Rental of catamaran and sailing guide Grenadines
GrenadinesThe Grenadines are an idyllic place for vacationing… Ideally located, the climate is very pleasant, sailing easy and the seafloor remarkable! Multihulls can help you take full advantage of this increasingly popular destination, where you will have a multitude of possibilities for finding the catamaran of your dreams.
Practical infos
Formalities : Entry and exit formalities mandatory as soon as you change islands or group of islands. For “clearance”, the boat’s skipper must show the passports of each passenger valid at least 6 months and the boats’ papers and hoist the yellow “Q” flag (request for unrestricted sailing) and the courtesy flag of the country visited. In the Grenadines, you can go through formalities at Kingston and Wallilabou (St Vincent), Admiralty Bay (Bequia) and Clifton Harbor (Union) for the Grenadines from Saint Vincent; and for the Grenadines from Grenada to Hillsborough (Carriacou) and St George's (Grenada). The Grenadines, from Bequia to Little St Vincent via Canouan and Union depend on the Republic of St Vincent, while the islands of Carriacou and Petite Martinique depend on Grenada.
Weather : Tourist season : December to april But sailing is very pleasant until late July. August and september are much wetter (plentiful rainfall) and especially this is the time when there is a serious threat of hurricanes.
Temperatures : 26-30°C/79-86°F Humidity of the air: 70%
Sailing conditions : In the channels between the islands, the sea can quickly become choppy, making it quite uncomfortable to sailing between islands, especially for an inexperienced crew, just off the plane.
Winds : the tradewinds from the East set in from November to July (rarely exceeding 30/35 knots). Do beware, however, of squalls, easily spotted from afar, under which gusts of wind and precipitation can be very violent. The general current bears westward, and in some passages, you must keep an eye on the tide that, in spite of 1 m differences in depth can create fairly strong tidal currents.
Marking : You are sailing in zone “B” (on entering the harbor, green buoys to port). Marking remains haphazard and the lights don’t work all the time. At any rate, rental companies strongly discourage, or even forbid, sailing at night.
Currency : The currency in the Grenadines is the EC dollar, but the US dollar and euro are accepted in many places and exchange is quite easy. In the French islands (Martinique, Guadeloupe and their dependencies), the currency is the euro.
Logbook
Tempted by the Grenadines ? Then, you can take advantage of several solutions. You can choose to leave from the French Antilles, usually Martinique, 90 nautical miles from Saint Vincent. Martinique has an international airport, with several daily flights to Europe and the USA.
Other solutions : leaving from Saint Lucia, which also has an international airport and is less than 50 nautical miles from Saint Vincent. Finally, for those who prefer to avoid sailing in the often turbulent channels of the Antilles, there is the solution of starting directly from the island of Grenada, in the very heart of the Grenadines. You can fly to Grenada directly from London or via Martinique. The most common solution is to leave from Martinique, most rental companies having a base in the marina at Le Marin. In this case, if you have only one week’s rental, you should consider sailing one way, to take advantage of the Grenadines. Otherwise, the round trip will take you at least two weeks, the distance between Martinique and Carriacou being 130 nautical miles.
Martinique : starting base for many renters, Martinique justifies a few stopovers (Anses d’Arlet, Sainte-Anne, Saint-Pierre and its shipwrecks, or even the windward coast where you will find true solitary anchorages…)
Saint Lucia : The legendary celebration of Gros Îlot on Friday nights is apparently not quite as popular as a few years ago… so you should inquire before going there. Rodney Bay is a first very pleasant anchorage when you come directly from Europe via Martinique: white sand and coconut palms… Don’t miss Marigot Bay, one of the musts in this part of the Antilles. Finally, there is a grandiose landscape at the anchorage of Soufrière, at the foot of the somewhat oppressive volcano.
Saint Vincent : Many yachtspersons avoid this island for various reasons: there are few anchorages, which are uninteresting and problems of theft tarnish the island’s image.
Bequia : The whalers’ island (generally one sperm whale a year) is one of the stopovers you won’t want to miss in the Grenadines. With a very pleasant roomy anchorage and a friendly population, Bequia is a place where you feel good and will surely want to return often.
Mustique : The island for millionaires in search of peace, quiet and beauty. Not to be missed, to increase your collection of autographs.
Tobago Cays : This is probably the reason for your presence in the Grenadines. It is magnificent and under no circumstances should you miss this anchorage, unfortunately more and more crowded. -
Union : With Bequia and Grenada, Union is the main stopover in the Grenadines. Many rental companies are present there, and in case of one-way travel, you will leave your boat here. All services are available.
Grenada : This is the largest of the islands in the Grenadines. It is an excellent starting base for a cruise in the Grenadines, and Grenada amply justifies a stay of several days.
Itinerary for one week rental starting from Martinique (one way)
Day 1 : Le Marin (Martinique) - Rodney Bay (St Lucia)
Day 2 : Marigot Bay (St Lucia)
Day 3 to Day 6 : Bequia - Mustique - Canouan - Mayero - Union - Carriacou and/or Grenada
Day 7 : St Vincent/Union/Grenada according to the choice of your rental company and their base in the Grenadines.
Itinerary for two weeks rental starting from Martinique
Day 1 : Le Marin (Martinique) - Rodney Bay (St Lucia)
Day 2 to Day 11 : St Vincent - Bequia - Canouan - Mayero - Union - Grenada - Carriacou - Little Saint Vincent - Mustique - Bequia
Day 12 : Soufrière/Marigot bay (St Lucia)
Day 13 : Sainte-Anne (Martinique)
Day 14 : Saint-Anne (Martinique) - Le Marin (Martinique)
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