Are you trying to determine where to spend hurricane season while sailing the Caribbean? There are several spots to choose from but our favorite is Grenada. Watch this video to hear our 10 reasons why Grenada is the top spot. And read below for more information.
1. Grenada rarely gets hit by hurricanes.
- There have only ever been four hurricanes to hit Grenada during hurricane season.
- If a hurricane is forecast to hit the island, you have enough time to sail south out of its path.
- Many insurance providers will cover boats in Grenada.
2. You don’t have to stay in one spot during the entire hurricane season.
- There are many great anchorages and some marinas that will provide you with a variety of scenery, social activities, restaurants & bars, and fun activities.
- If one anchorage gets too swell you can move to another.
- To name just a handful of places you can visit along the southwest coast there are:
- Halifax Bay
- Grand Mall Bay
- Camper & Nicholson Marina – Port Louis
- Grand Anse Beach
- Prickly Bay
- Mount Hartman
- Clarks Court
- La Phare Bleu Marina
- St David’s Harbour
- Grenville
- There are more not listed!
3. You can actually sail further afield provided no hurricanes are coming.
- We sailed throughout the season. You know when hurricanes are coming across the Atlantic. If you see one coming, you head south.
- The weather is the same year-round – it’s always around 85 degrees, there’s a breeze from the east and it’s sunny!
4. The island caters to liveaboard cruisers.
- Weekly shopping buses to and from grocery stores, farmer and fish markets, and hardware stores.
- Beer, wine, and food deliveries to your bay or even boat.
- You can get fresh bread and other staples in the anchorage.
- Daily VHF net to discuss emergencies, and social activities, ask questions, and sell or buy items from other cruisers.
- Good boat chandleries, boat yards, and marine services.
5. There are loads to do and see.
- Daily and weekly social events like dominoes, movie nights, trivia, and live music events.
- Cruiser organized events and holidays.
- Weekly hashes – walks/runs through the rainforest.
- Chocolate factory & rum brewery tours.
- Excellent beaches and loads of trails to explore.
- Movie theater, bowling alley, and Cricket stadium.
- Carnival.
- Loads of different restaurants, cafes, and bars to try out.
6. It’s a good place to leave your boat and fly home.
- The airport has flights to America, the UK, Canada, and other countries daily.
- There are good boatyards that are approved by insurance companies for hurricane season if you want to put your boat on the hard.
- Good marinas to leave your boat.
7. Thunderstorms or extreme weather is rare during hurricane season.
- Unlike other areas of the Caribbean, there’s almost never any lightning.
8. The people of Grenada are wonderful people.
- The Cruiser community is fantastic.
- The Grenadians are lovely people.
9. It’s safe.
- The worst that happens is someone stealing a dinghy but that’s throughout the entire Caribbean.
- You can walk around at night and not feel at all threatened.
- Kids all get together and play on an island or a beach and are free to roam.
10. It’s a massive kid boat location for hurricane season.
- Halloween – over 70 boat kids trick or treating.
- Kids have their own VHF kid’s net.
- Loads of activities for kids – movie night, hiking, swimming, day camps, radio announcements for playdates.
Let Us Show You Grenada!
But don’t take our word for it, come on down to Grenada and see for yourself. We offer weeklong liveaboard cruising experiences throughout the Hurricane Season. Enjoy the non-touristy season where the more remote anchorages are empty, the streets are devoid of cruise ship people and you get to see the authentic Grenda. Click here for more information on our Britican Experience.
Other Articles You Might Be Interested In
If you’d like an overview of all the places we’ve visited in the Caribbean please read our destination overview: Caribbean
Other Articles About Hurricane Season
To get a general overview of hurricane season, read: All About Hurricane Season – What’s the scoop? Otherwise, here are some other articles and videos about how we’ve prepared for hurricane season.
- Hurricane Season On A Boat – How To Survive It!
- Hurricane Preparation – Where To Put Your Boat
- How We Prepared Our Boat For a Massive Hurricane
- Tropical Storm Preparation – Staying In A Marina
- Dealing With Hurricane Season
- Sailboat Hurricane Plan – Anchoring up a river!
- Sailing From A Tropical Storm
Any Questions or Comments on Grenada for Hurricane Season?
Please leave them below.
Hello. Great vid! Exactly the info I am looking for. Can you elaborate on the kind of drafts a boat will encounter in Grenada, generally?
Do you mean the depth of the keel on most boats? Or the depth of the water? We are 7.5′ draft. In Grenada, there’s ample depth in all the bays for all sorts of boats. Smiles, Kim
Good article as we r just trying to decide. Wanted to go to Grenada from Bahamas but having a neck of a time getting reasonable insurance? any tips on an insurance that will cover Caribbean without breaking the bank?
Hey Gayla, We don’t get hurricane coverage because it doesn’t make any sense. For us to get insured we’d have to either be sailing through a hurricane (which we will never voluntarily do) or have the boat on the hard with the boom off in a one-piece cradle. Considering we live on our boat, we’re not going to take her out. Our ‘insurance’ policy is to sail south if one is heading in our direction. We usually have several day’s notice. Trinidad has only ever been hit once and south of that the hurricanes just don’t go. Within 24 hours we can be way, way out of a hurricane path. I hope this helps 🙂 Kim
Hello Britican
We are also in Grenada and plan to stay through hurricane season.
Sadly, our insurance company just. Told us they will not renew our policy.
Do you have any recommendations for insurance companies covering Grenada and the Caribbean?
Thanks
Terry
If you’re on the boat the whole time you can sail south if a hurricane is looking likely to hit Grenada. It’s only an overnight passage to Trinidad. Or you can sail towards French Gayana (not sure if I spelled the right?) and then turn around and come back up when it’s gone. The insurance industry is a joke…a bunch of crooks. 🙁
The best place in the caribean is spanish water in curacao never been hit by a hurrican ever.
Great tip Theo! We will go there soon 🙂 Kim
Hi folks, what an amassing sailing sorry of finding the two men in the ocean. I liked your video Also. Now this days of my live, I just read sailing stories. I used to sail a Catalina sail boat, but I don’t do it any more my 50 year daughter gets scare when I talk about getting out in a sail boat. Her and I talked about I buying a catamaran and I liveaboard. the response from my daughter was, no Dad that is not going to happen, you and I will have Problems, if you buy a boat. I’m not going to pay for a boat if you Die.
I like what you all are doing in Grenada. Keep on Sailing Enjoy the Sea’s. By the way, I’m a 78 year Grandpa and use a walking cane. I have been in my Son’s boat fishing near the Channel Islands in California Coast, I feel I can also Sail, Solo. Jib ,and Main Sheet, I can do, The Genoa, would be a little problem. I do wish to be with you Folks. Love Valde S.
Hey Valde. Thank you for your comments. You don’t have to own a sailboat to go sailing – how about doing a charter? Or how about boat sitting for someone? Smiles, Kim
Who does food/drink deliveries to boats?
His name is Fast Manacou (not sure if I’m spelling that correctly). I think his real name is John Hovan. If you listen on the cruisers net any morning at 7:30 he’ll make an announcement during the business section as to how you can order and any specials he has. If he can’t deliver to your boat, you can meet him at a dinghy dock in one of the many bays in Grenada and grab your order. Smiles, Kim
Good afternoon. I am looking to make contact with somebody in Grenada to chat about (a) p[urchase of a catamaran and (b) safe anchorage/storage during the hurricane season. Can you assist in getting me in contact with such a person at all?
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Pieter & Avril Colyn
Pretoria – South Africa
Hey Peiter – Simon had a great chat with you. We look forward to having you anchored next to us in your new boat in future 🙂 Kim
Ahoy all…I am seeking a boat yard that can store my 38 Leopard catamaran on the hard during hurricane season. If you can provide me with a list of boat yards it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks…Joe Engoglia
Hey Joe – a Google search will give you that information. Best regards, Kim