Sailing Totem1: Mexico vs. the Caribbean扬帆远航的“图腾号”：墨西哥还是加勒比海？

贝汉·吉福德

The Totem crew is often asked which location is better for cruising： Mexico or the Caribbean？ “圖腾号”一家常被问及哪片海域更适合航行：墨西哥还是加勒比海？

Hopeful cruisers2 sometimes wonder where to start their adventures. Pacific side of Mexico or the Caribbean—both beautiful cruising grounds， anchorages3 in proximity and resources to get started. Is Mexico or the Caribbean better？ One may be more appealing than the other， all depending on your priorities.

Room to roam

Both Mexico and the Caribbean offer extensive options for cruising. Both offer a range of environments to explore， from arid shores to rainforests. But the Pacific side of Mexico may be bigger than most realize， with 4，555 miles of coastline.

There are many more boats—in closer proximity—in the Caribbean. Charter4 fleets can crowd anchorages during the high season5. In Mexico， the only anchorages youd ever get squeezed out of are the handful of spots that are meant for just a couple of boats.

Personal safety

We cant think of a single case of vio-lent crime against cruisers in Mexico. As a cruiser， you are outside the zone of risk unless youve chosen to engage. While there are a few places in Mexico where outboards6 sprout legs7 if not secured at night， these tend to be well known and in general its not a problem.

The Caribbean， on the other hand， has a smattering of security considerations. There are two no-go regions （mainland Venezuela， and the waters off the Honduras / Nicaragua border）. Elsewhere in the Caribbean are harbors with earned reputations for boarding and theft， including assault， in well-identified hotspots8. Still fine places to go cruising， but it does mean keeping up with trends in security at a granular9 destination level， making calculated decisions about where you choose to go， and being aware.

Cultural interest

Theres plenty of culture and history in both to explore for those who wish. Multicultural heritages with indigenous10 depth in Mexico， blended African and colonial influences in the Caribbean， mean no end to what you can learn about the history and influences to everyday life. Mexicos regional variations are significant， but the Caribbeans more readily accessed—depart a French-speaking island in the morning， arrive at a Spanish-speaking island that afternoon， put a Dutch island on your itinerary11 next.

Cruising practicalities in Mexico and the Caribbean

A budget can be managed in both regions. But food is significantly less expensive in Mexico; it is among the most affordable countries we have cruised， and food is the biggest variable part of our monthly budget （by FAR）. While its possible to shop to a budget in the Caribbean， those personal choices may be easier said than lived by.

Formalities are a breeze in Mexico. Americans and Canadians get a six-month visa （really， a tourist permit） on arrival; your boat gets a 10-year temporary import permit. The paperwork for these is mostly straightforward. Extended stays are the norm.

Formalities arent difficult in the Caribbean… mostly. Best are the French islands， where you could literally be at a café with a beer signing in on a customs terminal！ But since every island you hop to can mean entering a new country， theres more to deal with and some added complexity.

Cruising community

In Mexico， most cruisers are from the USA or Canada. You can count on sharing a language with the other boats near you， which can make life fun （and come in handy）. There are a few hubs where cruisers gather， and many turn from active sailing into floating-condo retirement12. These liveaboards13 are often instrumental in fostering cruising community with local events like meetups14， seminars， and holiday gatherings.

The Caribbean has a greater number of hubs and boats， including substantial charter fleets. Charterers and cruisers alike come from a wider range of countries as European visitors flock for a winter holiday. Awareness for cultural relativism between cruisers becomes important： like how close cruisers from other parts of the world are comfortable anchoring15 （VERY， by the typical North American standard）， or the European comfort with naked deck showers.

Weather

Both regions have beautiful winter and springs， and a summer/fall hurricane season to respect. On average， Mexico is hit by far fewer tropical storms. Plenty of active cruising takes place in both regions during hurricane season， with boaters managing their risk.

Mexico has relatively light winds. It doesnt make for great sailing， unless you have a lot of patience or a good light-air setup. However， Banderas Bay has some of the best conditions anywhere in the world. Flat-water sailing with daily thermals and the humpback whale16 show as a bonus. Summertime sees cruisers either heading north into the Gulf of California （Sea of Cortez）， where hurricanes rarely venture above the midpoint， or holing up17 at a protected harbor elsewhere. It can be very hot in the Gulf/Sea， a dry heat that can be bearable with a breeze. Squally weather and humidity dominate conditions to the south， and boats choosing not to venture north typically park and plug in for aircon18.

Caribbean sailing is generally much better， with consistent easterly trade winds19. Sailing north， south， or west is relatively easy. But going east， such as from Florida to Caribbean islands， takes timing and finesse to minimize discomfort. Of course， plenty of sailors do this migration annually！ Sailing along the chain of windward/leeward20 eastern Caribbean islands isnt as great as prevailing conditions would suggest. Behind the islands， wind is blocked; between them， enhanced winds funnel through and seas get lumpy. Boats tend to cluster in hurricane “safer” locations like Grenada， or Trinidad & Tobago—but six months is a long time to spend in one spot.

Family fun

Plenty of kid boats are cruising in Mexico and the Caribbean！ But the dynamics are different. In Mexico， its relatively easy for the fleet to connect since boats all travel a linear， north/south route. Most arrive by passing through the hubs of La Paz or Puerto Vallarta on roughly similar timelines， which enables meeting other kid boats. Cruisers in hubs let you know about who has passed through， to facilitate connecting.

The Caribbean has more kid boats， but the meetups are more difficult. Partly because boats arrive from myriad directions—up from Grenada， down from the USA， west from the Canaries. And then， Caribbean boats route in different directions—a range of paths compared to the linear route in Pacific Mexico. Partly because there are more hubs; one on each island， almost. It adds up to more work to find and connect with kid boats. The major exception is peak hurricane season in Grenada. Between August and October， its a magnet—Prickly Bay has trick or treating21 with literally dozens of kids.

跃跃欲试的游艇玩家有时不知道从哪里开始他们的探险之旅。墨西哥的太平洋一侧和加勒比海都是风景宜人的航行区，附近都有不少锚地和配套设施方便出发。选墨西哥呢，还是加勒比海呢？两者各有千秋，一切取决于您的需求。

航行空间

在墨西哥和加勒比海航行的选择余地都非常之大。两者都拥有丰富的自然环境供人们探索发现，从草木不生的海岸到热带雨林，不一而足。但墨西哥的太平洋一侧可能比大多数人认为的还要辽阔，有着长达4555英里的海岸线。

加勒比海的船要多得多，显得更为拥挤。在旺季，租赁的游艇能挤满锚地。而在墨西哥，只有几处仅供几条船停泊的锚地会难觅泊位。

人身安全

我们列举不出任何一例在墨西哥发生过的针对游艇玩家的暴力犯罪案件。游艇玩家除非有意卷入其中，否则就身处危险区之外。尽管在墨西哥的一些地方，如果晚上没采取安全措施的话，舷外马达容易被盗，但这些都是众所周知的情况，一般来说没有问题。

另一方面，加勒比海有一点儿安全问题值得考量。这里有两个禁区：委内瑞拉大陆，以及洪都拉斯/尼加拉瓜边界附近的海域。在加勒比海还有一些位于知名热点地区的港口，因强占和盗窃（包括暴力袭击）而声名狼藉。这里仍然是航行的好去处，但无论前往多小的目的地，务必掌握当地的安全形势，出发前做好精心筹划并时刻保持警惕。

文化魅力

两个地区都具备多样的文化和悠久的历史供那些乐于探索的人去發现。墨西哥拥有多元文化遗产，其土著文化尤具深度，加勒比地区则拥有着混合了非洲和殖民影响的文化，这意味着供您了解的历史和日常生活受到的影响不可胜数。墨西哥的地区差异明显，加勒比海地区的文化差异更容易体验——早上离开一座讲法语的小岛，下午到达一座讲西班牙语的小岛，在您随后的行程中登上一座讲荷兰语的小岛。

在墨西哥和加勒比海航行的实用指南

在这两个区域航行都能维持预算。但墨西哥的食品价格要便宜得多。它是我们航行过的物价最低的国家之一，食品（显然）是我们每月预算中最大的可变部分。虽然在加勒比海地区也可以根据预算购物，但这种个人选择说起来容易做起来难。

在墨西哥，各项手续很简单。美国和加拿大公民可获批为期6个月的落地签证（实际上是旅游许可证），船能得到为期10年的停靠许可证。这些文件办理起来大多很简单。延长停留时间是常态。

在加勒比海，手续并不难办……大部分情况下是如此。最为方便的是法属岛屿，您真的可以一边在小饭馆喝着啤酒，一边把海关入境手续给办了！但是，由于您登上的每个岛屿都可能属于一个新的国家，因此需要处理的事情更多，也更麻烦一些。

航行社群

在墨西哥，大多数游艇玩家来自美国或加拿大。所以您和附近的其他船上的人保准能说相同的语言，这让生活变得有趣（也很有用）。这里有几个聚集游艇玩家的枢纽，许多人在此停下航行的脚步，把游艇当成海上公寓，开始休息起来。这些船宿通常有助于通过聚会、讨论会和假期聚会等当地活动构建航行社群。

加勒比海有更多的枢纽和船只，包括一大批供租赁的游艇。随着冬日假期来临，欧洲游客蜂拥而至，有更多国家的租艇人和游艇玩家来到加勒比海。于是，游艇玩家之间的文化差异意识变得重要起来：比如，游艇与游艇之间要隔多远距离下锚，才能让来自世界其他地方的游艇玩家觉得合适（按照典型的北美标准来说，这里的间隔太近了）;又比如，欧洲人也许觉得在甲板上裸浴并无不妥，而来自其他地方的人则可能觉得这样并不合适。

天气

两个地区既有美麗的冬春两季，又有不可小觑的夏秋飓风季。平均而言，墨西哥遭遇的热带风暴要少得多。在飓风季节，这两个地区都有大量的航行活动，船员们小心地管控着他们的风险。

墨西哥的风力相对较小。除非您有足够的耐心，或已安装在微风条件下能良好驱动航行的设备，否则很难远航。然而，班德拉斯湾拥有世界上最好的一些条件。海面风平浪静，穿着日常的保暖衣便已足够，还能看到座头鲸表演，实在是意外惊喜。夏季时分，飓风很少出现在加利福尼亚湾中点上空，因此，游艇玩家要么向北驶入加利福尼亚湾（又称“科尔特斯海”），要么躲在其他安全的港口。加利福尼亚湾非常热，但阵阵清风使得这种干热能够忍受。在南部，狂风暴雨和潮湿天气占主导，不愿冒险北上的船只通常会停泊下来吹吹空调。

在加勒比海航行通常要容易得多，这里有着持续的东北信风。向北、向南或向西航行相对容易。但是，向东行驶，例如从佛罗里达到加勒比海诸岛，需要找准时机并运用技巧才能最大程度地减轻不适感。当然，每年有很多水手这样航行！沿着加勒比海东部链条状的向风群岛和背风群岛航行时，这里的海况并没有加勒比海平常的海况那么好。在岛屿的背风面，风平浪静;而岛屿之间，强风呼啸而出，海面波浪起伏。船只往往向少有飓风的地方聚集，如格林纳达或特立尼达和多巴哥，但在同一个地方待上六个月是相当之久了。

亲子趣味

大量的亲子船在墨西哥和加勒比海航行！但体验不同。在墨西哥，游艇队伍联系起来相对容易，因为所有船只都沿着一条线性的南北航线航行。他们中的大多数都在大致相同的时间经由拉巴斯或巴亚尔塔港这两个枢纽抵达，这使得他们能够与其他亲子船碰面。在枢纽的游艇玩家让您知道哪些船已经经过，藉以方便联系。

加勒比海虽有更多的亲子船，但船与船之间的碰面却更难。部分原因是这些船只来自四面八方——自格林纳达北上，自美国南下，自卡纳里斯西进，又朝着四面八方继续航行——这五花八门的航线与墨西哥太平洋海岸的线性航线非常不同。部分原因是这里有更多的枢纽，几乎每个岛上都有一个。这意味着，要找到其他亲子船并建立联系的难度更大。但是，飓风高峰期的格林纳达是个例外。从8月到10月，这里像磁铁一样，普里克利湾能有足足几十个孩子一起玩“不给糖就捣蛋”的游戏。

（译者为“《英语世界》杯”翻译大赛获奖者）