Cruising
Barbados unlike its sister islands of the Lesser Antilles is quite a long way from the next island. If you're island hopping, you have a minimum 100 mile sail to the next stop so you do need to be comfortable sailing out of sight of land to get here. It is hard work but you get a real sense of achievement on arrival. 
We like to boast that this makes us better sailors than our cousins from the island chain and you always learn something from a sailing trip to Barbados and are bound to have something to brag about at the bar.
The sailing conditions in Barbados are generally excellent. It is a rare day when you are becalmed and have to break out the rum before you get back to your mooring. Winds are typically 15- 25 Kt and however old clunky or heavy your boat, you should be able to make it move off the shores of Barbados. If you're dinghy sailing, Carlisle Bay is the perfect playground. Whether you are slaloming between the moored and anchored boats or simply going from bar to bar, you are pretty well guaranteed an exhilarating ride. Things slow down a bit as the sun sets of course which just gives you more time to watch the view.
Suggested Cruises
Most weekends outside of hurricane season some of our members will be out coastal cruising. Keep an eye on the twitter and facebook pages to find out when they are leaving. They are normally happy to take members and new members as passengers. Just turn up on the beach at the Cruising Club with your cooler at the appointed hour and enjoy the ride. You may be expected to pull a line or two. If you have your own boat you are welcome to join the fleet. We generally have our radio's set to channel 10.
To Paynes Bay (10nm round trip)
This is one of our favourite fleet cruises. This is suitable for keel boats and dinghies alike. Leave the Cruising club heading out to sea on a broad reach until you are clear of the moorings. Harden up a little and aim just off the deep water harbour to the North (Heading 345). Keep an eye out for boats coming in or out of the harbour. Read More.
To Fish Pot (22nm round trip)
This award winning restaurant is run by Andrew Warden who is himself a keen sailor. It is a bit further than Paynes bay so you have to leave a little earlier and go easy on the after lunch coffee and liqueurs if you want to get back to the club before sunset. If you want to have plenty of time for lunch you should leave the club not much later than 9am (or you may have to motor to get there in time). Read More
To St Lawrence Gap (8nm round trip)
This is a fun cruise if you only have an hour or two before you have to get back to the office of the club for sunset. It can be sailed by keelboats or dinghies, but the dinghies can go a lot closer to shore. Head out to see off the cruising club until you are clear of the moorings and give yourself a good 40 yards clear of the Hilton pier. Look for the white buoy which marks the edge of the reef at Needhams Point. Read More
To Oistins (16nm round trip)
If you have more time keep on tacking past St Lawrence Gap, Maxwell and you will find Oistins Bay with all the fishing boats. At the far end of the bay is Enterprise beach. If you go a shore here, try a Roti from the Mr Delicious van. Mr Delicious' van parked on the beach in 1973 and hasn't moved since. Read More.
