Five Atlantic crossings and four Caribbean winters. How to find a ride on a sailboat, choose a captain you trust and enjoy the islands. Opens in December.
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What you can do with this guide
You know which island suits what you love. You know where to look for a boat, what to ask a captain and what to put in writing before you leave.
You know how to get around once you arrive, by local bus, on foot or on the next boat. You have a few hikes on your list and some food shacks to find. You have a first sense of each island before you land.
Explore the Caribbean your way
Every island deserves weeks, if not months. This guide gives you a sense of place and some solid bearings to start your own exploration. You won't find a cruising guide or a list of must-sees in here. The excitement of adventure is discovering things for yourself.
Live the Caribbean instead of travelling through it
Before my first Atlantic crossing I had no idea about the Caribbean. Then the first island showed up on the horizon after weeks at sea. It was so green. The water was 30 degrees. I could smell the land before I could see the beaches. Since then I have spent four winters on these islands. And they still make me happy every single time.
The first thing to do when you arrive is slow down. It is hot and everyone is in laidback beach mode. Take the time to absorb the ambience. Drink a coconut. Take it easy. Don't leave two days after you arrive. That is exactly when you start to adapt to the local scene and get excited about a new place.
Obviously, I love coconuts.
What's inside
The guide I wish I had when I arrived. Written from my own winters on these islands, one chapter at a time.
Plan your Caribbean winter
Which island for what, the Caribbean year, and what a winter costs.
Twelve island chapters
Tobago, Grenada and Carriacou, the Grenadines, Bonaire, Curaçao, St Lucia, Dominica, Martinique and Guadeloupe, Antigua, St Maarten, Saba, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
Travel by sailboat
Where to find a ride, the agreements to make with a captain and the red flags to watch for.
Crossing the Atlantic as crew
Provisioning, watches, life on board and the first landfall.
Your crew toolkit
Questions for the captain, a written agreement, a captain's letter and a packing list.
Hiking the islands with a tent
The Waitukubuli across Dominica, all 14 segments, and the walks on the other islands.
Eat local and travel lightly
The markets, the food shacks, my coconut index and how to leave an island better.
Practicalities
Visas, money, places to stay, buses, ferries and staying healthy.
A PDF you can read on your phone, offline, or print at home.
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Suzanne van der Veeken
Four Caribbean winters, always arriving by boat
I explored these islands on other people's boats, on local buses, on foot and with a tent. On some of them I stayed for months. I house-sat, dog-sat, crewed, cooked, kitesurfed and freedived my way around.
The best things I learned came from the people who live here. The fisherman who told me they catch less every year. The lady at the food shack who made me a veggie version of whatever she was cooking. So this guide is through my eyes, but also through theirs.
I also run Ocean Nomads, a community for people who want to live a little wilder, explore a little further, and do it with good people.
5
Atlantic crossings
4
Caribbean winters
50000
nautical miles at sea
Suzanne van der Veeken has been featured in print and on TV, for sailing expeditions and long trails.
Is this for you?
- You're curious how to hitchhike on a sailboat into, around and out of the Caribbean.
- You want to slow down and get a real sense of place.
- You love islands, the sea, nature and local life more than resorts and cruise ships.
- You want to sail as a guest on someone else's boat and want to know how to choose the right one.
- You walk. The Waitukubuli is on your list, or it is about to be.
What you won't find in it
- A cruising guide or a list of must-sees
- Resort tips
- Islands I haven't been to myself
What you will find
- How to find a ride, and what a crossing is like
- What each island is for
- Where I slept and ate, and what it cost
- The Waitukubuli, segment by segment
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Get first access to Ocean Nomad Caribbean
Four winters exploring the islands. What I learned about getting there, getting around and finding your own rhythm. The guide opens in December. People on the waitlist get something special. Leave your email and I send you the link the day it opens. You can unsubscribe at any time.
One email when it opens. You can unsubscribe at any time.
A few things you might be wondering
Do I need to sail?
No. The guide starts from how I did it, as crew on other people's boats. It also covers the ferries, the local buses and walking.
Which islands?
The ones I know. Twelve island chapters from Tobago in the south to the Virgin Islands in the north. On Martinique and Guadeloupe I say what I know and no more.
Can I hike it?
Yes. The Waitukubuli across Dominica took us 12 days with a tent. All 14 segments are in the guide, plus the hikes on the other islands.
Can I do this without sailing certificates?
Yes. I crossed oceans and criss-crossed the Caribbean without any formal sailing qualifications. Captains value a positive attitude, a sense of responsibility and kindness. The guide shows how to find a ride and how to stay safe.
Is it safe to sail as a woman?
I have sailed with many different captains and crews. Choosing the right boat and captain matters a lot. The guide shares the questions I ask before I join, the red flags I look out for and the agreements I put in writing before we leave. No checklist can guarantee safety. Knowing what to look for makes a difference.
What format is it?
A PDF. It opens on any phone, tablet or computer with no app and no login, and it prints at home.
When can I get it?
The guide opens in December. Leave your email above and you get the first email the day it does. People on the waitlist get something special.
Live the islands
Slow down. Drink a coconut. Give an island weeks, not days.
Live a little wilder.
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