Yachting Monthly - April 2016

ANCHORAGES

W

henever you hear a

seasoned charter skipper

say, ‘Pfft, Tobago Cays was

so much better 20 years

ago,’ feel free to walk in

the other direction. Tobago Cays is still

fantastic, no matter how you look at it.

Regardless of where you’re coming

from, it’s easier and safer to take the North

Channel route into the Cays near the top

of Mayreau than the South Exit. Reefs are

numerous and savage but quite obvious on

a clear, sunny day. Nevertheless, having a

dedicated navigator to check the chart and

distances continually is very useful.

It would be wise to look at the chart

and pilot book fi rst and decide which

anchorage you want to head for and plan

a route; this is no place for indecision or

hesitation. Aim to arrive between 0800

and 1000 for a good spot as everywhere

will fi ll up with catamarans by noon.

Anchoring costs EC$10 (£2.50) per

person per 24 hours and will be promptly

collected by a very friendly park ranger.

You can also choose to pick up a buoy for

EC$45 but with good holding in clean

throughout the Cays, which is as much for

your safety as anybody else’s.

Photographs from the deck will never

convey the extraordinary scene properly;

if you want my advice, go up the mast and

take photos from there.

The amount of fi sh, lobster and turtles

you can see here shows that the national

park is working well to protect them. Don’t

catch or offend any of these exquisite

animals and they’ll still be here when you

come back in 20 years. W

Drop your anchor in

crystal clear water,

put on your snorkel

and discover the wonders of this

national park, says Kit Pascoe

white sand, there’s no need. If you arrive

early and don’t have a draught exceeding

1.8m, you can anchor between the reef

and the turtle sanctuary. The water is

obscenely clear so drop your anchor onto

whiteness, not any circular dark patches

that will be either a turtle or sea urchin.

People are swimming everywhere here so

be very watchful of snorkelers. And when

you are snorkeling, even near reefs, keep an

eye out for dinghies. Most people drive their

dinghies with exceptional care, but it’s best

to stick your head up and make sure they

see you if they’re heading your way.

Due to the extensive reefs, it’s easy to

swim to one and be the only person for

300 metres. From the anchorage next to

the turtle sanctuary (which is a buoyed

beach) towards the eastern reefs, the depth

is 2m or less, which makes for a great view

no matter what your snorkeling ability is.

The fi sh here are incredibly abundant

and clearly not threatened by people. The

turtles, unsurprisingly, don’t stick to their

designated zone and drift throughout the

anchorage without a care in the world,

spending a lot of time on the seabed.

Although fully enclosed by reefs, the

anchorage is completely exposed to the

prevailing easterly winds, which can make

swimming the short distance to the east

reefs surprisingly tough. If you like, take

your dinghy and anchor it in sand near the

coral to save your legs.

As the Tobago Cays (and neighbouring

Mayreau) is a national park, you shouldn’t

pump your bilges or heads directly into

the sea. There’s also a 6-knot speed limit

Turtle Sanctuary,

Tobago Cays

Petit

Rameau

PetitBateau

Turtle

Jamesby Sanctuary

South Exit

Baradel

Horseshoe Reef

TOBAGO

CAYS

30

(^308)
5
7
7
12
12
2
9
20
20
20
0 0.5nm
North Channel
Mayreau
Canouan
Mustique
Bequia
Carriacou
Tobago Cays
St Vincent
Caribbean Sea
PHOTO: KIT PASCOE. CHART: MAXINE HEATH
‘ Tobago Cays is
still fantastic,
no matter how
you look at it’
With clear white sand
and good holding
anchoring is easy
56 http://www.yachtingmonthly.com APRIL 2016