Peake Boatyard Approach Anchorage

About This Anchorage

The anchorage off Peake Yacht Services and IMS Boatyard is functionally the holding area for what many offshore sailors consider the most important boatyards in the southern Caribbean. Peake Yacht Services offers haul-out to 100+ tons, full engineering workshops, rigging, painting, and storage. IMS (Island Marine Services) provides similar services. Both yards operate year-round — unlike most Caribbean boatyards, they remain fully active through the hurricane season because Trinidad is south of the hurricane belt. Waiting lists in high season (Oct–Feb) can run 4–8 weeks; anchoring in the approach holding area is the accepted norm while waiting. The yard offices can sometimes arrange shore power and showers for waiting boats. An essential stop for any serious offshore passage-maker transiting the southern Caribbean or heading to/from South America.

Hazards

• !Travel-lift operations — haul-out channel must be kept clear at all times during yard working hours
• !Gulf of Paria tidal range 0.9–1.5m — boats near quayside must account for tidal variation
• !High season wait times (Oct–Feb) of 4–8 weeks — plan passage accordingly
• !Boatyard chemicals and antifouling in water near the yard — do not swim near the haul-out area

Skipper's Tips

• →Contact Peake Yacht Services (+1 868-634-4423) or IMS well before arrival to book haul-out — waiting lists are real and long in Oct–Feb
• →The anchorage off the boatyards is the accepted waiting area — other boats here are in the same queue; the boatyard VHF is 16
• →Use the wait time productively — Trinidad has excellent chandlery, engineering, and electronics supplies at lower prices than most Caribbean islands
• →Peake and IMS can deliver parts from Port of Spain quickly — good for sourcing hard-to-find items during the refit
• →The Chaguaramas chandleries (several on the main road) are a short walk from the anchorage

Nearby Anchorages