Heading to the Caribbean?
by Noonsite 29 Sep 2021 21:53 AEST
Caribbean © Noonsite
While Atlantic hurricane season has been heating up this month, a great many sailors are looking towards November when conditions stabilise in the Atlantic and passage season to the Caribbean begins.
There is a great deal going on for yachts heading that way over the coming weeks to help with preparation.
Experienced Caribbean cruiser David Lyman is holding three free webinars focusing on the Caribbean over the next 3 weeks, covering cruising the area, the offshore voyage to get there and Covid protocols. The Seven Seas Cruising Association are hosting an interactive webinar on September 26th to help cruisers better understand the Caribbean situation for this coming season, with speakers from Trinidad, Puerto Rico, Antigua, Grenada, Dominican Republic, Colombia and Panama to name a few.
World Cruising Club hosted a free Bluewater Preparations online seminar earlier in September and have opened entry lists for ARC 2022 and ARC+, their transatlantic rallies. Find out more in their newsletter.
Just how easy is it to cruise the Caribbean during a pandemic? Charter captain Larry Tyler shares his thoughts with Noonsite after sailing from Martinique to Trinidad and Joe Karpinski, SSCA host for Antigua and experienced Caribbean cruiser, echoes much of Larry's sentiments.
He told Noonsite, "I fear this is going to be an even more complicated year for sailors in the Caribbean as I don't see any effort on the part of any of the islands to try and develop a standardized travel policy. It appears Covid 'passports' will be an immerging consideration boaters will have to keep in mind, and everyone may have to learn to accept testing as a necessary added expense of traveling between islands. My guess is we'll be seeing people traveling to fewer islands, and staying longer once they get there."
For those departing across the Atlantic from the Mediterranean, coming across Orcas will be of major concern. Read these interesting observations from the Orca working group, in the form of FAQs, to help you with your decision making. If the Canary Islands is a planned stopover, take time to read this article by Remi Blanchet. It may just make you consider spending longer in these diverse islands.
This article has been provided by the courtesy of noonsite.com.