Caribbean Passagemaking 3back to home page

	The Caribbean more than any other is the sea of sailing dreams but the steady Trade Winds and Equatorial current which do so much to guarantee exhilarating off-wind passages can also guarantee hard, long bashes to windward in those open water trips between islands. Unless, of course, you know the three-fold secret which unlocks the benign nature of the island chain - prime harbours - weather windows - a philosophical state of mind. This book has become essential reading for those sailing the island chain with its guide to passage making, boat preparation and communications. It mixes reference material with informative sailing anecdotes; gives details on regional and local weather systems; explains local sea states by setting them in the context of the immense natural forces at work in creating the island and seabed topography. It contains practical seamanship for this area. The book outlines the social, economic and political factors making up Caribbean-ness but always comes back to a sailor's eye-view on the islands, their peoples and cultures.
I remember like it was yesterday when a whole new style of passage planning opened up before me………. Photo by Gloria Jardine	There is a sweet chain of logic here. The island chain seems to have been laid out to help rather than hinder the well-planned cruise. "The penny finally dropped - I had discovered the secret of dry, comfortable passage making in this boisterous sea. Never again need I smash and crash my way to windward to visit a new island. Never again would any one else need to suffer. Unless they wanted to!”
	Review by Cruising Association, January 2006 “Les Weatheritt has learned his Caribbean passage making lessons well and has passed them on for those who would like to follow in his footsteps. I shall enjoy dipping into this dream maker, time and again. As an RYA Instructor, I shall pass on his excellent practical advice … some of the best I have read. I became so enthralled by various snippets that I ordered a copy for myself! Highly recommended.” www.cruising.org.uk
Photo by Martin Hammer Kick-'em-Jenny is the southern-most active volcano in the Lesser Antilles and the only one below the sea. Since 1939 the volcano has been in a state of continuous low-level eruption, with some nasty kicks in between.	Review by The Boca, Trinidad, March 2005: “Caribbean Passagemaking fills a big gap in how to sail in the Caribbean. It's full of up-to-date information on the many, many things cruisers need to know; everything from intimate details on different islands about the geology, their people, culture and services including how and when to comfortably sail between islands without pinching or fighting the currents. There is lots of information about weather such as the Christmas Winds, squalls, the Inter-tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), how to prepare for hurricane season, how to keep in touch with forecasters, equatorial currents and tides; all the things that a sailor should be concerned about during a passage between the islands. The book provides the key to simpler and relaxing passagemaking between the Virgins and Trinidad by focusing on 20 prime harbours for easy entry, good holding and as free from swell as any you will find. Whether going south or north, you can follow a series of tips on routes to choose through the islands. Pick your preferred prime harbour and leave navigational nail biting to those who haven't read this book. And when you have more time, you can later explore the thousands of little bays of the Caribbean. It gives in-depth information on sea and weather and the practical topics specific to the region – entry and exit procedures, palm tree anchoring, boat boys, swell, weather windows, health care, on-board equipment. The book wraps this up with an overview of the region itself – its economy and language, its geology and volcanoes, its dangerous hurricanes and how they form and how to monitor them.”
	Review by Caribbean Compass, November 2004 “This book delivers virtually all the information you’ll need to make happy and efficient inter-island passages from St Thomas to Trinidad….it will fit nicely on the cruiser’s bookshelf.”
Martin Hammer’s lovely old ketch Anima III at anchor	Review by reader “This is a great book and will give you the best time sailing in the Caribbean. I can’t recommend it enough. It is full of really useful information that would normally take you a dozen other books to find, and having it at your fingertips makes for a more entertaining visit to the region. It is also full of practical guidance about what makes the sailing conditions in the Caribbean and how they change. I managed to sail between and around the islands like an expert. When I ignored his advice on a trip from Grenada to Bequia I realised how practical this book really is. Put it alongside Doyle and Street but read it for the big picture before you read those two.”
BVI photo by Gloria Jardine	Review by Latitudes& Attitudes, February 2005 “The chain of islands from the Virgins through to the southern Caribbean is considered one of the most desirable tropical cruising grounds for any sailor, and it can be sailed in comfort and confidence with only one language, one currency, a modicum of weather forecasting, and an ability to spot weather windows. This book is an entertaining mine of information for the sun-soaked passage planner as well as the dreamer back home. Here is the full, vital background to help skipper and crew enjoy sailing the region. "The vast amount of information you get for your buck is well ordered and presented with enthusiasm." –Bookist
List of Chapters Introduction.................................................................................... 2 Chapter one - Coming to terms.................................................... 12 Chapter two - The secret to your simple passage plan................ 18 Chapter three - The sea that flows............................................... 35 Chapter four - The wind that blows............................................. 42 Chapter five - The land that glows............................................... 81 Chapter six - A people to know.................................................... 87 Chapter seven - Island passages.................................................. 95 Tips to easier passages - Going south through the chain........ 102 Tips to easier passages - Going north through the chain........ 115 Chapter eight - Island guides..................................................... 127 Chapter nine - Islands off the list............................................... 191 Chapter ten - Staying in touch.................................................... 195 Chapter eleven - Health and hazards......................................... 203 Chapter twelve - Entertainment................................................. 210 Chapter thirteen - In your own wake......................................... 216 Chapter fourteen - Water in your rum....................................... 226 Appendix One: Glossary of local terms..................................... 227 Appendix Two: Measures of wind strengths............................. 228 Appendix Three: Costs of entry and clearance.......................... 230 Appendix Four: Public holidays by island................................. 232 Appendix Five: Petronella, the boat........................................... 234

Published in the UK by Adlard Coles Nautical www.adlardcoles.com and in the USA by Sheridan House www.sheridanhouse.com

Available from Hanna Thompson in Trinidad info@hannabythebay.com Hanna is chief adviser to the Scandinavians sailing the Caribbean and thanks largely to her they are among the best informed and socially active sailing community here. But Hanna is a generous source of advice and support, from boat care to the best walks on Trinidad. You don’t have to be Scandinavian. She is based at Power Boats, Chaguaramas.

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