The Caribbean is indeed one of the beautiful places on Earth. With its mesmerizing aura and sights to behold, more and more people are planning to go on Caribbean sailing vacations. But, just like any vacation destination, Caribbean sailing vacations can be a hassle and much more, a tiring experience if you don’t prepare for it.
Planning your sailing vacation
There are so many ways to prepare for a sailing vacation in the Caribbean. One is gathering as much information that you can get so you won't be a loss during the trip.
To gather information, you can ask those people who have experienced it for first-hand comments and opinions. Probably, these people who have gone to the sailing trip are the most authorized to talk about it because they have experienced it themselves. You can ask them about their personal impression on certain places as well as tips in order to make the trip more enjoyable and worthwhile. If you are getting information from these people, make sure that you ask those that you know personally. Since observations can be subjective, you might be getting wrong information and impression.
Another means of planning for Caribbean sailing vacations is by reading about the place that you are planning to visit. Today, there are so many travel magazines that feature almost all places in the world. If you are buying one, make sure that it includes all the places you would want to go so you can save on some money. In the articles inside the magazine, everything about the place will be featured and you will have an idea what to expect.
If you want faster and updated information, surf the Internet and browse various travel websites. Here, you can visit multiple sites all at the same time. You can even ask online inquiries and get travel updates on the date you wish to sail. If you are lucky enough, you can even get discounts from various travel agencies once you book early.
Another means of planning your sailing vacation is to "schedule" what you need to do during the trip. "Scheduling" means that you have to specify which are the activities that you want to do in a specific time, date, and place. You have to set your priorities so you can maximize your trip and your money.
Things to consider in planning your Caribbean sailing vacations include the food, your accommodation, and the schedule of boat transfers if there are any.
The places to visit should also be of major consideration. The places to visit would depend on your interest and your curiosity. If you don’t have any specific place or places in mind, conduct a simple research through the Internet.
Before you leave
Although you have planned your Caribbean sailing vacation well, there would always be glitches just before you leave. This major glitch involves the things that you need in the duration of the vacation. To ensure that nothing will be left behind and you will be bringing the things that you need, make sure that you list down all the things that you will be needing before you pack.
The most important things that you should consider when going on a Caribbean sailing vacation include storage spaces such as duffel bags, pieces of clothing, tools or devices for relaxation, important documents, medication or first aid kit that contains aids for in simple ailments, money for emergency and shopping purposes, toiletries, and protectors from the sun's rays such as sunglasses, hats, and lotions with UV protection.
There is something magical about chartering a boat and sailing the clear, turquoise blue waters of the Caribbean. There is no finer way to get a break and relax than to sail from island to island. At some point during your Caribbean sailing experience, however, you will want to stop. Whether you want to fish, swim, snorkel or dive, have lunch or stay overnight, you will need to find an anchorage and either anchor or use a mooring ball. Anchoring a boat securely is one of the most basic skills in boat handling. The key is preparation and slow maneuvering. If you miss the first time, do not be embarrassed. There is not an experienced sailor afloat who has not encountered this problem. Just go around and start again. The important thing is to have it right! By anchoring poorly, not only are you endangering your boat, but also the other boats anchored nearby. By following these suggestions and techniques, you can feel confident that you will have safe, hassle-free anchoring.
Main entrance of the Club Nautico de Ponce, Ponce, PR (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Selecting the Anchorage
The first step in anchoring is to pick an anchorage. Try to arrive at your anchorage relatively early enough in the afternoon. This allows you enough light to avoid any shoals or other hazards like rock/coral heads, fish nets or boats, ferries, freighters, mooring balls, crab pots and cables. In addition, during peak season (December to April) many popular spots throughout the Caribbean become very crowded. By arriving early enough, you have extra time to go somewhere else before nightfall.
When choosing an anchorage, there are several things to consider. For instance, is the anchorage protected? A good anchorage offers protection from the current weather conditions and will also offer protection from the expected weather. Are there any local weather (wind) conditions or exposure to swells that could make the anchorage too rolly? How well is the entrance and anchorage area charted or marked?
How good is the holding? Charts should indicate the type of bottom. Generally speaking, most anchors will hold well in sandy bottoms. Rock, coral and shale prevent anchors from digging in. If possible, avoid grassy bottoms, where it is very difficult to set the anchor. How crowded, noisy, dirty or smelly is it? Is the band from the beach bar going to keep you up until the wee hours of the morning or is the diesel smell of the inter-island ferry going to detract from your ideal scent of paradise? How pretty is the anchorage when you sit in the cockpit enjoying the dawn or dusk? How long a dinghy ride is it to shore and is there a decent place to dock the dinghy? What amenities are available on shore? What is the depth and tidal range? Enough depth is needed so that low tide does not present obstacles your boat might swing into and it is also important when determining scope. Finally, is there enough room? No matter where your boat is anchored, the largest possible swing range should be considered.
Getting Ready
Once you have decided that the anchorage is the perfect spot to stop on your Caribbean sailing adventure, there are several steps to take before actually anchoring. Before doing anything else, work out a system of communication between the person at the helm and the crew member dropping the anchor. Remember that your engine will be running and therefore you will be unable to communicate verbally. Hand signals usually work best. Furl the sails and generally make the boat shipshape before entering the anchorage. Also, shorten the dinghy painter (the line that attaches at the front of the dinghy) if you are dragging the dinghy behind you. This prevents it from being sucked into the prop when you put the engine in reverse. Open the anchor locker hatch, and if your anchor has a safety line attached to the chain (usually found only in mono hulls), untie and release it. Get the anchor ready to be dropped by disengaging the anchor from the bow rollers. This is done by using the remote control windlass (found in most Caribbean sailing charters) to lower the anchor about two to three feet. Make sure all fingers and toes are away from the chain! Finally, take a tour of the anchorage at very slow speed to get a sense of where you would like to be.
Dropping and Setting the Anchor
After your tour of the anchorage, pick your spot. As the newest arrival in an anchorage, you must anchor to keep clear of boats already at anchor. Allow for any change in wind direction. It is always safer to leave extra space around your boat. Make sure you will have enough room to fall back on the anchor without lying too close to any vessel anchored behind you once you have laid out a 7 to 1 scope. In normal conditions, if you are using all chain, a safe minimum anchor scope ratio is 5 to 1 (chain length to depth).
In heavy weather, the scope ratio is 7 to 1. Depth is the depth of the water at high tide plus the height from the water line to the bow roller. Scope is the actual amount of anchor line (chain) paid out when the boat is safely anchored. For example, if high water is 20 feet deep and your bow roller is 5 feet above the water, you need 125 feet (5 x 20 + 5 feet) of scope to anchor if using all chain, or 175 feet if using a 7 to 1 scope. Remember, putting out too little scope is one of the most common mistakes cruisers make when anchoring.
With the bow to the wind, slowly motor up to the desired spot. Stop the boat exactly where you wish the anchor to lay and take note of the depth. Remember that if you are chartering a catamaran, a cat offers less resistance to the water than a mono hull and thus takes more time to slow down than a mono hull. Make sure the catamaran has completely stopped. You can keep a cat straight into the wind by using both engines at idle speed. Once your vessel has lost all forward movement, it is now time to drop and set the anchor.
Despite the term, "dropping anchor", you never want to throw the anchor over the side or let it run free immediately, because the chain will run out at a tremendous speed and pile on itself rather than laying out straight on the sea bed. A piled anchor chain prevents the anchor from setting properly and may actually foul the anchor. Instead, with the windlass, lower the anchor quickly to the bottom. Let the wind slowly push your boat back- do not try to reverse. Let out adequate scope as the vessel moves aft. If you are in a mono hull, do not worry about being broadside to the wind. When the desired amount of scope has been let out, snub the chain and allow the wind to straighten out the boat. Once the boat is headed with the bow into the wind, gently put the engine into reverse and throttle at 1500 rpm's for about 15-20 seconds. This should set the anchor and the anchor chain should start to straighten. If it vibrates or skips, let out more scope. An anchor that is set will not shake the chain. Once you are satisfied the anchor is set, turn off the engine. Put on your snorkel gear and visually check the anchor to ensure your boat is secure. If the anchor is lying on its side, caught in coral, or the chain is wrapped around a coral head, reset it.
When the anchor is firmly set, look around for reference points in relation to your boat. These can include other boats or fixed landmarks like a house, rock formation or tower. Over the next hour, relax in your cockpit and make sure those reference points are in the same place. If not, you are probably dragging the anchor.
Dealing With the Dragging Anchor
If your boat is dragging anchor during the day, it is not a major problem. Start your engine and put it into idle gear. Try to let out more chain. Wait a few minutes to see if the anchor sets itself. If not, you will have to re-anchor. If you boat is dragging at night, it becomes a little more challenging. If you are sound asleep and you do not bump into anything, you might not even know you dragged until the next morning when you wake up in a different place. I have friends who are extremely experienced sailors. They actually woke up in an entirely different anchorage after a night of dragging. On the other hand, you might become aware of night dragging when other people in the anchorage start screaming and flashing lights at your boat. Start your engine and keep it idling. Try to let out more chain and wait to see if the anchor resets itself. If not, you will have to re-anchor. Use your depth sounder to try and find another spot to anchor. Keep all the lights on the boat off to get the best night vision possible. Slowly move to another spot with extreme caution. If your neighbor's boat is dragging during the day, try and get their attention. Put out fenders to avoid damage to your boat. If nobody is on board the dragging boat (they are onshore drinking at the local beach bar), you can either get aboard their boat and reset the anchor, or if you are not comfortable doing that, you may have to move your own boat. During the night, if you are suddenly jolted awake when another boat hits yours, immediately start the engine and keep it idling. Wake up the crew of the other boat (yell, flash your lights, etc), put out fenders and do the same as during the day.
The Mooring Ball Option
Throughout the Caribbean, but especially in the British Virgin Islands, professionally maintained mooring balls are located in many anchorages and are available for overnight use for a small fee. A mooring is a buoy connected to an extremely heavy anchor or weight. Besides protecting the coral from damage done by an anchor, picking up a mooring ball has three other advantages. First, you do no have to go to the bother of using your anchor. Second, the mooring's anchor probably is never going to drag. And third, because the mooring's anchor is so heavy and deeply imbedded in the sea bottom, less scope is needed and, therefore, the boat will swing around in a tighter radius than it would on its own anchor.
As in anchoring, approach the mooring area slowly with your dinghy pulled in on a short painter. Have a crew member ready with a boat hook at the bow to direct you and to pick up the mooring pennant (a line with a loop at the end). Have one end of a line attached to a bow cleat with the free end close by. If you have chartered a catamaran, one line is sufficient. If you have chartered a mono hull, however, attach a second line to the opposite side bow cleat. Point the bow of the boat into the wind and slowly approach the mooring ball. By shifting alternately from forward to neutral, you can coast towards the ball. Shift into reverse to stop the boat as the crew member lifts the pennant on board and passes the free end of the line(s) through it. Quickly cleat off the free end of the line on the opposite bow cleat for a catamaran or on the same side for a mono hull.. On a mono hull, the two lines prevent chafing and limit the risk of breaking free from the mooring ball. On a catamaran, the line hangs low enough that chafing from tension is rarely a problem. Again, do not be embarrassed if you miss picking up the pennant the first time- it has happened to all of us! Just circle around and try it again. Once secured, adjust the lines, if necessary.
To leave a mooring ball, make sure the dinghy is again on a short painter. Un-cleat the line(s) and simply let go of the pennant. Take care not to run over the mooring buoy and pennant as you leave for your next Caribbean sailing destination.
Weighing Anchor
Before raising the anchor, preparation is again necessary. Make sure that loose items are stowed and hatch covers are closed. (The anchor locker hatch cover should be open). Shorten up the dinghy painter again. Start the engine. Most charter boats require the engine on to operate the windlass. Have a crew member stand on the most forward point at the bow with the windlass remote control. Using hand signals, the crew member instructs the helmsman to move the boat forward very slowly in the direction of the chain. Make sure the helmsman stops the motion of the boat before overshooting the anchor. While the chain is slack, start cranking it up. When you get to the snubber, put down the remote and remove the snubber. Then resume cranking. When the chain is taut again, with hand signals, instruct the helmsman to move the boat forward again in the direction of the chain. The whole idea of this is to avoid using the windlass to move the boat forward, as this causes incredible strain on the windlass and on the chain roller. At one point, you will find the boat straight above the anchor. Finish cranking the chain until the anchor is all the way up and settled on the rollers. Signal the helmsman that the boat is free. Reattach the safety line to the anchor chain if it has one, stow the remote control and secure the anchor locker hatch. Then return to the cockpit to help raise the sails.
No matter where your Caribbean sailing adventure takes you, at some point you will want to stop. Anchoring is among the most important activities you will do while cruising. Anchoring is as much an art as a science. The helmsman and crew have to orchestrate their efforts with the wind, current and vessel. The important thing to remember is not to be embarrassed. Even the most experienced sailors have difficulty anchoring at times. As the old adage says, "Practice makes perfect." To perfect your anchoring skills and enjoy the most relaxing vacation ever, contact Virgin Island Sailing to arrange your charter. Nothing else beats Caribbean sailing!
Wondering where to
go? Why not try the world of great tropical adventure that Costa Rica
offers?
A Costa Rica
Caribbean travel offers you active volcano exploration, wild animals, lush
rainforests, and great beaches. On one of the ultimate paradises left untouched
on this planet, there are no military, no nuclear power plants, lots of culture
to offer, and no winter. A democratic society, Costa Rica is known as one of the
most peaceful in the world. The last civil war was in 1948, and since then,
armed forces have been abolished and the country has been able to avoid such
dangers as despotic dictatorships, military coups, terrorism, and all other
forms of internal strife.
In Costa Rica, teams made their way to Poás Volcano National Park for a Route Info clue. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Not only that, a
Costa Rica Caribbean travel guarantees you a friendly atmosphere wherever part
of the country you choose to visit.
The name literally
means “rich coast” but Costa
Rica is rich for far more than its coast.
The country is replete with incredible natural beauties and many species of
animals, some of them extremely rare and can only be seen if you go on a Costa
Rica Caribbean travel.
The flora
biodiversity alone is made up of well over 10,000 species of vascular plants
and beautiful flowers. And as for tree species, almost 2,000 have been recorded
in this small country in Latin America. This
makes a Costa Rica Caribbean travel even more exciting, with such fascinating
and endless number of natural habitat for various flora and fauna.
Besides land mammals
and birds that would make any sane eco-tourism enthusiast go ga-ga over, Costa Rica is
also home to 835 species of fish, of which 700 are saltwater fish. Anglers and
fishers are going to have an awesome time dipping their poles in Costa Rica’s
clear, azure waters to hook any one of these tropical fish species.
But if we focus a
minute on the northwest region of Costa Rica, called Guanacaste,
where most of the Costa Rica Caribbean travelers go nowadays because of the
wide variety of scenery and activities offered, you will realize that there are
so many more types of tours you can take. If you want to get really close to Costa Rica and
actually see all these wonderful trees, plants, flowers, animals, and fish,
then a Costa Rica Caribbean travel is all you need.
There is a wide range
of activities to choose from on your Costa Rica Caribbean travel. Most of these
depend on the part of the country in which you are vacationing. In the
rainforest and you like birds, then bird watching walks with well-informed
English-speaking guides or horseback riding are the type of Costa Rica
Caribbean travel tours you should take.
You can also take one
of those canopy tours, which are popular all over Costa Rica. But if you want the
richest and best experience in Costa
Rica’s rainforests, then avoid those that go
through areas which are north towards the west. Here, the climates are dryer so
naturally the vegetation lacks some of its beautiful richness in both density
and color.
All there is to know about the vacation destination of your dreams – that is exactly what a Caribbean travel guide offers. But are Caribbean travel guides really godsend? Or are they just patronizing materials designed for commercial purposes?
Well, they’re a little of both actually. After all, the people behind Caribbean travel guides do need a source of income in order to continue to publish their guides. But a tremendous amount of research has been placed in these guides to just dismiss them as useless resource material.
What else is more nifty, informative and convenient than a Caribbean travel guide?
Sure, the Internet may prove more updated when it comes to information, but you can’t carry the Internet everywhere. And believe it or not, it’s always much more gratifying to pull out a Caribbean travel guide from your carry case, flip a few pages open, then slip it right back when you’re tried of reading. It sure beats having to wait in the airport, sitting bored silly and wondering whether or not your flight’s going to be delayed.
That said, don’t cling to travel guides religiously. Many travelers make that mistake. They are not the bibles that they are made out to be by some people. You should know that published materials, including travel guides, are out of date the moment they are published, because by then, there would have been new updated material that came up and it would be too late to include them.
So, how are you supposed to use Caribbean travel guides then? How would you know which information to believe and which facts are outdated? Unfortunately, there is no exact answer to that. To get the most out of your Caribbean travel guide, use them sparingly for basic orientation. So once you have the basics right down to a tee, go out there and discover the towns and cities on your own. That is, after all, what traveling is all about – adventure and discovery of new things. At the very least, when all other signs look foreign, the information on museums and places of interest are great.
However, when it comes to hotels and restaurants, each to his own taste and budget. Remember that bargains rise in price with popularity, so there’s every bit of chance that that hot new deal in your Caribbean travel guide isn’t much of a deal anymore, considering how pricey it has become. And then sometimes, too, the places get easily full with foreigners and travelers like you, so you can’t always expect your Caribbean travel guide to point you in the right place all the time.
Then, if you do wander around on your own, then you will surely find quality rooms with reasonable prices. They may be located in out-of-the-way places that Caribbean travel guide writers may not know about. Remember that because you in the destination, you are in far better place to get what you want out of your vacation.
So to close it off, don’t be a sad type who writes to say that “it wasn’t like what you said in the book.” Here’s a tip: open your eyes and explore for yourself!
If you’re searching total tranquility for scuba diving adventure in a tropical paradise, Bay Islands is the one for you.
Bay Islands is located along the coasts of Belize and Honduras situated in western Caribbean. With its picture perfect scenery that includes palm trees, smooth white beaches, and clear blue water, truly Bay Islands is a world wonder. Bay Islands consists of the islands of Guanaja, Roatan, Utila, and to over 60 islets that sits atop on the world’s second biggest barrier reef.
With its great coral reefs along the edges, Bay Islands is the right place for you to scuba dive. Because of its huge reef system, you can find different kinds of corals and sponges. The water will give you good visibility in finding over 800 species of fish. The water current can give you the opportunity to dive within 15 feet from reefs up to diving 200 feet on sea mounds without getting swept by.
The largest of Bay Islands is Roatan which is about 42 miles long and 2 miles wide. Roatan’s northern and southern reefs is home of about 40 dive sites that can give both beginners and professional divers the chance to explore the plummeting walls, caverns, and crevices.
Roatan also features some of the best shore diving sites that include the famed Spooky Channel. Spooky Channel is a streambed that forms a cut all the way through the reef. Snorkelling atop of the 8-foot crack of the reef is indeed exciting. In fact, divers can actually swim through the wider interior of the said channel to make the dive more enjoyable.
Smaller island of Utila, on the other hand, gained a status as great spot for beginners in scuba diving. Dive shops in Utila are offering cheaper cost for diving courses. So, Utila have become the haven for low-budget amateur divers. With the competition between dive shops, the price for a dive course is down to about between $125 to $150 in any open water course or advanced open water course.
Recently, Utila became the home of whale sharks which is the world’s largest fish. Don’t you worry whale sharks are harmless as you can swim alongside the fish. You can also be lucky to have the chance to swim and dive with dolphins. The best months to see these creatures are from March to May.
Getting to Bay Islands is very accessible. By air travel, there are available flights that can direct you either to the island of Roatan or the Honduran mainland. By sea route, there are also available cruise ships that depart by schedule from different ports in the United States to Caribbean.
For in your Scuba Diving adventure in the Caribbean, Bay Islands is the best.
