St Lucia : Profile

Facts

• Saint Lucia is part of the Windward Islands and a good base from which to explore the rest of the Lesser Antilles.

• Cruising attractions include excellent facilities at Rodney Bay Marina in the north and in the well-protected port of the capital Castries, the scenic anchorage of Soufrière Bay overlooked by The Grand and Petit Pitons and the delightful, yet crowded, landlocked harbour of Marigot Bay.

• The government has actively encouraged the establishment of yachting related businesses, aiming to make Saint Lucia one of the prime yachting centres in the Caribbean.

Security

Although there have been reports of boardings and theft from yachts in Saint Lucia, this island is much-like the rest of the Caribbean where petty theft is increasing. Cruisers should take basic safety precautions and use common sense when leaving the boat or going ashore at night. Dinghy thieves operate throughout the Caribbean and best advice is to place your dinghy on deck and chain it overnight.

Daytime burglaries have been reported in 2011 by cruisers leaving their boats at anchor in Vieux Fort while travelling to the airport to check-in with immigration and/or collect guests from arriving flights. It is therefore not recommended to check-in at Vieux Fort or leave your boat unattended here.

Check the Noonsite Piracy Pages and the Caribbean Safety Net for information on the current situation.

The Caribbean Safety and Security Net (safetyandsecuritynet@gmail.com) gather information by anchorage or by island, so sailors can plan their cruising in the Caribbean with an eye to appropriate behaviour and precautions wherever they decide to go. Should you have information about a security incident, as well as contacting Noonsite please also forward details to the Caribbean Safety and Security Net, as theirs is the most comprehensive source of Caribbean security incidents against sailors on the net. Please be sure to include boat name, date of incident and anchorage/port where the incident took place.

Weather

The island has constant trade winds with only minor differences through the year. December to June is the best time of year, when it is less humid, and there is no risk of hurricanes. The hurricane season is from June to November.

Weather information for Saint Lucia and the Windward Isles: www.caribwx.com

St Lucia Weather Forecast.

Main Ports

Castries * , Marigot Bay * , Rodney Bay * , Soufriere * , Vieux Fort *

*Indicates a port of entry.

Page Sponsor

Related Reports

Routes and Waypoints - Book Review (16 Dec 2011)

Using the ESeaClear System (05 Dec 2011)

Saint Lucia: Vieux Fort - Daytime Burglaries (10 Nov 2011)

New Free Caribbean Cruising Guide - A Thinking Mans Guide to Voyages South  (23 Jul 2011)

Saint Lucia: Rodney Bay - Dinghy & Outboard Thefts (11 Jul 2011)

Martinique & Saint Lucia - Latest Visit (11 Jun 2011)

Information About Rodney Bay, St Lucia (09 Mar 2011)

ARC Flotilla St. Lucia - All Boats Welcome (22 Oct 2010)

Caribbean: St. Lucia, Soufriere - Burglary (19 Apr 2010)

Caribbean Clearance ESeaClear - Does it really work? (22 Jan 2010)

Island Theft - Our Thoughts (14 Aug 2009)

Rodney Bay, St. Lucia, Navigation Hazard (15 May 2009)

Caribbean Cruising, St. Lucia to Antigua (05 May 2009)

Caribbean, St. Lucia, Soufriere - Robbery (23 Jan 2009)

Caribbean, St. Lucia - Rodney Bay: Security Fears After Horrific Attack (21 Jan 2009)

Caribbean: Reported Crime Incidents Against Yachts, 2005-2008 (26 Aug 2008)

Soufriere Petty Theft (21 Aug 2008)

My First Atlantic Crossing (10 Jul 2008)

Cruising from St. Lucia Southwards (02 Jul 2008)

Grenada to the Virgin Islands, A Cruising Guide to the Lesser Antilles: Book Review (23 May 2008)

Caribbean, St. Lucia to Maine, USA (14 May 2008)

Credit Card Fraud In Caribbean Alert (29 Apr 2008)

Island Nations Support Commercial Whaling (05 Jul 2006)

Caribbean Island Updates 2003 (23 Jun 2004)

Report from Vieux Fort, October 2003 (14 Oct 2003)

Related News

2011 - Security & Piracy Round-Up (30 Jan 2012)

World ARC 2012-13: Circumnavigation Rally Starts (10 Jan 2012)

ARC2011: First Yacht Arrives in Saint Lucia after an 11 Day Crossing (02 Dec 2011)

ARC2011: First Arrivals Expected Today (01 Dec 2011)

ARC 2011 Starts (20 Nov 2011)

Gran Canaria: ARC 2011 - Flags and bands celebrate the official opening of the 26th ARC (16 Nov 2011)

St. Lucia: New Yachting Regulations (11 Nov 2011)

St. Lucia: Major Strides in Growth for the Countries Yachting Sector (30 Sep 2011)

World ARC Circumnavigation Rally Goes Annual (07 Apr 2011)

First Sailing Yacht Finishes in ARC 2010 (06 Dec 2010)

ARC 2010 Starts - 233 Yachts Cross the Line in Sunshine (21 Nov 2010)

ARC Rally: One week to go before the start! (14 Nov 2010)

Hurricane Tomas in Saint Lucia (05 Nov 2010)

New Webcast Service for Caribbean Weather (20 Oct 2010)

Calling All ARC'86 Children! (12 May 2010)

The 25th ARC set to be the most popular rally yet as World Cruising Club signs up the 200th entry (03 Mar 2010)

ARC 2010 On Course as World Cruising Club signs up the 150th entry (17 Feb 2010)

St. Lucia, Marigot Bay - Cruisers Robbed in Street (28 Nov 2009)

Rudder loss on ARC Racing Yacht (24 Nov 2009)

Light Winds for Start of ARC 2009 (22 Nov 2009)

Countdown to the Start of ARC2009 (19 Nov 2009)

A truly international ARC fleet gear up for departure later this month (09 Nov 2009)

NEW – Caribbean Pre-Arrival Notification System (17 Jan 2009)

First ARC Arrivals at Rodney Bay after a slow crossing (08 Dec 2008)

ARC Fleet Gears up for Departure (12 Nov 2008)

Yacht Attacked At St Vincent (04 Jan 2008)

Yacht Attacked At St Vincent: Comments (03 Jan 2008)

New Visa Requirements For St Lucia (24 Sep 2007)

Cruising News from the southern Caribbean (03 Nov 2003)