The Swift Trawler 47 Is Built For Mid-Range Cruising With Excellent Fuel Consumption — perfect for a weekend voyage. The following was inspired by a recent question from one of our readers. Another would be to learn to maintain and repair your boat so that you can … Los Haitises national Park, Cancun Lagoon, Santiago de Cuba, Fisherman's Island - the Caribbean! In Trinidad, I fell in love with the rich culture of Carnival: The highlight for me was Panorama, a multiday competition among steelpan orchestras that was sensationally exciting. Cruising the eastern Caribbean is much more expensive that our cruise of the western Caribbean. When examining the options for cruising boats, it’s really not simply a question of one hull or two, the power vs. sail argument needs to be addressed as well. After all, there are fruit stands to visit and fresh fish to buy for lunch. Schedules here are merely suggestions and will be hijacked by everything from weather to new friendships to a favorite rum shack. Why should long-distance cruising be any less as it’s equally important getting to your dream destination. WOW! In a way, the BVI is a microcosm of the greater Caribbean cruising experience. Maybe sailors can get tired of sailing, sometimes, and … At least 45+'1 with a lot of fuel tanks as there not many Marinas> A trawler is good but slow>Seem some when cruising> Made that trip> After leaving George town Bahamas there is no fuel … It’s awfully hard to worry about what’s happening at the office, or whether your investment portfolio has inched up or down, when you’re sitting on deck with a good book, a cold beverage and a view of a pastel-painted town, studded with palm trees and a welcome mat of soft, white sand. Trawler versus sail—a comparison that is often dismissed as an old-person versus young-person, apples-to-oranges argument. Dazzled by the variety of places to explore in this island chain, and lulled by the steady breeze that seemed perfectly calibrated to temper the blazing sunshine, I saw immediately why so many sailors fall madly in love with the BVI. Usually, however, the Caribbean voyage you wind up making will have little in common with the one you imagined. There are some lovely beaches, mostly black sand or rocky, but the real draw is the lush interior, which has waterfalls, nature trails and botanical gardens. By all means, make a plan. They cruise in a 36-foot Albine Express trawler … Slow and steady, you’ll be pleased to see the fuel bill is allowing you extra funds for elaborate dinners out or that new tender you’ve been eyeing. What got me thinking about the Bahamas was a presentation that Susan and I recently gave to the MTOA (Marine Trawler … One option would be to cruise only near your home port and to employ a mechanic to keep your boat in tip-top shape. Cruising trawler. That means you could fuel up in Miami and ride out hurricane season in the safety of Trinidad’s hurricane hole, Chaguaramas, on full tanks. If you’re more of a tropical breeze cruiser, then by all means, get her ready to cruise south for the winter to extend the warm months aboard. Each day, I baked on the beach, cooled off in the sea and read a whole book. That’s never a bad idea: It educates you on what feels most important to see, how much time you’ll need for passages between islands, where you might put in to refuel or reprovision. John is the 2012 & 2013's Best Selling author in the nautical markets, and now you get the best and most complete Caribbean cruising information on what to expect and how to cruise the Bahamas and Caribbean… Captain Bob’s teaching skills on the chart plotter, navigating along with Irene, gave her a tremendous boost in which we ended up bonding together like a real experienced cruising … If you want the speedier versions, there are a few builders who can accommodate you in making that dream come true on your trawler too. Whether you plan on cruising the Pacific Northwest, island hopping in the Caribbean, or taking on the Great Loop, before you make a selection on a trawler, it's best to discuss your plans with an experienced, knowledgeable broker that can walk you through the differences in some of the brands, styles, and capabilities. https://www.passagemaker.com/destinations/the-caribbean-seduction It reduces the wear and tear on guests and crew, makes it easier to provision, and eases the timing of passages for the best weather windows. Soon, I learned that this was only one version of the many heavens the Caribbean has to offer. It’s assumed that a sailor will sail until his hands are too crippled to manage a line any longer, then buy a trawler that will sit dockside, until one day a dockmaster is notified of a disturbing smell coming from “that boat the old guy lives in.” But maybe there is more to it. Photo by Robert Calhoun Smith Jr. Al and Jane Castleman of Fine Romance. Then we’ll dinghy down to De Reef for a rum punch and a swim. Extensive and well developed fringe reefs encircle most of the islands throughout the Caribbean. Finding yourself slowing things down in your world due to the crazy rush of information and speed all around us? Decided you’re ready for a boat, or have one but feel a shift in your style and aren’t ready to dig too deep into your pockets for one but would like a more economical choice to escape the frenzy in? And, if you’re riding a solid, full-displacement hull with a single engine, a range of 2,000-plus nautical miles is common. But, with all the comforts of home aboard and the security of a good engine, the Caribbean is a wonderland for adventurous trawler owners. It was the first of my many trips to the British Virgin Islands that made me realize there was one perfect way to experience all of these Caribbean paradises—no choices required. 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