Sailing in the Lesser Antilles

Charts

Note In order to allow exact plotting of satellite derived positions, recent editions of charts have either been reconciled to the WGS84 datum or have tabulated correction data for plotting GPS derived positions (see GPS below).
Overleaf are noted the relevant charts published by Imray, the British Admiralty, SHOM (French Hydrographic Service) and NIMA (USA). Details are liable to change.
These charts are all available from Imray Laurie Norie & Wilson Ltd Wych House The Broadway St Ives Cambridgeshire PE27 5BT , England ) +(0)1480 462114 Fax +(0)1480 496109 www.imray.com
There are several series of electronic charts on the market which are available from chart agents and chandlers. These include Maptech, C-Map, Navionics and Garmin. Imray charts are available as an app for ipad; Marine Imray Charts.

Radio stations and weather forecast

The weather is generally benign, but during the hurricane season you must follow the daily weather forecasts carefully. They are of two kinds:
• marine weather reports broadcast on VHF or SSB by marine radio stations and amateur networks (see Table I in the book)
• weather forecasts broadcast on local FM and AM radio usually with the news (see Table II) Some harbours and marinas also post weather forecasts on notice boards, especially in the hurricane season. Forecasts can, of course, also be found on various specialist websites.
Note that large areas of the Antilles are not covered by VHF stations or are not connected to the internet. When that is the case you must listen for the forecasts on local radio during the day, especially in the hurricane season.