The Captains Guide to Hurricane Holes - Volume III - The Leeward Islands and the Windward Islands
By David Underill and Stephen J Pavlidis
()
About this ebook
This is Volume 3 of the Kindle series, The Captain's Guide to Hurricane Holes covering the Leeward and Windward Islands, including St. Martin, Guadeloupe, Martinique, St. Vincent, Antigua, Marie Galante, Barbados, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Barths, St. Lucia, Trinidad, and Tobago. There are a total of four volumes in the series covering the e
Read more from David Underill
The Captains Guide to Hurricane Holes - Volume II - The Turks and Caicos to the Virgin Islands Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Captains Guide to Hurricane Holes - Volume IV - Cuba and the Northwest Caribbean Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to The Captains Guide to Hurricane Holes - Volume III - The Leeward Islands and the Windward Islands
Related ebooks
The Captains Guide to Hurricane Holes - Volume I - the Bahamas Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Island Hopping Digital Guide to the Exuma Cays - Part IV - The Southern Exumas Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Island Hopping Digital Guide To The Southern Bahamas - Part II - The Jumentos: Including Ragged Island Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Island Hopping Digital Guide to the Leeward Islands - Part V - Dominica Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsKayaking Through History - Volume II - Maine Paddles Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsExtended Power Cruising Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Island Hopping Digital Guide To The Turks and Caicos Islands - Part I - The Caicos Islands Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Island Hopping Digital Guide To The Exuma Cays - Part I - The Northern Exumas Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSailing In Newfoundland and to the Azores Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Cruising the Florida Keys: Second Edition Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Island Hopping Digital Guide To The Northern Bahamas - Part III - Andros and New Providence Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsKayaking Through History Volume I: Maine Paddles: Deer Isle/Stonington Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Complete Guide to Small Boat Canyon Fishing Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAnchorages and Marinas of the Eastern Canaries: Sailing off the Coasts of Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Abaco Islands of the Bahamas: Green Turtle Cay, Great Guana Cay, Man-O-War Cay, Abaco Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Island Hopping Digital Guide To The Windward Islands - Part III - Barbados Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Island Hopping Digital Guide to the Windward Islands - Part VI - Trinidad and Tobago Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsOnce Around: Fulfilling a Life-long Dream to Sail Around the World Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMore Faster Backwards: Rebuilding David B Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Sail Aboard Walkabout Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSafety at Sea for Small-Scale Fishers in the Caribbean Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFollow Me: Leadership & Trip Planning for Paddlers Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBest Dives of the Virgin Islands Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Outdoors For You
SAS Survival Handbook, Third Edition: The Ultimate Guide to Surviving Anywhere Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5438 Days: An Extraordinary True Story of Survival at Sea Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bushcraft 101: A Field Guide to the Art of Wilderness Survival Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Travel Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Emerald Mile: The Epic Story of the Fastest Ride in History Through the Heart of the Grand Canyon Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/552 Prepper Projects: A Project a Week to Help You Prepare for the Unpredictable Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Mind Gym: An Athlete's Guide to Inner Excellence Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Advanced Bushcraft: An Expert Field Guide to the Art of Wilderness Survival Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Survive Off the Grid: From Backyard Homesteads to Bunkers (and Everything in Between) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGrandma Gatewood's Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Survival Hacks: Over 200 Ways to Use Everyday Items for Wilderness Survival Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Bushcraft Illustrated: A Visual Guide Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Bushcraft First Aid: A Field Guide to Wilderness Emergency Care Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Ultimate Survival Medicine Guide: Emergency Preparedness for ANY Disaster Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Emergency Survival Manual: 294 Life-Saving Skills Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Outdoor Survival Guide: Survival Skills You Need Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Ultimate Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Norwegian Wood: Chopping, Stacking, and Drying Wood the Scandinavian Way Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ultimate Survival Hacks Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Pocket Guide to Essential Knots: A Step-by-Step Guide to the Most Important Knots for Everyone Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow to Survive Anything: From Animal Attacks to the End of the World (and Everything in Between) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Prepared: The 8 Secret Skills of an Ex-IDF Special Forces Operator That Will Keep You Safe - Basic Guide Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5How To Be Alone: an 800-mile hike on the Arizona Trail Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Ultimate Bushcraft Survival Manual: 272 Wilderness Skills Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sailing For Dummies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Useful Knots Book: How to Tie the 25+ Most Practical Rope Knots: Escape, Evasion, and Survival Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Birth of The Endless Summer: A Surf Odyssey Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Scout's Guide to Wild Edibles: Learn How To Forage, Prepare & Eat 40 Wild Foods Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Training for the Uphill Athlete: A Manual for Mountain Runners and Ski Mountaineers Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Reviews for The Captains Guide to Hurricane Holes - Volume III - The Leeward Islands and the Windward Islands
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
The Captains Guide to Hurricane Holes - Volume III - The Leeward Islands and the Windward Islands - David Underill
The Captain’s Guide to Hurricane Holes
Volume III
The Leeward Islands and the Windward Islands
Copyright © 2018 by Captain Dave Underill and Stephen J. Pavlidis
Published in the USA by:
Seaworthy Publications, Inc.
6300 N. Wickham Rd.
Unit # 130 - 416
Melbourne, FL 32940
Phone 310-610-3634
email orders@seaworthy.com
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: The authors have taken extreme care to provide the most accurate and reliable charts possible for use in this edition, nevertheless, the charts in this guide are designed to be used in conjunction with DMA, NOAA, and other government charts and publications. The Authors and Publisher take no responsibility for the misuse of the charts in this edition. All charts are Copyright © 2017 Stephen J. Pavlidis unless otherwise noted.
All aerial photos of The Bahamas courtesy of Capt. Paul Harding, Aerial Imaging. All aerial photos of the Virgin Islands courtesy of Todd Duff (a special thank you for the updated Virgin Island information too). All aerials of Puerto Rico courtesy of Bob Greiser. Guatemala photo by Bongo Bob Meredith. All photos of Mexico, Belize, and Cuba are courtesy of Capt. Dave Underill. All other photos courtesy of Stephen J. Pavlidis.
Book design: Stephen J. Pavlidis, Nightflyer Enterprises, Melbourne, FL
ISBN 978-1-892399-98-4
Dedication
This book is dedicated to Scott Bell, who has been my best friend for 55 years, and his father, the late Larry Bell, who got me hooked on sailing a long time ago.
Capt. Dave Underill
This book is dedicated to my parents, Elizabeth and Basil, for introducing me to the beach, the sea, and boats.
Stephen J. Pavlidis
Irma and Maria
by
Stephen J. Pavlidis
THIS GUIDE WAS WRITTEN IN THE SUMMER OF 2017, AND WAS BEING EDITED while we were witnessing the destruction wrought by Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria in The Bahamas and Caribbean. I was shocked at the amount of utter devastation these storms left behind and how some of the holes, so favored by both cruisers and charter fleets for hurricane protection, lost nearly every vessel present, while other holes escaped with little or no damage. I have gone through this guide again since Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria passed through the islands and annotated the text to reflect how some of these places survived. The one good thing to take from this is that the people affected will rebuild, it is their way, they have done this for centuries, but the damages from Irma and Maria will set them back for months, some for years.
Irma left a huge path of destruction from Barbuda and Antigua through the Virgins and then right up the middle of Florida. The eye of Irma went over Barbuda which is now little more than a ghost town; everybody has been evacuated off the island and who knows when they will return. Irma then leveled St. Martin, St. Barth’s, Anguilla, and the US and British Virgin Islands. However, North Sound Boatyard located on Crabbs Peninsula on Antigua, about 25 or so miles south of Barbuda, suffered minor damage and all the boats there were fine. Jolly Harbour Boatyard on the western shore of Antigua also suffered little damage.
Irma taught much about the holes that people have been using for years in the Virgins. Paraquita Bay, the safe hole for most of the BVI charter fleet, the safe hole that charges for moorings and lines up the charter vessels in nice, long rows, was decimated and has set the Virgin Island charter industry back who knows how long. Nearly every hole in Irma’s path suffered with few exceptions. Nanny Cay was wiped out, both the docks and the other infrastructure but they are rebuilding already (they have ordered new docks which should be installed in early 2018). In North Sound, Virgin Gorda, the Bitter End Yacht Club is in total ruins and closed for rebuilding.
In the USVI, St. John and St. Thomas were hit hard but Benner Bay (especially the area at the head of the bay known as The Lagoon
), Flamingo Bay, and Mendahl Bay survived with just a few losses. The small cove north of the airport runway and south of Brewer’s Beach on the west side of St. Thomas also proved a valuable hole with its mangroves and 7’ depth where boaters survived both Irma and Maria. Sapphire Bay Marina suffered some boat losses as well as dock destruction. All in all, St. Thomas had a better survival rate for boats than did Tortola and Virgin Gorda where gusts to 200 mph and tornadoes laid those islands to waste, there was no truly safe place there.
IGY stated that Blue Haven Marina on Provo in the Turks and Caicos Islands, Yacht Haven Grande on St. Thomas, USVI, American Yacht Harbor at Red Hook, USVI, Yacht Club at Isle del Sol, St. Martin, and Simpson Bay Marina are all closed for repairs, when they will open is anyones guess. Most marinas in Simpson Bay and Marigot were heavily damaged and will be closed for a while. Gustavia suffered much damage but should be up and running by the time this guide is published. Christophe Harbour on St. Kitts seems to have made it through with little damage.
Irma skirted the northern coast of Cuba, heavily damaging the marina and boatyard at Gaviota but leaving Marina Hemingway virtually untouched. A few marinas in The Bahamas were damaged but all were up and running within a week of Irma’s passing.
Maria appeared to be following in Irma’s wake beginning her path of destruction by leveling Dominica and then hitting St. Croix hard before crossing Puerto Rico and knocking out ALL power on the island (even snapping concrete power poles) and leaving few vessels unscathed. Puerto del Rey Marina suffered minimal damage and most boats survived with little harm. The damage to local boats in Puerto Rico is sad as many Puerto Rican boaters usually keep an eye out for strong storms and many will simply head south for three days to the ABCs and return after the storm has passed Puerto Rico.
The eye of Maria then passed approximately 35 miles to the east of Grand Turk and North Creek fared as well as can be expected with little damage.
So, what have we learned? We have