Long term cruising: Med or Caribbean?
Posted by xX_TeAcH_Xx@reddit | sailing | View on Reddit | 59 comments
Perhaps this question has been debated to death, and there may not actually be an answer (other than "it depends") as it's deeply personal how you weight the various factors, but I'm interested to hear the opinions of people who have been lucky enough to sail long term in both the Mediterranean and the Caribbean.
Culture, weather, sea conditions, amenities, food, variety, visa implications, value for money, language... There could be hundreds of factors that form your overall impression of sailing a certain area.
Does anyone have very strong feelings on Med vs Caribbean? I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Gullintani@reddit
Med.
South_East_Gun_Safes@reddit
If you have an EU passport, sure. Else you’ll have to leave every 6 months/hide in Turkey or similar.
caeru1ean@reddit
3 months
thiefspy@reddit
How long do you need to be gone and do you need to get stamped elsewhere to prove you left?
caeru1ean@reddit
90 days
AdImmediate8806@reddit
Hiding in Turkey is a great option, that place is amazing. But you can always get a seamen's book, that way you don't worry about the Schengen shuffle.
caeru1ean@reddit
Your total stay in the Schengen area must be no more than 90 days in every 180 days.
thiefspy@reddit
Ahh, okay. Thank you.
remfem99@reddit
I think it depends on time of year. We did an early April cruise (bareboat charter - not our own) in the BVIs and it was wonderful. I dream of doing a summer med excursion some day! I’ve been on day trips in the Greek Cyclades and it was awesome.
GulfofMaineLobsters@reddit
I've done the Caribbean and Bahamas a few times, lots of great sailing, never done the Med so I'll have to wait to get back to you with my pick...
freakent@reddit
Where are you starting from and what nationality are you?
xX_TeAcH_Xx@reddit (OP)
Tbc and British.
freakent@reddit
As someone else said above, how do plan to deal with Schengen ?
xX_TeAcH_Xx@reddit (OP)
In a nutshell, Montenegro. But it's a massive pain, I grant you.
freakent@reddit
Well at least you have a plan.
freakent@reddit
Do you watch Sailing Fairisle on YouTube? By coincidence they just posted a video comparing Caribbean to Mediterranean cruising.
cyclinglad@reddit
long term cruising does not mean full time cruising. There are several options outside Schengen and many Brits fly simply home in the off-season
briankanderson@reddit
Por que no los dos?
Wtfdidistumbleinon@reddit
Isn’t it a case of doing both? When the hurricane season starts closing in on the Caribbean that’s when you head to the Mediterranean. The cruising scene in the SH is the islands (Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, Tahiti etc) and then when cyclone season looms it’s a run for NZ or Aussie for our summer
YuenglingSlayer@reddit
I sailed a lot in the Mediterranean, and although I find Northern Europe nicer (not as hot), the Mediterranean is more relaxed than the Caribbean.There is very good food, whether you are in Spain, Italy, Greece or Turkey There are also storms from time to time (as we saw recently), but at least they are not hurricanes like in the Caribbean.The costs are significantly lower than in the Caribbean, and the landscapes and cultures are more diverse. But the bays in the Mediterranean are becoming increasingly full and the charter yachts often provide interesting anchoring and harbor maneuvers. All in all, there is simply more variety to see in the Mediterranean than in the Caribbean.
whyrumalwaysgone@reddit
Both of those are quite large areas with a lot of variations, it's kind of like asking which is better, Europe or America. "It depends".
That said, I've cruised for many years in the northern Caribbean and Bahamas, and some in southern Caribbean and Central America. My Med experience was Mallorca for a season, and 2 years in the Aegean Sea off Greece and Turkey. So here goes:
Med: very "civilized", not much remote cruising. Easy to find things like provisions and parts. Many languages to learn, English isn't always an option. Beautiful turquoise water, but no fish. Dry climate, can be hot but not humid. Big cities, big yachts in places. Amazing food variety, no hurricanes. Very few marinas with slips open, look up "Med moor" and get comfortable with it.
Caribbean: more options for places to sail with no people. Harder to find parts, lots of places running on "island time", which can be frustrating until you relax into it. Massive marine life diversity, good diving and fishing. Hurricanes. Mostly you can get by with English and some Spanish. Hot and humid, good sun tarps and wind scoops are needed. More anchoring options, few cities
AmigoDelDiabla@reddit
This makes me want to cruise in both the Med and the Caribbean.
nevetz1911@reddit
Amen
Lower_Discussion4897@reddit
There's plenty of fish in the Med off the Turkish coast, I've caught and eaten a few varieties and seen octopus and cuttlefish.
whyrumalwaysgone@reddit
Med is a big place, I'm sure it's different everywhere. My experience was around Cyclades and southern Turkey, I was snorkeling daily for 4 months and never saw a fish bigger than my hand. The Greek fish markets sold mostly really small fish, with a few larger pelagics or farmed tuna.
Compared to Roatan (southern Caribbean) or Bahamas or BVIs, which are literally swarming with thousands of fish pretty much anywhere you jump in the water. Reefs everywhere, coral full of life. For me at least, the Aegean felt beautiful and blue but barren.
Only_Razzmatazz_4498@reddit
My wife still talks about waking up in St John to the sound of the sea turtles (yes plural) breathing next to the porthole. Our experience in the med was around the Ionian and would agree great food and cities but lots less sea life.
Lower_Discussion4897@reddit
Oh sure, the Med can't compete with the Carribean, and that fact alone would probably be the deciding factor for me in this scenario. Still, the Med is quite a long way from having 'no fish'.
xX_TeAcH_Xx@reddit (OP)
Thank you, that's really insightful.
Just-Finish5767@reddit
Since you're a British citizen, what would be your plan for spending time out of the Schengen zone?
ukfi@reddit
I have casually sailed in both.
After my last trip at the Caribbean, i have decided not to return any more.
This is just me - your mileage might differ.
I really enjoy the history and all the back stories of various Islands i encounter in the Mediterranean. In the Caribbean, it is just another sandy bar.
I know - a lot of people like the Caribbean for whatever reasons.
caeru1ean@reddit
There is culture and history in the Caribbean islands if you take the time to be interested.
oudcedar@reddit
There is culture but it’s very new. Nothing old since Europeans wiped out the indigenous population 400 years ago. The Med in comparison has overlapping cultures and buildings going back thousands.
sailphish@reddit
Of course, and you can say this for any place, but the reality is that much of the Caribbean feels pretty similar. Some speak English vs Spanish, some have mountains vs sandbars, some are more developed vs more rustic… but at the end of the day an island is an island.
oudcedar@reddit
After a couple of years in the Caribbean following 11 years in the Mediterranean we are looking forward to going back to the Mediterranean maybe next year.
Having to be cautious about locking up and crime is tiresome with a murder or two of yachties at anchor or a midnight robbery being low in numbers but still being a thing. Petty theft absurdly common. After 11 years of just tying up the rib, and leaving all hatches open it’s annoying especially in a hot and humid climate. CSS Net website has up to date info.
Next issue is humidity- I love going walking, swimming and living in the Carribean but hate trying to work on the boat as it’s so energy sapping.
Final big disadvantage for us is food. As Caribbean culture was obliterated 4 centuries ago it’s still very new and wonderful, I mean really wonderful, but very samey after a month or two.
Minor disadvantage is the musical culture. Loud amplified music is endemic and if you like it then great.
But we have experienced so much beauty and fun interactions that I will miss it the moment we are back in Italy or Croatia.
xX_TeAcH_Xx@reddit (OP)
Thank you. Lack of food variety is a real black mark against Caribbean in comparison. My trips round Greek Islands were incredible, and I don't remember anyone locking anything for the duration of the trip. Still felt safe.
oudcedar@reddit
Exactly. My friends husband was murdered by intruders when they were at anchor a few years ago. She asked me to sail the boat back to the UK as she couldn’t bear to be on it any longer.
This year an elderly couple on a bouy near our marina in Grenada had their boat stolen in the middle of the night whilst they were on boat.
The empty boat with a lot of blood was found the next day off a nearby island.
Then-Blueberry-6679@reddit
The Med…without a doubt.
DarkVoid42@reddit
Caribbean. med has a shitty 18 month and 180 day rule.
Zarniwoopx@reddit
Check out this timely video where Sailing Fair Isle gives their opinion on this question.
xX_TeAcH_Xx@reddit (OP)
Not much in it, judging from that. But a helpful rundown, thank you.
TheLordVader1978@reddit
Go wherever you want but I'm just saying there's no orcas eating boats in the Caribbean.
outsmartedagain@reddit
Yet
TheLordVader1978@reddit
Take that back right now!
stomith@reddit
Better hope there ain’t no orcas reading this and getting ideas.
cyclinglad@reddit
lol also not in the Med, hotspots are the Portugese and Spanish atlantic coast and the Straight of Gibraltar
captainMaluco@reddit
Those aren't really in the med either. So far, afaik, they've only happened in the Atlantic, though a few occurrences are admittedly quite close to the Gibraltar strait, which is where the med begins.
caeru1ean@reddit
Nor is there in the Med
Fishyza@reddit
Kinda hijack, but why is SEA not as popular cruising grounds? Having worked/sailed the Caribbean, Bahamas Central America for 25 years and the Med here and there Asia seems to offer alot on the surface, Thailand cheap food, there must be secluded anchorages in the Philippines otherwise the western pacific is sure to provide seclusion. Again not having been there whats the turnoffs?
AmigoDelDiabla@reddit
I'm guessing that despite the dense population in SE Asia, there isn't as much disposable income there to have a big population of domestic cruisers? And if that's true, one may further conclude that cruising is more of a western pasttime, and thus the Caribbean and Med are closer to the people who participate in the activity.
AlwaysBeASailor@reddit
Depends where you are from and what you are looking for. Having said that, the Med is unbeatable for its variety. The Balearic Islands, Corsica, Sardinia, the Amalfi Coast, Croatia, Greece, Turkey are all cruising waters that could stand on their own in comparison to the Caribbean. Summers are fabulous and winters mild and low cost, if you choose Greece or Turkey.
xX_TeAcH_Xx@reddit (OP)
Yeah this is a major consideration. Although there is variety in the Caribbean, Croatia or Greek Islands alone would perhaps be a fairer comparison.
AlwaysBeASailor@reddit
Long term, there is much more to experience in the Med if you take time. That does not mean the Caribbean is not fab. Bunus: no hurricanes 🌀
vanalden@reddit
No hurricanes but, um, a recent water spout has entered the chat..
AlwaysBeASailor@reddit
And it has been discussed up and down and then some more.
frozenjunglehome@reddit
Pacific Northwest.
vanalden@reddit
Your nationality and visa issues will be a factor. In the Caribbean there’s lots of different countries to bounce between, but with somewhat messy processing. Simpler processing in the Med but fewer available visa options, though not a problem if you have Euro citizenship. However, this raises VAT issues.
EddieVedderIsMyDad@reddit
I haven’t cruised extensively in the Med, just a few charters so I won’t comment on it.
The largest benefit to the Bahamas and Caribbean is the really large community of full time cruisers. I would guess it is the densest concentration of cruisers anywhere on earth. It’s very easy to make friends and after a while it feels like you know someone in every anchorage. If we didn’t have a kid that would perhaps be slightly less important to us, but at this stage of life the idea of cruising in places without lots of other full time cruisers (particularly with kids) is totally unappealing.
As noted by others, the islands do start to feel quite similar culturally and geographically. The food, whether at restaurants or from a store, is expensive and uninspiring except in the French islands. Safety and theft can be a concern in some areas. There can be a degree of tension between the comparatively rich sailors and the often impoverished locals. Hurricanes are real and suck.
There’s no perfect cruising ground. Just have to pick based on priorities.
throwaway191746@reddit
The Med because of the variety. The Caribbean is great but after 2 seasons you have seen it all IMHO. Just another nice island anchorage with a not always well stocked (expensive) supermarket for your provisioning. You can cruise the Med for +10 years and still be surprised by something new and different. The combination of cruising and still be close to civilization and all its amenities and all kinds of different cultures is in my opinion unbeatable. Just avoid July/August because it gets crowded in the popular spots.
Entire_Toe2640@reddit
My objection to the Caribbean is that no matter which island you’re on, they’re pretty much all the same. Very little difference. The Mediterranean gives you a huge variety of cultures and geology. But I have to agree that the Caribbean wins in terms of abundant seafood under the hull.