[killarney_sailor]

Still in Grenada and have a few observations about cruising from what I see here.

1. This one applies more generally than just here. Seems like there are two types of cruisers. One group was called 'permacruisers' by someone. These folks find a place they like and stay there, either all year or seasonally. We know one boat that was launched from Spice Island boat yard, went about 200 m to anchor and has no intention to move until they haul in May, when they will go another 200 m to the travellift. The other type of cruisers are transients, who come for a time and then go somewhere else.
2. The median boat size here is about 45'. Interestingly, the median was notably smaller in obscure places on our circumnavigation where we were one of the larger boats at 45'.
3. Some countries have a lot of cruisers here. For some reason there are a disproportionate number of Danish boats.
4. There are relatively fewer American boats here than you would expect, based on distance and the number of boats there are in the country. Not sure why this is. The proportion of Americans in the permacruiser category is definitely higher than in the transient group.
5. There are quite a few catamarans here compared to most places.
6. If you are on a boat less than 33' you are almost certainly to be European.
7. If you less than 50 years old, you are almost certainly European. This of course may be related to the previous point.

 

[Faster]

Still in Grenada and have a few observations about cruising from what I see here.........

Having done the chain in a half dozen different trips from St Maarten to Barbuda to Grenada I'd agree with those assessments.

On a 36 footer we were almost always the smallest boat in the basin. It was pretty obvious which were the 'permacruisers'.

Mostly Europeans indeed... few Americans, I'd add that aside from the charter Jeanneaus and Benes relatively few mainstream 'production boats' (Sorry Smack ) The European bias is even stronger in the French islands, naturally.

Plenty of catamarans, yes, mostly charter??

 

[killarney_sailor]

I realized I should have added one more section to my observations and that would be trends I have noticed in Grenada now compared to 2010.

- the use of some sort of flashing light for an anchor light, either alone or with a masthead light. These would not qualify as full-fledged strobes. They are not that bright.

- an increase in the number of various French aluminum boats. In the past you would see a few French-flagged boats of this sort. Now they have a broader ownership.

- a growing number (from essentially zero) of Solent stay rigs. Many of these are on new, often quite fancy boats; some are refits on older boats. Still a small minority but I wonder if these are coming to replace cutter rigs?

 

[JonEisberg]

• The proportion of Americans in the permacruiser category is definitely higher than in the transient group.
  
• If you are on a boat less than 33' you are almost certainly to be European.
  

Somehow, those observations do not surprise me...

 

[sony2000]

My Irish/Canadian friend has his Corbin 39 turning at anchor in the Grenadines for a few years now. Victim of gremlins. Last summer at the club he mentioned, he would like to bring the boat home, once the head gasket is changed.
I guess you haven't noticed.
The people of Martinique told me the Americans don't usually show up until later in the sailing season.
Basil's restaurant at Mystic, is easy to get to.

 

[outbound]

K don't some people just regionally wander from a home base. In my group see folks who have a slip. Fly back and forth to the states two or three times a year leaving the boat under yacht management for 1-3 weeks. When down here are off the dock for 1-3 weeks bits cruising locally. To St. Martin or Spanish virgins and like trips. If it's friends visiting a week doing BVI circle or USVI national park. Then back to the slip.
Basically that's what I'm doing and I would say 80%+ of my marinna mates the same. Agree there are very few mainstream production boats that smack is enamoured of. Rather if you see a Smackdaddy boat it's very safe to assume it's a charter.
Here the Brits and canooks predominate. Most are mom and pop.
90% are 45' plus 10' or minus 5'

 

[svHyLyte]

I posed a question about this to friends of ours that are in their 5th year of cruising the Caribbean, currently at anchor in Rodney Bay waiting a favorable window for a passage to Martinique, their answer:

I cannot speak for US boats outside the Caribbean, but as we sailed south of the Bahamas, US flagged boats were few and far between until we reached the EC where we began to see higher numbers. No matter where you sail you will find cruisers who have "found a home", some year round, others seasonally. There is a great variety of boats to be seen. Most older Americans do tend to sail the typical "cruising boat; the Westsails, the Perry designs, etc, are prevalent, but, there is a higher number of "performance cruisers". Older Tartans, Benes and Jennies, Pacific Seacraft, Valiants, etc. Lots of Island Packets, the cult boat; people love them who own them. IP did a great marketing job with those boats. And, they are ruggedly built with quality components, but, they have just as many problems as we do. Few Hunters, and fewer Catalinas, one or two here and there. Rarely a Morris or a Hinckley. Lots of aluminum and steel among the foreign flagged boats; some wood, but not many. Lots of Oysters, Swans, Najad, Bavaria, Malo, HR's, and other quality Euro boats.

I think there are more boats sailing than parked. In Trini, one US boat is parked there; everyone else sails. In Grenada, there are more parked US boats, but far more boats sailing. This is our 5th year here, and we've visited all the "popular" spots, and many "out of the way" spots. We prefer the "out of the way" locations. The only locations where cruisers park for the season are the major ports and harbors, Chaguaramas, the mecca; Prickly Bay; Clarks Court; St Georges; St. Martin, and other similar. I guess your [poster] has yet to visit the "out of the way" places in the Caribbean.

Much to our regret, we did not stop in St. Vincent this year; time and weather and our timid buddies. another time maybe. It is a beautiful country that has a poor reputation, yet several charter companies have bases there. So what does that tell you?

FWIW...

 

[killarney_sailor]

K don't some people just regionally wander from a home base. In my group see folks who have a slip. Fly back and forth to the states two or three times a year leaving the boat under yacht management for 1-3 weeks. When down here are off the dock for 1-3 weeks bits cruising locally. To St. Martin or Spanish virgins and like trips. If it's friends visiting a week doing BVI circle or USVI national park. Then back to the slip.
Basically that's what I'm doing and I would say 80%+ of my marinna mates the same. Agree there are very few mainstream production boats that smack is enamoured of. Rather if you see a Smackdaddy boat it's very safe to assume it's a charter.
Here the Brits and canooks predominate. Most are mom and pop.
90% are 45' plus 10' or minus 5'

For sure many boats do go for a short cruise and then return to home base. I would compare it to people on western Lake Ontario who do their annual trip to the Thousand Islands. They might do 500 miles a year. People here typically seem not to go as far - perhaps to Bequia. One consideration is the question about being to windward here. Most people don't want to get to leeward and have to come back uphill.

We are becoming permacruisers as we get some work done (the stuff we can do is done). We are getting an overhaul on our mainsail furled, new heat exchanger, and a bit of engine work. Probably won't get out of here for a couple of weeks (he said hopefully). Want to be in St. Martin by mid-April to get ready to go to Bermuda.

 

[outbound]

I've learn to pick the weather window and go to windward first. That way you have a chance of your guests making their plane. Easier going downhill if it pipes up.
Agree doing the circuit isn't much more than a brief day sail before noon. But the back and forth to New England ( or Canada) adds some miles. The hops back and forth to,St.Martin or Culubra adds a couple of hundred miles. Most folks I see daysail ~50% of the days. In total think 500m maybe a very conversative estimate.
Think just like there are dock queens at home. There are dock queens here. Think proportion is less here. Often due to waiting for repairs or crew. Unlike daysailing at home for many if your genset doesn't work and you don't have alt. energy you don't leave. It's likely there will be no where to plug in for awhile.
Unlike home think more don't move due to money. Find a nice place to anchor and stay put. Food is expensive. Many need to buy water. Work rules and economics are such it may be hard to pick up cash. It's cheaper to stay put.