Docking
There are a number of marinas here, all with varying levels of security. Transient berths are in demand so booking in advance, if possible, may be advisable.
Moorings
The cylindrical or round orange buoys are marked and owned by YSATT. Moorings are also available from Tardieu Marine and Simon, the Diver.
Do not pick up any other mooring ball in the harbour. It is either a private mooring, or marks a wreck, or it is manifestly unsafe. If a float or tag line is attached, it is allocated to someone else. Find another mooring, or use your own anchor.
There are about 25 cylindrical mooring buoys in the Anchorage area controlled by Tardieu Marine. These are checked monthly for wear and tear. Moorings cannot be reserved in advance of arrival; they are strictly accommodated on a first come first served basis. Upon arrival in Trinidad, contact Tardieu Marine or speak to a water taxi operator to advise of your need for a mooring.
If using these moorings, be aware that while it can blow for days from the east with flat seas, when a W or NW wind blows the bay is wide open and provides no protection. The seas and surge make up quickly and one must be careful to secure the mooring lines to prevent chafe.
The Trinidad and Tobago Sailing Association in Harts Bay also have mooring buoys available, however, this is not in Chaguaramas. Prices are cheap, however, the facilities are basic and there is no security.
Anchoring
The harbour is crowded, messy and deep and the holding can be poor.
It is also possible to anchor off the town or close to Carenage Bay. The bay can be rolly in a southerly wind as well as uncomfortable due to the number of craft operating around the bay at high speed. Be sure to anchor in the designated anchorage area.
Another option is to anchor in Escondida Cove. It is exposed in westerly winds but otherwise, well sheltered.
There are a number of local water taxis that routinely operate in the area. Call on Channel 16/68. Check for prices, but a trip across the harbour should cost in the region of $10TT.
Note that Chaguaramas is a commercial harbour, and there are frequent oil and diesel spills here. Also, there are party boats that play loud music until well into the night.
Last updated: July 2021
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We did a haul out of our sailboat at Peake Yacht Services. Spent two weeks doing maintenance mostly ourselves. we did have the yard guys clean the hull and sand for painting.
The workers in this yard were busy all the time. I did not note any slackers. The onsite hotel and restaurant were great (Zanzibar). I suggest staying at the hotel vs renting an AC unit. We felt safe the whole time in Trinidad. We did not do too much touristing but did rent a car to go into Port of Spain on a few days to collect parts.
The anchorage is a bit crowded and confusing because there is a cross current that leaves the vessels pointing in all different directions vs the wind. Some vessels are moored some on anchor…scope is all over the range. Also, there are at least two sunk boats in the anchorage, we watched one go down last week. So don’t plan to spend too much time anchored there. All said I am glad we went to Trinidad and recommend it to all.
About Coral Cove Marina
We did like the intimacy of this boatyard, they are friendly, helpful with all the paperwork, there is a little pool and it was the cheapest. So we chose to be hauled out with our boat at Coral Cove.
But (now) we really regret our choice.
There is almost no water available. If this was for a day or two then this would not have been a problem. But this problem hasn’t been solved in the last two weeks. They do not charge us for the water, but working on your boat without having water to clean after for example sanding, is not workable. So working on the boat takes longer then it should. Also taking a shower or flushing the toilet most of the time is not possible.
We would not recommend this yard to others if you want to work on your boat as long as the water problem is not solved. It is not about that they do not want to help you. They just do not/cannot fix the problem.
Internet by Coral Cove is only available in a special room between 08.00-16.00. The Internet is fast and the room has soft chairs and is air-conditioned. There is no WiFi in the boatyard.
Leaving the boat on the hard when you fly out? Make sure you have an extra alarm set on your boat.