Caribbean

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WorldNorth AtlanticCaribbean
CubaJamaicaBarbadosAbacosAntigua & BarbudaAruba (Neth)BahamasBonaireCayman IslesCuracaoDominicaDominican RepublicGrenadaGuadeloupeHaitiHondurasMartiniqueMontserratPuerto RicoSt MartinSt Kitts - NevisSt LuciaSt Vincent & The GrenadinesTrinidad & TobagoUS Virgin IslandsVenezuelaColombiaCosta RicaNicaragua
About this image
The Caribbean Cruising and Sailing Region (Islands)* - For details click on a name or an area
* Map by kind permission and copyright of Paradise Islands

An online cruising guide for yachts sailing around the islands in the Caribbean. The whole Caribbean region is one of the most popular cruising and sailing regions in the world.

The Caribbean (Dutch: Cariben or Caraïben; French: Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Spanish: Caribe) is a region of the Americas consisting of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (most of which enclose the sea), and the surrounding coasts. The region is located southeast of the United States, east of Central America, and to the north of South America.

Solitude in the Bahamas

Situated largely on the Caribbean Plate, the region comprises more than 7,000 islands, islets, reefs, and cays. Also called the West Indies, since Christopher Columbus landed here in 1492 believing he was in India, the region consists of the Antilles, divided into the larger Greater Antilles which bound the sea on the north and the Lesser Antilles on the south and east (including the Leeward Antilles), and the Bahamas. Geopolitically, the West Indies are usually reckoned as a subregion of North America and are organised into 27 territories including sovereign states, overseas departments, and dependencies. At one time, there was a short-lived country called the Federation of the West Indies composed of ten English-speaking Caribbean territories.

The Caribbean islands are an island chain 4,020 kilometres (2,500 mi) long and no more than 257 kilometres (160 mi) wide at any given point. They enclose the Caribbean Sea.

The region takes its name from that of the Carib, an ethnic group present in the Lesser Antilles and parts of adjacent South America at the time of European contact. In the English-speaking Caribbean, someone from the Caribbean is usually referred to as a "West Indian," although the phrase "Caribbean person" is sometimes used.

Charts

See each individual island.

Weather

Islands of the Lesser Antilles: In the north, the Leeward Islands; in the south, the Windward Islands; and in the west, the Leeward Antilles

The climate of the region is tropical but rainfall varies with elevation, size and water currents (cool upwellings keep the ABC islands arid). Warm, moist tradewinds blow consistently from the east creating rainforest/semidesert divisions on mountainous islands. Occasional northwesterlies affect the northern islands in the winter. Winters are warm, but drier.

The waters of the Caribbean Sea host large, migratory schools of fish, turtles, and coral reef formations. The Puerto Rico trench, located on the fringe of the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea just to the north of the island of Puerto Rico, is the deepest point in all of the Atlantic Ocean.

Hurricanes, which at times batter the region, usually strike northwards of Grenada, and to the west of Barbados. The principal hurricane belt arcs to northwest of the island of Barbados in the Eastern Caribbean.

Sources for weather information

Currents & Tides

See each individual island.

Passages

Also see Gulf Stream Crossing.

Communication

  • HF Nets:
  • VHF Nets:
    • St. Martin/Maarten 0730 VHF 14 Monday-Saturday
    • English Harbour 0900 VHF 68/06 Daily
    • Grenada 0730 VHF 68 Monday-Saturday
    • Chaguaramas 0800 VHF 68 Monday-Sunday
    • Porlamar 0800 VHF 72 Monday-Saturday
    • Puerto La Cruz 0745 VHF 72 Monday-Saturday
    • Rodney Bay 0830 VHF 68 Monday-Saturday


Also see World Cruiser's Nets

Health & Security

Submit any health warnings/information and any security details here. If this section does not apply remove it.

Countries, Ports, Anchorages, and Islands

Key to symbols: |Island icon – island |Harbour icon – harbour |Marina icon – marina |Anchorage icon – anchorage |Needs data icon – needs data ||
Abacos Abacos /wiki/Abacos Island icon – island |Harbour icon – harbour |
Antigua & BarbudaAntigua & Barbuda/wiki/Antigua Island icon – island |Harbour icon – harbour |Anchorage icon – anchorage |
Aruba (Neth)Aruba (Neth)/wiki/Aruba Island icon – island |Needs data icon – needs data |
Bermuda Bermuda /wiki/Bermuda Island icon – island |Harbour icon – harbour |
Bahamas Bahamas /wiki/Bahamas Island icon – island |
Barbados Barbados /wiki/Barbados Island icon – island |Harbour icon – harbour |Marina icon – marina |Anchorage icon – anchorage |
Bonaire (Neth)Bonaire (Neth)/wiki/Bonaire Island icon – island |Needs data icon – needs data |
British Virgin Islands (BVI)British Virgin Islands (BVI)/wiki/British_Virgin_Islands Island icon – island |
Cayman IslesCayman Isles/wiki/Cayman Island icon – island |
Cuba Cuba /wiki/Cuba Harbour icon – harbour |Marina icon – marina |
Curacao (Neth)Curacao (Neth)/wiki/Curacao Island icon – island |Needs data icon – needs data |
Exumas Exumas /wiki/Exumas Island icon – island |Harbour icon – harbour |Anchorage icon – anchorage |
Dominica Dominica /wiki/Dominica Island icon – island |Harbour icon – harbour |Anchorage icon – anchorage |
Dominican Republic Dominican Republic /wiki/Dominican_Republic Island icon – island |Harbour icon – harbour |Marina icon – marina |
Grenada Grenada /wiki/Grenada Island icon – island |Harbour icon – harbour |Marina icon – marina |Anchorage icon – anchorage |
Guadeloupe Guadeloupe /wiki/Guadeloupe Island icon – island |Harbour icon – harbour |Anchorage icon – anchorage |
Guanaja Guanaja /wiki/Guanaja Island icon – island |Needs data icon – needs data |
Haiti Haiti /wiki/Haiti Island icon – island |Harbour icon – harbour |
Honduras Honduras /wiki/Honduras Harbour icon – harbour |Needs data icon – needs data |
Jamaica Jamaica /wiki/Jamaica Island icon – island |Harbour icon – harbour |
Martinique Martinique /wiki/Martinique Island icon – island |Harbour icon – harbour |Marina icon – marina |Anchorage icon – anchorage |
Montserrat Montserrat /wiki/Montserrat Island icon – island |Harbour icon – harbour |Marina icon – marina |Anchorage icon – anchorage |
Netherlands Antilles Netherlands Antilles /wiki/Netherlands_Antilles Island icon – island |Harbour icon – harbour |
Puerto Rico (US)Puerto Rico (US)/wiki/Puerto_Rico Island icon – island |Harbour icon – harbour |
Roatan Roatan /wiki/Roatan Island icon – island |Marina icon – marina |
San Andres (Colombia)San Andres (Colombia)/wiki/San_Andres Needs data icon – needs data |
San Blas Islands (Panama)San Blas Islands (Panama)/wiki/San_Blas_Islands Island icon – island |Needs data icon – needs data |
Sint Maarten (Neth)Sint Maarten (Neth)/wiki/Sint_Maarten Island icon – island |Harbour icon – harbour |
Spanish Virgin IslandsSpanish Virgin Islands/wiki/Spanish_Virgins Island icon – island |
St Barthelemy St Barthelemy /wiki/St_Barthelemy Island icon – island |Harbour icon – harbour |
St Kitts - Nevis St Kitts - Nevis /wiki/St_Kitts_-_Nevis Island icon – island |Harbour icon – harbour |
St Lucia St Lucia /wiki/St_Lucia Island icon – island |Harbour icon – harbour |Marina icon – marina |Anchorage icon – anchorage |
St Martin (Fr)St Martin (Fr)/wiki/St_Martin Island icon – island |Marina icon – marina |
St Vincent & The GrenadinesSt Vincent & The Grenadines/wiki/Saint_Vincent_and_the_Grenadines Island icon – island |Needs data icon – needs data |
Trinidad & TobagoTrinidad & Tobago/wiki/Trinidad_-_Tobago Island icon – island |Harbour icon – harbour |
Turks & CaicosTurks & Caicos/wiki/Turks_-_Caicos Island icon – island |Harbour icon – harbour |
Utilla Utilla /wiki/Utilla Needs data icon – needs data |
US Virgin IslandsUS Virgin Islands/wiki/US_Virgins Island icon – island |

References & Publications

Websites that List Available Guides & Books

  • RCC Pilotage Foundation, Passage Planning Map based index to RCC Crusing Guide Books & Passage Planning Guides.
  • Imray produce many Cruising Guides for Many areas of the world, [1]
  • Conference of Yacht Cruising Clubs (UK), Sailing Directions published by CYCC members has many guides for the UK and a few that cover over areas of Europe.
  • Ocean Cruising Club, Cruising Areas This website contains information for a large number of cruing areas including brief information about each area and a list of guide books as well as a Google map of the locations in the reports.
  • Cruising Association, Publications Books and Cruising Guides.
  • Adlard Coles Nautical Publisher, Cruising & Chartering Produce a number of Cruising Guides and Passage Planning Books as well as many other nautical books.
  • Bookharbour.com (Kelvin Hughes Limited) On Line Book Shop Has many Pilot books covering many areas of the world.

Friends

Contact details of "Cruiser's Friends" that can be contacted for local information or assistance.

Forums

List links to discussion threads on partnering forums. (see link for requirements)

Links

Comments

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SailorSmiley.gifContributors to this page

Names: Lighthouse, Mezzaluna, TaoJones, Rr7


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