Sailing to a new country can be daunting for the first few times. It’s best to understand the process and learn tips and tricks before you go. So, what’s the procedure to book in? How about booking out? What information to do you need to supply? Where can things go terribly wrong? Are there any tips to make the process easier, faster and less painful? What about spear guns, real guns, and pets? What about booking into the US of A?! That’s a big topic in its own right. Watch the video and then read below for a checklist on what we bring with us every time we enter and leave a country.
Videos
Kite Surfing And More On Union Island Grenadines
Join us for a voyage from Bequia to Union Island in St Vincent & The Grenadines. You’ll enjoy some sailing, a fish story (that ends badly for Simon and the fish), some awesome Kite surfing stunts, spectacular views you’ll get when on land and some information on what to do with trash and booking in/out from Union Island Grenadines.
What’s liveaboard Life Like in Bequia, St Vincent?
In this episode of Sailing Britican, you’ll gain a well-rounded picture of what liveaboard life Bequia St Vincent is like. Simon will show you his passage plan from St Vincent to Bequia in the Grenadines. We’ll show you what it looks like when an anchor drags, some sights of Bequia including the town, some beaches and a walk across the island. Simon will explain the process of repairing the black caulk on our teak deck, we’ll show you the liveaboard cruiser hang out, show you what our daughter Sienna gets up to on a daily basis (does she have a social life?!), a crazily insane rainstorm, and a small bug issue.
Also, find out if Simon recovers from being trapped between the dinghy and the dock – does he stay dry or does he get wet?
Is it safe to sail to St Vincent & The Grenadines?
The title should actually be, ‘Is it safe to sail to St Vincent’? The Grenadines, as a whole, are known to be safe. It’s St Vincent that has the bad reputation. There are 32 islands and cays (pronounced ‘Keys’) that make up St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG). Nine are inhabited, including the mainland St Vincent and the Grenadines islands: Young Island, Bequia, Mustique, Canouan, Union Island, Mayreau, Petit St Vincent and Palm Island.
In 2016 when we did our first full Caribbean sailing season we skipped St Vincent. Immediately after passing it by I had several cruisers say, ‘Don’t miss St Vincent – it’s great!’ I vowed that I would most definitely visit the island if the opportunity came up again.
On our visit we checked into Chateaubelair on the northwest side of the island. Then we sailed down to Cumberland Bay and anchored with our stern facing the shore – an anchor heading out to sea and a line tided to the shore. What were our overall thoughts of the island and the people? Watch the video to find out. And check out the photo gallery too.
Boat Life With Boat Buddies
What is a boat life with boat buddies like? Boat buddies are boats that you decide to travel with. Once you start cruising, you’ll meet a variety of boaters in an anchorage. Considering that most people are heading the same direction, many boaters choose to team up for social, safety and, if it’s a kid boat, guaranteed play dates.
Watch the following video to get a glimpse into the boat buddies we had on our journey from the Bahamas down to Trinidad. Find out why all the girlies from Rondo, Pura Vida and Britican are bending over. Watch now…
Boat Handling – Leaving A Dock
Most boat crashes and hull crunches happen when docking and leaving a dock. Why? There’s a variety of reasons. Some new (and experienced) boat owners misread the elements (wind, tide, current). Other’s misjudge the space available. And it’s very common for inexperienced marina dock hands or crew to mess things up with the lines. Boat handling leaving a dock is a key skill to learn.
Unfortunately, once a new boat owner has a crunch it can be quite a setback.
Sure, there’s a cost associated to a scratch or hole but the real issue is with confidence. We’ve met many new boat owners that have a few small accidents and decide to call it a day. Take a look at all the boats you’ll find in a marina on a perfect sailing day – many people want to live the dream, buy access to the dream and then lose steam when it comes to actually making the dream happen (leaving the dock).
The crazy thing is that there are very safe and easy steps regarding boat handling leaving a dock.
In fact, the steps that we use make docking and leaving a dock look like a breeze – even for newbies. Like so many things with boat ownership, having a blueprint or a checklist can help you make a success out of it more times than not. Below you’ll find a video where Simon explains the procedure, we then demonstrate leaving a dock and we also provide an alternative. Furthermore, you’ll find the steps written below the video.
To access this post, you must purchase The Britican Club.
Life On A Boat
This video should be entitled, sailing to Dominica and Martinique however we didn’t really see too much on land. It’s more of a video about what life on a boat is like. There’s some passage planning, heavy winds, a major squall, sushi, swimming, pot luck, fishing, socializing – you know, the all the things you do when you live on a boat.
Guadeloupe
After our quick visit in Antigua, we sailed south to Guadeloupe with our two buddy boats, Pura Vida and Rondo. On our trip, we anchored in Deshaies, stopped off at the Jacques Cousteau’s Marine Park on Pigeon Island for a snorkel and then went onto Les Saintes. Watch the video to see some sailing, fishing,[Read More]
How To Fillet A Mahi Mahi Video
There are many amazing things that go along with becoming a liveaboard cruiser. One of them is fresh fish for dinner. But how do you catch a fish and once you have it, how do you fillet it? More specifically, the question to ask is how to fillet a Mahi Mahi? Watch this video to[Read More]
Best Boat Shoes For Sailing – It’s Not Deck Shoes
After living aboard our sailboat for over four years now, we know the best shoes for sailing. Surprisingly, in the tropics it’s not deck shoes. Before leaving land we had to choose between what we took on board and what we left behind. While sailing over 30,000 nautical miles we’ve actually gotten rid of more[Read More]
