The Island Hopping Digital Guide to the Northwest Caribbean - Part II - The Cayman Islands

By Stephen J Pavlidis

This edition is Part II of The Island Hopping Digital Guide to the Northwest Caribbean and covers the Cayman Islands. 

The Island Hopping Digital Guides are the digital versions of the world-famous cruising guides written by Stephen J. Pavlidis. Over the past 20 years, Stephen J. Pavlidis has written more than 10 excellent cruising

• Language: English
• Publisher: Seaworthy Publications, Inc.
• Release date: Jan 1, 2017
• ISBN: 9781892399755

Stephen J Pavlidis

Stephen J. Pavlidis has been cruising and living aboard since 1989. First aboard his 40' cutter-rigged sloop, IV Play, and today he is cruising aboard his 31' Chris Craft, Swan Song. Starting in the Exuma Cays, over 20 years ago, Steve began his writing career with guides to the many fascinating destinations he visited. Many of his books stand alone to this day as the quintessential guides to the areas he covers. His books are different than most other cruising guides in some very significant ways. All of the charts in Steve's books were created using data personally collected while visiting each area using a computerized system that interfaces GPS and depth soundings.

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The Island Hopping Digital Guide to the Northwest Caribbean

Part II

The Cayman Islands

Copyright © 2016 Stephen J. Pavlidis

ISBN 978-1-892399-75-5

Published in the USA by:

Seaworthy Publications, Inc.

2023 N. Atlantic Ave., #226

Cocoa Beach, Florida 32931

Phone [phone]

email [e-mail]

www.seaworthy.com - Your Bahamas and Caribbean Cruising Advisory

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or by any storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Publisher.

CAUTION: Sketch charts are not to scale and are not to be used for navigational purposes. They are intended as supplements for NOAA, DMA, or British Admiralty charts and no warranties are either expressed or implied as to the usability of the information contained herein. The Author and Publisher take no responsibility for their misuse.

A publication like this is actually the result of a blending of many people’s knowledge and experiences. First off, I would like to thank the following for their help with the updates to this guide: Annie Lewis; Bob and Trish Meredith on S/V Barnacle; Jimmy Peters; Captain Lee Bakewell of the S/V Escape Cay; Jack Boatwright; Bob, Margery, Alex, and Sweet of the S/V Island Time; Alicia Bonnet; Steve Bowden of Sea Tech Systems; John, Vivian, and the entire staff of Bluewater Books and Charts in Ft. Lauderdale; John Brandes of Capt. John’s Marina; George and Helen Brown of the S/V True Colors; Valeria Cerezo; Marco Antonio Linares; Karen Carpenter of the S/V Rasmus; Nelson Christiana; Cherie and Sandy of the S/V Namaste; Captain Dale Westin; Julie and Michael Frick of the S/V Surprize; Jim Gibbs, Pier 83; Joyce and Roger Hill; La Ceiba Shipyard; Richard and Nancy Laub of the S/V Cookie Monster; Jim, Nikki, and everybody at Mario’s Marina; Mike Payne; George Munro Sr., and George Munro Jr. of Port Antonio, Jamaica; Paul and Linda Petzold; Jimmy Peters; Randy and Sherry of the S/V Procyon; Roger Quigg of Jolly Roger Cruises in Roatán; Chris Parker of the Caribbean Weather Center; Mike and Karen Rhea of Rhea of Hope; Roady (ILMTB); Daniel Rouse of the S/V Yankee; Daryl and Cristal Simpson of the M/V Izabal Queen; Sharon Smith of the S/V Beach House: Kent Trompeter of the S/V Southern Mist II; Jack and Pat Tyler of the S/V Whoosh; Dave Waltz of the S/V Victoria; Bruce and Rosa Van Sant of the M/V Tidak Apa; and Tom Williams of the Montego Bay Yacht Club.

If there is anybody that I have neglected to mention here, rest assured that it is an oversight and I sincerely Apologize.

All photos are by the author except where noted.

Cover Design by Ken Quant, Broad Reach Marketing & Design, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Table of Contents

The Basics

Anchoring

Clothing-What to Bring

Currency

Dinghy Safety

Holidays

Hurricane Holes

Phoning Home

Radio Nets

Tides and Currents

Weather Broadcasts

Using the Charts

List of Charts

Index of Charts

The Cayman Islands

Customs and Immigration

Getting Around

Medical Facilities

Moorings

Weather

A Brief History

Cayman Brac

The Creek, Stake Bay

Dick Sesinger’s Bay

Little Cayman

Owen’s Sound

Grand Cayman

George Town

Discovering George Town

North Sound

East End

Driving Around

Cayman Dining

References

Appendices

Appendix A: Navigational Lights

Appendix B: Marinas

Appendix C: Service Facilities

Appendix D: Waypoints

Appendix E: Metric Conversion Table

Appendix F: Cayman Islands Flag

About the Author

The Basics

Anchoring

Just as important as getting your vessel moving and keeping her heading along your chosen courseline quickly and efficiently is the fine art of keeping your vessel from moving. Anchor choice is basically a personal preference. Some skippers prefer CQRs, while others swear by a Bruce or a Danforth. Of the three you will find that a Danforth holds as well or better than a CQR or Bruce in sandy bottoms while the CQR or Bruce is preferred when anchoring in rocky bottoms. Whatever your choice of anchor, you must deploy your anchor correctly and with sufficient scope to hold you when the tide changes, if a front approaches, or if a squall should blow through at 0200 (which seems to be the time they choose to blow through). Your anchor should have a length of chain (at least 15’) shackled to your anchor to keep your rode from chafing against coral or rocks and to create a catenary curve that helps absorb shock loads while lowering the angle of pull on your anchor. Too high an angle may cause your anchor to pull up and out of the bottom. Some cruisers prefer all chain rodes with a nylon snubber to absorb the shock loads. This is an excellent arrangement, but a windlass may be needed unless you prefer the workout involved with hauling in the chain and anchor every time you move.

In most of the lee side anchorages in the Northwest Caribbean you will find that you can lie quite comfortably to only one anchor. When setting your anchor, do not just drop it and let your rode run out, piling itself on top of your anchor. Lower your anchor to the bottom and deploy the rode as you fall back with the current or wind until you have a 7:1 scope out. When calculating the amount of scope required, be sure to allow for high tide as well as the height of your anchor roller or fairlead above the water. Without being precise, you can figure on a 1’-1½’ tidal rise in the waters covered in this guide although occasionally you may find a 2’ rise or more during Spring tides, a little more during a full moon and a little less at new moon. When you have secured your rode, back down with the engine at about ½ throttle to set the anchor. If you have not succeeded in securing your anchor, try again. To check the set it is best to dive on your anchors or at the very least, look at their set through a glass bottom bucket from your dinghy. You may find that you will have to set them by hand, especially in rocky areas. If you are riding on one anchor and find that you are lying to the wind but that the swell is rolling you, position another anchor at an angle off the stern so as to align your bow into the swell making for a more comfortable night. A better idea is to set a bridle: run a line from your anchor rode, at least ½ your waterline length, from your bow and lead it back to a winch through a block near your stern. You can then winch in the line to change the angle your boat lies to the swells.

Many of the anchorages in this book are swept by swift tidal currents (sometimes up to 2.5 knots), such as Dick Sesinger’s Bay on Cayman Brac, and two anchors, as in a Bahamian Moor are required. To avoid bumping into your neighbor in the middle of the night or putting your vessel on the rocks or a beach, two anchors, such as in a Bahamian Moor, are required. Although one anchor may be fine if you have the swinging room, when the tide changes it may pull out and fail to reset. Sometimes these anchorages can be crowded and while you may swing wide on your one anchor and not find yourself endangered by the rocks or the beach, you and your neighbor may go bump in the night because his two anchors have kept him in one spot. If unsure, the best