmarina.com" and welcomes anyone that is having problems. It appears that the Port Captains in Isla Mujeres and Puerto Morelos on the Atlantic side are the only ones not in compliance. We hope our actions and that of other cruisers will change that. We emphasize that through this entire process we remained friendly and courteous and believe that helped move the situation along. They know this is wrong but don't want to let go of the old ways. They acted as if this was something they knew nothing about. There was a meeting in Mexico City of all Port Captains to explain the new law when it was passed.
  
  From Noonsite:
  
  • Formalities can be time-consuming, but in the major ports there are maritime agents who will do the formalities for a fee, as will some of the marinas. On arrival in Mexico, yachts must go to the nearest port of entry, with the Q and courtesy flags flying. Normally, immigration must be cleared first, then customs, quarantine (not always requested) and finally the port authority (API). A fee based on tonnage is assessed by API at the first port of entry and must be paid at the port captain's office.
    
    It is recommended yachts arrive with a Tourist Entry Form (FMT) for every crew member (or visa, if applicable). Both can be obtained in advance from a Mexican consulate or from the Immigration Office on arrival. Then, the captain should proceed to customs with the ship's papers, the Tourist Entry Forms and clearance papers. On payment of US$10 with an international credit card (or place a bond or deposit), a temporary import permit will be issued.
    
    For cruising in Mexican waters a health permit will also be required. Health officials may inspect the yacht, or the crew may be required to visit the hospital for a health clearance.
    
    As well as the ship's papers, six crew lists in Spanish are required. Crew list forms (in Spanish) can be obtained either before or after arrival, on payment of a fee. All officials will stamp and sign all crew lists and each official will keep a copy. When entering Mexico, it is advisable to have all possible places the yacht might visit listed on the Import Permit including the last port intended for exit from the country. This may ease the paperwork while in Mexico until the final clearance. However, officials in some ports have been reported as not recognising this Import Permit and insisting on issuing their own.
    
    It is necessary to clear in and out at all subsequent ports, paying visits to the port captain and immigration, if they have offices. Crew lists will have to be given to all these officials. The port captain will only sign the permit for outward clearance 24 to 48 hours before departure, and yachts should leave promptly after obtaining their departure clearance (zarpe). This is only given after verification that no accounts are pending at the port or marina. This departure clearance will have to be shown in the next port, along with the health permit and ship's papers. When cruising between two major Mexican ports, it is advisable to ask the official filling out the departure clearance to mention on the document any intermediate ports which might be visited (puertos intermedios).
    
    Procedure on departure: The port captain, customs and immigration must be visited with six more copies of the crew list, and a departure clearance form obtained from the port captain. Although this document may not be requested when clearing into the next country, it is necessary have it in the event of being stopped by a Mexican Navy boat while still in Mexican waters. If wishing to stop anywhere in Mexico after clearing out, this should be put on the outward clearance by the relevant official. The cruising permit and tourist cards must be returned.
    
    At each port check what the local politics are about clearing in and out for one- or two-day trips, as it varies.
    
    Any registered marina can clear boats in and out of port for their clients, which means that boats can be serviced during marina working hours, not just during bureaucratic hours at the Capitania and Migracion.
  • Water should be treated everywhere in Mexico. Several cruising sailors have contracted parasites either from contaminated water or food which had come in contact with such water, such as salads, fruit or ice cream. Malaria prophylaxis is recommended if visiting rural areas.
  • Each person on board must have a fishing licence, and a licence must also be purchased for the yacht. For a yacht with four crew this will amount to about US$100. Spot checks are made, and simply having fishing tackle on board is considered by the Mexican authorities sufficient reason to have a licence. The licences can be obtained in advance from the Mexican Fisheries Department, 2550 5th Street, San Diego, California 92103-6622, USA or on arrival from the local Fisheries Department.
  • There is an immigration fee for forms and a fee for the temporary import permit from customs. Customs charge a port tax (derechos de puerto), the receipt for which must be shown to the port captain when clearing in. Overtime is charged for clearance outside of office hours.
  • A permit is necessary to stop at Isla Contoy, north of Isla Mujeres, which is a nature reserve. The permit can be obtained from the office of the nature reserve, located in Rueda Medina, on Isla Mujeres.
  • Fuel is available almost everywhere, although it can be dirty. The port captain in some ports is in charge of fuelling and a permit may be needed from him or customs.
  • Cozumel:
    This island used to be a favourite place for clearing in or out of Mexico. Yachts anchor at San Miguel, on the north side of the commercial dock. The wharf is used by large ferries so one should not come alongside, unless prepared to move off at short notice. The anchorage is uncomfortable in westerlies and strong northerlies. The port captain's office is on the waterfront, while the customs office is at the airport. Clearing in formalities tend to be lengthy, as one has to visit several offices around town. The port captain's office has caused problems to visiting yachts in the past, which appears to have been due to a difficult official who fined several boats for arbitrary infringements of local regulations. The easier alternative is to go directly to the yacht club, which operates a marina and has an agent who deals with all necessary formalities for a fee. This has been reported as being very high, another reason why many cruising boats bypass Cozumel altogether. Customs and immigration officials usually inspect boats at the yacht club and the port captain also has a representative there.
  
  From Jan Griffin on Cruising World message board 12/2004:
  
  Mexico - check in and procedures:
  
  One word -- CHAOS! I realize that Mexico has supposedly always been in a state of chaos on immigration, customs and general entrance procedures, but the law changed in August 2004 and now NO ONE knows.
  
  When we checked in to Isla, we were required to obtain an agent -- the Capitania del Puerto sent us to the Pemex station and would not deal directly with us. It's EXPENSIVE and a bit of a hassle, but went sort of as follows: when we arrived we went to Marina Paraiso because we thought it might be easier to handle our first cruising check in from a dock -- and that was true. First a lady showed up from ??? wanting to see our passports, boat papers and listas tripulantes (crew lists). She needed like 4-5 copies of everything. She had us fill out a form and then signed everything, stamped everything, gave us back our copies and told us Migracion would come to us and for us to stay on the boat -- this was a Tuesday. Wednesday mid-morning the Sanitation guy showed up, inspected our boat -- went through the freezer and fridge, wanted to see all our food and made sure our trashcan had a lid. Then Jose from the marina came and told us Migracion couldn't come and we needed to go there asap. Migracion was easy and straightforward -- he checked our passports, gave us our tourist cards and papers to take to the bank to pay our 216 pesos each -- we asked for and got 180 days, but it was slightly more expensive than our friends who only asked for 90 days. After the bank, Migracion sent us to the Capitania del Puerto, but when we arrived, he directed us to the Penex station and the agent, Enrique Jima. This part took 2 hours and cost us $214 US. We're unclear on what the charges were actually for -- we know we paid 163 pesos for the boat importada - good for 10 years, we paid to have Customs from Cancun come to take the boat's photo, we paid the agent and we paid other fees. Other cruisers checking in paid similar fees. We were told to come back manana after 3 PM.
  
  Wednesday at 3 PM we stopped at the agent's office and were told that Cancun rejected our paperwork, but that it was their fault, something filled out incorrectly and we needed to sign the forms again and come back manana -- Thanksgiving Day. We finally got our forms back approved on Thanksgiving Day, but were told to be at the boat on Friday at 5 PM for Customs to come, take a boat photo and give us our boat importada paperwork.
  
  So we started on Tuesday and were "official" on Friday. But after Tuesday and a total of $256 US, we were free to come and go as we pleased.
  
  One thing I would strongly recommend in Isla -- Miguel at Marina Paraiso is now an agent also -- his fees are about $20 US less expensive than Enrique Jima at the Pemex station. He'll handle everything and let you know what you need to do whether you're anchored or in the marina -- he also speaks excellent english and the agent we used spoke nada ingles -- and I speak limited espanol! I did understand from my conversation with Enrique that all these procedures are new and even he doesn't know what's what.
  
  We'll head south from Isla on the first weather window after we get back in early January -- but we're not planning to stop at ANY other points of entry. The word is that even though we SHOULDN'T have to pay the entire entry procedure again, other cruisers have experienced going through the entire same process again at every port. Puerto Adventuras apparently is now considered a port of entry -- via Cozumel -- there are NIGHTMARE stories about it. Originally we were going to go there and leave the boat for Christmas, but opted to stay in Isla instead because of all the negative info on the checkin/out process. Miguel told me before we left that it will cost us approximately 441 pesos to clear out -- we're a 37' sailboat.
  
  Johannes on "Serendipity X" told me: did not have to show radio license for VHF radio when entering Mexico.
  
  Betsy on "Salsa" told me: Isla Mujeres is popular with cruisers, funky town, good harbor. Cozumel is touristy, not a good anchorage. Can take ferry from Isla Mujeres to Cozumel. Mexican coast south of there has huge bays, nice little towns, gorgeous reefs. In the winter, northers are weak by the time they reach Isla Mujeres, and don't get much south of there.
  
  From "Good Morning, Isla Mujeres!" by Bernadette Bernon:
  
  Isla Mujeres has holding ground made up of layers of sand sandwiching rubble, which may be OK during mild weather, but can be a full-fledged disaster when the wind [gets strong] ... Isla is exposed to the northwest ... During the past night and day [of NW 25 wind] we've seen seven boats drag through the harbor, including two who'd had their anchors down for a few weeks. ...
  
  From anonymous on SSCA discussion boards:
  [Someone asked if there is decent water available in Isla Mujeres.] They have good water. And Isla Mujeres is a great place to stop into. The only drawback is that you, like many other cruisers, may not want to leave.
  
  The one place we found to be a great place to explore mangroves was about 40 nm south of Cozumel, a place called Punta Allen, Mexico. It is a neat place to stop and anchor for a rest-up before Belize. Punta Allen, however, has no water, fuel, or even ice for sale. Belize and Guatemala have good water and fuel.
  
  Caribbean coast south of Cancun: Riviera Maya. Great Mesoamerican Reef has swift currents, good visibility. On shore, freshwater jungle diving/snorkeling into underground rivers through limestone. Popular snorkeling: Chikin Ha.
  
  "Habitat" told me: Mexico is great for swimming and music. Checking in at Isla Mujeres is easy, but not cheap.
  
  Between Isla Mujeres and Cuba, north-going Yucatan Current of up to 5 knots; typical along Mexico is 2 to 2.5 knots. Best time for Mexico-to-USA is May or June, when south winds are more frequent.
  
  From "World Cruising Routes" by Jimmy Cornell:
  After November, winter northers are felt west of Jamaica and seriously affect the Gulf of Mexico.
  
  Rainy season: summer through early fall.
  
  Cancun and Cozumel: tourist season is late fall through April.
  
  Cozumel: all the good diving is on the west side; dive sites have strong currents; mediocre snorkeling.
  
  Cancun / Isla Mujeres reef: tamer diving than Cozumel; lots of fish.
  
  Banco Chinchorro atoll (south; offshore NE of Xcalak): great wreck diving.
  
  Isla Mujeres: great beaches.
  
  Arriving Mexico from south: first port of entry is Xcalak.
  
  Tulum: ruins on bluffs overlooking the sea (be careful: someone accidentally walked right off a grassy cliff-edge when I was there, and was hurt severely).
  
  From letter by John Skoriak in 11/2009 issue of Latitude 38 magazine:
  For about $140, can get legal residence (FM3 visa), and then can sign up for national medical system (IMSS), which costs about $300/year.