A few months ago, we asked you to complete a survey telling us where you last spent the off-season and what you thought about it. In this article, we highlight the best places you found in the Caribbean, the Mediterranean and other major cruising areas.

Choosing where to keep your boat for the off season is a big decision that depends on a huge range of factors, including budget, facilities, location, weather, services, shipping and visas. Something that can be invaluable is getting feedback from other cruisers to discover where they stayed, what they loved about it and what could have been better. 

The Caribbean Sea

Starting with one of the more popular cruising grounds worldwide we have the Caribbean. Due to the hurricane season, many cruisers look for somewhere to keep their boat from mid year through to November, relaunching once the peak storm period has passed.

Eastern Caribbean

In the Eastern Caribbean the majority of noforeignland cruisers surveyed chose Grenada to spend their off season with almost 50% of respondents in the area staying there, either on the water or in a shipyard. This is over double the next most popular destination, which was Trinidad. 

Looking at demographics, the Eastern Caribbean seems to be an area favored by retired cruisers, rather than solo sailors or young cruisers, with Grenada, Dominican Republic and Trinidad being the highest rated for an active live-aboard social life. While services and security were generally rated well, especially by cruisers in yards or marinas, availability of parts was a concern and is something you may need to plan around.

Western Caribbean

Moving to the other side of the Caribbean, the stand out destinations were Club De Pesca in Colombia, Rio Dulce in Guatemala and Shelter Bay Marina in Panama. Most people in this region stayed on their boat for over half the time period and while there was a general sense that there’s some good places offering secure storage and value for money, access to professional marine services and lightning strikes were raised as a concern by some. 

Something interesting that came up was people who chose Guatemala generally felt the locals were very welcoming and that the area had some good attractions to visit. If you’re thinking about going, consider a dinghy ride up to Rio Lampara Fall, river tubing down to El Boqueron or spending a day at the Archaeological Park and Ruins of Quirigua.

North America

Heading north there’s Canada, the United States, Mexico and the Bahamas, with the US being the overwhelming favorite among cruisers. In fact, over 80% of those in North America surveyed by noforeignland chose to be there.

Most people had their boats on the east coast of the US, storing them in facilities from Florida up to Massachusetts. Zimmerman Marine facilities proved to be a popular choice. 

What’s interesting is that a significant number of cruisers spent less than half the time actually on the boat, with some places not allowing liveaboards at all. It’s a relief then that security against threats like theft was generally rated quite high. 

Feedback on things like supermarket access, nearby airports, restaurants, marina facilities, and cruiser social scene were mixed, showing that you really want to look for a place that excels in the areas that are important to you. That being said, most were rated as being good value for money and somewhere owners would recommend to other cruisers.

Europe

A huge proportion of people surveyed spent their last off-season in Europe, either in the Mediterranean or in coastal or northern Europe. Of those, the average boat spent 7 months in a shipyard or marina, no doubt in storage for the winter.

The Mediterranean Sea

Within the Mediterranean the top places for people to spend their off-season were Greece and Italy, followed by Montenegro, Spain and Tunisia. In terms of individual locations, Marina de Ragusa, Porto Montenegro, Monastir and Agios Nikolaos proved popular.

Based on the feedback a majority of people in the Med for their off season were retirees who felt the local community were quite welcoming. Thoughts on the facilities, access, contractor prices and attractions varied, but most people felt their boat was safe from extreme weather and theft, two key considerations. When asked if they’d recommend their last facility, the average person felt they would, which is a positive reflection on spending your off-season in this region.

Coastal and Northern Europe

There was quite a bit of variety in where European cruisers outside of the Mediterranean spent their time, with destinations ranging from Portugal, Spain, France and the United Kingdom, to Norway, the Netherlands and even Iceland.

A vast majority of people weren’t living aboard their boat during the off-season storage and this is reflected in a less vibrant cruiser social scene. It also seems to play a part in what facilities and resources were available in the local area, with some places seeming to be more suitable for storage rather than boat works. Overall Getxo in Spain and Lagos in Portugal received some of the best feedback, praised for the security, convenience and friendliness of people in the area.

Australia and New Zealand

On the other side of the world there’s Australia and New Zealand, two nations that provide safe shelter for boats during the cyclone season. Among the highest rated locations were The Boatworks in Australia, and Bay of Islands in New Zealand.

Surprisingly, noforeignland respondents spent very little time living on their boats in these locations, instead choosing to store them for 6-12 months and live elsewhere. They felt it was easy to get boat parts and there were good professional services available, such as sailmakers and carpenters, with the cost being considered reasonable given the location.

Unique Off Season Destinations

Along with the common cruising grounds there were also some unique destinations that a few members of our sailing community spent their last off-season.

Brazil is an oft overlooked destination for people coming into the Caribbean but Marina Jacare impressed those who visited. They especially appreciated the skill and pricing of marine contractors, and safety from theft and extreme weather.

In Fiji one captain chose to cruise the island year round while others chose to stay at Vuda Marina. You can live aboard and while it’s difficult to get parts given the remote location, there are some marine services and facilities to help you work on your own boat.

Other off-season destinations included Eden Island Marine in the Seychelles, Zululand Yacht Club in South Africa, Marina del Ray in Indonesia and Majuro in the Marshall Islands.

Summing it up

No matter where you are in the world, there are places where you can safely keep your boat in the off-season. By working together as a community we can share these places with one another, promoting those that provide a good experience to all that visit. If you’ve spent an off-season somewhere amazing, be sure to share it in the comments for others to see.