Where is safe in the Caribbean in Hurricane season?

Created by doina. Last modified on 2007-03-19 11:57:19
Contributors:
Countries: Grenada, Trinidad & Tobago, USA

We are new cruisers who have just bought a boat in Florida we have to leave the US for both visa and Florida State tax reasons and also get far enough south to get out of "the box". Having read about Trinidad we are not too excited about going there as our idea of cruising is not fighting off locals who want to kill you and or steal from you. Is Tobago safer than Trinidad and is Grenada a better bet still? Any suggestions from anyone would be great for a couple of "newbies"!

Roy

info@noonsite.com

Sint Maarten is a good place to consider. Many stay in the landlocked lagoon and many boats race to get there if a cyclone is iminent. Early arrivals are able to get the best positions and prepare. Other alternative is Bobbys Marina on the hard in Grand Bay. Good place to work on boats and to get any gear easily.

I intend to put my boat on the hard at Peake's Yacht services in Chaguaramas,Trinidad, during the hurricane season. Before I made the decision I had the same concerns as you, but after spending some time in the area, I have found the problem being more about how you relate to your surroundings than anything else. Violence is all over the Caribbean today. You have to take precautions everywhere just like in the US. You don't walk alone, especially at night. You make sure that you are walking in safe areas. Make sure the cab drivers has a licence. Etc. Common sense in other words. Connect with people so that you feel a sense of belonging. Strangers are always easier to prey on. By making connections with people we have found the locals to be nothing but wonderful people. I hope this helps.

I’ve been based in Trinidad now for quite some time and read with some surprise the question relating to where it was safe to stay during the Caribbean Hurricane season. In particular, the comment about “fighting off locals who want to kill or steal from you” is a gross exaggeration and I feel compelled to provide an accurate and up to date picture of the situation in Trinidad.

Crime as a whole in Trinidad is a big problem. Drug related murders occur almost daily and there are frequent kidnappings of members of generally wealthy families. In the main, crime does not affect cruisers who follow simple and common sense rules. There have been incidents of armed robbery, break-ins and theft of dinghies and from yachts, but they remain a rare occurrence compared to the number of cruisers based in the Chaguaramas area.

The risk of robbery on the road between marinas can be eliminated if the YSATT (Yacht Services Association of Trinidad and Tobago) water shuttle is used. YSATT responded to cruisers concerns last year and extended the operating times of the shuttle, and changed the charging structure to make it more affordable for cruisers to use it on a regular basis.

Following an armed incident last year in the anchorage, cruisers instigated a nightly harbour watch but after a few months volunteers were not forthcoming and the harbour watch petered out. It was generally considered to no longer be necessary, and the original incident remains the only armed boarding of a vessel in the Chaguaramas area that I am aware of.

Taxis are cheap and you can hire a car and driver for as little as US$7.00/hr, so there is no reason for cruisers to expose themselves to unnecessary danger when venturing out of their marina. Within the anchorage and the marinas, theft of outboards and dinghies occurs from time to time but the old adage of "lock it or lose it" applies, and many outboards are stolen because they are easy targets.

The bottom line is that if you want to stay in an area outside the hurricane belt you are likely to find yourself exposed to a society where violent crime is commonplace. There are hundreds of cruisers at any one time in the Chaguaramas area and they are able to take advantage of the duty-free goods and reasonably priced services on offer without being unduly concerned for their safety. As a cruising couple with a three year child on board, we feel comfortable about being here, as do the dozens of other cruising families we have met here.

I hope that helps clarify the situation for fellow cruisers worried about coming to Trinidad. Unfortunately cruisers like to tell tales, and by the time the tale is repeated up island for the umpteenth time, the reality of the situation has long since been lost in the telling.

Steve Aspey, S/Y “Melika”, Trinidad