Top 10 Marinas in Trinidad and Tobago
The twin-island republic of Trinidad and Tobago sits at the southern tip of the Lesser Antilles chain, just 11 degrees north of the equator, well below the traditional hurricane belt. This geographic fortune has made Trinidad's northwest peninsula of Chaguaramas the de-facto hurricane hole and refit capital of the eastern Caribbean, drawing fleets from as far north as the British Virgin Islands each year as the June 1st season opening approaches. Tobago, 34 kilometres to the northeast, offers a completely different proposition: unspoilt coral reefs, palm-fringed anchorages, and a pace of life that feels untouched by the boatyard bustle 21 miles away.
Chaguaramas Marine Facility
The Chaguaramas Marine Facility, operated by the Industrial Development Corporation, is the granddaddy of Caribbean haul-out facilities. Its slipway can handle steel vessels up to 800 tonnes, serving commercial fishing vessels, ferries, and the occasional superyacht that has run aground and needs urgent underwater repairs. For cruising yachts, the primary attraction is the 5-kilometre chain of independent boatyards that has grown up around the state facility, each specialising in different hull materials and refit types.
Crew's Inn Marina
Crew's Inn at Chaguaramas is arguably the most complete cruising marina in the southern Caribbean. Its basin holds around 200 boats on floating pontoons, the travel-lift manages yachts to 100 tonnes, and the yard's surface area accommodates over 400 boats in dry storage. The marine services complex within Crew's Inn includes sail-makers, riggers, a marine electronics specialist, canvas workshops, and a chandlery stocked with spare parts that would be weeks away by courier from Europe. The marina's Cove restaurant is the informal headquarters of the Chaguaramas social scene.
Miller's Dock
Miller's Dock is a working boatyard rather than a marina, specialising in aluminium and steel hull repairs, welding, and blasting. Its railway slipway handles boats up to 80 tonnes, and the yard's no-frills approach keeps costs significantly below the larger facilities. Many experienced offshore sailors schedule dedicated work projects at Miller's rather than the polished marinas, specifically because the specialist tradespeople — welders, machinists, painters — are more readily available at short notice.
Trinidad and Tobago Yacht Club
The T&T Yacht Club, established in 1904 on the outskirts of Port of Spain at Bayshore, is the social heart of Trinidad's sailing scene. The club races every weekend throughout the year and organises the Regatta of the South, a popular event that draws fleets from Venezuela and Barbados. Visiting yachts can use the club's facilities including showers, fuel, and the well-stocked bar, though the basin is tidal and exposed to some chop in strong easterlies. The club's position within 15 minutes of central Port of Spain makes it the most convenient facilities for a crew requiring the full range of urban provisioning.
Coral Cove Marina
Coral Cove, a smaller marina in the Carenage Bay area of northwest Trinidad, targets the mid-size cruising yacht seeking a quieter alternative to the Crew's Inn bustle. Its 60 berths are set in a sheltered inner basin, and the marina's management maintains a strict live-aboard policy that keeps the facility clean and uncrowded. The nearby Chaguaramas beaches — normally off-limits to casual access due to the military reservation — are open to Coral Cove berth-holders through an arrangement with the defence authority.
Small Boats Association
The Small Boats Association facility at Carenage provides basic alongside berths for smaller local vessels and visiting day-sailors. It lacks haul-out capability, but its fuel dock and basic amenities at modest rates make it popular with Venezuelan sailors making the short cross-gulf passage to Trinidad for provisioning runs. The association's membership includes a number of experienced local sailors who serve as informal guides for passages between Venezuela and the ABC islands.
Tobago Anchorages
Tobago's cruising attractions are centred on natural anchorages rather than formal marinas. Store Bay, at the island's southwest corner near Crown Point Airport, offers a sheltered overnight stop in 3–6 metres over sand. Scarborough, the capital, has a ferry dock that doubles as an informal small-craft berth, and the harbourmaster at Scarborough is exceptionally helpful with clearance documentation. The north coast — Englishman's Bay, Parlatuvier Bay — is accessible only to smaller vessels able to negotiate the swell, but the coral reefs at Speyside on the northeast coast are among the finest in the western Atlantic.
Buccoo Reef and Nylon Pool
Buccoo Reef, Tobago's most celebrated natural attraction, sits in the shallow water between Buccoo and Pigeon Point. Anchoring directly over the reef is prohibited to protect the coral, but the sandy outer approaches in 3–4 metres provide a legal and comfortable overnight position from which to dinghy ashore and snorkel at dawn before the day-tripper boats arrive. The Nylon Pool, a sandbank in 1 metre of crystal water half a mile offshore, has been a traditional sailor's bathing spot for centuries.
The Chaguaramas Boatyard Mile
Beyond the formal marinas, the real magic of Chaguaramas is the concentration of specialists within walking distance of any berth. Within one kilometre of Crew's Inn you can find: a chandlery carrying Furuno, Garmin, and B&G electronics; a rigger qualified on Selden and Z-Spar carbon spars; a diesel injection specialist; a fibreglass workshop; a laundry; and three restaurants. The monthly Chaguaramas Yachting Association newsletter, distributed free at all marinas, lists current service providers and alerts the fleet to any new restrictions or opportunities.
Passage Planning from Trinidad
Trinidad's position at the bottom of the Caribbean arc gives it a unique role in blue-water passage planning. Boats heading east toward the Cape Verde Islands and ultimately Europe often stage from Trinidad, running northeast on the trade wind to Barbados before bearing away. Boats beginning a circumnavigation frequently start from Chaguaramas, sailing north through the island arc before the Atlantic circuit. The pilot charts for the North Atlantic show August and September as the optimal months for a departure toward the Canaries, and local sailors recommend leaving no later than November to avoid the strengthening Northeast trades near the Cape Verde islands.
Explore on the map
Trinidad's northwest peninsula and Tobago's pristine anchorages lie at opposite ends of the same small island nation but offer completely different sailing experiences. Explore the map to see all berthing options, anchorage positions, and approach channels across both islands. For the wider southern Caribbean passage picture — including Venezuela to the south and Grenada and St Vincent to the north — zoom out on the map and plan your full island-arc itinerary.