Caribbean times


After the busy Mediterranean season are you thinking of heading west for the winter season?


If you’re heading to the Caribbean, then here’s the low down


A


tlantic crossing for most yacht crew these days is getting more inevitable, the yachts are larger and more capable, the owners are more


adventurous and the cruising calender in the Caribbean is becoming longer. There is a whole new world out there to discover once you’ve made that initial crossing. But there are still many questions to answer once the yacht and crew are out of their safety net within the Mediterranean. What are the customs regulations, how and where do we arrange bunkering, and what about provisioning? So, where do you start?


SETTING COURSE


For most, the gateway to the Atlantic, Gibraltar, with its duty-free fuel and excellent provisioning capability is the departure point. Some smaller yachts might cross to the Canary Islands for a pit stop and then continue from there. Where you end up depends on the type of yacht you are in and the purpose of the crossing. Large motor yachts looking to charter the Caribbean Islands as USA winter months tend to head first to Antigua where thy might participate in the Antigua Charter Yacht Show held each December or now in its second year, the Caribbean Charter Yacht Show run by IG Marinas held this year in St Thomas USBVIs. Others a little more sure of what fills their calendar, might head for Simpson Bay in Sint Marten, the Dutch portion of the island that is jointly administered by the Dutch and French, or perhaps the nearby island of St Barts. (St Barthelemy).


No matter the route or your thoughts on not seeing land for a number of weeks, there is something magical about the first sight of land at the end of your first crossing. Of course the other option is via a yacht transporter and dependent on budget, type of yacht and time constraints this might be an option. Typical dates for the crossings are during October, November and December, so dependent on your charter schedule, refit schedule or even the owner’s preference on their usage, this is a route to be considered.


64 | AUTUMN 2022 | ONBOARD


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