Caribbean

Why sail to the Caribbean?

The Caribbean Sea is a great place to sail due to its constant trade winds, warm and stable weather, abundance of beautiful islands, good people, good food and great diving, it's an ideal area for sailing. The best time to sail is from mid-November to the end of May.

• Coral reefs and a colourful underwater world
- corals, rays, dolphins, flying fish, a huge variety of colourful tropical fish, sharks.
• Hundreds of islands and romantic coves, white sandy beaches surrounded by coconut palms and clear, turquoise blue water.
• Nature reserves, wild tropical rainforests with numerous waterfalls, lush vegetation and exotic flowers (oleanders, hibiscus, magnolias...) and many species of animals
(monkeys, turtles, two-meter iguanas, hummingbirds).
• Cocoa, coffee, sugar and tobacco plantations, many kinds of spices, fruits and vegetables - papaya, avocado, mango, pineapple, coconuts and bananas.
• White Caribbean rum, reggae and hot salsa.

The

best time to cruiseThe best

time to cruise is from February to May, when the peak season in the Caribbean is. November, December, January and early June are also good times to cruise. From mid-June to the end of October is the hurricane season. This is also sailing time in the Caribbean, but it is very warm and rains more often. And, of course, it's important to keep an eye on the weather forecast so that a potential hurricane doesn't catch you off guard and turn a relaxing cruise into a completely unbeatable, adrenaline-fueled disaster of a vacation.

WindsFrom

December to May, the wind blows steadily from the northeast and this is the best time for sailing in the Caribbean. The wind can be very strong between the islands at 5-6 BF and therefore it is not sailing for beginners. During the winter, high pressure systems are often found in the northeast Leeward Islands. If they strengthen, they can produce sharp easterly winds (locally known as "Christmas Winds") of 5-6 BF (20-25kn) sometimes 6-7 BF (25-30kn). In summer and autumn, the winds turn to the east, become unstable, weaken to an average of 3 BF (7 - 10kn) or less, and may blow from different directions. There is a high probability of tropical storms and hurricanes.

What is the best ship for a cruise in the Caribbean?

Definitely a catamaran. In the Caribbean, the weather is always warm and life takes place most of the time on the top deck. And a catamaran has just about everything on the top deck except cabins and toilets. On deck you have a saloon with a galley connected by a large door, and a large cockpit. There's plenty of room for sunbathing, including a comfortable net for lying between the floats. Quite simply, a catamaran is the best for a relaxing cruise in the tropics.

Anchoring

In the Caribbean, the wind blows from the same direction most of the time. Boats are equipped with good anchors and anchor frequently. You either stand at anchor off the beaches or stand bow to anchor and tie a long rope ashore from the stern. In populated areas, a local native will help you tie the rope ashore for a few Caribbean dollars. You have to accept help, it's part of the local specialty. If you refuse, you risk the hostility of the locals.

What to watch out forSailing

in the Caribbean Sea is only allowed during the day. Anyone who has ever experienced the pitch black darkness that occurs here when the moon is not shining understands this very well. There aren't many navigation lights in the Caribbean, and on the contrary, there are plenty of rocks and reefs that are at best marked by wooden stakes, invisible at night.

If you are going to sail in the coral reef area, always sail when the sun is high and "read the water". Have a person on the bow looking into the water and making sure it is deep enough. In the coral reef area, don't trust charts, paper or electronic.

Customs formalitiesIndividual

islands in the Caribbean are usually separate countries, meaning you have to constantly deal with checking in when sailing between them. And you really do have to check in, or risk hefty fines and unpleasant situations.

The islands you visit in the Caribbean are mostly influenced by American or French cuisine.

On Guadeloupe and the surrounding islands you can also taste Creole specialties such as Sauce créole

which is a sweet and sour sauce, Boudins - small dark mornings, Accras - fried cod croquettes, Boukit - something like Czech langos, but cut open with filling inside, Agoulou - a sandwich from a stall, mostly ham, cheese, meat and egg.

Another local speciality is cooking bananas, which are a bit bigger than regular bananas. These are fried and added to the main dish and are called plantain

in French.

In the Caribbean, everyone should take the opportunity to taste exotic fruits. How about trying a guava or a maracuja

? We all know the mango, but in the Caribbean it's much tastier. Starfruit is a fruit species virtually unknown here - it's shaped like a starfish and the locals make a delicious marmalade from it.

White rum is also inseparable from the Caribbean, the most famous being the rum from Martinique. White rum here has between 40% and 60% alcohol content and is therefore most often served in the form of drinks such as Piña Colada

, Cuba Libre and the very popular aperitif Ti'Punch, which is white rum with lime and cane sugar. The ingredients are basically similar to the Brazilian caipirinha, but the way it is served is different.

Don't forget to try the Planteur, a liqueur made with white rum and the juice of several exotic fruits.

FishingThere

are still plenty of fish in the Caribbean and a good fisherman will catch enough fish for the whole crew. They catch predatory fish by trolling bait behind the boat (tuna, golden dorado,...). The spearfishermen fish beautifully especially on the edges of the islands, where the current from the sea brings a lot of nutrients and there is an abundance of fish. Watch out for strong currents!

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