Sailing tips

Page d'accueil

^{Ce site est régulièrement
mis à jour où et quand nous le pouvons !}

Français

01.02,12

01.02.12

13.06.11

Tips marins

25.06.11

01.02.11

21.01.12

Where to stop ?

a few tips to help you to make a break !

Described countries : Mozambique, South Africa, Namibia, St Helen, Brasil, French Guyana, Surinam, Trinidad, Venezuela, Grenada, Martinique

After 10 years sailing (better now than never !), we eventually decided end of 2007 to create a new page mainly for sailors with a few informations about harbours, marinas and other anchorages used by TiTOM. Of course, theses informations where valid at the time TiTOM went through these places ! The GPS positions are the one where TiTOM anchored, took a mooring or was moored.

Questions and comments are welcomed through t i t o m @ t i t o m . c h , answer guaranted (even if it can take time due the no access to the net !)

Our own opinion, which engage only ourselves !

Martinique, March-May 2011 : Le Marin, Sainte Anne, Grande Anse d'Arlet, Fort de France, Saint Pierre

Le Marin : mud or sand, not always good holding, flat

14°28'002 N - 060°52'539 W

Port of entry, easy formalities, market, good provisionning, shipchandlers, internet cafés, laundry

Sainte Anne : sand, good holding, flat except with swell going round le Diamant

14°25'630 N - 060°53'269 W

Nice small village, market, small shops, restaurants

Gde Anse d'Arlet : sand and grass, good holding, flat

14°29'874 N - 061°05'237 W

Very nice anchorage,small grocery, internet café, restaurants

Fort de France : sand, good holding, flat nearby the beach

14°36'004 N - 060°04'141 W

Port of entry, anchorage in the middle of the town

Saint Pierre : sand, good holding, generaly roling

14°44'302 N - 061°10'672 W

Port of entry, make a stop between Dominica and Martinique

Grenade, February-May 2009, March-June 2011 : Clarke's Court Bay, Prickly Bay, Grande Anse, St Georges, Port Halifax, Carriacou (Tyrrel Bay, Hillsborough)

Clarke's Court Bay : mud, good holding

12°00'407 N - 061°43'709 W

Nearby with dinghy of Phare Bleu (port of entry)

Prickly Bay : mud, good holding, a bit of swell

11°59'874 N - 061°45'687 W

Port of entry, easy formalities, wifi, bus to go dowtown

Grande Anse : sand and coral, good holding 12°01'991 N - 061°45'457 W		Nearby with dinghy of St Georges (port of entry), wifi, be aware of coral when anchoring !
Saint Georges : sand and mud, good holding 12°02'650 N - 061°44'832 W		Nearby downtown, as the marina has been extended not sure if anchoring in the lagoon is still permitted !
Port Halifax : sand with a few rocks in the middle of the bay, good holding 12°06'651 N - 061°44'836 W		Finaly a small nice solitary bay in a wonderful environment !

Carriacou :

Hillsborough : sand, good holding, rolly

12°29'173 N - 061°27'496 W

Port of entry, easy formalities, in front of Carriacou's main village

Tyrrell Bay : sand, good holding

12°27'412 N - 061°29'065 W

wifi, shops, bus and taxis for Hillsborough, even with all the boats here still nice

Venezuela, November, December 2008, January 2009 : Los Testigos, Margarita, Los Roques, La Tortuga, Puerto La Cruz.

Good charts available.

Los Testigos : in this archipelago unfortunatly anchorages are rolly, but otherwise nice atmosphere

Testigo Pequeno : sand, good holding, a bit of swell

11°22'946 N - 063°08'139 W

Isla Cabra : sand, good holding, a bit of swell, nearby the village

11°21'488 N - 063°07'770 W

Testigo grande : sand, good holding, back on the shore with a mooring, the calmest we have been

11°50'584 N - 066°55'743 W

Porlamar (Margarita) : anchorage, marina

10°57'0 S - 063°49'9 W

GPS point at anchor in front of Porlamar

Port of entry, Porlamar is a rolly anchorage, but with good holding. The marina in the west of Porlamar is a bit isolated. Wifi available at anchor.

Los Roques : some anchorage in this archipelago with such unbelievable colors incroyables !

Gran Roque : sand, good holding, a bit of swell

11°56'79 N - 063°40'89 W

Nice village, easy formalities, fresh provisioning on saturday

Sarqui : sand, good holding

11°53'661 N - 066°48'335 W

Becqeve : sand, good holding

11°50'584 N - 066°55'743 W

Dos Mosquises : sand, good holding, in front of Tres Palmeras in the middle of a superb lagoon. Dont miss the turtle research station on Dos Mosquises Island.

11°48'062 N - 066°53'612 W

Carenero : sand, good holding, very calm

11°53'118 N - 066°50'690 W

Crasqui : sand, good holding

11°52'905 N - 066°43'704 W

Noronsqui : sand, good holding

11°55'373 N - 066°44'076 W

Francisqui : sand, good holding, very calm but you wont be alone !

11°57'640 N - 066°38'987 W

Isla Vapor : sand, good holding, a bit rolly, nice snorkling

11°57'035 N - 066°37'528 W

Cayo Pirata : sand, deep up to the beach, but you will leave straight away as soon as you will have bought your lobsters !

11°53'077 N - 066°35'494 W

Buchiyaco : sand, good holding, a bit rolly, convenient before going out or after entering through the Bocca de Sebastopol

11°47'980 N - 066°34'393 W

Agustin : sand, good holding, calm

11°52'587 N - 066°43'348 W

La Tortuga : some anchorage around this island, convenient stop between the mainland and Los Roques :

La Tortuguilas : sand, good holding, calm

10°57'843 N - 065°26'189 W

Cayo Herradura : sand, good holding, a bit rolly

10°59'517 N - 065°22'732 W

Playa Caldera : sand, good holding, rolly with wind from NNE

10°57'417 N - 065°13'529 W

Cape W, South coast : sand, good holding, calm

10°54'732 N - 065°22'000 W

The anchorage in Carenero, in the SE coast, is out of limit for deep keel like TiTOM (draft 1,90 m), but seems to be excellent, we saw a center-board calmly anchored inside the lagoon when we tried to enter.

Puerto la Cruz : marina Bahia Redonda

10°12'480 N - 064°39'780 W

Due to piracy risks, it is safer to NOT anchor in front or nearby PLC. When we were there (Christmas 2008), the security at Bahia Redonda was excellent. Wifi, swimming pool.

Trinidad, August-November 2008, 2009, 2011 : Chaguaramas, TTSA.

TTSA : moorings , anchorage, possibility to haul out up to 10 tons, good holding, can be rolly in the afternoon

10°40'886 N - 061°37'324 W

For a reasonable fee, you can have access to all the facilities as showers, laundry, swimming pool, wifi, of a very friendly sailing club

Chaguaramas : marinas, moorings , anchorage, shipyards to haul out

10°40'789 S - 061°37'874 W

GPS point at the customs pier !

Picture: Tropical Marina !

Trinidad is still Caribbean 's best place for the maintenance of your boat, even if, comparing with our first time here in 2002, the cost of ilfe is much higher now in 2008. But its inhabitants are as welcoming and nice now than before !

Surinam, August 2008 : Paramaribo.

Paramaribo : anchorage

05°49'57 S - 055°08'72 W

Up the Surinam River, follow buoys !

Anchorage in front of Hotel Torarica

Calm, confortable and safe anchorage nearby downtown. Other possible anchorage in Domburg, up the Surinam,River, around 18 Km from downtown, not visited by TiTOM.

French Guyana, July 2008 : Degrad des Canne, rivière de Kourou, îles du Salut.

Iles du Salut : anchorage

05°17'14 S - 052°35'33 W

Approach clear from the South

Anchorage in baie des Cocotiers in front of île Royale

Anchorage sometimes rolly. Other possibles anchorages in the West of île St Joseph and in the West of île du Diable in the bay Bora Bora. Interessing visit of the island and the remains of the penal colony.

Kourou River : anchorage

05°08',91 S - 052°31',0 W

Access through a buoyed channel, WARNING charts wrong, channel drying at low tide !

anchorage in the river, strong current !

On the Kourou River, nearby downtown. Marina with floating pontoons, water, electricity, but full !

Do not miss the visit of the European Spatial Center !

Degrad des Cannes : marina

04°51',16 S - 052°16',93 W

Access through a buoyed channel, dredged minimum 3 meters

floating pontoons, water, showers & electricity

Up the Mahury river, marina well protected and safe. Practical to leave behind your boat and explore French Guyana. Disadvantages : far from everythingt, publics transportations not very well organised, insects.

Brésil, juin 2008 : Fortaleza, Natal, Jacare, Recife. Good charts available.

Fortaleza : marina or anchor

03°43',17 S - 038°31',75 W

Access without problem

floating pontoons with anchor in front, morrings lines at the back. Anchorage possible in the harbour in front of the marina.

water, showers & electricity, swimming pool

Nice swimming pool, only 5 minutes walk from downtown, night's walk not advisable !

Natal : Anchorage

05°45',74 S - 035°12',28 W

Access without problem

Anchorage in front of Natal yacht club

Nice environment well protected on the river. A few yachts had their HB stollen here !

Jacare : marina or anchorage

07°02',17 S - 034°51',49 W

Acces to the river through Cabedelo harbour, then up the river watching out for the sandbanks.

floating pontoons, water, showers & electricity, anchorage in the river possible. Train and bus for Joao Pessoa and Cabedelo.

Nice environment well protecte on the river, public transportations for provisionning, new marina open in 2007 by Philippe, French established there.

Recife : marina or anchorage

08°04',17 S - 034°52',38 W

Access to the river without problem, anchorage in front of Pernambuco Iate clube, or up the river in Cabanga marina watching out for the sandbanks.

marina with floating pontoons with anchor in front, morrings lines at the back, dinghy indispensable to go on shore !

Anchorage or buoy in front of Pernambuco Iate clube conveniently downtovn, and the Iate Club marinero Eduardo is very nice and helpfull. Cabanga marina is expensive, bad value for money ! in spite of its pool. Dont miss Olinda, colonial town listed by Unesco.

Ste Helene, April 2008 : Good charts available.

James Bay : anchorage
15°55',1 S - 005°43',15 W
The only ONE !
Going ashore is a bit delicate, ferry (fees) available

Anchorage rolly (but less than expected...). Warm welcome. You need to explore this island before they get an airport !

Namibie, Mars-April 2008 : Walvis Bay, Lüderitz. Good charts available.

Walvis Bay : anchorage or mooring
22°57',27 S - 014°29',02 E
Bay well protected, except with wind NW Floating pontoon fot dinghy in front of the yacht club, water and shower available. Shops at 20 min. walking

Confortable anchorage with sea-lion and pelicans, nice welcome, good spot to leave your boat and go visiting Namibia.