Am starting to plan a cruise for June, 1997 and want
to find out about cruising in the Windward and Leeward
Islands. I cruised in the BVIs for two weeks in 1994
and enjoyed the steady winds, the mix of sailing and
land activities, and its ease and beauty.

How does sailing in the Windward and Leewards differ?
Winds? Places to moor and anchor? Facilities for
sailors? I'd appreciate hearing about your experiences
and any comparisons you might be able to make.

Thanks,
Ann Bishop
a...@mpd.tandem.com

It has been 10 years since I cruised the Windward Islands, but I doubt if there has been
much change.

The difference between the Windwards and the Virgins, are the wind, seas and anchorages.
In the Virgins it is very easy to find protection from strong winds by getting to
leeward of an island in Drakes Bay. In the Windwards you can be exposed for longer
periods. The winds and seas have traveled unobstructed a greater distance from Africa.
As a result, the winds can be quite strong and the seas quite large. In a passage
between St. Vincent and St. Lucia, I encountered 20 foot seas in 35 knots of wind. I was
in a Peterson 44 and would not have been very comfortable in a 35 ft boat. At the time I
chartered they were not chartering anything less than 39 feet.

The anchorages in the Windward were quite different. The land dropped more rapidly from
the shore and it was frequently necessary to tie a line to a tree on shore. There were
very few of the sandy protected windless harbors that are so abundant in the Virgins. My
feeling is that the Windwards are for experienced sailors. I would not hesitate to take
anyone cruising in the Virgins. I clearly would hesitate to take a squeamish sailor to
the Windwards. There is no way you can get lost in the Virgins as the anchorages are
obvious. In the Windwards you better be able to read a chart, as some anchorages have
few boats and can be easily missed amoung the lush backgrounds.

That said, the Windwards are fantastic. They are far more beautiful than the Virgins and
give one a fairly genuine feeling of sailing in the tropics. You actually see natives
fishing and living off the sea rather than government subsidies. We saw natives herding
fish into their nets by throwing rocks. The mountains are glorious and the landscape a
tropical jungle rather than the brush common to the Virgins. Although some of the
natives that approached the boat were aggressive, many were very friendly and
approachable. They were a positive experience in our trip, which I could not say for the
Virgins where they seemed obvious in their dislike of tourists.

The water did not seem as clear for snorkling in the Windwards as it was in the Virgins.
The water seemed slightly colder, probably because the water where you snorkle is
deeper. The three days we spent at Tobago Cays were the most memorable of my life. The
snorkling there was wonderful.

In short, if you think you and each member of your party can handle the possibility of
extreme conditions, go the the Windwards. However, don't lie to yourselves or your
charterer about your experience and abilities.

On Apr 01, 1996 19:09:02 in article <Cruising the Windward and Leeward
Islands>, '...@mpd.tandem.com (Ann Bishop,1050a,x8379,13431,)' wrote:

Ann,
  It's hard to generalize about such a WIDE area.  Compared to the BVI, you
will  
generally find somewhat more wind, and bigger ocean swells, since the
sailing between islands is not protected as is most of the BVI.  If you're
beating to make
a particular island, you will find it tough going most of the time.  On the
other hand,
reaching and running are usually delightful.
   The people are not as "gentle" nor "shy" as in the BVI.  It varies a lot
by island,
but on the whole, the further south you go, the more aggressive the native
people,
and you'll need cables, padlocks, and a loud voice to ward away the "boat
boys"
and the offers to "watch your dinghy".  St. Vincent is probably the worst
of the
group in this regard.  
   The northern islands, particularly the Leeward islands of Antigua and
St. Martin,  
are delightful places quite similar to the BVI, but with stronger winds and
a  
somewhat better test of your sailing skills.
   There are plenty of places to anchor, but few places have permanent
moorings
for transients.  
    We have sailed Antigua, Guadeloupe, St. Martin, St. Lucia, Bequia,  
the Grenadines, & Grenada, and if I were you, I'd go out and purchase the
Chris
Doyle guides to (1) Leewards and (2) Windwards for a LOT more great advice
and
details that the Internet can provide you.  However, if I can answer a
specific question about a specific island, e.g., please feel free to
contact me via E-mail.
--
                /|                 John Hakemian, aka        
              //|\           sailo...@nyc.pipeline.com
            ///|\\               Chesapeake Isle MD  
           ////|\\\                       and NYC  
      __/////|\\\\__   PANACHE on the Chesapeake
     / PANACHE/           PANACEA in the BVI
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~