Caribbean Routes and Shelter

[Mark Matthews]

Could you recommend any books with suggested cruising routes in the Caribbean and Bahamas, as well as places to summer over during hurricane season?

Debra Freyer

Mark Matthews responds:

As far as hurricane season goes, it is certainly a factor in your planning. August and September are historically the most active months, but there can be plenty of activity before and after that. Anything north of Trinidad is considered to have a potential for a hurricane, which is why many boats in the Caribbean opt to go south for the season, and then back north in the fall.

There is a wealth of information in the SailNet Store. Look under Books, Cruising, General to find Jimmy Cornell’s planning bible, World Cruising Routes. Under Cruising Guides–Bahamas, you will find six volumes covering that area. Eighteen separate books can be found under Cruising Guides–Caribbean, the most important perhaps being Van Sant’s Passages South, although Reed’s Nautical Almanac, Caribbean might be considered indispensable. As you can see, there is more information to pass along than can be covered in one letter.

Hope this helps,

Mark Matthews