Seasonal· Almirante· Other Caribbean

Hurricane Season in Bocas (Jun–Nov, low risk but not zero)

9° 17.3′ N · 82° 23.7′ W · approximate

Bocas sits at 9°N, south of the main Atlantic hurricane tracks, and many cruisers summer here. Late-season storms in the far south-western Caribbean are rare but have hit this coast.

Belize Barrier Reef

Practical

Coordinate is Almirante. The Atlantic season runs June 1 to November 30. Local marinas and the boatyard advertise Bocas as a 'hurricane safe zone' and safe haven (Bocas Yacht Services; Marina Carenero), but that is promotional. Tropical Storm Martha (November 1969) made landfall in Veraguas, Panama, with at least 13 in (330 mm) of rain, and at least half the agricultural land around Almirante flooded (Wikipedia). In November 2016 Hurricane Otto prompted a national hurricane alert, hospital evacuations in Bocas del Toro and a ban on Caribbean swimming before it struck Nicaragua (Wikipedia). For the Almirante haul-out: lift out at the boatyard (crane service up to 60 tons, telescopic 15 ton, per the yard), strip sails and canvas, and check your insurer's named-storm latitude box. Late-season risk is November, when SW Caribbean storms form close by, so watch the NHC outlooks and the 7:45 am VHF 68 net. Heavy rain and flooding are the main local hazard.

Best for

Planning a summer in Bocas and hurricane-season storage

Season

Jun 1–Nov 30; watch November

Nearby