Caribbean Bound? Some Useful Noonsite Articles and Links
For any cruisers planning a passage to the Caribbean this winter, here is a round-up of some useful articles, advice and links from Noonsite.
Published 6 years ago, updated 5 years ago
Considerations for marine lightning protection – survey results
Citizen Science Programmes for Cruisers
Join a Rally: World Cruising Club Events
Pre-Passage Checks & Preparation
Passage Planning
Atlantic Crossing Reports and Links
Atlantic Ocean West Reports and Links
Grab Bag: What should you pack for a long voyage?
Unknown Crew on the passage? A word of warning…
A sailor’s guide to whales and dolphins
Fishing from yachts for beginners
The Atlantic Ocean – The Sargassum Phenomenon is a Serious Issue for Atlantic sailors
Garbage Disposal at Sea and in the Eastern Caribbean
Cruising in the Caribbean
Caribbean Sea Routing advice and articles
How to Cruise the Eastern Caribbean
Caribbean sailing tips: Chris Doyle on making the most of your time there
Cruising West from Trinidad: Cruisers give their advice
Heading to the Caribbean this Fall? Find out about Sargassum…..
Cruising the Caribbean with Pets
News Sources
Caribbean Safety and Security Net
Chris Doyle’s Caribbean Sailors Guides
USA: Print-on-demand Imray Caribbean charts now available
Three Families on a Caribbean Sabbatical
Voyaging with Kids – A Guide to Family Life Afloat
A Thinking Mans Guide to Voyages South
Freecruisingguides.com was a website that housed all of Frank Virgintino’s FREE cruising guides for the Caribbean. This website is no longer in operation and all Virgintino’s guides must now be purchased through Amazon. The SSCA [www.ssca.org], however, have all Frank’s guides on their website – available to members.
Arrival
Covid-19: Open and Closed Countries
Eastern Caribbean Cruising: Simplified Clearance Procedures Explained
A Guide to Checking in and out of Countries with your Sailboat
Demystifying international clearance for cruisers
Warning if cruising the Caribbean with pets
Communications
Caribbean, Bahamas and USA East Coast: SSCA HF Net is a Valuable Service to Cruisers
Caribbean Cruisers’ Facebook pages
Cruisers Network Online: Caribbean, Mediterranean, Africa, South Pacific
Caribbean Cruising and Cell Phones
Optimizing Iridium GO use on board
Marine Services
Boat Repair and Storage: Caribbean Boatyard Updates (All at Sea, September 2020)
eZone: Clearance and delivery of online purchases into the Caribbean, Latin and Central America
Caribbean Boatyard Safety: Good Grounding Saves Lives
Getting work done on your boat whilst long-distance cruising: Cruisers Tips
You, the shipyard and your insurance policy
Weather
Caribbean: National, Regional and Island Weather Websites and Reports
IMO/WMO Worldwide Met-Ocean Information and Warning Service
Marine Weather Center – Caribbean
National Hurricane Center
Concerned boaters can subscribe to the NHC Facebook page and get their Tropical weather information directly.
Weather Resources for the hurricane season
20 tips for surviving strong winds
Preparing a marina bound boat for a tropical storm
Bahamas: Lessons learned from a sudden storm at anchor
Hurricane Season is Here: Tracking hurricanes and more
Yacht Security
SAR Contacts – Find Rescue Coordination Centres Worldwide
The Caribbean Safety and Security Net (CSSN)
Cyber-Crime Scams Against Yachts in the Caribbean – CSSN Special Report
Caribbean Security for Cruisers: Everyone’s Concern, Everyone’s Responsibility
Caribbean Navigator
Facebook Group supporting all cruisers who wish to share safe sailing, navigation, and boat security information for the Caribbean Sea.
Securing your boat from intruders
Protecting yourself from boat theft
Note: Every Caribbean Country and Port has its own “Security Reports” Section under the Explore/Related Reports tab.
Health
Keep an eye on the World Health Organisation website to check for any health alerts in the Caribbean countries you are planning to visit so you can prepare you and your crew accordingly. It may be that certain vaccinations are required and certificates carried, or that restrictions are in place at ports of entry if coming from a country with an epidemic and further health paperwork needs to be carried by all crew.
All Caribbean countries have strict entry protocols for yachts during the Pandemic. See our list of countries that are open and closed, and follow the links to the biosecurity section for that country to find out what is required for entry.
There are on-going Dengue Fever outbreaks throughout the Caribbean and the Zika virus is still present on a number of Islands. See the Health sections on all country/Formalities pages for further details.
To be on the safe side, the following documents should be kept on board should they be needed:
- Past itinerary and previous ports of call (up to 14 days prior)
- Recent crew member and passenger travel history
- Health clearance from the last port
- Crew medical records
- Crew immunization cards
Mosquitos: Chances of a Dengue Fever Outbreak increases in all Caribbean Islands (2019)
Mosquitos: Chikungunya disease in the Caribbean
Bugs: Nine Ways to Keep Bugs at Bay
Dangers of the Manchineel Tree
Environment
Small Caribbean Island’s Waste Management: How Cruisers can Help
Garbage Disposal at Sea and in the Eastern Caribbean
Wider Caribbean’s Marine Protected Areas (CaMPAM)
Caribbean: Expansion to the Coral Reef Early Warning System (CREWS)
End of Season
Caribbean: When to Leave and Which Way to Go?
Caribbean: Where are the Yachts? (end of Season 2021)
Choosing a boatyard for the hurricane season
Lessons Learned from the 2017 Hurricane Season
Warning Regarding the International Transport of Yachts
Shipping Your Boat – a Guide for transportation
Helping Others
Northern Bahamas: Hurricane Dorian – How you can Help
School Supplies still needed in Dominica’s Schools
Caribbean Cruiser’s Blogs
Taking a Sabbatical to Sail, Kitesurf and Explore
Around’n Circles – south to the Caribbean and beyond
The voyage of a concrete gaffer
(Editor’s Note: Any updates to the above articles or suggestions of links you have found useful for Caribbean cruising are very welcome. Either register on Noonsite and post a comment at the bottom of this report or send your feedback to editor@noonsite.com, thank you).
Related to following destinations: Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Cuba, Curacao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, Panama, Saba, Sint Maarten, St. Barts, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Martin, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Statia, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos, US Virgin Islands, Venezuela
Related to the following Cruising Resources: Atlantic Crossing, Atlantic Ocean West, Caribbean Sea, Cruising Information, Routing