By No owner — last modified Sep 17, 2012 05:49 AM

Saba - Profile

Facts

Saba is now part of the Kingdom of The Netherlands and was originally settled by small groups of Dutch, Scottish and English people, together with a few from Africa.
This small Caribbean island lies about 25nm NW of Statia.
An extinct volcano only 2 miles (3 km) in diameter, Saba rises sheer out of the sea up to 3084 ft (940 m). There are well-protected anchorages at Well's Bay and Ladder Bay on the west coast, while the entry formalities have to be completed at Fort Bay, which is on the SW point of the island. Fort Bay offers better protection in strong NE winds, while the previous anchorages are to be preferred in SE winds.
Saba is unique in that its entire coast is a protected marine park.
There are no beaches but the underwater scenery is remarkable.
The construction of the airport, the road to the harbour in Fort Bay, and later a pier, has brought in tourism on a small scale. Saba is a duty-free area like Sint Maarten.

Security

Based on reports to noonsite from cruisers, petty theft from yachts is on the rise in the Caribbean in general. Cruisers should take basic safety precautions and use common sense when leaving the boat or going ashore at night. Dinghy thieves operate throughout the Caribbean and best advice is to place your dinghy on deck and chain it overnight.

Free Cruising Guides have completed the Caribbean Security Index (CSI) review of 2013 and updated the country ratings. The latest update of the CSI contains new information that may be important to you to “route around crime.”
See this report at http://www.noonsite.com/General/Piracy/caribbean-crime-caribbean-security-index-csi-review-of-2013

Check the noonsite Piracy Pages and the Caribbean Safety & Security Net for information on the current island situation.

The Caribbean Safety and Security Net (safetyandsecuritynet@gmail.com) gather information by anchorage or by island, so sailors can plan their cruising in the Caribbean with an eye to appropriate behaviour and precautions wherever they decide to go. Should you have suffered a boarding, robbery or attack on your yacht or have information about a yachting-related security incident, go to the CSSN homepage and click on the "Report an Incident" icon. The associated form is quick and simple to complete and ensures that all the necessary details are reported. The CSSN is the most comprehensive source of Caribbean security incidents against sailors on the net. Remember, it is every cruiser's responsibility to ensure that incidents are reported.

Last updated April 2014.